Kids•Lists

Great Games for 6 Year Olds

Six year olds are fast moving out of the little kid stage and feeling more and more like big kids every day. Usually in first grade, 6 year olds meet all sorts of developmental milestones. Such as:

Learning to read
Solve simple mathematical problems
Increased focus and attention span
A larger need for independence
Moving towards abstract thinking

Kids learn much through play and pairing board games that are filled with the right type of challenges to meet them during this stage of development is an excellent way to help them grow.

I rounded up a few of my favorite board games to play with my 6 year olds. These are fun for the whole family and will be fun well beyond the age of 6!

Be sure to check out our other age based recommendations:
Age 2 — Age 3 — Age 4 — Age 5 — Age 6 — Age 7 — Age 8-10 — Teens

Note: All kids are different and the below games may work well for kids who are younger than 6. We just consider 6 to be a solid baseline for these particular games.

1. Karuba

Karuba is an excellent path building game for the whole family. One of our collection staples. Kids will learn to plan ahead, wait patiently for better tiles, and learn to leave themselves multiple options open in case plan A doesn’t work out.

2. Drop It

A fun dexterity game! Drop shapes into the vertical game board to earn points. Scoring restrictions make this more than a toy. Players need to put thought into which shapes they select and how they best use them to both block their opponents and land on bonus circles for themselves.

3. Incan Gold

Push your luck to head into the temple, grab gems and artifacts, then dash out before too many hazards come out and you lose your loot! I love the math involved in Incan Gold. Kids will work on dividing the gems evenly amongst players and make risk assessments.

4. Similo

Guess the correct character in this cooperative card game. Players will need to think critically about the similarities and differences between characters to give clues that help their teammates eliminate the right cards to find the secret character. We love that there are many different versions of Similo, each great on their own or able to be mixed and matched. Fables, Animals, and Harry Potter are the best choices for this age.

5. Gnoming A Round

Inspired by the classic card game Golf, Gnoming Around is both fun and educational. Kids will swap out cards to try to lessen their score, or create 3 of a kind to flip their score. The game is beautifully illustrated and a fun game to play with all ages.

If ordering from Grandpa Beck’s Games directly, use my code KELSEY15 for 15% off your whole order.

6. Sushi Go

Easy to teach and great for an intro to drafting. I like that kids must choose which card to keep from their hand, knowing that what they give to the next player they may not get back. It’s a great combination of known and unknown information for this age to learn to work with.

7. 7 Wonders Architects

Baby’s First Civilization Game? We love how easy to learn 7 Wonders Architects is for this age. Kids love the challenge of building their Wonder while learning to make choices from a few options. It distills the fun of 7 Wonders into a highly family friendly version.

8. Match Madness

I always love a good speed challenge. Players race to assemble their blocks to match the pattern on the card. It’s a great challenge for increasing those processing skills! This is also a great option for a solo game. Our kids are just as happy playing together as they are on their own with this one!
Read our full review.

9. Snip Snap

If you’re looking for something small and on the go, Snip Snap is a great fit. This speed processing dice game can be tough in seconds, played quickly, and all fits into a little mesh bag perfect to throw in a purse or bag for whenever you might need it.

10. Inspector Mouse

Having a selection of great memory games is a must for these early ages. Inspector Mouse is fun, challenging, and scalable so it works for a wide range of ages and abilities.
Read our full review.