educational board games for 3 year olds

Parent Portfolio

40+ Board Games for 3 Year Olds: Learn, Play, and Have Family Fun!

Board games aren’t just play; they’re the building blocks of learning for your little ones! 

Our guide to board games for 3-year-olds is packed with options that turn giggles into growth, strategy into skills, and family time into lifelong memories. 

We’re here to help you sift through the top picks that promise to deliver fun and a feast of learning and development tailored to your toddler’s curious mind. 

So, get ready to roll the dice on learning, laughter, and much love! 🎲👪

40+ Board Games for 3 Year Olds

1. animal upon animal.

• DEVELOPMENTAL STACKING GAME: These classic wooden kids games offer hours of fun as kids stack wooden animal pieces, enhancing hand-eye coordination. These games for kids ages 4-8 are ideal early development animal games & fine motor skills toys.
• FAMILY-FRIENDLY FUN: Perfect family games for kids and adults, these juegos para niños are designed for 2-4 players. Be the first to place your wooden animals upon the animal pile. One of the best family games for all ages to enjoy together.
• HIGH-QUALITY MATERIALS: Crafted from durable, high-quality sustainably-sourced wood and non-toxic water-based stain, this beloved juego de mesa by HABA is a must-have among party games. Includes 29 wooden animals and a wooden die. Made in Germany.
• Playtime: 15 minutes
• Skills Learned: Dexterity
• Number of Players: 2-4 players
• Minimum Age: 4

Think of Jenga plus Safari animals. You and your child will take turns balancing different wooden animals on top of one another. The goal is to stack all animals from your provision and be the first one done. Honestly, I’m surprised there isn’t an adult version of this game.

2. Banana Blast

• This monkey is too greedy and wants all the bananas for himself
• Can you steal from him Roll the die to see how many bananas you can pick and try to collect as many as you can
• Be careful, one of the bananas will make Joe jump but it’s a different banana every time!
• Playtime: 10 minutes
• Skills Learned: Addition and subtraction
• Number of Players: 2-5 players

With a roll of a die, kids pick one or two bananas from the banana tree. However, players have a chance to gift or take a banana from other players. The game has a fun little surprise where the money can jump out. Whoever catches the monkey can add two bananas from each player. The player with the most bananas is, well, bananas.

3. Wonder Forge Richard Scarry’s Busytown, Eye Found It

• What you get – The game includes 1 game board, 4 movers, 4 mover bases, 1 spinner, 1 ferry tile, 10 magnifying glass tokens, 6 food tiles, 30 goldbug cards, 1 sand timer, and instructions
• Fun play experience – Eye Found It is a ton of fun for 2-4 players and makes a great gift for kids and families. It’s a cooperative game for preschoolers where you race across Busytown along a game board that’s more than 6 feet long
• Clear instructions – The game is easy to learn with clear instructions, so you can start playing right away!
• Playtime: Varies
• Skills Learned: Matching, Observation, Teamwork

Kids move around a six feet long game board (yes, six feet long), taking turns looking for specific items on the board. After a minute of searching, everyone gets to forward the number of spaces equal to the number of items found. It’s a win-win situation!

4. Candyland

• CLASSIC BEGINNER GAME: Do you remember playing Candy Land when you were a kid. Introduce new generations to this sweet kids’ board game
• RACE TO THE CASTLE: Players encounter all kinds of “delicious” surprises as they move their cute gingerbread man pawn around the path in a race to the castle
• NO READING REQUIRED TO PLAY: For kids ages 3 and up, Candy Land can be a great game for kids who haven’t learned how to read yet
• Skills Learned: Color recognition, Matching 
• Minimum Age: 3

Hasbro has refreshed this classic sweet adventures board game has with new illustrations, but the gameplay hasn’t changed. Little ones take turns moving their gingerbread man around the board in a race to the candy land kingdom.

5. Chutes and Ladders

• CLASSIC BEGINNER GAME: Do you remember playing Chutes and Ladders when you were a kid. Introduce new generations to the classic gameplay of this kids’ board game for 2 to 4 players
• NO READING REQUIRED TO PLAY: For kids ages 3 and up, Chutes and Ladders can be a great game for kids who haven’t learned how to read yet
• CLASSIC UP AND DOWN GAME FOR PRESCHOOLERS: Spin the spinner and move the pawn up the ladders and down the chutes. Chutes and Ladders is a classic game that children enjoy playing over and over
• Skills Learned: Counting, Number recognition

Chutes and Ladders is another classic board game for 3 years olds. The goal is to get to the top with the help of ladders. However, watch out for the chute! Players can slide back down if they land on a chute. No reading required; just go ‘ole fun.

6. Color Go Fish Card Game

• COLOR GO FISH A new take on an old game involves fish-shaped cards and color matching, with bold colors like hot pink and chartreuse. A great first card game that is easy to play. Illustrated by Julia Gorton.
• For ages 3 and up.
• Cards are 3.25 x 4.5 inches. Cards are durable and easy to use.
• Skills Learned: Color recognition
• Number of Players:   2-4 players

This game mixes the card game’s simple rules of “Go Fish!” and uses colors instead. Some parents have concerns that colors are not base colors, such as red, blue, green, etc. Rather, the colors in this game are buttercup, jade, and apricot.

7. Colorama

• ENGAGING LEARNING GAME: Colorama brings together fun and learning with its unique pattern and shape recognition gameplay, ideal for children aged 3 and up
• QUALITY COMPONENTS: This game includes 40 game pieces, 1 color die, 1 shape die, and comprehensive instructions for immediate play
• FAMILY-FRIENDLY FUN: Perfect for 2-4 players, it offers a fun play experience that lasts about 30 minutes – a great gift for families who treasure game nights
• Playtime: 20 minutes
• Skills Learned: Matching, Shapes, Colors
• Number of Players: 1-6 players

Kids roll a color and a shape die to determine which colored shape a player needs to place on the board. For instance, a kid rolls a red color and a circle shape. They need to match a red circle piece to its place on the board. There is no score, and it’s not a race. The goal is for everyone to match the pieces to the board.

8. Count Your Chickens

• FARM FUN: The baby chicks have flown the coop and Mama Hen needs help to bring them back. Spin and count numbers to travel and collect chicks while working together. Gather all the chicks and everyone wins!
• COOPERATIVE COUNTING: Remove competitive stress, empower young learners and teach kids that playing together can be fun! A counting game to help kids learn at a young age how easy it is to cooperate!
• EDUCATIONAL GAME: Cooperative games cultivate emotional development, shared decision making, positive self esteem, creative problem solving and develop a sense of community in a non-stressful play environment.
• Skills Learned: Counting
• Minimum Age:  3

If you’re looking for a game where everyone works together and teaches, Count Your Chickens is a great pick. Players spin a spinner that indicates which square the mother hen moves to next. For each square they move, players collect the same amount into the chicken coop.

9. Create and Tell Me a Story Cards

• ANIMAL VILLAGE A Create a Story card set lets you join the animals in this village as they dance, sing, and play. Recurring characters, locations, and props encourage linking the cards in endless combinations for fresh, new stories every time it’s played. Use this beautifully illustrated visual card set by Stephanie Graegin to create your own stories! Can be played individually or in a group, make up your own way to play!
• PROVIDES GREAT INTERACTION, CREATIVE AND IMAGINATIVE PLAY! This playful collection involves recurring characters, locations, and props allowing the cards to be linked in endless combinations for fresh, new stories every time it is played.
• Cards are perfectly sized at 3.75 x 4.75 inches. 36 cards in the set. Instructions included.
• Skills Learned: Imagination, Storytelling
• Number of Players: 1+

These story cards allow parents to create unique stories every time they play. Parents make up a new part of the story based on the card drawn, leading to endless stories. Over time, kids can start to tell their own stories when playing independently.

10. Wonder Forge Disney Classic Characters Matching Game

• FUN LEARNING TOOL: This Disney Classic Matching Game offers a fun and engaging way for kids, aged 3-5, to enhance their focus, memory, and matching skills
• EASY TO UNDERSTAND: Comes with a clear and concise instruction manual – have your little ones playing and enjoying the game within five minutes
• LOVED DISNEY CHARACTERS: The game features delightful illustrations of favorite Disney icons, including Mickey Mouse, Minnie, Dumbo, The Incredibles, Donald Duck and more
• Skills Learned: Matching

Lay all the cards facedown and take turns finding the match. Adding familiar Disney characters, such as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy adds excitement to the game. This card game works well for families and allows solo play.

11. Don’t Break the Ice

• FUN KIDS GAME: This Don’t Break the Ice game is an exciting preschool game that has players tapping out ice blocks one by one, as they imagine helping Phillip the Penguin make a new igloo
• INDOOR GAME FOR AGES 3+: The object of this game for kids is to keep Phillip the Penguin on top of the ice, but as the game goes on, the ice blocks start falling. One wrong block and he’ll go ker-plop.
• FAMILY GAMES FOR KIDS: Get everyone together for family game night with the Don’t Break the Ice game. Players will be on the edge of their seats just waiting for the moment that the penguin falls through
• Playtime: 15  minutes
• Skills Learned: Strategy

In this game, players attempt to tap out blocks of ice with a small mallet. The goal is not to let the penguin fall through. This tabletop game will make the kids scream in excitement each time they successfully remove a block of ice.

12. Dragon’s Breath

• AWARD-WINNING KIDS BOARD GAME: HABA’s Dragon’s Breath is a top-rated kids board game, making it one of the best family games for kids and adults that brings the magical world of dragons to life.
• PERFECT FAMILY GAMES FOR KIDS & ADULTS: Considered one of the best board games for kids, Dragon’s Breath offers hours of entertainment for the whole family, fostering teamwork & strategic thinking.
• DEVELOPS KEY SKILLS: Looking for fun kid games? Dragon’s Breath is not only fun but also educational, helping children enhance their counting, color recognition, and strategic planning skills.
• Skills Learned: Color matching
• Minimum Age: 5

This inventive game allows children to pretend to be dragons. Players act to melt an ice column by taking turns to remove rings. Any freed crystals that fall within a dragon’s color are up for grabs.

13. Elenfun and Friends

• FUN MUSIC AND SOUNDS: The motorized Elefun elephant begins the game with a trumpet call. Then it plays music throughout the game while it blows butterflies out of its long trunk
• INCLUDES BUTTERFLY NETS: In this lively and active game, kids can chase the butterflies that come out of the elephant’s 3 foot trunk. The game includes 20 colorful butterflies and 3 butterfly nets
• GET UP AND GET SILLY: This game gets kids up and about, running around in all different directions as they try to catch the most butterflies to win
• Skills Learned: Gross Motor skills
• Number of Players: 1-3 players

This motorized elephant (batteries required) shoots butterflies in the air—the game tasks kids to catch the falling butterflies with their nets. Kids will have a blast playing. Parents will have to cherish the laughter while they pick up the mess.

14. Feed the Woozle

• SILLY SNACKS: The Woozle loves to eat hairy pickles and fuzzy donuts. Can you help feed him 12 crazy treats before all the snacks are gone? A monstrous game of mixed up fun!
• GROWS WITH YOUR CHILDREN: Comes with three levels so it grows with your child. Kids ages 3 and up work together to help feed the Woozle. No reading required, so even the smallest can participate!
• LEARNING AND GROWING: Kids learn dexterity, fine motor skills, body awareness, and counting all while having fun and cooperating. Kids learn about taking turns and develop valuable social skills.
• Skills Learned: Dexterity, Fine motor skills

Kids take turns rolling a die to determine how many snacks to feed the Woozle. They’ll have fun trying to balance as many snacks on their spoon. I wish I can use the same strategy to make them finish their dinner.

15. First Orchard

• EXCITING PLAYTIME: These toddler board games for 2+ year olds have been enjoyed by families for over 30 years with over 3 million copies sold. The First Orchard toddler game is a perfect cooperative learning game for 1-4 players.
• DEVELOP SKILLS: Our First Orchard toddler games ages 2-4, help develop social skills such as taking turns and following directions. These excellent toddler board games also reinforce color recognition, counting, and fine motor skills.
• FAMILY TIME: Designed by educators, these board games for 3 year olds are ideal for family time. In these games for toddlers 2-4 years, kids can work together as a team to roll the dice and pick the matching fruit from the orchard before the raven!
• Skills Learned: Color recognition, Counting
• Number of Players: 1-4 players
• Minimum Age: 2

Kids take turns harvesting specific fruits into their baskets. But, they better hurry! A raven slowly moves closer to their basket. Everyone wins when everyone gathers all the fruit.

16. Franke’s Food Truck Fiasco

• GAME AND BOOK COMBO: Bundle this award-winning board game with an adorable board book for hours of foodie fun and learning
• GAME INCLUDES: colorful game board, 1 Frankie squeezer, 20 food game pieces, 1 game spinner, 4 placemat player boards, and instruction guide
• HOW TO PLAY: Spin the spinner to place your order. Then use your Franke Squeezer to follow the directions on the space. The first player to deliver a five-course meal is the winner. NO READING REQUIRED
• Skills Learned: Practical shapes

Are you looking for the next Master Chef Junior? With this Educational Insights game, players use a spinner to place an order. The first player to deliver a five-course meal wins! Maybe this game is the beginning of your kids preparing their own.

17. Ravensburger Snail’s Pace Race

• Fun play experience – You can play a game in 15 minutes, and it’s perfect for 2-6 players ages 3 and up, which makes this a perfect gift for families who love to play games together.
• High quality components – Contains 6x wooden snails, 2x colored dice, 1x playing board and instructions.
• Easy to understand instructions – High quality, easy to understand instructions make it possible to start playing right away.
• Skills Learned: Counting, Color matching, Memory
• Number of Players: 2-6 players

Kids move snail game pieces down the board to reach the end. Although it is a snail-themed game, it doesn’t take more than 15 minutes to play.

18. Hi Ho Cherry-O

• CLASSIC BEGINNER GAME: Do you remember playing the Hi Ho. Cherry-O game when you were a child. Introduce new generations to the classic gameplay of this kids’ board game for boys and girls ages 3 and up
• FUN COUNTING BOARD GAME: Kids ages 3 and up can have a blast picking pretend fruit from the trees on the game board, and filling their buckets. The spinner lets them know the number of pieces to pick — or put back
• SIMPLE GAMEPLAY FOR PRESCHOOLERS: Players take turns picking pretend cherries, blueberries, apples, and oranges from their trees to fill their baskets. The first to fill their basket wins
• Skills Learned: Counting, Addition, Subtraction
• Number of Players: 2-3 players

Another board game for 3 year olds is the Hi Ho Cherry-O board game. Kids take turns picking fruits from their trees to fill up their baskets. And whoever picks all the fruits from their tree wins!

19.  Peacable Kingdom Hoot Owl Hoot!

• HURRY LITTLE OWLS: In this color coordinated matching game, players cooperate to help the owls fly back to their nest before the sun comes up. Help all the owls home before sunrise and everyone wins!
• LEARNING AND GROWING: Kids learn simple strategy, following directions & taking turns. Two levels of play allow the game to grow with your child and lets older kids play with younger ones too.
• BENEFITS: Cooperative games cultivate emotional development, shared decision making, positive self esteem, creative problem solving, and develop a sense of community in a non-stressful play environment.
• Skills Learned: Strategy, Teamwork

In this Pre-School board game, players attempt to help owls get to their nest before sunrise via a sun token. Everyone has to work together to reach their goal. Now, if I can use the same logic to get my kids to bed early, that would be great!

20. Caterpillar Matching Game

• A matching game featuring Caterpillar construction vehicles and equipment
• Officially Licensed Caterpillar Product
• Includes: 18 sets of cards
• Skills Learned: Memory, Matching
• Number of Players: 1

This game is another matching card game and is for construction equipment enthusiasts. Or, this is a good introduction for kids to learn more about construction. Even as an adult, I didn’t know what an excavator was.

21. Let’s Feed the Very Hungry Caterpillar Counting Cards

• Fun, colourful and educational board game starring Eric Carle’s renowned storybook characters
• Collect puzzle pieces to transform your caterpillar into a unique, beautiful butterfly
• A fun game of counting, collecting and puzzle building
• Skills Learned: Strategy, Decision making
• Number of Players: 2-4

Kids move the hungry caterpillar around the board collecting puzzle pieces, which create a butterfly. The first person to collect all the pieces and move to the center of the board wins!

22. The Little Orchard

• A co-operative memory and color dice game for 1-4 players ages 3-8. Playing time about 10 minutes.
• The pesky crowwants to steal the ripe cherries from the orchard. Can the children harvest them before the raven reaches the tree?
• Children learn about team work and cooperation as they rush to beat the greedy crow.
• Skills Learned: Memory, Color recognition
• Number of Players: 1-4 player

Kids roll a die and pick a tile with a matching flower. The goal is to get five cherries before you hit too many crows. This board game for 3 year olds is similar to another favorite, Hi Ho Cherry O.

23. Math For Love Tiny Polka Dot

• Sixteen easy-to-learn games help kids fall in love with numbers!
• Playfully teaches counting, arithmetic, and logic
• Vibrant, colorful designs
• Skills Learned: Math

This game is perfect when you’re on the go or when waiting with your child at an appointment. It also offers different kinds of games with cards, allowing you to have more options with your kid.

24. Monkey Around

• GET READY TO MOVE: A wonderful first board game for kids that was created specifically for you and your two year old. Kids love getting to move about while playing a game!
• LETS MOVE TOGETHER: From hugs to high fives to simple skills like balancing, hopping, and marching, the cards in the game will prompt you and your toddler to get on the move! The included beanbag banana adds to the fun!
• LEARNING AND GROWING: Monkey Around improves gross motor skill development, coordination, understanding spatial concepts, recognizing matching body parts, listening, and building vocabulary.
• Skills Learned: Motor skills, Hand-eye coordination
• Number of Players:  
• Minimum Age: 2 

The game offers solo and partner play. Depending on the card, kids have to imitate the actions described on the card. There isn’t a designated winner in this game. Instead, it’s a good reason to act silly and monkey around.

25. My First Castle Panic

• Mythical Marvels – Bring home a cooperative game for little kids that offers a fantasy-filled challenge. Defend your castle from misbehaving monsters in an immersive and captivating game.
• Quest Together – Avoid sore losers and team up to oust any monster you find! Fire up game night with cooperative board games for kids 4-8 years old. Teach teamwork and strategy through adventure.
• Grabbing Goblins – In this kid’s board game 3-6 year-olds will enjoy catching monsters with special abilities and throwing them in the dungeon.
• Skills Learned: Matching, Strategy

If you’re looking for board games for 3 year olds that have action, check out My First Cast Panic. Kids battle monsters that approach a castle. A kid can only battle a monster in a space with a matching shape held by the kid.

26. Pengoloo

• COLOR MATCHING PRESCHOOL MEMORY GAME: This fun board game is designed to develop memory, teach young children about colors and strengthen social skills. Easy to understand and play – no reading required.
• HOW TO PLAY: Roll two colored dice and lift two penguins to search for colored eggs that match the dice. Collect six penguins on your iceberg to win!
• KID FRIENDLY: Pengoloo makes the perfect first board game with easy to follow instructions for children and parents alike. Reinforce color learning, help develop matching skills, strategic thinking, turn-taking, hand-eye coordination, and fine motor skills with this fun, fast board game for kids. For 2-4 players, perfect for ages 4+.
• Skills Learned: Color recognition, Memory,

Pengoloo is a new take on playing the memory game. Unlike other matching games where you usually flip over a card, this game requires you to lift a penguin to discover a colored egg. The goal is to find the colored egg that matches the rolled die color.

27. Pete the Cat: The Missing Cupcakes Game

• Pete the Cat Adventure: Embark on an exciting adventure with the Pete the Cat Missing Cupcakes Board Game, inspired by the New York Times best-selling book series. Let Pete the Cat guide preschoolers through a delightful gaming experience full of fun and learning.
• Preschool-Friendly Board Game: Tailored for preschoolers aged 3 and above, this board game is thoughtfully designed to capture the attention and imagination of young players. It provides age-appropriate challenges and entertainment.
• No Reading Required: Enjoy hassle-free gameplay as no reading is required for kids to play. The game is accessible and engaging, allowing even the youngest players to participate in the excitement without any literacy barriers.

This game is another matching card game but with Pete the Cat. If your kids are fans of Pete the Cat, they’ll enjoy this simple card game.

28. Pick Me Up, Piggy!

• TELL A STORY: Tell stories about Piggy’s friends as you drive the toy car around the board in Peaceable Kingdom’s Pick Me Up Piggy! Can you remember each of the stories at the end? No reading required.
• GAMES THAT GROW: This creative memory game is an educational learning tool for kids to practice cooperation and vocabulary. It’s also a great tool for teachers: use it in a class demonstration to encourage turn taking, storytelling and memory.
• COOPERATIVE GAMES: Peaceable Kingdom’s Cooperative Games cultivate emotional development, teamwork, creative problem-solving and a sense of community. They are fun for families and perfect for classrooms.
• Skills Learned: Memory, Cooperation, Storytelling

The game begins by hiding the characters in different locations. A player creates a story to help everyone remember where the characters. It’s a fun way to play a memory game using imagination.

29. Race to the Treasure!

• COOPERATIVE GAME: Build a path with your team and collect 3 keys on a race to beat Ogre to the treasure! It’s a game where everyone plays together, no one is left out, and everybody has fun!
• FUN CHALLENGE: Kids love working together to beat the Ogre. Players strategize, cooperate and build the path together. Building onto a path encourages kids to think 2 steps ahead and examine options.
• Skills Learned: Strategy, Cooperation
• Number of Players: 2-4 posts

Players work together to build a path to the treasure. As part of their mission, they also need to collect three keys. However, if the ogre gets to the prize first, everyone loses. Thus, race to the treasure!

30. Rat-A-Tat-Cat

• Children’s card game that helps develop timing and basic mathematical concepts
• Teaches strategy, memory building, and addition
• Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Best Toy Award; Mensa 1996 Best New Mind Game Award
• Skills Learned: Math, Memory

In this game, the lowest score is better. The idea is to get rid of the highest card by peaking and trading with other players. Although the recommended age is high, the concept is simple for three and four year olds to grasp.

31. Robot Turtles

• EDUCATIONAL & FUN: This game seamlessly blends education with entertainment. It’s designed to introduce programming principles to preschoolers in an engaging, easy-to-learn manner. Perfect for kids 4+ and adults to enjoy together
• KICKSTARTER SUCCESS: Conceived by programming expert Dan Shapiro, this game made history as Kickstarter’s most-backed board game. Trusted globally, ThinkFun is a leader in brain and logic games
• CRITICAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT: Gameplay offers a ‘stealth learning’ experience, where players unknowingly learn key programming principles. This game is inspired by the Logo programming language, letting kids write programs with playing cards
• Playtime:  Varies
• Skills Learned: Basic programming logic

This game originated from Kickstarter, and developers created this game to teach kids the basics of programming logic. Kids must guide a turtle to reach a target location. Children accomplish this goal by giving instructions to the robot turtle. The instructions are on the cards, such as turn or move forward.

32. Sequence for Kids

• The classic game of SEQUENCE made just for kids!
• Play a card from your hand, and place your chip on the corresponding character on the board – the first with four chips in a row wins!
• Exciting strategy game helps develop logical thinking skills

The name of the game is to create a row (or sequence) of chips on the board. Kids play a card with a picture of an animal on it. The child then places the chip on the matching animal on the board to create a sequence of four chips.

33. Shopping List

• Race to collect your groceries and fill your shopping cart in this fun game.
• Develops matching and memory and literacy skills.
• Features fun and engaging gameplay.
• Skills Learned: Matching, Memory, Literacy

Each player gets a shopping cart and a shopping list. Each player flips over face-down cars to reveal a grocery item. If the item is on the list, the player gets to put it in their cart. Whoever completes their list first wins!

34. Spot It! Jr. Animals

• EXCLUSIVE ANIMAL THEME: Dive into an exclusive animal-themed version of Spot It! designed to captivate and entertain younger players.
• MULTI-VARIANT GAME: With 55 cards, each featuring 8 symbols, enjoy 5 exciting variants of the game that can be played in any order or repeatedly.
• QUICK AND ENERGETIC: Spot It! is a fast-paced family card game that sharpens reflexes and observation skills.
• Skills Learned: Develops attention, Visual perception, Motor skills
• Number of Players:   2-5 players

This game offers various modes, such as “Hide and Seek” and “The Tower.” Depending on the rules, kids have to match animals that are found commonly between the cards.

35. The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel

• SPARK MORE TOGETHERNESS! Perfect for spending quality, unplugged time together as a family, The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game also builds key early learning skills and develops social emotional skills including taking turns, sharing, and winning and losing gracefully
• BEST-SELLING PRESCHOOL GAME 5 YEARS RUNNING! Reinforce color learning, develop matching skills (a key early math skill!), encourage strategic thinking, and build hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills with this engaging, quick-play board game for kids
• A SWEET STRATEGY GAME FOR PRESCHOOLERS: Easy to set up, understand—no reading required!, play, and clean up (box doubles as game board and storage!)
• Skills Learned: Motor skills, Hand-eye coordination.

In The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game, kids spin the spinner to find out which colored acorn they pick up. The fun part is getting to use a Squirrel Squeezer to pick up the acorns and store them in their log.

36. Stack Up!

• Skills Learned: Balance, Color matching

The premise of the game is to stack 12 blocks. However, this game includes challenges that kids have to perform. Also, part of the game is intentionally knocking down. Once you finish the stack, a smasher comes to knock down the tower.

37. The Yoga Garden

• Parent’s Choice Award winning game, YogaKids style!
• For ages 4 +
• A fun learning tool designed to help children play and learn yoga.
• Playtime:  
• Skills Learned: Yoga

A yoga teacher created this game to help teach children yoga. The game encourages cooperative play versus competition. Depending on the space where a player lands, the player will have to imitate a yoga pose or even invent one.

38. Uno Moo

• Hooray, it’s UNO MOO!, a preschool version of the beloved UNO game!
• Farm animals come out of their barn to play, and younger players round them up by matching their colors or types.
• Kids will have a blast playing with cows, pigs, skunks, chicken, dogs, sheep or farmer figures and putting them on the barn door and pushing others into the barn.
• Skills Learned: Matching colors, Learning animals

This game takes the basics of Uno and puts a Pre-School spin on it using farm animals. The player with one more critter remaining yells, “Uno Moo!”

39. Yeti in my Spaghetti

• OODLES OF NOODLES—Lay out the noodles over the bowl with the Yeti on top!
• PULL THE NOODLES—Remove the strands of noodles from the bowl, but don’t let the yeti fall!
• ADORABLE GAME—Fun concept and adorable Yeti character make this game extra fun!
• Number of Players: 2+

Players carefully remove spaghetti noodles from under a Yeti. Watch your kids go crazy as they remove a noodle one by one. However, all it takes is one noodle to let the Yeti in your spaghetti.

• PRE-READING BOOSTER: Engage pre-readers with this fun, fast-paced game that develops language and matching skills, perfect for early learners
• AWARD-WINNING GAME: Zingo has garnered multiple accolades, including an Oppenheim Gold and Parents’ Choice Award, making it an ideal gift for kids age 4 and up
• AMAZON EXCLUSIVE: This exclusive version of the beloved Zingo game includes an extra Zingo card, allowing up to 7 players for more fun
• Skills Learned: Language, Reading, Matching

This award-winning game is beloved by parents and teachers, which is a twist on the game Bingo, is the perfect board gaThis award-winning game is beloved by parents and teachers, which is a twist on the game Bingo. Players slide a Zinger that shows two different cards. When a player first correctly identifies the picture on the card, they can pick up the card and match it to their board’s image. The first person to cover all the squares on their board wins. Zingo!

41. Thinkfun Heads Talk Tails Walk Game

• ENGAGING AND EDUCATIONAL: ThinkFun’s Heads Talk Tails Walk is a fun and silly matching game that enhances visual perception and reasoning skills while keeping kids entertained
• HIGH QUALITY COMPONENTS: The game includes 10 large body tiles and 10 small head tiles depicting different animals- ensuring endless fun and variety in gameplay
• FAMILY FUN: Not just a game for kids, it’s a hilarious family activity that parents will enjoy too- making it a perfect gift for both kids and adults
• Skills Learned: Visual perception, Reasoning

This game is entertaining and lets kids be silly. Kids take turns flipping over a card to see if it matches with the body of an animal. If the card does not match, then everyone imitates the animal. Whoever gets the most matches wins!

When Can a Child Start to Play Board Games?

Board games provide a minimum age or age range for children to play. However, not all kids are the same. I take the recommended age as a general suggestion . Kids are like sponges, constantly absorbing the world around them. 

So, don’t sell your kids short . They may be more intelligent than you think. You won’t know unless you try new games. The best toddler board games may work well for one family and differ for another.

As always, with all parenting, what worked one week doesn’t necessarily mean it will work next week. So, if one board game doesn’t work one day, maybe give it another try a few months later . 

You will know your child best and understand what does and doesn’t work. You’ll soon find which is the best game for your next family game night.

What Makes a Good Board Game for a 3 Year Old?

The term “good” is relative, but there are common attributes in board games for 3 year olds: the time it takes to play, skills learned, number of players, minimum age, and any reading requirement.

• Playtime: A toddler’s attention span around this age is limited. A good length of time for a game is no more than 15 minutes . The less complex a game is, the higher chance your little one will enjoy it, and the time will be a breeze. However, when they start to show frustration, there is always “ next time. ”
• Skills Learned: One of the motivations of board games for 3 years olds is that they help toddlers learn a new skill. These learned skills can be motor skills, counting, matching pictures, identifying shapes and colors, discover new animals, etc .
• Number of Players: The number of players will let you know how flexible a game can be with more or fewer players. 
• Minimum Age: The minimum age on the box is a recommendation. Each kid may learn how to play sooner rather than later. 

Final Thoughts

Did you find your best board game in this long list of best family games? Each game offers a new skill level to learn or improve. Also, at least one family board game offers three different levels, such as cooperative game play.

The essential thing is to enjoy the time with your little ones helping them grow along the way with a fun game. Whether it’s just the two of your or four players, everyone, from younger kids to adults, can have a great time!

So, are you ready to play?

Jacqueline is a wife and a loving mother to two lively kids. Alongside taking care of her family and working full-time in healthcare, she is a real estate investor and a personal finance blogger. She manages the finances for her household and her small real estate business. Also, she has been featured in Grow from Acorns + CNBC, CNET, Business Insider, USA Today, and Ladders.

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15 BOARD GAMES FOR 3 YEAR OLDS THAT ARE FUN AND EDUCATIONAL

Are you in search of some entertaining and educational board games that will have your little ones giggling, learning, and begging for more? Board games are not just cardboard and pieces; they’re a passport to fun-filled and educational adventures! As the parents, aunts, uncles, and caregivers of 3 year olds, we know that keeping these pint-sized explorers entertained and engaged can be quite a feat. But fear not! Here are the best board games for 3 year olds!

This post contains partner links for various products.

1. THE LADYBUG GAME

• HELP THE LADYBUGS FIND THEIR WAY HOME! Children lead their Ladybug home to the...
• CHILDS PERFECT FIRST BOARD GAME - SUPPORTS READING AND COUNTING! The...
• INVENTED BY A FIRST GRADER! Let it inspire your child! Makes a wonderful...

The Ladybug Game is a perfect board game for 3 year olds due to its simplicity and educational value. The game introduces young children to basic math concepts in a fun and engaging way! Additionally, The Lady Bug Game fosters essential early skills like taking turns, following rules, and making decisions. This game was actually invented by a first grader, so it is made for kids by a kid! The colorful board and adorable ladybug pieces make it visually appealing, and the cooperative nature of the game encourages social interaction and teamwork, making it an ideal choice for children aged three years and older.

2. MONKEY AROUND

• GET READY TO MOVE: A wonderful first board game for kids that was created...
• LETS MOVE TOGETHER: From hugs to high fives to simple skills like balancing,...
• LEARNING AND GROWING: Monkey Around improves gross motor skill development,...

Monkey Around is an active board game that is perfect for energetic 3 year olds. The game promotes physical activity, creativity, and social interaction. It’s a fun way to get young children moving and engaged in cooperative play. 

This game is super simple and easy to play with a young kid. It includes a deck of activity cards that encourage kids to perform various physical tasks, such as hopping like a bunny, holding hands and spinning, or waddling like a penguin. These activities help develop motor skills and keep little ones active. The cooperative nature of the Monkey Around develops teamwork skills and is a perfect developmental game for 3 year olds.

3. EYE FOUND IT: BUSY TOWN

• What you get - The game includes 1 game board, 4 movers, 4 mover bases, 1...
• Fun play experience - Eye Found It is a ton of fun for 2-4 players and makes a...
• Clear instructions - The game is easy to learn with clear instructions, so you...

Looking for a more low-key and less active board game to play with your young kid? Eye Found It: Busy Town is a perfect choice because it combines the joy of exploration with critical observational skills. This game features a long game board with a bustling town filled with colorful illustrations. This immersive game is a great way to get your 3 year old involved in an engaging and educational activity. All players will work together to find specific items on the giant game board. So, your little tyke will learn teamwork and cooperation through this exciting game. Additionally, Eye Found It: Busy Town helps kids with visual perception, attention to detail, and vocabulary as kids search for objects and describe what they see. 

4. CHUTES AND LADDERS: DISNEY PRINCESS EDITION

• DISNEY PRINCESS THEMED BOARD GAME: Play with Disney Princess favorite characters...
• 4 CUSTOMIZABLE PRINCESS HEART PAWNS: Includes 12 Princess Affinity Stickers...
• FANTASTICAL AND VIBRANT GAMEBOARD: It's a magical climbing and sliding adventure...

Combining the classic Chutes and Ladders and iconic Disney princesses, Chutes and Ladders: Disney Princess Edition is one of the best games for 3 year olds. This game is perfect for young children because it introduces them to counting, number recognition, and taking turns in a familiar and beloved Disney setting. Players will navigate the game board with a spinner, climbing ladders and sliding down chutes while encountering their favorite Disney Princesses along the way! The game provides an interactive and enjoyable experience for preschoolers, making it for any young kid who loves Disney Princesses.

Looking for more Disney games? Check out our ultimate list of Disney-themed board games .

5. PETE THE CAT: MISSING CUPCAKES

• Pete the Cat Adventure: Embark on an exciting adventure with the Pete the Cat...
• Preschool-Friendly Board Game: Tailored for preschoolers aged 3 and above, this...
• No Reading Required: Enjoy hassle-free gameplay as no reading is required for...

Pete the Cat: Missing Cupcakes is an enjoyable kids game, especially if your little tyke is a fan of the beloved children’s book character Pete the Cat. I mean… who isn’t? This game is great for young children because it combines storytelling with a simple board game format. Players join Pete the Cat on an adventure to find his missing cupcakes while singing songs, acting out physical activities, and identifying animals, foods, and words. The game involves spinning a spinner and moving colorful playing pieces around the board to collect cupcakes. To play Pete the Cat Missing Cupcakes, you’ll need a combination of luck, cooperation, and memory, so it has excellent replay value!

6. FIRST ORCHARD

• EXCITING PLAYTIME: These toddler board games for 2+ year olds have been enjoyed...
• DEVELOP SKILLS: Our First Orchard toddler games ages 2-4, help develop social...
• FAMILY TIME: Designed by educators, these board games for 3 year olds are ideal...

One of the best board games to introduce to your toddler is First Orchard by HABA . HABA is a popular games company renowned for creating simple kid’s games with educational benefits. This cooperative game is perfect for young children as it fosters teamwork, color recognition, and basic counting skills. The game is set in an orchard with multi-colored and easy-to-grasp fruit pieces. Players take turns rolling a color-coded die and picking a fruit of the corresponding color to add to a shared basket. The goal is to collect all the fruit before the raven reaches the orchard!

7. HOOT OWL HOOT!

• HURRY LITTLE OWLS: In this color coordinated matching game, players cooperate to...
• LEARNING AND GROWING: Kids learn simple strategy, following directions & taking...
• BENEFITS: Cooperative games cultivate emotional development, shared decision...

If you want a board game for your 3 year old that encourages cooperative play, basic color recognition, and even some strategic thinking, Hoot Owl Hoot! is an excellent pick! This game is officially rated for kids 4 and up, so this is a good game for a more advanced 3 year old. In this game, players work together to help the owls return to their nest before sunrise. The game board features a path of colored spaces, and players move owls along the path by drawing color cards. And if you draw a sun card, you’re a step closer to daylight! Hoot Owl Hoot! also introduces the concept of turn-taking, which is important for early social development. Note that although this game is rated for children aged 4 to 8, this is definitely something your 3 year old can join in on!

8. CANDYLAND

• CLASSIC BEGINNER GAME: Do you remember playing Candy Land when you were a kid....
• RACE TO THE CASTLE: Players encounter all kinds of "delicious" surprises as they...
• NO READING REQUIRED TO PLAY: For kids ages 3 and up, Candy Land can be a great...

Candyland is an excellent choice for young children because of its simplicity and colorful, enticing design. The game is easy to play, involving a colorful game board with a winding path of sweets and candy-themed characters. Kids draw colored cards to advance along the path, matching the colors to move their pieces. As the players advance, they’ll find all sorts of yummy surprises in a race to King Kandy’s castle! Candyland is perfect for teaching colors, taking turns, and basic counting, making it an educational and fun experience for toddlers and preschoolers.

9. DON’T SPILL THE BEANS

• BEAN-BALANCING KIDS GAME: This Don't Spill the Beans game is the suspenseful...
• NO READING REQUIRED GAME: Players take turns placing one of their beans in the...
• FUN, COLORFUL PIECES: This edition of the Don't Spill the Beans kids board game...

Looking for a fun, educational, and active game for your kid? Check out Don’t Spill the Beans! It’s perfect for young children as it helps with hand-eye coordination and counting abilities. This game is easy to understand but sufficiently challenging to master: All players need to do is take turns placing one bean at a time into a pot-shaped container. The catch? Don’t let the container tip over! The first player to get rid of all their beans wins the game! This simple yet engaging gameplay is a great way for kids to learn balance and counting in a hands-on and entertaining way.

10. YETI IN MY SPAGHETTI

• BOARD GAMES FOR KIDS: The suspense builds as you remove noodle strands from the...
• KIDS GAMES 4-8: Yeti is the star of the show in this kids’ board game. Add it...
• AWARD-WINNING GAME: Yeti in My Spaghetti game for kids 4-6 is oodles of noodly...

A fun and appropriate board game for 3 year olds, Yeti in My Spaghetti can help develop fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and spatial awareness. The game is played by arranging plastic noodles on top of a bowl, and a toy yeti figure is placed on the noodles. What fun! Then, players take turns removing one noodle at a time, trying to keep the yeti from falling into the bowl. The first person to make the Yeti drop is the loser. Yet in My Spaghetti is not only a top-pick for kids, but it’s also an award-winning game – and it’s easy to see why!

11. GUESS IN 10 JUNIOR

• EXCITING CARD GAME OF QUESTIONS: Use the Guider Tiles to ask up to 10 questions...
• LEARN THROUGH PLAY: Ages 3 to 6 is a period of rapid brain development for kids!...
• WHAT YOU GET: One game set includes 35 Game Cards, 10 Guider Tiles and a handy...

Guess in 10 is a popular guessing game that the whole family can get involved in! The junior edition is perfect for kids 3 years and older. While this board game might seem simple, it promotes critical thinking, vocabulary, and deductive reasoning! To play this game, simply pick a card. Then, the other player(s) can ask up to 10 yes-or-no questions to guess the item on the card. This game not only enhances cognitive skills but also encourages social interaction. The best part about Guess in 10 Junior is that you can pick a specific board game that best aligns with your 3 year old’s interests. From animals and dinosaurs to sports and countries, there are enough boards to keep your toddler occupied with enough new words to keep them entertained and stimulated!

12. BARREL OF MONKEYS

• Classic Skill Game
• Original Design

An absolute classic, Barrel of Monkeys is a fun and simple game that is sure to keep your toddler occupied! The game consists of a barrel filled with colorful plastic monkeys that can be interlinked. This will help your kid with their fine motor skills and encourage creativity. To play, children take one monkey from the pile and attempt to link it with others, forming a long chain. The goal? Create the longest chain possible. That’s it! Plus, since Barrel of Monkeys can be played alone or with friends, this is the perfect game to play at home and at gatherings.

13. COUNT YOUR CHICKENS

• FARM FUN: The baby chicks have flown the coop and Mama Hen needs help to bring...
• COOPERATIVE COUNTING: Remove competitive stress, empower young learners and...
• EDUCATIONAL GAME: Cooperative games cultivate emotional development, shared...

Count Your Chickens is a wonderful board game designed for younger who love animals. This simple interactive game will have your toddler recognizing numbers and counting at a basic level while also promoting teamwork and social skills. The objective of this game? Help Mother Hen gather her chicks and bring them back to the coop! This is a cooperative board game for 3 year olds, so children can work together to reach a common goal, a valuable concept for young kids to learn. To play, players spin the spinner and move Mother Hen around the board to collect chicks, counting as they go.

14. DON’T BREAK THE ICE

• FUN KIDS GAME: This Don’t Break the Ice game is an exciting preschool game...
• INDOOR GAME FOR AGES 3+: The object of this game for kids is to keep Phillip the...
• FAMILY GAMES FOR KIDS: Get everyone together for family game night with the...

Don’t Break the Ice is an interactive game that you can play with your 3 year old. It helps improve fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and strategic thinking. It’s a simple yet engaging game that will certainly keep your little ones entertained while also teaching them important milestone skills. Playing is easy – simply set up a grid of plastic ice blocks and put the Phillip the Penguin figure on the top! Then, the players take turns removing one ice block at a time, trying not to let Phillip the Penguin fall through. The first person to make the penguin fall loses!

15. SHOPPING LIST

• Fun memory shopping game for 2 - 4 players
• Be the first to match your products and place them in your trolley or basket!
• Encourages matching and memory skills

Shopping List is a super simple board game that even 3 year olds can play! Like all the games on this list, this game offers both entertainment and educational value. It is perfect for young children because it helps develop key skills such as memory, matching, and observational abilities. Your child’s vocabulary will grow with the help of this game while also fostering healthy social interaction. Two birds with one stone! To play, each child selects a shopping cart and collects item cards that match their shopping list. The young ones will take turns flipping over cards and matching them with their list. The first to complete their shopping list wins, making it an engaging way for young kids to learn through a fun game.

HOW TO CHOOSE BOARD GAMES FOR 3 YEAR OLDS

When it comes to selecting board games for 3 year olds, the process should be just as much fun as the games themselves. These early years are a crucial time for development, and the right board game can play a pivotal role in nurturing those essential skills while ensuring a whole heap of fun! To choose the right board games for your 3 year old, consider the following factors:

• Age-appropriate : Start by looking for games explicitly designed for 3 year olds or younger. Most board games will have a recommended age range posted on the box, which is a great reference point. That said, if you have a precocious child, you could even get away with games designed for 4 year olds!
• Educational : Many board games for toddlers incorporate counting, color recognition, shape matching, and fine motor skills development into the gameplay. These board games are a great way to have fun while learning something new.
• Social interaction : Cooperative games, where players work together towards a common goal, can be a great choice for fostering teamwork and communication. These social skills can go a long way to be learned early in life.
• Replay value : Consider games that can be played multiple times without becoming boring. This is pretty easy at this age, as many younger kids love repetition! 
• Engaging : Whether it’s animals, vehicles, or favorite characters, a game with a captivating theme is more likely to hold their attention. A bright and colorful board game can go a long way as well.
• Safety : Of course, game pieces should be free from small parts that could be a choking hazard and made from non-toxic materials.
• Durability : Toddlers can be quite enthusiastic, so your game pieces might suffer some unavoidable wear and tear. So, look for games made from sturdy materials that can withstand a toddler’s grippy hands!
• Reviews : Don’t hesitate to seek advice from other parents, caregivers, or online reviews to discover which board games have been hits with other 3 year olds.
• Your child’s interests : Do they like animals, space, princesses, or shapes? Choosing a game that aligns with their current interests can make the board game even more fun.

Do you want some fun outdoor game recommendations to play with your kid? Check out our top list of lawn games !

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12 Awesome Board Games for 3 Year Olds

If you’re looking for some great board games for 3 year olds, you’re in the right place! 

Board games are a fun way to engage young children while helping them to learn new skills.

And in this article we’ll highlight some of the best board games out there for 3 year olds that are both kid and parent approved. 

To be clear, these are games that are actually designed to be at the level of a 3 year old, not just games for older kids that 3 year olds can muddle through as well. That being said, many of these games are ones that you can play as a family and everyone can enjoy together.

Read on for engaging, entertaining games that your child will want to play over and over again.

Be sure to also check out our list of board games for 2 year olds !

Board Games for 3 Year Olds

The sneaky snacky squirrel.

Number of players: 2-4

Up first is one of our 3 year old’s very favorite games, The Sneaky Snacky Squirrel. 

This game combines elements of strategy, fine motor skills, and color recognition in a fun and interactive setting. The game’s premise revolves around a hungry squirrel on a quest to collect acorns of various colors.

Players take turns spinning the spinner and using a set of squirrel-shaped tweezers to pick up acorns of the corresponding color. The objective is to fill their respective logs with an acorn of each color. While you play you have to watch out for the “lose an acorn” and “steal an acorn” spaces on the spinner. Whoever collects each color of acorn first wins!

Not only is this game entertaining, but also introduces basic concepts like color recognition and matching.

Our family loves playing this game. It’s engaging enough that our older kids like playing it but simple enough that our 3 year old can be right there in the mix!

Friends and Neighbors

Number of players: 1-4

Peaceable Kingdom’s “Friends and Neighbors” is a cooperative board game designed specifically for young children. The game focuses on social-emotional development, empathy, and teamwork.

In the game, each player gets a board with nine characters on it, each character having a different problem. Then they draw a token from the bag and match the token to the character their token could help. For example, a ladder for a cat stuck in a tree and a bottle for a crying baby.

The objective is for players to identify and understand what the characters are feeling and what they need, fostering empathy and emotional intelligence.

The cooperative nature of the game encourages players to collaborate rather than compete. This not only promotes teamwork but also helps young children develop important social skills such as communication and cooperation. 

Friends and Neighbors is often praised for its educational value in introducing emotional awareness and social skills in a playful and interactive way, making it a popular choice among parents and educators.

Feed the Woozle

Number of players: 2-5

Feed the Woozle is a cooperative Peaceable Kingdom board game designed for young children.

In this game players work together to feed a hungry creature called the Woozle. The game has a few different variations so you can make it more challenging as your child gets older.  

At the basic level, you roll the die to determine how many snacks to put on your spoon and then try to balance the snacks as you place them in the Woozle’s mouth. You can move the Woozle further away as your child gets better at balancing the snacks so that they have further to walk.

After they’ve mastered that aspect, you can add in the spinner, which provides a special way to get to the Woozle, such as “walk backwards”  or “bunny hop”.

The cooperative aspect of the game encourages teamwork and helps young children develop social skills.

This is a cute and silly game that young kids will be dying to play over and over again!

Snug as a Bug in a Rug

In Snug as a Bug in a Rug, players work together to help a variety of cute and colorful bugs get snug under the rug before the pesky stink bugs take over. 

The game includes different levels of play, allowing it to be adjusted based on the developmental stage of the children.

At the beginning of the game, the die is rolled to determine if you will be matching based on color, shape, or number. 

Players then take turns spinning the spinner and then trying to find a bug of the matching shape, number, or color. If you can’t find a match, a stink bug comes out! 

The goal is to get all of the bugs under the rug before the three stink bugs arrive. This is a cooperative game, so everyone either wins together or loses together. 

The cooperative nature of the game encourages teamwork and social interaction, making it an excellent choice for young children who are still developing these skills. 

SEQUENCE for Kids

SEQUENCE for Kids is a children’s version of the popular family card and board game SEQUENCE. This kids version retains the essence of the original game but simplifies it to suit younger players.

Players take turns playing an animal from their hand and placing a chip on a corresponding  animal on the board. Unicorns act as a wildcard and dragons allow you to remove another player’s chip. The goal is to form a sequence of four of your chips in a row on the game board.

The game promotes strategic thinking as children decide where to place their chips and try to block opponents from forming their sequences. It also encourages pattern recognition, counting, and planning—all in a format that is engaging and entertaining for younger players.

And because it uses pictures instead of words, this is a great game to include pre-readers. 

SEQUENCE for Kids is a family-friendly game that bridges the gap between preschoolers and older siblings or adults, providing a shared gaming experience for the whole family. We love this game because all three of our kids (ages 3 to 7) can play this game together and have a great time! And it’s a game that’s actually fun for adults to play too!

Ants in the Pants

Ants in the Pants is a classic children’s dexterity game that has been updated for the next generation.

The game features a plastic “pants” container, shaped like a pair of trousers. The objective of the game is for players to launch colorful ant-shaped game pieces into the pants. The winner is the first player to successfully get all of their ants into the pants.

Ants in the Pants is a game that combines elements of fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and a touch of luck. 

Kids will get a kick out of the concept of launching ants into the panda’s pants and parents will enjoy playing too! It’s a game that not only entertains but also helps develop basic motor skills in a fun and interactive way.

Shelby’s Snack Shack

In Shelby’s Snack Shack, players join a cute dog named Shelby as they help her find and collect bones on the beach. 

Spin the spinner to find out how many bones Shelby needs to collect and then use the adorable Shelby tongs to place that many bones in your bowl. Whoever collects the most bones wins.

The primary focus of the game is on early math skills, including counting, addition, and subtraction. 

The pieces are sturdy and hefty, making them durable and perfect for little hands.

This board game not only provides an entertaining experience but also serves as a valuable tool for introducing and reinforcing early math skills and promoting fine motor skills and dexterity. 

Busy Town Eye Found It

One of our very favorite board games for 3 year olds is Busytown Seek and Find!

Based on the beloved children’s book series by Richard Scarry, Busytown Seek and Find Game brings the Busytown world to life in a seek-and-find adventure.

The game features a jumbo-sized colorful game board depicting the bustling and vibrant Busytown.

Players spin the spinner to determine if they’ll move forward, draw a card, or if the pigs will eat an item of food. The cards have different items on them and you have until the sand timer runs out to find as many on the game board as possible (eg. balloon, shovel, traffic cone). When you find an item, you place a miniature magnifying glass over it (my kids love this part!)

If the pigs eat all the food before all of the players make it to the end of the board, everyone loses. If you make it there first, everyone wins together!

My kids absolutely love this game and it’s one of my favorite games to play with them because I actually enjoy playing it too! It’s a fun game combined with the lovable characters and illustrations from the beloved book series.

Raccoon Rumpus

Raccoon Rumpus is a fun and engaging matching game designed for preschoolers.

The objective of the game is for players to collect costumes for their raccoons by rolling two dice, a color die and a clothing die, and then picking a costume that has the corresponding piece. The first player to collect five costume wins.

Raccoon Rumpus is designed to be accessible to young children, with simple rules and engaging components. 

The colorful and whimsical illustrations, along with the tactile nature of the game, make Raccoon Rumpus an enjoyable and educational experience for preschoolers. It provides a fun introduction to early math skills while incorporating elements of imaginative play and creativity.

Pete the Cat Missing Cupcakes Board Game

Based on the popular book series, Pete the Cat Missing Cupcakes Board Game allows kids to immerse themselves in the world of Pete the Cat! 

In this game, players work together to help Pete and his friends get the missing cupcakes back from Grumpy Toad. 

Spin the spinner to determine how many spaces to move, then complete a task to get a cupcake back from Grumpy Toad! Tasks include activities such as singing a song, identifying a letter or animal, or acting something out. 

This is a fun cooperative game that fans of Pete will love playing!

Hi Ho Cherry Oh!

Hi Ho! Cherry-O is a classic children’s board game that has been enjoyed for generations. 

The objective of “Hi Ho! Cherry-O” is for players to pick the fruit from their trees and place them in their baskets. Players take turns spinning a spinner, and the number indicated on the spinner determines how many pieces of fruit they can pick. 

If you land on an animal, the animal eats the fruit and you have to put it back on the tree. If you land on the spilled bucket you have to put all of the fruit that you’ve picked back on the tree. The first person to get ten pieces of fruit wins!

The simplicity of the rules and the colorful design make “Hi Ho! Cherry-O” accessible and entertaining for young children, helping them develop counting and basic math skills in a fun and interactive way.

Sunny and Stormy Day

Number of players: 1-3

Sunny and Story Day is a cooperative game that helps children gain emotional intelligence as they talk about the ups and downs that can happen in a given day.

The game comes with a book where you can read about Max the Hedgehog’s sunny and stormy day. After reading, play a matching game to pair up the sunny and stormy events of Max’s day before the moon comes up. 

Also included is a sharing game, where you draw a token from the pouch and take turns sharing the stormy and sunny parts of your own day. 

This game is a great way to teach children to identify their emotions and talk about their feelings.

What to look for in a board game for a 3 year old

When selecting board games for 3-year-olds, it’s important to consider their developmental stage and choose games that align with their abilities and interests. Here are some key factors to look for:

• Simple Rules: Opt for games with straightforward and easy-to-understand rules. 3-year-olds are still developing their cognitive abilities, so games with minimal and uncomplicated instructions will keep them engaged without overwhelming them.
• Large and Durable Pieces: Toddlers can be a bit rough on their belongings, so choose games made from durable materials that can withstand some wear and tear. Choose games with large, durable pieces that are easy for little hands to grasp and manipulate.
• Short Playtime: Attention spans are still developing at this age, so look for games with relatively short play durations. Quick rounds maintain the child’s interest and allow them to experience the satisfaction of completing a game.
• Engaging Themes: Select games with themes that resonate with a 3-year-old’s interests. Whether it’s animals, colors, shapes, or familiar characters, a captivating theme enhances the appeal of the game.
• Interactive Elements: Board games that involve movement, sound, or tactile interactions can be particularly engaging for toddlers. Games with spinning dials, buttons to press, or pieces to place on a board provide a sensory-rich experience.
• Cooperative Play: Consider games that encourage cooperative play rather than competitive play. This fosters a sense of teamwork and reduces potential frustration associated with winning or losing.
• Educational Value: Look for games that incorporate educational elements, such as basic counting, color recognition, or shape matching. These games can contribute to early learning in a fun and interactive way.

By considering these factors, you can find a board game that not only entertains a 3-year-old but also supports their development in a safe and age-appropriate manner.

Benefits of board games for 3 year olds

Since you’re here looking for a board game for a 3 year old I’m probably preaching to the choir here, but there are so many reasons why playing board games is not only fun for 3 year olds, it’s actually good for them! Here’s just a few of the benefits of playing board games with your 3 year old.

• Cognitive Development: Playing board games helps enhance cognitive skills such as memory, attention, and problem-solving as children learn to follow rules and make decisions.
• Social Skills: Board games promote social interaction, teaching young children how to take turns, share, and cooperate with others. 
• Language Development: Many board games involve verbal communication, which contributes to the development of language skills. Children learn to express themselves, listen to others, and follow instructions.
• Fine Motor Skills: Moving game pieces, rolling dice, or picking up cards can improve fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination in young children.
• Math Skills: Some board games involve counting spaces, recognizing numbers, or understanding basic mathematical concepts, providing an early introduction to math skills.
• Patience and Sportsmanship: Board games teach children the importance of patience and how to handle both winning and losing gracefully, fostering good sportsmanship.
• Creativity: Certain board games encourage imagination and creativity as children engage in imaginative play, storytelling, or strategic thinking.
• Attention Span: Playing board games helps improve attention span and concentration as children focus on the game rules and the actions of other players.
• Family Bonding: Board games provide an excellent opportunity for quality family time, fostering stronger bonds and creating lasting memories.

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Best Board Games for 3 and 4 Year Olds – Top Board Games for Preschoolers

Preschoolers are the perfect age group to introduce board games and what they offer. It’s another step towards picking up skills before they start their journey of education.

The main benefit preschooler board games must offer is fun, otherwise you’re doomed to fail in the quest of getting them to sit fairly still for 10 minutes. The cool side effects of these games, aside from fun, is the educational and of course the social aspects of playing.

Top 12 Board Games for 3 – 4 Year Olds

We considered the length of play, costs, themes, and a few other factors to come up with a bunch of the best board games for 3- 4 year old children. Let’s take a look!

ZooReggata – Best Animal Theme

ZooReggata is aimed at the age range of four and above, and it does have some light strategy to play, although each game should only play out for 20 – 30 minutes. This game has 3 game scenarios to choose from which plays with a two sided board that keeps it fresh, then if an aspect of a game doesn’t please a child, they can try another.

ZooRegatta at a Glance

Educational Animal Theme Light Strategy	20 - 30 mins	Non Complex Light Strategy
4+	Peaceable Kingdom	2013
	2 - 4
8.5/10	$19.99 +

This animal themed award winning game will help develop strategic thinking, social skills, and the other educational aspects add to the fun of the game rather than taking the fun away with seriousness of play. It’s ideal for 4 year old children and above and it plays great with older siblings playing alongside a four year old, which helps to encourage them.

It does require more thinking skills than other games within the 3 – 4 year old board games category, however, it makes up in the replay value and fun.

Great introduction game into the world of board games.

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Available @ Amazon »

Snug as a Bug in a Rug – Top Basic Math Cooperative

Snug as a Bug in a Rug at a Glance

Animal Theme Co-Operative Learn Colors, Numbers, Shapes, Counting	20 mins	Non-Complex Basic Maths (counting)
3+	Peaceable Kingdom	2012
/ /	2 - 4
9/10	$15.00 +

Make sure 3 of those critters are not on top of the board while there are still colorful bugs out, or you lose.

Vibrant, educational and colorful, Snug as a Bug is perfect for very young children of 3 years plus.

Candyland – Classic, Simple and still Fun

Candyland is a classic that was a first published in 1949 and is still a top selling game. Players pick cards and take their next move along the windy candy track until a player reaches the Candy Castle and wins.

Candyland at a Glance

Kids - Get To The Finish Line Quickly	30 mins	Simple Kids Play
3+	Hasbro	1949
	2 - 6
7/10	$12.99 +

Candyland is a lot like Chutes and Ladders, just played with cards for each movement rather than rolling a die. If children land on a licorice space they will lose a turn whereas players go down a chute in Chutes and Ladders.

The colorful candy theme made this game a hit among children aged 3 and up, and the simplicity keeps the game going fast, making it straight forward and fun to play.

Sequence for Kids – Best Pattern Recognition Game

Sequence for Kids was first published in 2001, following the popular abstract card grown ups version of Sequence . This version is not as complex as the adult version of course, although it is very good for encouraging kids to learn pattern recognition, but not complex. It’s manufacturers recommended age of play is for kids aged 3 and up.

Sequence for Kids at a Glance

Card Game, Luck Pattern Recognition	15 mins +	Light
3+	Jax LTD and others	2001
/	2 - 4 (4 = more fun)	$20.00 (approx)
8/10

Players simply choose a card that matches the cute animals on the board while connecting chips, and when 4 chips have been connected in a Sequence that player wins. There are Dragon, Unicorn cards and Free Spaces available on the board that players can take advantage of, then advance in the game which adds to the fun.

Sequence is a fun game and the aspect of kids on seeing patterns emerge was something we really liked.

The Ladybug Game

Apologies, there seems to be quite a lot of attention on animals within the 3 – 4 year old board games category. It’s what our once were babies and now just becoming kids love and for good reason, animal themes engage them. So, we must add a bug game to the collection and The Ladybug Game is perfect that was designed by a first grader in the USA.

Ladybug Game at a Glance

Animal Theme Pathway Building Card Game Educational	20 mins	Non-Complex Basic Maths (counting)
3+	Zobmondo!!	2004
/ /	2 - 4
9/10	$14.00 +

Quick and simple to learn and teach, this is a fast-paced game that’s fun to play with the youngest members of your family over and over again. Aimed at toddlers and preschoolers, its uncomplicated concept, easy-to-manage play pieces and cute characters will hold your child’s attention right from start to finish.

The wonderful thing about this game is that it was created by a young child so it really ‘speaks’ to kids and captures the imagination.

Chutes and Ladders – Doesn’t get any Simpler

Simplicity is not always a negative thing and that’s why Chutes and Ladders has kept itself going for so many years and has roots that go way back to Ancient India (2 AD), then became Snakes and Ladders in the UK within the 19th Century. Just roll the die and the first player to reach the end of 100 spaces wins!

Snakes And Ladders At a Glance

Roll Dice & First To Finish	10 - 30 mins	Easy - No skill Counting
3+	2 +	See Article
Hasbro M.Y and many others	9/10	$3 +
/ Family	Small parts

An aspect of the US Chutes and Ladders version rather than Snakes and Ladders we like is the landing on good deeds, as it seems to encourage goodness in a way, and kids do seem to get the hump for some reason going down a snake rather than a chute.

Kids of any age from 3 years old and up can enjoy a few rounds of Chutes and Ladders. It’s simple and fun!

Richard Scarry Busytown: Eye found It! – Best Town Theme

Richard Scarry Busytown at a Glance

Cooperative Spin & Move Race against Game	30 mins	Object Identification Team Work
3+	Wonder Forge and others	2009
	2 - 4
8/10	Approx $24.99

Richard Scarry Busytown: Eye found It! helps children when developing observation skills and to hone their attention to detail when playing as they have to search for hidden objects while getting around the busy town. They must (as a team) get to Picnic island before those greedy pigs scoff all the food and win.

We loved how the kids have to work to get each other to the ferry and then continue on as a team. This game is a real treat for kids age 3 and above, and slips in that educational aspect in among all the fun. There’s not much to not like about Busytown.

Orchard Board Game – A Fruity Challenge

Orchard at a Glance

Cooperative Garden Theme Dice Game	10 mins	Team Work
3+	Haba and others	1986
	1 - 8
8.9/10	Approx $44.99

Apples, pears, cherries and plums have to be picked as quickly as possible by your team of players before the wretched raven beats you to it. Kids cooperate to collect all the fruit before the raven jigsaw in the center is finished, and if they do all players win.

This is such a fun game and very easy to understand, while helping kids to identify fruit and race against the crafty raven. We’re glad this classic continues to provide the little ones plenty of fun.

Count Your Chickens – Fun on the Farm Game

The object of playing Count your Chickens is for players (as a team) to help mother hen to round up all her baby chicks. Players must get to the finish before mother hen does to become the winners of the game, and if she arrives first the players lose to the game.

Count your Chickens at a Glance

Cooperative Farm Theme Spin & Move	15 mins	Team Work Counting
3+	Peaceable Kingdom and others	2010
	2 - 4
8/10	Approx $15.99

Count your Chickens is another cooperative type game and helps encourage preschoolers with counting while cooperating with their team and counting aloud together. It’s a fun 15 minute game that occupies kids for a few rounds. Some of these simple counting games suit preschoolers best.

Go Away Monster – Easy Puzzle Game

Go Away Monster at a Glance

Cooperative Monster Theme Puzzle	15 mins	Team Work Pattern Recognition
3+	Gamewright	1997
	2 - 4
8/10	Approx $14.99

There are two ways of playing with the second being more competitive rather than cooperative……you or the kids choose. We did like the fact that the children was introduced to monsters as it does help them distinguish between real and imaginary, and if they relate monsters to playing board games that must be a good thing.

Another great option for 3 – 4 year old kids with unique mechanisms at play.

Hoot Owl Hoot – Best Strategy for Age 4+

Hoot Owl Hoot at a Glance

Cooperative Animal Theme Educational Pattern Recognition	15 mins	Light
4+	Peaceable Kingdom and others	2010
/ /	2 - 4
8.5/10	$14.00 +

With its beautiful illustrations and bright, bold colors it’s easy to see what makes this game so appealing. The requirement of some basic strategy is enough to stimulate children age 4 and up without overwhelming them and it’s fun for adults to play along too.

Snails Pace Race – Something Competitive

While most the games within this 3 – 4 year old board games section are based on cooperating and learning, the Snails Pace Race board game is all about betting on the right snail and winning. Here’s the fun part, it does not have to be the first snail, you can win with the first and last.

Snails Pace Race at a Glance

Race Dice Rolling	15 mins	Non Complex
3+	Ravensburger	1985
	2 - 6
8/10	Approx $17.99

These type of games are always evergreen as children love to roll dice and race to the finish in the hope of winning. I suppose there is a non-competitive angle on this game and it’s the fact that the last one also wins, so all 6 snails must finish at the finish line.

This simple classic from the popular publishing company Ravensburger is still sold and played since it was first published in 1985 and is worth checking out.

Quick Summary

There’s enough choices there to keep 3 – 4 year old preschoolers busy playing board games until they’re 5 or more years old. We’ve tried to keep the best options concise, otherwise too many choices does get confusing.

You’ll notice many of the board games are cooperative which works best when encouraging children to work together and develop social skills. Many also have an educational aspect which we found begins that process of learning with others before starting out at school.

We believe it’s also not a bad thing to include a little competitiveness as that’s the real world and learning to work with losing a bit and not getting our own way all the time is part of life, although easy does it with our precious 3 – 4 year olds makes sense.

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20+ Best Board Games for 3 Year Olds And Toddlers

marsstarsbaby | November 30, 2023 May 5, 2023 | Family , Featured

The best board games for 3 year olds can be a great way to engage your little one in fun and interactive play from a young age, while also helping to develop their cognitive and social skills that challenge them to reach their full potential. Despite the evolution of play and the introduction of technology-based games, there’s nothing quite like traditional games for your child’s development.

However, finding board games that are appropriate and enjoyable for 3 year olds can be a challenge if you decide to do it on a whim or without giving it much though. That needn’t be the case. There are several resources that you can use to ensure that you pick the best board games available.

The good news is that you can use this lists as a guide to some of the most suitable board games for 3 year olds that are both fun and educational. Make your pick from classic board games to newer options, there’s a variety of board games to explore on your search for the right games for your child. 

Read more: 26 Gifts for 3 Year Olds to Stimulate Active, Creative, and Curious Toddlers

Table of Contents

How to pick board games for 3 year olds and toddlers, factors to consider when choosing board games for 3 year olds, best board games for 3 year olds and toddlers.

When it comes to selecting the right board games for your 3 year old, there are a few factors and aspects to keep in mind. These factors include, but are not limited to, the duration of play, skills to be learned, level of simplicity, interactivity, as well as the theme. 

While it can be easy to overlook the theme aspect, it’s very crucial to keep in mind if you want to get the most fitting board games for your child. Even 3 year olds are able to indicate what their interests are, which can guide your decision-making when choosing games. For example, your little one might not enjoy the same games as other 3 year olds, especially if they have a love for animals while the most popular games around are based on history, for example.

Age appropriateness

It’s crucial to look for games that are specifically designed for young children or have age recommendations that include 3 year olds. Another key consideration is to make sure that the games you select don’t have small pieces that can be a choking hazard, but this is often determined by the age appropriateness of the game.

It’s always best to choose games that are easy to understand and play; the last thing you want to do is confuse your little one and for them to not fully understand the end goal of the game they’ve been given. So, make a point of selecting games with simple rules and instructions that 3 year olds will easily grasp. Games with too many rules or steps can be overwhelming for young children.

This is something that has been mentioned already. You should consider your child’s interests and choose games with themes that will appeal to them based on what they enjoy, such as animals, shapes, colors, or their favorite characters.

Cooperative vs. Competitive

Here’s something that’s often overlooked when it comes to games for 3 year olds – whether the games encourage a sense of cooperation or competitiveness. The reality is that young children may not be ready for competitive games that involve winners and losers. Instead, cooperative games are what should be encouraged for 3 year olds. 

Teachers or caretakers will probably be able to tell you about the concentration span of 3 year olds, which is important when choosing age appropriate games. Games with a short playtime may be the best choice, as the attention span of 3 year olds is less and limited compared to older kids. It’s widely advised that board games for 3 year olds be played in 10-15 minutes.

Learning opportunities

At the end of the day, the games that 3 year olds play should present some sort of learning opportunity and help them develop skills that will help them do well in the long run. Skills such as counting, matching, and problem-solving are some of the most ideal for 3 year olds.

Interactivity

This ties in with the cooperative aspect of the most suitable games for 3 year olds. Games that build camaraderie and teach kids how best to interact with their peers in a courteous manner are often a great pick. 

1. Alphabet Go Fish

Alphabet Go Fish strike a good balance between learning and playing. This matching card game will improve kids’ memory through remembering the different letters of the alphabet (both upper and lowercase), while also moving them a step closer towards being able to read. However, no reading is required here, only alphabet recognition.

• Theme: Variety
• Number of Players: 1 – 4 
• Minimum Age: 3 years
• Duration of Play: 15 – 20 minutes
• Skills to be Learned: Alphabet recognition, memory skills

2. Animal Upon Animal (Junior)

The title alone of this game is very telling of its premise. Some might call it the children’s version of the much-loved game, Jenga. Here, the aim of the game is to stack the wooden animals on top of each other without them falling. Naturally, the first one to successfully stack all their wooden animals on top of each other wins. 

• Theme: Animals
• Number of Players: 2 – 4 
• Minimum Age: 2 years
• Duration of Play: 10 – 15 minutes
• Skills to be Learned: Balancing 

3. Banana Blast

This is one for the fruit lovers, banana lovers to be exact. Banana Blast is played with a die, which players roll and then get to pick one or two bananas from the tree. This game has a few surprises along the way, which can see one player winning some money in an unexpected way. The player who catches the monkey also gets two bananas from each player. This is a fun game that’ll nurture a love for numbers and mathematics.

• Theme : Fruit
• Number of Players: 2 – 5  
• Duration of Play: 10 minutes
• Skills to be Learned: Mathematics (addition and subtraction)

4. Candyland

There are very few things that kids find as exciting and engaging as colorful games and treats. Candyland offers both! In this game, players have a chance to move their gingerbread man forward along the board, and the first one to reach the kingdom is the winner! While this game does have a level of competitiveness, it builds a sense of positive competition and encourages a spirit of determination.

• Theme: Sweets and Treats
• Duration of Play: 15 Minutes 
• Skills to be Learned: Color recognition

5. Chutes and Ladders

Chutes and Ladders is undoubtedly inspired by some of the most classic board games that we all grew up playing. The premise of the game is to get to the top using the ladders. Whoever gets to the top first, wins! Of course, there will be a few obstacles along the way, such as the chute. Landing on a chute is something players need to avoid at all costs! Doing so can see you losing your progress and sliding back down.

• Number of Players:  2 – 4 
• Duration of Play: 15 minutes
• Skills to be Learned: Counting

6. Colorama

This is one of the few games that aren’t about the players competing against each other. Instead, it’s about each of the players completing their part of the game successfully. To an extent, that alone already teaches 3 year olds that life isn’t a competition, and that it’s important to focus on your path and completing what is assigned to you. 

In Colorama, there is a color and a shape die that players roll. The aim is to place the corresponding shape and color on the board, depending on what they rolled. Because players aren’t competing against each other, there is no scoreboard, and each player can simply work through their pieces. 

• Theme: Shape and colors
• Number of Players: 1 – 6 
• Duration of Play: Up to 20 minutes
• Skills to be Learned: Color and shape recognition

7. Count Your Chickens

Given the collaborative nature of this game, 3 year olds will learn a lot about working together to achieve a common goal. Based on where the spinner lands, Mother Hen will move to a particular square. This also determines how many chickens the players collect to add to the chicken coop. 

• Duration of Play: 15
• Skills to be Learned: Counting, Teamwork

8. Create and Tell Me a Story Cards

Future storytellers will love this game! Create and Tell Me a Story Cards is a fitting game for kids with a wild imagination and creative streak. In this game, creativity is the name of the game. The premise of Create and Tell Me a Story Cards is for kids to continue a story based on a card that the parents playing with them draw. 

This game is a great way to bond with your kids and guide them through the storytelling process as they try to connect the dots between the card at hand and a particular narrative. If you suspect you might have the next greatest storyteller or movie maker on your hands, there’s no better way to nurture that interest than with this game.  

• Theme: Storytelling
• Number of Players: No limit, more than 1
• Duration of Play: Unrestricted
• Skills to be Learned: Creative thinking

9. Don’t Break the Ice

Kids with a love for sea animals will find this game adorable! In Don’t Break the Ice, the aim is to tap out blocks of ice without the penguin falling through. Using a small mallet, players must strategically find a way to remove a block of ice when their turn comes. This isn’t a game you play if you don’t have your game face and thinking hat on, so this is bound to encourage out-of-the-box thinking, as well as improve kids’ ability to solve problems when faced with a challenging situation.

• Theme: Water animals
• Skills to be Learned: Tactical thinking, problem solving

10. Gobblet Gobblers

Think tic-tac-toe reimagined. That’s what Gobblet Gobblers is, a modern twist on the timeless classic that has won hearts across several generations. The goal of the game is to line up three of your pieces in a row, however, there’s a chance of your piece “gobbling up” another player’s piece or your very own! With that in mind, kids will be encouraged to think before they act, as well as how best to utilize the space on the board. 

• Skills to be Learned: Strategic thinking, memory skills, spatial awareness

11. Outfoxed!

The premise of this game is simple, players need to figure out which fox stole the pot pie before it goes into its foxhole. Future detectives and investigative journalists are sure to enjoy this one!

• Theme: Animals (Foxes)
• Skills to be Learned: Problem solving

12. Sequence For Kids

As the title suggests, the aim here is for the player to create a sequence or row of chips on the board by matching them with the picture that they have. 

• Skills to be Learned: Strategy, animal recognition

13. Spot It! Junior

There are several variations of this game, but the aim remains having to spot animals that are commonly found between the animals.

• Number of Players: 2 – 5
• Minimum Age: 3
• Skills to be Learned: Animal recognition, concentration

14. The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game

In this interactive game, the first player to collect one acorn of each color and place it on their log wins. The snag here, though, is that your spin could land on “lose and acorn” or “steal an acorn.” So, watch out for the twists and turns along the way! 

• Skills to be Learned: Strategy, animal recognition, color recognition

15. Tongues Out

Dog lovers, gather around for this one! Here, you have to figure out which color lollipop each pug ate, which is indicated by the color of their tongues when you squeeze it. The first person that achieves 6 matches is the winner.

• Duration of Play: 5 – 20 minutes
• Skills to be Learned: Memory skills, color recognition

Although widely popularized as a game for age 7 and above, it’s quite a hit among 3 year olds too! It’s quite simply a matching game more than anything, where kids have to match their cards to the one that’s been dealt. The first one to get through the 7 cards that they’ve been dealt first wins. 

For 3 year olds, this game can be slightly adapted so as to not confuse them. By removing the score keeping element, 3 year olds will be able to just focus on matching the cards.

• Number of Players: 2 – 10 
• Duration of Play: 20 – 30 minutes
• Skills to be Learned: Coordination skills, color recognition

This fun and interactive game for kids is inspired by the classic adult game, Bingo!. The aim is to cover all the squares on your board first in order to win. It’s all about matching the cards that appear to what you have on your board.

• Number of Players: 2 – 6 
• Skills to be Learned: Recognition, memory skills

18. Pick Me Up, Piggy

This is one of the more collaborative games on the list, where kids journey with the animals and create stories about where the different animals need to go. The game ends when all of the farm friends have been picked up, which must happen before you run out of gas otherwise you have to start all over again!

• Theme: Animals 
• Skills to be Learned: Memory skills, collaborative work
• Theme: Animals (Snakes)
• Number of Players: 2 -5 
• Minimum Age: 3 years 

This is a fun and playful game that requires players to simply create a snake by matching up cards with different parts of a snake’s body. The snakes come in different colors and shapes, but once you successfully place the head on a snake, you have to say “Hisss” and claim it. 

20. Go Away Monster

Easy and fun to play, this game requires the players to pull out an item from the box. If the happen to pull a monster out, they have to throw it into the center and shout, “Go away, Monster.” The game ends once all the monsters are successfully in the monster’s pit.

• Theme: Fantasy (Monsters)
• Number of Players: 1 – 4 players
• Skills to be Learned: Sensory skills

Special thanks to author : Sannie Nkosi is the founder of Four-Leaf Consulting. After a few years in journalism, she ditched the newsroom to write about things that really matter (like family, finances and travel). On a regular day, you can find her creating content, listening to podcasts, or engaging with small business owners.

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The Best Board Games For 3-Year-Olds

Most kids can start learning the skills of taking turns and following the rules of playing a board game as a 3-year-old. You can also sneak in some academic skills, like counting or matching, while you play together. I’ve compiled my favorite games to play with my own preschooler plus other parent-recommended options to help you find the best board game for your 3-year-old.

Best Board Games for 3-Year-Olds

Hands down, Candy Land has been the best starter board game for toddlers for a long time with Chutes and Ladders close behind. For an active board game, The Floor is Lava is the best for encouraging movement.

Candy Land 

The Candy Land is such a classic game for young kids, you probably have fond memories of it from your childhood. Up to four players move their pieces through a magical land of sweets to try to reach the castle first.

It is a great first board game because there is no reading (or even counting) required. Cards show a color or character, and players move their piece to the next space of that color. Character spaces are throughout the path, so they may give you a big boost or send you back toward the start.

Some newer versions of Candy Land have a spinner instead of cards, but I prefer the cards, even with the extra work to clean them up.

With the cards, there is only one chance to get sent to each character space each time through the deck (so maybe once or twice a game). With the spinner, there is a chance to get each character every turn. That results in more kids getting upset about moving backward (at least at my house!).

Some parents think the newer board design here is not as good as previous versions, with a harder-to-see path and stereotypical characters. Others think those complaints are overblown.

If you are looking for a more classic version of Candy Land, check out Candy Land Retro 1967 edition .

Fast stats: Reading required: No Competitive: Yes Skills: Matching colors  Players: 2-4

Chutes and Ladders

Another classic option is the Chutes and Ladders. It is for two to four players as they try to get up all the ladders to the top of the board while avoiding the slides down.

This game uses a spinner to tell players how many spaces to move. It requires no reading, but it gives preschoolers practice counting.

The ladder spaces also show kids doing good deeds, so you can talk to your child about the benefits of helping others. The chute spaces show the consequences of poor decisions, too.

This game might be a little tough for a child who just turned 3 unless he or she is a great counter already. But the spinner numbers only go up to six, so if your older 3-year-old can count to six, this is a good option to try.

Some parents preferred an older version of the game board and found the spinner and player’s pieces flimsy.

Fast stats: Reading required: No Competitive: Yes Skills: Counting up to 6, consequences of actions Players: 2-4

Don’t Break the Ice Game

The Don’t Break the Ice Game is another one I remember from my childhood. It is for two to four players who use small hammers to try to tap out “ice” blocks without letting the penguin on the ice fall down.

Instead of relying on the chance of spinning or drawing a card, this is more of a strategy game, as players decide which block to tap out next. This could be a fun way to introduce strategy games to your 3-year-old, but if your child may get frustrated at losing often to an older sibling who understands the strategy better, it might not be a good pick.

This game also takes some time to set up as you have to fit in all the blocks of ice into the frame before you begin (and between rounds), so be prepared to help your child set up as much as they play the game. Some people have had trouble with the legs staying on the frame of this version.

Fast stats: Reading required: No Competitive: Yes Skills: Strategy, fine motor skills Players: 2-4

Eric Carle Hungry Caterpillar Game

Eric Carle Hungry Caterpillar Game is based on a classic children’s book. Two to four players move their caterpillars around the board to collect pieces to make a butterfly puzzle.

Players draw cards with numbers on them to move in any direction on each turn. So your child will need to know numbers to easily play. The winner is the person to get all the fruits on the puzzle pieces first, so it’s not about getting to a finish line like many games.

Being able to move in any direction around the board adds some strategy into the mix, but winning is still dependent on drawing the cards you need. And if the decision-making or consequences of it were hard for your 3-year-old, I think you could make a house rule that everyone moves clockwise.

Most families really enjoy this game and say it has held up pretty well. Some find it too repetitive and say their child got bored with the gameplay. Also, be careful as you unfold the board as some users say it tore easily.

Fast stats: Reading required: No Competitive: Yes Skills: Strategy, numbers Players: 2-4

The Floor is Lava

Another game that requires movement is The Floor is Lava . While the manufacturer suggests it is best for kids 5 and up, I see no reason a 3-year-old couldn’t join in to play with a group.

As the name suggests, this game involves up to five players finding a safe spot to stand when the floor turns to lava. It comes with 25 foam “stepping stones” to put on the floor or the ground outside. A spin of the spinner determines which color stone the players need to get to without touching the floor.

After each round, one stone of each color is removed, making it a bit like musical chairs as everyone scrambles to get to a stone before they are full.

There are also challenge cards to require moving in a specific way (waddling, spinning), which helps keep everyone moving and having fun. This would be great for a day when you are stuck inside but the kids need to run around a bit.

Parents report having a great time playing this game with kids as young as 2 and 3. Some modified the rules a bit for the younger kids, like not removing any stones as you go. Users also reported playing with fewer than 5 people seemed to work better.

Some people said the pieces didn’t hold up very well, and several said the foam pieces smelled terrible when they first opened the box. The manufacturer suggested they needed to air out for the smell to dissipate.

Fast stats: Reading required: No Competitive: Yes Skills: Movement Players: 2-5

Cat in the Hat Card Game

If your family loves Dr. Seuss, you will probably enjoy Wonder Forge Dr. Seuss Matching Game . This game is a classic matching game but involves matching everyone’s favorite Dr Suess characters.

It is for 2+ players, ages 3 and older. This games includes 72 tiles for fun for both kids and adults.  

It’s the classic game of picture matching. Flip over two tiles and discover cherished characters like The Cat in the Hat, The Grinch, Yertle the Turtle, The Sneetches, and other favorite cards. Did you find a match? If so, keep them in your scoring pile and take another turn. If not, turn them back over—but try to remember what pictures they had for later in the game. Collect the most pairs to win.

Fast stats: Reading required: No Competitive: Yes Skills: Memory, critical thinking Players: 2+

Snail’s Pace Race Game

The Snail’s Pace Race Game  is a cooperative game for up to six players.

Six snails of different colors have a race across the board. All the snails are used no matter how many players you have. Players take turns rolling colored dice to move the matching snail closer to the finish line.

While players guess which wooden snail will win, there isn’t a human winner as everyone works together to move the snails to the end of the game.

Many parents and babysitters say this is a great first game to introduce turn-taking and following the rules without adding the competitiveness in. Others thought it was boring and quickly outgrown. 

Fast stats: Reading required: No Competitive: No Skills: Colors, matching Players: 2-6

Best Educational Board Games for 3-Year-Olds

Busytown and the Disney Matching Game are the best games for testing children’s eyesight and memory skills. Both Hi Ho! Cherry-O and The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game help 3-year-olds learn colors without having to read. For an active game, Roll and Play is the best game for getting toddlers moving.

Richard Scarry’s Busytown

Another game related to familiar books is Richard Scarry’s Busytown . While we don’t own this one, my kids played it at an extended family gathering and really enjoyed it.

This is intended as a cooperative game rather than a competitive one. On each player’s turn, they spin a spinner to find out if they move ahead, remove food from the pigs’ picnic blanket, or draw a card and search for the item on it. Everyone works together to find the items, and however many the group finds is how many spaces everyone gets to move.

Players move onto a boat, and when everyone is on the boat, everyone takes turns spinning to move the boat to the finish. The game is over when the boat reaches the finish or the pigs’ food is gone. So there isn’t one winner.

The board is six feet long, so it may be a better floor game than a table game unless you have a large table. Many parents liked the cooperative nature of the game and the familiar Busytown characters.

Some parents thought it was too easy for their kids to memorize where the hidden items were and found their kids argued about who found the most, even though that’s not part of the game.

Fast stats: Reading required: No Competitive: No Skills: Observation Players: 2-4

The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Board Game

A newer addition to preschool games is The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game . Two to four players compete to see who can fill their stump with acorns first.

There is no reading required. Players spin a spinner to see which color acorn to pick up with their squirrel tongs. They may also spin to pick an acorn, steal an acorn, or lose an acorn.

Gameplay reinforces colors, matching, and hand-eye coordination in a fun way. It is also quick and easy to set up and begin playing. The acorns are bigger than the cherries in Hi Ho Cherry-o, which makes cleanup a bit easier as well.

Parents and grandparents say children love this game (even some older kids), but some report getting bored having to play it with their child so many times. If your child still puts things in their mouth often, you may want to skip this game since the acorns seem small enough to choke on.

A few users reported having pieces missing or a damaged box or spinner. But the vast majority were happy with their purchase, and the manufacturer has a one-year guarantee.

Fast stats: Reading required: No Competitive: Yes Skills: Colors, matching, fine motor skills Players: 2-4

Disney Matching Game

Your kids are sure to love seeing some of their favorite characters in Disney Matching Game.

This is a classic memory matching game where one or more players attempt to turn over two matching cards from a large group. This game will help your child strengthen matching and memory skills. This version has 72 cards (36 matches).

While it comes with so many cards, you certainly don’t have to use all 72 to play. I liked to get out 10-20 cards to play memory with my youngest when she was 3. As long as you make sure they all have matches, it works well with fewer pairs.

A few parents were unhappy with the mix of characters included in the game, so if your child is picky about their Disney characters, there may be a better set for them.

Fast stats: Reading required: No Competitive: Yes Skills: Matching, memory Players: 1 or more

Hi Ho! Cherry-O 

The Hi Ho! Cherry-O  is a fun way to practice counting and basic addition and subtraction with your 3-year-old. Players spin a spinner and attempt to pick all the fruit from their trees.

It’s a little different than the version I remember because each player has a different kind of fruit: cherries, blueberries, apples, or oranges. While variety is nice, I can see these inspiring fights among children to get their favorite if you have multiple kids playing.

There are also two versions you can play: competitive or cooperative. In competitive, players aim to clear their tree before anyone else. With cooperative play, the players work together to clear all the trees before a puzzle is completed.

The fruit pieces are small and easy to lose and also could be a problem if your child puts things in their mouth often. But this preschool game is a fun way to practice counting.

Fast stats: Reading required: No Competitive: Competitive or cooperative modes Skills: Counting, addition, subtraction Players: 2-4

Elefun and Friends Game

If sitting down to a game isn’t your child’s idea of fun yet, you can try Elefun and Friends Game . Players use nets to try to catch the butterflies shooting out of the elephant’s trunk. The person with the most butterflies wins.

It’s a game for up to three players, as it comes with three nets. You will need C batteries to start the fun.

Though kids seem to enjoy the game, many parents were not as impressed. There aren’t many butterflies included (though you could make more out of paper or tissue paper), and they all shoot out rather quickly when it is working well. That means Mom and Dad spend a lot of time setting it up again.

Some parents found it challenging to set it up just right to get the butterflies to come out at all. But many families have found it lots of fun.

Fast stats: Reading required: No Competitive: Yes Skills: Motor skills Players: 1-3

UNO MOO! is another game my family has used. It is similar to Uno, but it uses farm animal pieces instead of cards.

When it is your turn, you have to play an animal that matches the color or type of the one currently on the barn door. There are also farmers that are wild “cards” and skunks that act as a skip.

The version my family had a few years back came with cardboard haystacks that hid the animal “cards” in your hand behind so other players couldn’t see them. But the current version doesn’t have those, so your animals are exposed. I don’t think that hurts the game for preschoolers, but older kids will take advantage of knowing others’ “cards.”

While my kids did enjoy this game, I would caution parents to be very watchful when their 3-year-old has the pieces out. The animals definitely fit inside little mouths. None of our kids choked, but we worried about it.

Also, sometimes my children had more fun toting the barn with the animal pieces around instead of actually playing the game. Then pieces would get lost. We had to put an end to that, but if you only get it out for them to play well-supervised, it is a fun game.

Fast stats: Reading required: No Competitive: Yes Skills: Matching Players: 2-4

Heads Talk Tails Walk 

The Heads Talk Tails Walk  is a fun game that incorporates movement and is sure to get your family laughing.

Two to five players try to match animal body cards with the correct animal head card. Any time the cards don’t match, all players have to walk around the circle like the animal body showing while making the noise of the animal head. For example, you may have to walk like a horse while making monkey sounds.

If you do have a match on your turn, you keep the cards. The player with the most matches at the end wins.

Parents love that this game is easy to understand and get playing right away. Games are fairly short, which is great for 3-year-olds. The frequent movement helps squirmy preschoolers stay engaged.

Kids have to use critical thinking skills to decide how to act like two different animals at once. And they will practice their matching as well.

Of course, part of the fun for your kids will be seeing you acting silly, so if you don’t want to participate, it might not be as big of a hit with your kids. 

Fast stats: Reading required: No Competitive: Yes Skills: Matching, critical thinking, movement Players: 2-5

Orchard Toys Shopping List 

The Orchard Toys Shopping List is popular in the UK and features recycled and recyclable materials in the board and packaging.

Two to four players compete to see who can fill their shopping cart with the items from their grocery list first. The grocery lists feature words and pictures to encourage (but not require) early reading skills.

There are two levels of play. Cards can be set up face down, much like memory. Then one card is turned over on each player’s turn; if it doesn’t match their list, other players try to remember where the item is for their turns. Or cards can be placed face up so younger kids can easily match what is on their list.

To increase the fun, there are booster clothing/easyazon_link] and many more.

Some parents thought the variety of shopping items wasn’t great, but the vast majority said their young children (and even older siblings) really enjoyed the game.

Fast stats: Reading required: No Competitive: Yes Skills: Matching, memory, reading Players: 2-4

Roll and Play Game

For a young (or developmentally younger) three-year-old, the Roll and Play Game is a good option.

The game comes with a big plush die and 48 game cards. Your child rolls the die and you ask them to do the action on a matching color card. Examples are: sing a song, find something red, or roar like a lion.

The cards have pictures and words. You will probably need to help your child read the cards, at least until they are familiar with the actions.

It is intended for ages 18 months and older, but many parents report their 3-5-year-olds enjoy it as well, especially with another child.

The only negative comments were that some parents got cards in Spanish instead of English. I think even if the cards were in Spanish, you could figure out what action went with the picture or at least come up with something similar. Treat it as an opportunity to practice bi-lingual learning!

Fast stats: Reading required: Yes Competitive: No Skills: Counting, colors, movement Players: 1 and up

Comparing the Best Board Games for 3-Year-Olds

The table below compares only the recommended products on this page. A low or high Price means it is low or high compared to the other products listed. The Popularity Score reflects how often readers click on and buy the product. The Quality Score is our assessment of the overall performance and satisfaction with the product compared to others in the table.

	9.9	8.2	27.98
	-	-	26.00
	9.9	9.6	22.99
	-	9.4	19.99
	-	9.6	17.49
	9.9	9.6	16.97
	9.9	9.0	16.97
	7.6	9.6	16.68
	8.2	9.4	14.99
	9.9	9.6	12.99
	9.9	9.6	12.99
	9.7	9.4	12.99
	9.9	9.6	11.99
	9.9	9.6	6.44
	6.4	9.6	-
	3.9	-	-

Board Games for Similar Ages

Best board games for 4-year-olds, best board games for 5-year-olds, best haba board games, how we selected board games for 3-year-olds , board games with no reading.

Games that require little to no reading are rated highly on our list since most 3-year-olds aren’t reading yet. When games require reading, it can be frustrating for your child (and you) to play the game together.

Games with skills like matching and counting

Three is a great age to practice skills like matching and counting. I found many games that will allow your child to practice these skills.

Attention span of 3-year-olds

These games were chosen to match the shorter attention span of toddlers to preschoolers. Sitting still for a 45-minute game would be tricky for most 3-year-olds.

Fun for the whole family

As a mom with a preschooler and older siblings, I know it is important to find games they all will enjoy. I tried to find games that would be a hit with older children as well.

FAQs – Board Games For 3-Year-Olds

What are good games for 3-year-olds.

There are many good games for 3-year-olds.

Matching and counting games are some categories that most 3-year-olds will find fun. Games that are relatively short to play and require no reading will be good for children this age.

When can a child start to play board games?

It depends on the individual child, but most children can start to follow the rules of a board game at ages 3 to 4.

Start with something simple and see how long your child is interested. It may take a few tries for your child to be fully engaged. If they still aren’t interested after a few tries, wait a few months before you try again.

Are apps good for 3-year-olds?

While your child may enjoy many apps at this age, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than an hour of high-quality screen time a day for ages 2-5.

Board games are a great way to entertain your 3-year-old throughout the day. They include social interaction with a parent or siblings and teach skills that on-screen games won’t be able to do.

• Error… , www.aap.org

Megan Ryan is a stay-at-home mom to three kids in elementary school. She is also freelance editor who enjoys editing novels and Christian books. She still has a lot to learn about being a mom, but she's happy to share the lessons she's already learned.

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52 Most-Loved Educational Board Games

Play your way to the top of the class!

The best learning takes place while kids are having fun. And what’s more fun than old-fashioned board games? Plus they get bonus points as a screen-free way to keep kids engaged! Whether your learners are in preschool or high school, there’s something for everyone. Some of the educational board games on our list can be played in a group (think Bingo) while others can be played solo. You’ll find classic games, including their junior versions for younger students, as well as plenty of unique games to add to your collection. Check out our recommendations below for the best educational board games for kids of all ages.

Games for Preschoolers

Pancake pile-up.

Pancake Pile-Up teaches early math skills while also working on balance and coordination. Kids will definitely get a kick out of this relay-style game that involves racing to stack pancakes as displayed on the selected card.

Skills: Counting, Sequencing, Pattern Recognition, Gross Motor Skills

Buy it: Pancake Pile-Up at Amazon

Raccoon Rumpus

This hilarious game teaches kids matching and other valuable skills while they race to dress their raccoons.

Skills: Matching, Colors, Turn Taking

Buy it: Raccoon Rumpus at Amazon

Matching Game: Disney Edition

A classic game but with all of your kids’ favorite Disney characters. It would be hard to make a list of the best educational board games without including some version of the Memory game!

Skills: Attention, Concentration, Focus

Buy it: Matching: Disney at Amazon

Unlike traditional Boggle, this game can be played by kids as young as 3 years old. Cards can be played with the word showing or not showing so you can customize it to your students’ skill levels.

Skills: Spelling, Vocabulary

Buy it: Boggle Jr. at Amazon

Pete the Cat: I Love My Buttons Board Game

Preschoolers will love this game since it features everyone’s favorite book feline, Pete the Cat! They will also like trying their hand at the spinner as they gather buttons to dress Pete.

Skills: Shape and Color Recognition, Gross Motor Skills, Matching

Buy it: Pete the Cat Game at Amazon

Go Fish Alphabet

Players attempt to see how many upper- and lower-case letter pairs they can accumulate in this fun spin on Go Fish. We especially love the cute detail that the upper- and lower-case letters are represented by mother and baby animal pairs!

Skills: Upper- and Lower-Case Letter Recognition, Turn Taking, Critical Thinking, Animal Recognition

Buy it: Go Fish Alphabet at Amazon

Ask the right questions so you can guess your opponent’s character before they guess yours. We especially love that this version comes with the option to play with pets too!

Skills: Deductive Reasoning, Communication

Buy it: Guess Who? at Amazon

Little Astronauts

Blast off into space and have fun while racing around the solar system with friends. We especially love the straightforward instructions and quick game play.

Skills: Turn Taking, Social Skills, Counting

Buy it: Little Astronauts at Amazon

Snug as a Bug in a Rug

We love this game since it hits on a lot of the major concepts taught in preschool including shapes, colors, counting, and cooperation.

Skills: Counting, Color and Shape Recognition

Buy it: Snug as a Bug in a Rug at Amazon

This fun spin on bingo is the perfect game for very early readers since it reinforces simple words through pictures and repetition. Kids will surely love manning the machine that makes the Zingo cards pop out.

Skills: Sight Word Recognition, Spelling

Buy it: Zingo at Amazon

We love a good scavenger hunt, especially one that can be played indoors. Put your little learners’ critical thinking skills to the test while they have fun racing around the classroom to find objects that fit the cards.

Skills: Problem Solving, Creativity, Observation Skills

Buy it: Found It at Amazon

Magnetic Fishing Game

Kids will have fun “fishing” for letters with this adorable magnetic game board and fishing poles.

Skills: Hand-Eye Coordination, Letter Recognition

Buy it: Magnetic Fishing Game at Amazon

A staple of nearly everyone’s childhood, Candy Land is the perfect introduction to educational board games because the rules are straightforward. We love that it doesn’t take too long to play, since young kids often have short attention spans.

Skills: Turn Taking, Counting, Rule Following

Buy it: Candy Land at Amazon

Games for Elementary School Students

Roll the dice, reveal suspects, find clues, rule out suspects, then find the guilty fox!

Skills: Deductive Reasoning and Logic

Buy it: Outfoxed at Amazon

Monopoly Junior

We are loving all the junior versions of popular board games so that littler kids can enjoy them too. Monopoly Junior uses the same basic concepts as the original while streamlining the instructions and shortening the playing time.

Skills: Counting, Basic Math, Strategy

Buy it: Monopoly Junior at Amazon

What Do You Stand For?

Cards feature a “What If” scenario that gets kids thinking about how to handle difficult situations. Players must collect cards for each of the traits along the way.

Skills: Social and Emotional Intelligence, Character Building

Buy it: What Do You Stand For? at Amazon

Get four of your tokens in a row before your opponent can! We love the strategic thinking that is necessary to succeed in this classic game.

Skills: Logic, Strategy

Buy it: Connect 4 at Amazon

Be the first to find your designated object to win the round. Kids will definitely get a kick out of the whimsical drawings in this game.

Skills: Visual Perception, Focus, Attention to Detail

Buy it: Pictureka at Amazon

Some educational board games, like this one, teach kids about something they may not otherwise learn. Kids learn about herbal and medicinal plants while competing against friends in this science-based game.

Skills: Strategy, Nature Facts

Buy it: Wildcraft at Amazon

Like pickup sticks on steroids, kids will love the challenge of adding rods to this sculpture without touching any other ones.

Skills: Teamwork, Balance, Hand-Eye Coordination

Buy it: Suspend at Amazon

Math Island

Players will need to utilize their math skills so they can escape Math Island in this fun, fast-paced game.

Skills: Conceptual Understanding, Word Problem Solving, Calculations

Buy it: Math Island at Amazon

Balance Board Game

Early elementary–aged students will certainly have fun balancing this scale based on the number card drawn. Additionally, the happy little frogs will make anyone smile!

Skills: Counting, Balance, Coordination

Buy it: Balance Board Game at Amazon

Scrabble Junior

Pre-readers and early readers will definitely benefit from the junior version of Scrabble. We love that it can be customized to your students’ abilities since the two-sided game board has an easy side and a more advanced one.

Skills: Organization, Memory Function, Spelling, Decision Making

Buy it: Scrabble Junior at Amazon

This is the perfect game to teach young kids about coin identification while also reinforcing counting and basic math skills.

Skills: Counting, Money Management

Buy it: Money Bags at Amazon

My First Bananagrams

Not all educational board games have to include actual boards. We love how easy it is to travel with Bananagrams since the tiles all fit nicely into the banana-shaped zippered bag. My First Bananagrams is similar to the original but with bright, sturdier tiles and dual-letter tiles. The tiles will come in handy whether you are actively playing the game or just practicing building sight words.

Skills: Word Building, Letter Recognition

Buy it: My First Bananagrams at Amazon

Continent Race

This multi-award-winning game will definitely be a hit with your students. They will learn about various countries, continents, and flags while also having fun. Help your students develop a curiosity about the world around them while they are still young!

Skills: Flag Identification, Country/Continent Recognition

Buy it: Continent Race at Amazon

Gravity Maze

First, players have to use the provided blocks to build a maze based on the selected card. Then, they have to drop the ball into the maze and see if they were successful. There is something for everyone since the cards range from beginner to expert.

Skills: Reasoning, Visual Perception, Spatial Reasoning

Buy it: Gravity Maze at Amazon

Games for Middle School Students

Brain games kids.

Regardless of your age, everyone can benefit from brain teasers and puzzles. Put your students’ problem-solving skills to the test with this fun game based on the hit show Brain Games.

Skills: Logic, Reasoning

Buy it: Brain Games Kids at Amazon

Science Ninjas: Valence

Kids will learn how molecules form and chemicals interact while also having fun. Valence will certainly be a great addition to your science curriculum.

Skills: Molecule Formation, Chemical Reactions

Buy it: Science Ninjas: Valence at Amazon

Clue: Harry Potter Edition

Whether you’re a muggle or a wizard, you will love this fun, alternate version of the popular game Clue.

Buy it: Clue: Harry Potter Edition at Amazon

3 Up 3 Down

This fun, fast-paced card game will be sure to keep your students’ attention while improving their cognitive abilities. They will definitely ask to play again and again!

Skills: Quick Thinking, Following Directions

Buy it: 3 Up 3 Down at Amazon

Multiplication & Division Bingo

Kids will enjoy honing their math skills while competing against their friends!

Skills: Multiplication, Division

Buy it: Multiplication & Division Bingo at Amazon

Guess in 10

Players have up to 10 questions before they have to guess which state is on the card in question. This is a game of strategy since players can make use of clue cards and bonus questions on their way to winning seven cards.

Skills: Creative Thinking, Problem Solving, Communication

Buy it: Guess in 10 at Amazon

What’s better than spending an hour engulfed in espionage and intrigue? This game has won a Mensa award for good reason since it teaches reasoning, deduction, logic, and other valuable skills!

Skills: Memory, Strategy, Deductive Reasoning

Buy it: Spy Alley at Amazon

Put on a headband, flip the timer, then start asking yes-no questions to guess who or what is on your headband!

Skills: Descriptive Language, Deductive Reasoning

Buy it: Hedbanz at Amazon

Rapid Rumble

Players must play as many letter cards as they can that fit the selected category before the timer runs out. This game can be played by a range of ages and ability levels since the prompts range from easy to quite difficult.

Skills: Category Recognition, Connecting Specifics to Categories, Creative Thinking

Buy it: Rapid Rumble at Amazon

Bananagrams

While the junior version of the game is perfect for elementary-aged children, we think the regular version is perfect for middle schoolers. Once everyone has been dealt a set number of tiles, students get to work building words.

Skills: Vocabulary Building, Spelling

Buy it: Bananagrams at Amazon

Kids have been playing this game since 1970. Mastermind is a game of strategy in which one player is the codemaker and the other is the codebreaker. A game that enforces math concepts while keeping kids actively engaged is a win in our book!

Skills: Logical Thinking, Math Concepts (Probability, Permutations)

Buy it: Mastermind at Amazon

Trekking the National Parks

This game is so innovative it has won both the Mensa and Parents’ Choice Gold Awards. Spark a love of nature and the national parks while kids are still young! Players travel across the map collecting trail stones and earning park cards.

Skills: Map Reading, Historical and Geographical Knowledge

Buy it: Trekking the National Parks at Amazon

National Geographic Rock Bingo

If you know a budding geologist, this is the game for them! Not only does it come with bingo cards and playing cards, it also comes with over 150 rocks and minerals!

Skills: Rock and Mineral Identification

Buy it: Rock Bingo at Amazon

Games for High School Students

People have been playing some version of Monopoly since 1904 and the classic version since the 1930s! Teach the almost-adult in your life all about money management while having a lot of fun in the process.

Skills: Finance, Life Skills, Strategy, Negotiation

Buy it: Monopoly at Amazon

Chemistry buffs will learn to identify and understand the periodic table while also having fun with their friends.

Skills: Strategic Planning, Executive Planning

Buy it: Periodic at Amazon

Trekking Through History

Students will love time-traveling through thousands of years of history while earning experience tokens for their itinerary. No friends around to play with? No problem! Play in solo mode against the historian!

Skills: Critical Thinking, Reinforcement of Historical Facts

Buy it: Trekking Through History: A Board Game Adventure Through Time at Amazon

Scrabble is about so much more than just building the biggest word since different letters are worth different points and you can build multiple words in a single turn. Regardless of how attached to their devices the teens in your life are, we still think they will enjoy some hands-on learning with everyone’s favorite word game.

Skills: Vocabulary Enrichment, Tactics and Strategy

Buy it: Scrabble at Amazon

Conversation Cubes

These fun dice can be used for any age, but we think they would make great icebreakers for teens. A focus on social and emotional learning has become vital since the beginning of the pandemic.

Skills: Communication, Social and Emotional Intelligence

Buy it: Conversation Cubes at Amazon

The World Game

This game boasts cards representing 194 countries and also a full world map. Teach your high schooler all about geography while having fun at the same time.

Skills: Map Reading, Country and Capital Recognition

Buy it: The World Game at Amazon

This game is best suited to teenagers since the instructions may prove too challenging for younger students. Any science lover will certainly have a ball gathering health points by building enzymes, hormones, and receptors!

Skills: Reading, Strategy, Multiplication

Buy it: Cytosis: A Cell Biology Game at Amazon

This multi-award-winning game will be a big hit with teens as they play detective so they can track down the chameleon. The player with the chameleon card will need to be sneaky and use strategy to blend in and avoid being caught!

Skills: Logic, Deduction

Buy it: Chameleon at Amazon

We know how difficult it can be to get teens to unplug, but we think Brain Bolt might just do the trick! Teens can play solo or challenge their friends to see who can get the highest score.

Skills: Hand-Eye Coordination, Memory, Sequential Thinking

Buy it: BrainBolt at Amazon

Cranium is the gold standard in educational board games since it is based on psychological studies on the nine areas of intelligence. Be the first to complete all four activities in Cranium Central so your team will win!

Skills: Vocabulary, Creativity, Reading

Buy it: Cranium at Amazon

Players must place tiles on their side while completing secret objectives. We think it is best suited for older students since the time needed to play is on the longer side.

Skills: Logic, Strategy, Pattern Recognition

Buy it: Azul at Amazon

The 50 States Game

Being able to fill out a U.S. map is surprisingly difficult for many students and even adults. We love that this game teaches that skill while also being super fun!

Skills: Flag and Capital Recognition, Geographical Knowledge

Buy it: The 50 States Game at Amazon

If you like these educational board games and are looking for more play-based learning, try these 35 active math games and activities for your little learners.

Plus,  sign up for our free newsletters  to get all the best teaching tips and ideas.

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Engaging Board Games for 3-Year-Olds: Fun and Educational Choices

Welcome to the exciting world of board games for 3-year-olds! Board games offer a fantastic opportunity for young children to have fun while learning valuable skills. Engaging and interactive, these games provide a platform for cognitive development, social interaction, fine motor skills, language acquisition, and much more.

In this article, we will explore the benefits of board games for 3-year-olds and highlight a range of fun and educational choices to enhance their growth and development. Whether you’re a parent, caregiver, or educator, get ready to discover a variety of board games that will captivate the imagination of your little ones while fostering essential skills for their future.

What are the benefits of board games for 3-year-olds?

Board games offer a multitude of benefits for 3-year-olds. They promote cognitive development by stimulating problem-solving, critical thinking, and memory skills. Through gameplay, children learn to follow rules, take turns, and practice patience.

Additionally, board games encourage social interaction, cooperation, and turn-taking, helping young ones develop important social skills. These games also provide opportunities for language development, as children engage in conversations, express their thoughts, and expand their vocabulary. Moreover, board games offer a break from screen time, allowing children to engage in hands-on, tactile experiences that stimulate their senses and enhance their fine motor skills.

How do board games promote cognitive development in young children?

Board games play a significant role in the cognitive development of 3-year-olds. These games require children to think strategically, make decisions, and solve problems, fostering critical thinking skills.

Matching games, shape-sorting games, and memory games help improve cognitive abilities such as pattern recognition, memory retention, and visual processing. As children engage in gameplay, they practice counting, recognize numbers and colors, and develop early math skills. Board games also enhance their attention span and concentration as they focus on the game objectives and follow rules.

Which board games help develop fine motor skills in 3-year-olds?

Fine motor skills are crucial for young children’s overall development, and board games can play a significant role in improving these skills. Games that involve picking up and manipulating small pieces, such as building blocks or puzzles, help refine hand-eye coordination, dexterity, and finger strength.

Activities like placing tokens, spinning spinners, or moving game pieces across the board require precise finger movements, encouraging fine motor control. Games that involve threading beads or stacking objects can also enhance hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity. By engaging in these activities, 3-year-olds can enhance their fine motor skills in a fun and interactive way.

What are some board games that encourage social interaction and cooperation?

Social interaction and cooperation are essential skills for 3-year-olds to develop, and board games provide a wonderful platform for practicing these skills. Games like “Snail’s Pace Race” or “Cooperative Memory Game” foster collaboration as children work together toward a common goal. These games encourage communication, sharing, and turn-taking, promoting positive social interactions.

Cooperative games create an inclusive and supportive environment, where children learn to take turns, support one another, and celebrate collective achievements. By engaging in cooperative board games , 3-year-olds can cultivate important social skills that will benefit them throughout their lives.

Board Game	Age Range	Main Features
Time-Telling Train	3-6 years	Teaches basic concepts of time, hours, and minutes through interactive gameplay.
Sequencing Adventure	4-8 years	Encourages children to arrange cards in sequential order and understand the concept of sequencing.
Time Travel Tales	5-10 years	Takes children on a time-traveling journey, teaching historical events and chronological order.
Sequence Explorer	6-12 years	Combines sequencing skills with geographic knowledge, guiding players through continents and landmarks.
Adventure in Time	8-14 years	Offers a complex gameplay experience involving time manipulation, puzzles, and advanced sequencing challenges.

How can board games enhance language and communication skills in toddlers?

Board games offer an excellent opportunity for toddlers to enhance their language and communication skills. Games that involve storytelling, such as “Tell-A-Story” or “Story Cubes,” encourage children to express their thoughts and ideas verbally. They spark imagination and creativity, prompting children to create narratives and share them with others.

Board games that require following instructions, listening to others, and engaging in conversations enhance language comprehension and communication abilities. As children interact with game components, express their preferences, and ask questions, they develop vocabulary, sentence structure, and communication confidence.

Are there board games specifically designed for sensory development?

Yes, there are board games specifically designed to promote sensory development in young children. These games often incorporate tactile elements, such as textured game pieces or sensory boards, to engage children’s senses and stimulate their sensory perception.

Examples include games like “Touch and Feel Farm” or “Sensory Sorting Game.” By engaging in these sensory-rich activities, children can enhance their tactile, visual, and auditory senses, develop fine motor skills, and improve their overall sensory awareness.

What are the best board games to introduce numbers and counting to 3-year-olds?

When it comes to introducing numbers and counting to 3-year-olds, several board games can make the learning process fun and engaging. Games like “Number Train Adventure” or “Counting Critters” utilize colorful game pieces, numeral recognition, and counting exercises to familiarize children with numbers and basic counting skills.

Through interactive gameplay, children can practice counting objects, recognizing numerals, and understanding the concept of quantity. These games not only make learning numbers enjoyable but also lay a solid foundation for future math skills.

Can board games help improve attention span and focus in young children?

Absolutely! Board games provide an excellent opportunity for young children to practice and improve their attention span and focus. Games that require concentration and sustained attention, such as “Memory Match” or “Find the Hidden Objects,” encourage children to stay focused on the game and pay attention to details. By engaging in these activities, children develop their ability to concentrate, enhance their visual perception, and strengthen their attention span. Regular participation in board games can help young children build important cognitive skills and improve their overall ability to focus.

Are there board games that teach basic colors and shapes?

Yes, there are board games specifically designed to teach young children about basic colors and shapes. Games like “Color Matching Challenge” or “Shape Sorters” introduce children to different colors and shapes through hands-on activities and gameplay.

These games often involve matching colored objects or sorting shapes into corresponding slots. By engaging in these activities, children develop color recognition skills, learn to identify and differentiate shapes and enhance their hand-eye coordination. These games provide a fun and interactive way for children to learn about colors and shapes while fostering cognitive development.

How can board games stimulate creativity and imagination in 3-year-olds?

Board games can be a great tool for stimulating creativity and imagination in 3-year-olds. Games that encourage open-ended play and creative thinking, such as “Build Your Adventure” or “Imagination Island,” provide children with opportunities to use their imagination and create unique stories or scenarios.

These games often involve storytelling, role-playing, or building activities, allowing children to express their creativity and explore their imagination. By engaging in these imaginative experiences, children develop their narrative skills, expand their vocabulary, and enhance their cognitive abilities while having a blast.

Are there board games that incorporate storytelling and narrative skills?

Yes, there are board games specifically designed to incorporate storytelling and narrative skills. Games like “Storytelling Adventure” or “Once Upon a Time” prompt children to create and share their own stories based on game prompts or cues. These games encourage children to use their imagination, build narratives, and express their ideas verbally.

By engaging in these storytelling activities, children enhance their language development, foster creativity, and improve their ability to structure stories. These narrative-focused board games provide a fun and interactive way for children to develop their storytelling skills and unleash their imagination.

What are some board games that encourage problem-solving and critical thinking?

Several board games are designed to encourage problem-solving and critical thinking skills in young children. Games like “Mystery Mansion” or “Logic Puzzles” present children with challenges, puzzles, or riddles that require them to think critically and find solutions. By engaging in these problem-solving activities, children develop their analytical thinking, logical reasoning, and decision-making abilities.

These games foster a growth mindset, encourage perseverance, and teach children the value of finding solutions through trial and error. Through gameplay, children can sharpen their problem-solving skills and apply critical thinking strategies in a fun and interactive way.

How do board games promote turn-taking and patience in young children?

Board games provide an ideal platform for promoting turn-taking and patience in young children. Games that involve taking turns, such as “Turn-Taking Train” or “Sharing Snacks,” teach children the importance of waiting for their turn and respecting others’ opportunities. By engaging in these turn-taking activities, children develop essential social skills, including patience, cooperation, and empathy.

Board games also provide valuable opportunities for children to learn about winning and losing gracefully, managing emotions, and practicing good sportsmanship. These experiences contribute to the development of positive social behaviors and enhance children’s overall emotional intelligence.

Are there board games that introduce basic concepts of time and sequencing?

Yes, there are board games that introduce basic concepts of time and sequencing to young children. Games like “Time-Telling Train” or “Sequencing Adventure” teach children about the order of events, time progression, and basic sequencing skills. These games often involve arranging cards or objects in a specific order or following a sequence of actions.

By engaging in these activities, children develop their understanding of temporal concepts, improve their sequencing abilities, and enhance their cognitive skills related to organizing information. These games provide a playful way for children to grasp fundamental concepts of time and sequencing.

Can board games help with emotional development and self-expression?

Certainly! Board games can be instrumental in supporting emotional development and self-expression in young children. Games that involve emotions, empathy, or role-playing, such as “Emotion Exploration” or “Feelings Charades,” provide children with opportunities to identify and express their emotions, understand others’ feelings, and practice empathy.

These games help children develop emotional intelligence , enhance their communication skills, and foster a sense of self-awareness. By engaging in these emotional experiences, children learn to recognize and regulate their emotions, improve their social interactions, and build healthy emotional connections with others. Board games can be a valuable tool for supporting children’s emotional development and promoting positive self-expression.

In My Opinion

Board games for 3-year-olds offer a world of learning, engagement, and fun. Through these games, young children can develop cognitive skills, improve fine motor abilities, enhance social interactions, and strengthen their language and communication capabilities. By engaging in age-appropriate board games, 3-year-olds learn valuable lessons in problem-solving, cooperation, turn-taking, and critical thinking.

These games provide a break from screen time and encourage hands-on experiences that stimulate their senses and fine motor skills. So, gather your little ones and embark on an exciting journey of discovery and growth with board games designed specifically for 3-year-olds.

Hi, It's Jack Here

On my blog, I am eager to recount my experiences, offer tips, and provide recommendations. Whether you’re a seasoned player or just venturing into the captivating world of board games, my insights are designed to guide, entertain, and perhaps reignite a passion for this cherished pastime.

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15 Board Games for 3 Year Olds: The Ultimate Guide for Parents

As a parent of a 3-year-old, you might be looking for new ways to keep your child entertained and engaged at home (which is exactly why I started Learning with Kelsey!). While our activity boxes are fantastic, sometimes it's nice to switch things up with a classic board game.

Board games are a great way to teach your child valuable skills , such as turn-taking, counting, and problem-solving, all while having fun. But with so many options out there, it can be hard to know where to start. In this blog post, we'll go over some of the best board games for 3-year-olds, so you can find the perfect game for your child's age and skill level.

What are the best board games for 3 year olds?

I love playing board games with my kids! They create so many amazing learning opportunities and are a great way to spend quality time together. But with so many options out there, it can be tough to know where to start. Here are some of the best board games for 3-year-olds that you and your child will both love:

Candy Land :

This classic game is perfect for young children, with colorful cards and a simple path to follow. It helps kids practice color recognition and counting skills, and the sweet theme is sure to keep them engaged.

Chutes and Ladders :

Another classic board game, Chutes and Ladders is a great way to teach your child about consequences and cause-and-effect. The game involves rolling a die and moving your piece up or down ladders and chutes, depending on where you land.

Hoot Owl Hoot :

This cooperative game is all about helping the owls get back to their nest before the sun rises. It's easy to learn and teaches teamwork and strategy skills, making it a great choice for young children.

Richard Scarry's Busytown :

Eye Found It! Game: This fun and colorful game is based on the popular children's book series and involves searching for hidden objects in a busy town scene. It helps develop observational and concentration skills, while also encouraging teamwork and cooperation.

The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game :

This adorable game involves using a squirrel-shaped set of tongs to pick up colored acorns and fill your tree stump. It helps develop hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills, as well as color recognition and counting.

Spot It Jr. :

This game is a fun way to teach your child about shapes and colors. Players race to find the matching symbols on their cards, with each round getting more challenging.

Yeti in my spaghetti :

This silly game is sure to make your little one giggle. Players take turns removing spaghetti strands without letting the yeti fall into the bowl. It helps develop hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills, while also teaching cause-and-effect and strategy.

Animal Upon Animal :

This game involves stacking animal pieces on top of each other without letting them fall. It helps develop spatial awareness and hand-eye coordination, as well as teaching turn-taking and strategy.

My First Orchard :

This cooperative game is perfect for young children, as it involves working together to harvest fruit before the crow reaches the orchard. It helps develop teamwork and strategy skills, as well as color recognition and counting.

Feed The Woozle :

In this game, players work together to feed the hungry Woozle by completing silly challenges. It's a great way to develop coordination, balance, and gross motor skills, while also teaching cooperation and communication.

Count Your Chickens :

This counting game is perfect for teaching basic math skills. Players work together to collect all the baby chicks and bring them back to the coop before the fox catches them. It's a fun and engaging way to learn numbers and counting.

Robot Turtles :

This introductory coding game is a great way to introduce your child to the world of programming. Players use directional cards to help their turtle reach the end of the board, while also developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Sushi Go! Junior :

This fun and colorful game involves collecting different types of sushi to create the perfect meal. It helps develop memory and strategy skills, as well as teaching basic math and counting.

This fast-paced matching game is perfect for young children. Players race to be the first to fill their card with matching tiles, while also developing language and memory skills.

Uno Junior :

A fun twist on the classic card game, Uno Juior involves matching animals and colors to be the first to get rid of all your cards. It helps develop number and color recognition, as well as teaching turn-taking and strategy.

No matter which games you choose, remember to keep things fun and lighthearted. Don't worry too much about strict rules or winning and losing. The most important thing is spending quality time with your child and helping them develop important skills that will benefit them for years to come. So gather up some snacks, clear off the kitchen table, and get ready for some family fun with these great board games for 3-year-olds!

What safety considerations should I keep in mind when buying board games for 3-year-olds?

As a parent, it's important to ensure that the board games you buy for your 3-year-old are not only enjoyable but also safe. Here are some safety considerations to keep in mind when purchasing board games for your little one:

Age-Appropriate:

Always check the age recommendation on the game box to ensure that your child is within the appropriate age range. Board games for older children may have small parts or be too complex, which can pose a safety risk for your little one.

Choose board games that are made from non-toxic and safe materials. Avoid games that contain harmful chemicals or materials that can break easily and cause injuries.

Opt for board games that are the right size for your child. Large pieces and boards are easier for little hands to handle and reduce the risk of choking hazards.

Safety Standards:

Look for board games that meet safety standards set by organizations such as the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) or the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

Supervision:

Always supervise your child during playtime and ensure that they're playing with the game pieces correctly. Teach them how to handle the game pieces safely and keep them away from their mouth.

What should I look for when choosing board games for 3-year-olds?

As a parent, it's natural to want your child to have fun and learn at the same time. Board games can be a great way to achieve both goals. However, choosing the right board game for your 3-year-old can be a bit overwhelming. You want to ensure that the game is age-appropriate and safe for them to play.

Here are a few things to look for when choosing board games for 3-year-olds:

Age-appropriate:.

Make sure that the board game is designed for children of your child's age. Most board games will indicate the recommended age range on the packaging.

Simple rules:

At the age of 3, children are still developing their cognitive skills. Therefore, choose a game that has simple rules and is easy to understand.

Short playtime:

Young children have a shorter attention span, so choose a game that can be played in a short period of time. A game that takes too long to complete may result in your child losing interest.

Cooperative play:

Look for games that promote cooperative play rather than competitive play. Cooperative games allow children to work together as a team, which promotes social skills and teamwork.

Make sure that the game does not have any small parts that could be a choking hazard. Also, ensure that the materials used are non-toxic.

Overall, board games can be a great way to spend quality time with your child while also teaching them important skills. By keeping these tips

Are there any board games that can be enjoyed by both 3-year-olds and older children?

Absolutely! Board games are a wonderful way to bring the whole family together and there are plenty of options that can be enjoyed by both 3-year-olds and older children. Here are a few of our favorites:

Candyland  

This classic game has been enjoyed by generations of children and is perfect for little ones who are just starting to get the hang of board games. With colorful cards and a sweet theme, it’s sure to delight kids of all ages.

Chutes and Ladders

Another classic game, Chutes and Ladders is a simple yet entertaining way to pass the time with your kids. Players take turns spinning the spinner and moving their game pieces up the board, trying to avoid the chutes and climb the ladders to the top.

While Uno may seem like a game for older kids, the Junior version is perfect for little ones who are just starting to understand rules and strategy. With bright colors and simple gameplay, it’s easy for everyone to join in the fun.

This fast-paced game challenges players to find a matching symbol on two cards, making it a great choice for kids who love a little competition. With multiple versions (including one with animals!), you’re sure to find one that appeals to your child.

Hoot Owl Hoot!

This cooperative game is perfect for families who want to work together towards a common goal. Players take turns moving owls around the board and trying to get them to the nest before the sun rises. With simple gameplay and a cute theme, it’s a great choice for both little ones and older children alike.

What tips can you give for introducing board games to 3 year olds?

Introducing board games to your 3-year-old can be a fun and exciting way to bond with your little one. Here are some tips to help you get started:

Choose age-appropriate games:

When selecting board games for your 3-year-old, make sure they are easy to understand and don't require too much reading or counting. Games that involve simple matching and color recognition are great options.

Keep it short and sweet:

Attention spans can be short at this age, so it's best to start with short game sessions. Keep the games brief, and don't be surprised if your child wants to play the same game over and over again.

Demonstrate how to play:

Before starting the game, take some time to explain the rules to your child. Use simple language, and demonstrate how to play. Encourage your child to ask questions and offer help where needed.

Make it fun:

Board games are meant to be fun, so try to keep things light and upbeat. Use silly voices and make jokes to keep your child engaged and entertained.

Emphasize sportsmanship:

Board games can teach valuable life skills such as taking turns, sharing, and being a good loser. Model good behavior for your child by congratulating them when they win and encouraging them to keep trying if they lose.

Remember, the goal of introducing board games to your 3-year-old is to have fun and create positive memories. So, grab a game, sit down with your little one, and enjoy some quality time together!

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The Board Game Collection

Board games for 3 year olds: our picks.

This is part of our series on board games by age. For more info check out o ur comprehensive guide to picking board games for kids.

Kids are never too young for board games! Games come in all shapes and sizes and are for all ages and abilities. They’re more accessible than ever before so there’s no excuse not to get your kids hooked asap. Not only will you always have someone to play board games with but your kids will benefit in so many ways from playing board games regularly.

In a child’s early years their brain is developing the fastest. The experiences they have will shape who they become and getting them to play games and be exposed to positive influences will have a positive impact on how their brain develops. The right board games can teach kids many useful skills such as cooperation and teamwork, problem solving, critical thinking, numeracy, maths and reasoning.

The best board games for young children will be easy to learn with minimal rules, encourage discussion and reasoning and have a short playtime to keep their attention. It’s been proven in studies that children prefer cooperative games over competitive games. Your toddler may not be playing Twilight Imperium with you anytime soon but here are some great board games now that will lay the foundation for more complex games in the future.

What are the Best Board Games for 3 Year Olds?

The sneaky, snacky squirrel game.

Published by: Educational Insights    Ages: 3+    Players: 2-4    Time: 15 mins

In this game, players set out to help squirrels forage for food and fill their log with delicious acorns. Players need to be wary though as other sneaky squirrels may try and steal acorns, or a strong wind could blow the whole stash away, forcing players to start all over again.  

Players take turns spinning the spinner, which will dictate the action they need to take. They then use the squirrel squeezer to carry out the appropriate action. This normally involves using the squirrel squeezer to take one of the five different colored acorns and place it into their log. The first player to fill their log is the winner. The spinner has a space for each of the different colored acorns, as well as a few others that prompt players to take certain actions.

There are two blank acorn spaces that allow players to take one or two acorns of any color they need. There are two squirrel spaces, a sneaky squirrel that lets players steal an acorn from another player, and a sad squirrel that results in the active player skipping their turn. The final space is the squirrel storm, which if players are unfortunate enough to land on, results in all the players acorns being blown away, meaning they’ll have to start collecting all over again!

The game is really quick and simple to learn, with minimal rules and mechanics. For such a straightforward game, it teaches young kids a lot of skills. Some of the most prominent are color matching and sorting and the development of hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills through the use of the squirrel squeezer. There are also elements of strategic thinking and the development of interpersonal skills. The components provided are colorful, well-made, and visually appealing. This should provide plenty of fun for young ones.

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First Orchard

Published by: HABA    Ages: 2+    Players: 1-4    Time: 10 mins

First Orchard is a beloved classic in the world of preschool board games and one of the best family board games for toddlers. It is designed for the littlest gamers to introduce them to the basic concepts of taking turns, recognizing colors, and practicing decision-making. Players work together, in this cooperative board game, to harvest fruit from the trees before a mischievous raven reaches the end of the path.

The gameplay is straightforward: on their turn, a player rolls a color die and picks a piece of fruit of the corresponding color from the tree and places it in the shared basket. Rolling the raven prompts players to move the raven one space closer to the orchard. The cooperative nature of the game ensures that players cheer each other on to collect all the fruit before the raven arrives.

The beautifully crafted wooden pieces are perfect for small hands to grab and help with fine motor skill development. First Orchard not only provides toddlers with their first taste of structured play but also nurtures social skills and early game-playing etiquette. With each play, children learn the importance of teamwork and the joy of collective success.

Read our Full review of First Orchard here.

Disney Eye Found It!

Published by: Wonder Forge    Ages: 4+    Players: 1-6    Time: 30 mins

Disney Eye Found It! is a cooperative board game that encourages players to work together to find hidden items in the colorful, whimsical world of Disney. This game is perfect for younger kids, especially those who have a fondness for Disney characters and storytelling.

During play, players roll the dice and move along the winding path through various Disney realms, searching for iconic items and characters hidden on the massive six-foot game board. Every card drawn directs the players to search for a specific item, and everyone must try to find as many as they can before time runs out.

As a side benefit, this game helps children with object identification and matching skills, reinforcing their memory and observation capabilities. The social interaction encouraged by the cooperative gameplay teaches children to communicate effectively and to contribute to a group objective. The vibrant images and familiar characters keep the game engaging, offering a magical experience for Disney fans of all ages.

The unifying goal of finding items before the clock strikes makes for an experience filled with excitement and bursts of collective achievement. Disney Eye Found It! creates a magical playtime environment that celebrates discovery and teamwork among young friends and family members.

Read our full review of Eye Found It here.

Published by: Hasbro    Ages: 3+    Players: 2-4    Time: 30 mins

Love it or hate it, Candy Land belongs on any list of board games for 3 year olds because it truly is a classic game for younger children and serves as a fun introduction to family games. It is a colorful and straightforward board game that serves as an excellent introduction to the world of board gaming for young children. With no reading required, children can easily grasp the rules of silly game and enjoy the fantasy of exploring a land filled with sweets and characters like King Kandy and Gramma Nutt.

It’s a simple game with simple rules: players draw color-coded cards and move their pieces to the next matching color space. This teaches color recognition and matching while also introducing children to the concept of luck, as their progress is dependent on the cards they draw. There are also special cards that advance players to more attractive locations, such as Peppermint Forest and Gumdrop Mountains.

Children learn basic counting as they move their pieces from one space to the next and once they get the hang of it, this is one older preschoolers might even be able to play independently. Candy Land’s appeal lies in its whimsical board design and the dreamy promise of a candy-filled adventure, making it a timeless classic among preschool board games. It’s one of the best board games for young children to experience the structure and interaction of a board game and learn vital social skills such as taking turns and sportsmanship.

To be clear, this is not one of my favorite board games, but it’s a perfect game to use as a stepping stone and a great first board game that little kids love.

Read our full review of Candyland here.

Animal Upon Animal

Published by: HABA    Ages: 4+    Players: 2-4    Time: 15 mins

Animal Upon Animal is an enchanting stacking game that captivates children with its creative play and adorable wooden animal figures. Each player takes turns placing animals on top of an ever-growing and unsteady pile, trying not to let any animals tumble down. The animals come in various shapes and sizes, adding to the challenge of maintaining the balance of this precarious tower.

The aim is to be the first to successfully stack all your animals, thereby displaying dexterity, patience, and a steady hand. This game hones fine motor skills and develops a sense of spatial relationships, as players assess and select the optimal placement for each piece. It’s a great one for developing hand eye coordination. Moreover, it introduces children to basic principles of physics, such as gravity and balance, in a playful and accessible way.

With straightforward rules and quick gameplay, Animal Upon Animal encourages friendly competition and lots of laughs. The vibrant and high-quality wooden pieces are inviting and durable, ensuring that this game can be enjoyed time and time again as a family favorite. It’s an exemplary game for engaging young minds (and shouldn’t be underestimated in its appeal to different ages) and hands while fostering a love for tabletop gaming.

Read our full review of Animal Upon Animal here.

Published by: HABA    Ages: 5+    Players: 2-6    Time: 15-20 mins

Monza is a thrilling race car board game designed for budding young gamers. It employs a simple color-based dice system that promotes strategic thinking while reinforcing color recognition and decision-making skills. Players each have a car on a track comprised of colored spaces, and they roll six dice with colors corresponding to the spaces on the track.

The objective is clear: maneuver your race car through the track by selecting the dice that match the next spaces. This challenges children to think ahead and plan their moves, improving their ability to strategize. What makes Monza stand out is its allowance for forward, diagonal, and side moves, thus introducing children to more complex movement patterns than most traditional linear track games.

The game’s playful design, featuring a vibrantly colored race track and wooden car tokens, captures the excitement of a motor race. As players navigate the race track, they also learn the basic mechanics of gameplay such as taking turns and abiding by game rules. Monza is a fantastic first step for children who are ready to graduate from simplistic preschool games to those that require more critical thinking and planning, and also works well for older kids.

Read our full review of Monza here.

Snug As A Bug In A Rug

Published by: Peaceable Kingdoms    Ages: 3+    Players: 2-4   Time: 15 minutes

Bugs love playing under rugs! Help the colorful bugs get snug under the rug before three stink bugs show up and make a big stink.

Snug as a Bug by Peaceable Kingdoms is a cooperative game where players work together to try and get every bug under the rug before the stink bugs show up. At the start of the game, all the colorful bugs are placed on the board which serves as the rug. Players will roll the dice and spin the spinner to determine which bug they need to hunt for. Both dice and spinner will indicate whether players need to look for a bug that matches the color, pattern, or eye shape. If the player finds a matching bug they place it underneath the board with its head poking out. If they are unable to find one, they must place a grey stinkbug on the board. If all three make their way onto the rug, the game is over.

There are three different difficulty levels depending on the degree of challenge players need. Players can search by one attribute (color for example) all game, switch attributes each turn, or look for two attributes on one bug (eye shape and pattern) for the hardest level of difficulty. This allows for children to test their skills and as they gain more confidence they can challenge themselves by adding more mechanics to the gameplay. 

This is a great, quick game for kids and teaches them about color and shape matching, working together, and helps refine social development skills. Fast paced, simple to learn and full of colorful components to capture children’s imagination, Snug as a Bug will provide plenty of fun and enjoyment for little ones.

Sequence For Kids

Published by: Goliath Games    Ages: 3+    Players: 2-4    Time: 15 minutes

Match animal cards to spaces on the game board and get a sequence of four in a row to win! Sequence Junior is the child-friendly iteration of the original strategic game, offering a more approachable and visually stimulating version for children as young as three years old.

The goal in Sequence Junior is to place four tokens in a row, in any direction, by matching cards in the player’s hand to the corresponding space on the game board. The board has a 7X6 grid with each space representing one of the 19 different animals present in the game. Players take it in turns to place one of their cards down and a token on the corresponding space on the board. This continues until one player manages to get four tokens in a line and create a sequence.

The game presents a light element of strategy as players will not only try to create a sequence themselves but block other players from doing so also. This means players will need to think carefully about which cards they lay down, and when. Along with the free spaces in the corners, there are also two wildcards that don’t have a token represented on the board and come with their own rules. The unicorn allows a player to place a token anywhere and a dragon that allows one player to remove another’s token from the board.

Like most games on this list, Sequence Junior is light on rules but requires a slightly more strategic approach than the typical game aimed at older preschoolers. This doesn’t mean it’s a difficult game but does present it’s own challenge and requires forward thinking and planning in order to be successful. Playing with a grown-up is probably advisable as they can offer suggestions and support, but Sequence Junior offers a fun experience with it’s illustrated cards and elements of strategy.

Read of full review of Sequence For Kids here.

Raccoon Rumpus

Published by: Educational Insights Ages: 3+   Players: 2-4   Time: 15 mins

The Raccoons need help getting changed into their outfits for the day! Players will need to sort the variety of outfits and match them to their dice rolls in order to get the raccoons ready for the day.

In Raccoon Rumpus, players take a scantily clad Raccoon card and must roll a combination of dice to attempt to dress them in various different outfits. One die represents a color and one represents a type of clothing. In the default game mode, all outfits are placed up in the middle of everybody and easily accessible. When players roll their dice, they must find an outfit that matches both the color and type of clothing displayed on both dice. If they cannot then play moves on to the next player. Some faces of the die have special meanings; the rainbow for example lets players choose any color costume they want and the top and bottoms let players choose up to two outfits.

If a player rolls the underwear however, they must remove all outfits from their Raccoon and start again! Whoever dressed their Raccoon in five different outfits first is the winner. There is a memory game variant to Raccoon Rumpus with slightly different rules and provides more of a challenge. Instead of placing the outfits face up they are placed facedown, and the clothing dice is removed. Players roll just the color dice, turn over a card, and if either part of the outfit matches the color on the dice then the player can take that outfit.

With it’s two different game modes, Raccoon Rumpus helps develop both color and attribute-matching skills and for those wanting an extra challenge, presents an extra element of difficulty with the memory variant. With interesting and colorful components, this is a fast-paced game that’s thoroughly enjoyable for younger gamers. 

Feed The Woozle

Published by: Peaceable Kingdoms     Ages: 3+    Players: 2-5    Time: 15 mins

Hungry for chocolate-covered flies or hairy pickles? Well the Woozle is, and he’s hungry! Players work together and use their dexterity to attempt to feed them twelve different snacks before all the food is gone.

Feed the Woozle is an interactive game with three different levels of difficulty. The main object of the game is to transport snacks on a spoon to a Woozle standee about 8-10 feet away and place them in it’s open mouth. Players will roll a die to determine how many snacks they need to feed the Woozle. They’ll place them on the spoon and walk over to him. If any fall onto the floor they must stay there but for every snack successfully fed to the Woozle, players can take a “Yummy” card, to keep track of the score. If players can work together and feed twelve snacks to their furry friend then they win. If snacks run out before they can feed him twelve, the game is over.

This is the simplest variation of the game but there are more ways to play! The next level of difficulty incorporates a spinner into the game which dictates how the player must transport the snacks. After rolling the dice to determine how many snacks they’ll be taking, they’ll need to spin the spinner which will give them instructions such as “walk backward” or “bunny hop”. Needless to say, this can lead to hilarious results to add to the fun of the game! The hardest difficulty uses both dice and spinner, but players must also have their eyes closed on their turn feeding the Woozle. In this version, adult supervision is probably best in order to avoid any injuries! 

Feed the Woozle is a fun game that gets kids active and off their seats to refine their motor skills, bodily awareness, and dexterity. Incorporating cooperative gameplay, players will cheer each other on and use teamwork to build up each other’s confidence. With three different modes of difficulty, it will provide something for everyone and keep kids busy and entertained!

As you can see from the list above, most of these board games for 3 year olds incorporate cooperative elements, but all help to develop children’s skills in various different ways. Recognition of colors, shapes, and patterns is crucial for preparing them for school, working together helps promote and develop social interactions, and refining fine and gross motor skills will help them feel body confident. If you’ve played any great games that you enjoy playing with your little ones that you’ve found have helped them to grow and develop, we’d love to hear all about it!

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What are the best indoor games for little ones.

The games above, Sequence Junior, Raccoon Rumpus and Feed The Woozle are great indoor games for little ones. They’re fun and good for cognitive and motor skills.

Do I need to play these family board games with my child?

While adult supervision or participation can enhance the game experience for younger players and help with rules and strategy some games are designed to be simple enough for children to play on their own. Games like Raccoon Rumpus have solo play variants but adult involvement is always a good idea to ensure safety and support.

Will these fun games help my child for school?

Yes many of these games will help with school readiness. They help with color recognition, shapes and patterns, maths skills and social interaction and teamwork skills all of which are important in a school setting.

How can I adapt these games for children of different skill levels?

Many games including Feed The Woozle have different levels of difficulty that can be adjusted to the child or the whole family’s ability. You can also add house rules or modify existing ones to suit your child’s skill level.

Are there cooperative games for children that involve fine motor skills?

Feed The Woozle is a cooperative game that involves physical activity as children have to walk or hop to feed the Woozle. Other cooperative games may involve similar physical elements and get older kids moving and developing gross motor skills.

Top 15 Educational Board Games for 3 year olds

When your child begins to notice the world around them, you often start looking for the next logical toys and learning materials to keep their intellectual development going. On the other hand, if your child is full of curiosity, they will probably be frustrated by the lack of activities appropriate for them. Board games are a great way to bridge this gap.

Board games  are a great way to motivate and stimulate your child. They provide a safe space for your child to learn and explore while having fun. The best part about board games is that you get to spend quality time with your little ones.

However, there is an overwhelming amount of different board game brands with all kinds of educational components. As a result, it can be hard to know where to begin in finding the best board game for your child. That’s why  computer kids daycare  has put together a list of the best 15 educational board games for 3 year olds. The list covers a wide range of interests and will inspire you to spend quality time with your little ones. But before we do so, let’s first talk about why board games are suitable for kids.

Why Are Board Games Good for 3 year olds?

• Cognitive Stimulation: Playing games to stimulate your child’s intelligence is a great way to utilize their intrinsic motivation and curiosity. It also improves their problem solving and critical thinking skills as well as teaches them patience and strategy.
• Emotional Skills: Board games teach your children about winning and losing in a safe environment that gives them time to recover from loss and re-strategize how they play the game. It also helps build emotional intelligence by showing them how to regulate their reactions and frustration (which can be hard at such a young age).
• To Learn How To Work Together: Board games teach your children how to work together with others in teams and players and give them a better understanding of social interactions and sharing.
• Increased Communication: Games help children learn how to communicate in a non-threatening environment and develop language skills in a fun and playful way.
• Exciting Manipulative Activities: Manipulative toys such as puzzles, blocks, balls, and many more are essential for cognitive development in infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. These  exciting activities for kids  channel their energy into productive pursuits while developing fine motor skills that will help them learn to write or draw.

When Can a Child Begin to Play Board Games?

The ability to choose among different options and understand the consequences of their actions is a sign of executive functioning, a skill that children gradually develop from age 2 or 3.

For this reason, it is normal for a child to think about what he will do next while playing with a toy, therefore requiring supervision at all times. Around the age of 1, your child should begin to exhibit an increased ability to play independently with toys. You can start introducing board games then. For example, 2-year-olds are able to play simple board games such as CandyLand and Chutes and Ladders by recognizing colors, shapes, and numbers.

What to Consider When Choosing Board Games for 3 year olds?

There are attributes and features in a good board game that will help your child develop their skills and foster their interests. 

• The Number of Players –  As a general rule, a good board game has at least two players because the competitive aspect encourages learning from mistakes and being able to see your opponent’s moves beforehand.
• Skills Learned –  You want to look for a board game that will be educational and fun for your three-year-old. The best ones will still be fun even after a few rounds of play.
• Theme –  When choosing a theme, you should consider something your child is interested in or familiar with from TV or books they have read. The most popular themes are animals, transportation, sports, bath time, robots, and dinosaurs.
• Complexity –  Complexity will help you determine how difficult the game is to learn and play. You want to find a balance between too simple or too complex. So your child is never frustrated nor bored with the game.

With that in mind, We have compiled a list of the top 15 educational board games for three-year-olds based on these factors and more. Hopefully, you will find the one that is just right for your little one.

It is a very educational game that kids and parents love. And right now, our top pick of all educational board games for 3 year olds. Kids don’t need to read to play this game, but it helps with essential reading skills such as visual discrimination.  Zingo  follows the concept of people’s favorite game, bingo, where children need to fill the card with the matching item called Zinger spits out, but it is words and pictures instead of numbers.

2. Yeti in my Spaghetti

It is simple and a very fun game to play with preschool kids. You create a nest of spaghetti noodles then put the Yeti on the top. Allow each kid to pull out one noodle until the Yeti falls into the bowl.  Yeti in my Spaghetti  is an educational game that develops taking turns strategy, fine motor skills, and cause and effect.

3. First Orchard

It is an excellent first game for 3 year olds. Simply, the amount of learning this game will provide is truly remarkable. It develops a child’s early math skills like counting from 1-10 and some basic science that trees bear one kind of fruit and birds consume fruit. This game also provides great learning from playing  First Orchard , such as following directions, taking turns, and recognizing the emotions of losing or winning. 

4. Hoot Owl Hoot

A very reliable board game for 3 year olds that helps develop cooperation. It is very fun and engaging to play. In playing  Hoot Owl Hoot , children try to get the owl to the nest. They need to work together and cooperate to get all the owls on the best before sunset. To make it easier for your kids, begin with fewer owls on the board, and once they feel confident, try to make it more challenging by having all of the owls on the board. 

Playing  Uno Moo  will help young children learn about colors, farm animals, and strategy as they play. An interactive and fun way to play and practice their early math skills. 

6. Feed the Woozle

It is a perfect family game for preschoolers and guarantees silliness and smiles all around. Children will ask to play this game again and again and laugh all the time. Children. Work together to  Feed the Woozle  different kids of silly foods. It helps kids strengthen fine motor skills as they balance the foods on the spoon, and it also develops gross motor skills with directed movements such as “hula dance,” “walk backward,” and “bunny hop,” 

7. Hi Ho Cherry O

Hi Ho Cherry O  is an oldie but goodie board game for 3 year olds. The best part of engaging and playing this game is it helps kids counting and turn-taking. So, provide this game to your kids and enjoy your moment of fun time with them.

8. Pattern Blocks and Board

It is an excellent game for children to play and develop their building skills by constructing their designs with the pattern blocks and then imagining playing with such creations.  Pattern Blocks and Boards  were designed for children to build problem-solving, shape recognition, visual-spatial comparison, patterning, and color coordination skills in one box.

9. Sneaky Snacky Squirrel

Sneaky Snacky Squirrel  is somewhat similar to Hi Ho Cherry O and an excellent board game to provide for kids. No reading is required for players in this game; children use a spinner to get different colored acorns to fill the tree stump. But players need to watch for the sad squirrel, the storm, and the thieving squirrel that can affect the acorns. Also, using plastic tongs to pick up the acorns can help kids strengthen their fine motor skills.

10. Let’s Go Fishin’

This amazing fishing game is irresistible to play for 3 year olds and preschoolers. Kids love catching magnetic fish using the fishing rod.  Let’s Go Fishin’  is an exciting game that teaches kids hand-eye coordination.

11. Stack Up!

The objective of the game is to stack 12 blocks. However,  Stack Up!  includes challenges that children need to perform. In addition, Intentionally knocking down is part of the game, which makes it more exciting for kids. Finally, a smasher appears and comes to knock the tower down.

12. Richard Scarry’s Busytown Eye Found It

This game comes with bright pictures, making it an ultimate I Spy board game for 3 year olds.  Richard Scarry’s Busytown Eye Found It  encourages children to teamwork and strengthens matching skills. Witness your kids race around the busy town solving mysteries and locating the hidden things and items. There is a lot to find in this large playing board.

13. The Little Orchard

Players one up to four can play this interesting game. Children roll a dice and choose a tile with a matching flower. The goal for this game is to collect five cherries before a player hits too many crows.  The Little Orchard  is an educational game that helps children learn about the world of flowers and fruits.

14. Magnetic Town Maze

It is an exciting and dynamic board game for 3 year olds and preschoolers. Using the magical magnetic wand, let a kid help and guide the colorful ball to make it back home, but have them watch out as there are blocked roadways along the way.  Magnetic Town Maze  is ideal for developing counting, fine motor skills, and building grit and patience as kids have to navigate the colorful balls into the correct right area.

15. Color Go Fish Card Game

It mixes and follows some simple “Go Fish” rules but uses colors. However, some parents have concerns about the colors used in  Color Go Fish Card Game . Because it doesn’t use the primary colors like blue, red, and green but rather uses colors like apricot, buttercup, and jade.

In summary, these are some board games for 3 year old that parents can use to teach their kids basics. Next time you play these games with your kids, don’t forget to praise their efforts and efforts from learning from them.

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The Best 21 Preschool Board Games You’ll Actually Enjoy, Too

Inside: Forget those boring preschool board games like Candyland and play these educational and fun board games for preschoolers instead.

My preschooler’s absolute favorite time of day is after her little sister goes to bed at night because that’s when we bust out a board game or card game to play as a family.

There’s just one problem .

The games specifically designed for preschoolers are kind of… soul-sucking .

The people who invented Candyland, Chutes & Ladders, and Hi Ho Cherry-O must have had some deep-seated hatred for parents of the world because playing those preschool board games will slowly kill off every brain cell that sleep deprivation hasn’t already taken care of.

Those typical preschool board games require little to no strategy. They’re all chance and no thought, and at best they prepare your kid to understand the concept of a lottery ticket.

And yet as much as I’d love to groom my preschooler into a ruthless Scrabble whiz, some of the best family games are just too advanced to be board games for 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds.

Looking for toddler board games instead? Head to The Best 25 Toddler Board Games That Will Become Family Favorites

Short on Time? Here Are Our Top Picks

If you’re in a rush, here’s a quick run-down of the best preschool board games that have been most popular with the parents and kids in this community:

• Best Overall Preschool Board Game: Outfoxed! , $18†
• Best Cooperative Preschool Game: Orchard or Hoot Owl Hoot , $50 or $19
• Best Educational Preschool Game: Sequence Letters , $16
• Best Memory and Matching Preschool Game: Qwirkle , $27
• Best Card Game for Preschoolers: Spot It! Jr Animals , $10

† This site is reader-supported. When you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. All prices shown are from time of publishing.

You Don’t Have to Suffer Through Candyland

Ever since my oldest daughter reached board game maturity many years ago, we’ve been on the hunt for the best board games for families. The ones that won’t make you want to gouge out your eyeballs with a junky plastic game piece.

Over the years, we’ve discovered that the world has a ton of absolutely delightful preschool board games to offer families. It’s just that Candyland and its ilk have infiltrated the mainstream psyche as the quintessential board games for preschoolers, so you don’t hear about most of the awesome preschool board games that you’ll actually enjoy playing with your kid.

In our family, we play a board game nearly every night, and we even cleared out our pantry in the kitchen to devote to storing our family board games.

Board games and card games are one of the best ways you can connect with your kids after a busy day, but if you play a mind-numbing game like Chutes & Ladders, it can have the opposite effect.

You’ll be bored out of your skull, and your preschooler will pick up on that. Instead of reconnecting and laughing together, you’ll be anxious for the game to end, leaving your kid to wonder why you don’t want to play with her.

Related: Forget Candyland! This Is the Best List of Board Games for All Ages

21 Awesome Preschool Board Games That You’ll Love, Too

Get those boring preschool board games out of your house and play these kid-approved (and parent-approved!) board games for preschoolers instead.

Because life is too short to be pulling out your hair when you could be giggling with your preschooler. Use this list of fun board games for 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds to beef up your family game collection, and you won’t be sorry.

This list grew out of our own experience of being on the hunt for the best family board games and card games for many years. Plus, we researched for hours and hours online to find all the top suggestions of preschool board games for 4-year-olds and 3-year-olds, then market-tested them with our own crew.

Not only will your preschooler love these board games and card games, but you will too. If you need more ideas after you check out this list, head over to Forget Candyland! This Is the Best List of Board Games for All Ages because most games on that list are preschooler-friendly too.

But First, a Warning

When my preschooler was three years old, she swallowed a coin that got stuck in her throat. One emergency room visit, one surgery, and one five-figure hospital bill later, I can tell you firsthand that choking hazards are nothing to take lightly. And we were lucky that we caught it in time.

Some of these games – even the games marketed specifically for preschoolers – contain game pieces like dice that are the perfect size to be choking hazards. Please always keep a close eye on your child when they’re playing with a game that has small pieces. And if you have younger kids, make sure they’re sleeping or otherwise occupied so they don’t find a fallen game piece and pop it into their mouths.

Now for the list of the best preschool board games…

Note: indicates my family’s absolute top favorite board games on the list. These are the games my whole family can’t get enough of! In fact, we love them so much that we stock them in our store. Order from us here , and you’ll be supporting a family-owned business while also treating your own family to a fun new game!

1. Gobblet Gobblers

Time to Play: 5 minutes Number of Players: 2 Minimum Age: 3-year-olds can understand the basic concepts in order to play, but 4-year-olds will do better with the strategy Get It: Gobblet Gobblers

This preschool board game is like tic-tac-toe with a twist. Just like in tic-tac-toe, you line up three of your pieces to win. But in this game, your piece can also gobble up another person’s piece (or even your own piece) because the game pieces are like nesting dolls. You can also move any pieces you already placed on the board.

While it can get boring to play tic-tac-toe with a preschooler over and over again, this game shakes things up enough to make it fun for all ages in the family. The game is over quickly, which is a plus for a preschooler’s attention span. My 9-year-old and 4-year-old will sit and play game after game together because they’re having so much fun.

The kids don’t even realize they’re building critical thinking, memory skills, and spatial awareness skills while having fun!

One quick warning though: Be sure to get this wooden version of this game, not the newer plastic version. The reviewers who accidentally ordered the plastic version were bummed because the plastic edition isn’t nearly as sturdy.

If you like this game, the same company also makes another board game for preschoolers called Pengoloo that our family loves too.

Bonus: All game orders placed in our family-owned shop get a $7.99 bonus credit after purchase to spend on instant downloads!

Limited time: Black Friday's back! 10% off game orders $50+ with code HAPPY10 , 15% off $100+ with HAPPY15 , and 20% off $200+ with HAPPY20 . Plus free shipping! Order by Dec 16 to get it by Christmas.

Gobblet Gobblers

2. feed the woozle.

Time to Play: 10-15 minutes Number of Players: 2–5 Minimum Age: Some 2-year-olds can play this, so it’s a great fit for 3-year-old preschoolers and up Get It: Feed the Woozle

In this cooperative game, you work together to feed the Woozle by balancing snacks on a spoon while you deliver them. And as an added challenge, you’ll have to hula dance, bunny hop, or do something else silly at the same time. But watch out because if a snack falls along the way, the Woozle won’t eat it. When you’ve fed the Woozle 12 snacks, your whole team wins.

Cooperative games like this are great for building teamwork skills while still getting practice with taking turns. Plus, young children don’t always grasp competitive tactics , so cooperative games are a refreshing change of pace for them.

For that reason, this is a  perfect  first board game for preschoolers to teach turn-taking, foster good sportsmanship as you encourage your teammates, and nurture a sense of collaboration as you work together. And because each game takes around 10 minutes, it’s perfect for short attention spans, too.

This game also helps develop motor skills, gives practice with counting, and builds frustration tolerance. But most important of all, it’s pure silly fun!

Pro tip:  When you need a way to keep your kids entertained so you can load the dishwasher (or catch a catnap), this game works great for an older sibling to play with a younger sibling. My kids play this together all on their own at least once a week!

Note:  The manufacturer says this is for ages 3 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) many 2-year-olds are ready for this game.

Feed the Woozle

3. sleeping queens.

Time to Play: 10-15 minutes Number of Players: 2–5 Minimum Age: 3-year-olds will need a little help to remember all the rules, so 4-year-old preschoolers and up are an even better fit Get It: Sleeping Queens

This is another card game that’s technically for older kids, but our preschooler has been playing this game since the age of three. Of all the preschool board games and card games in this list, this one is her absolute favorite and our number one go-to as a family. The rules are simple enough for our preschooler to understand, but the game still keeps everyone on their toes.

We really and truly never get tired of this one. Plus, you can play a whole game in about 10 minutes, which is perfect for getting in a dose of family connection before sending little ones off to bed.

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 8 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) most 4-year-olds are ready for this game, especially if you help them out a bit with the number cards.

Sleeping Queens

By the way, when you’re playing card games with your child, this card holder is a must have for little hands. Your child can hold it to see their cards, or they can set the holder down on the table for a break. (This particular card holder has stood the test of time, as opposed to other card holders we’ve tried.)

Readers who bought Sleeping Queens also bought

4. My First Carcassonne

Time to Play: 10-20 minutes Number of Players: 2–4 Minimum Age: 3-year-olds can understand the concepts, but 4-year-old preschoolers and up will do best with the strategy Get It: My First Carcassonne

Whereas some preschool board games are all luck and no strategy, this game gives younger kids a fun introduction to thinking strategically. And of all the games in this list, this game is on my own personal short list of my favorite preschool games to play with my kids – along with Sleeping Queens (see below).

To play, you place tiles to build streets in the city of Carcassonne, so the road-building aspect is fantastic for growing spatial intelligence.

If this preschool board game is your first introduction to the world of Carcassonne, be sure to check out the main version of Carcassonne for ages 7 and up when you’re ready to graduate.

My First Carcassonne

5. create a story cards.

Time to Play: 5-15 minutes Number of Players: 2 or more Minimum Age: 2-year-olds can play this one (even if their stories don’t make a lot of sense!), so this is a great fit for 3-year-olds and up Get It: Create a Story Cards

This simple card game for preschoolers is a great way to foster your child’s imagination and build literacy skills.

The game has several variations, but our favorite is this: Each player takes turns picking a random card. The first person starts a story with “Once upon a time…” and then on the next turn, the next person uses their card as inspiration to add to the story.

The stories we come up with as a family always leave us giggling. Even my toddler loves to play!

What’s especially great about this game is you have several versions to choose from, and to kick it up a notch you can even mix different sets together:

• Fairy Tale Mix-Up
• Animal Village
• Mystery in the Forest
• Volcano Island

This one also makes for a fun travel game to take along on road trips or plane rides.

Create a Story Cards

6. sequence for kids.

Time to Play: 20 minutes Number of Players: 2-4 Minimum Age: 3-year-olds and up can understand and enjoy this game Get It: Sequence for Kids

We started out with the regular Sequence game, but it was a bit of a stretch for preschooler when she was three, so we got the Sequence for Kids version and it’s perfect for now. Sometimes though, we’ll invite her to join mom or dad’s team so we can play the regular version.

What’s cool about this game is that you’ll notice your kids start thinking ahead a couple turns instead of just playing the second they find a match. To work on letters with your preschooler, Sequence Letters is a fun alternative.

Sequence for Kids or Sequence Letters

7. hoot owl hoot or orchard by haba.

Time to Play: 15 minutes for Hoot Owl Hoot; 10 minutes for Orchard Number of Players: 2–4 for Hoot Owl Hoot; 1-8 for Orchard Minimum Age: Both games are a great fit for 3-year-olds and up Get It: Hoot Owl Hoot or Orchard

When it comes to cooperative games for preschoolers, these two are our favorites aside from Feed the Woozle above. But because the game play for these two games is so similar, I recommend picking up either Hoot Owl Hoot or Orchard.

My kids love both games, so you really can’t go wrong. The wooden game pieces and picnic baskets for Orchard are super well-made and sturdy, but if that game is a bit outside your price range, Hoot Owl Hoot is just as fun. My kids regularly pull out both games to play together independently!

Pro tip: With Orchard, if your child still tends to put small objects in their mouth, I recommend starting out with the First Orchard edition because it has larger game pieces perfect for younger kids.

Orchard or First Orchard

Side note: We’ve tested nearly every cooperative game for preschoolers made by Peaceable Kingdom, the same folks who make Hoot Owl Hoot. The other games were fun too, but Hoot Owl Hoot has been the clear winner!

Hoot Owl Hoot

8. spot it jr. animals.

Time to Play: 10-20 minutes Number of Players: 2–8 Minimum Age: Even toddlers can play this one, so it’s an excellent pick for 3-year-olds and up Get It: Spot It! Jr. Animals

This preschool game is similar to the regular version of Spot It! but simplified for younger kids with larger images and fewer images on each card.

My favorite part of this matching game is that it’s so portable . I can throw it in my purse when we’re heading somewhere the kids will have to wait a bit, like the doctor’s office or to a restaurant. The small tin holding the cards also makes this game a great fit as a stocking stuffer for kids .

If your preschooler loves this game, you can also check out Spot It! 123 .

Spot It! Jr Animals or Classic or 123

Time to Play: 30-45 minutes Number of Players: 2–4 Minimum Age: Best for older preschoolers aged 4 and up Get It: Qwirkle or Travel Qwirkle

This game is simple enough for beginners but challenging enough for adults, so it’s the perfect fit when you need a game that will work for all ages. Your child will have fun while practicing math and building strategy skills at the same time.

This game took a little practice for our preschooler at first, so take it slow and end the game early when you’re first teaching young kids. To speed up the game, we skip keeping score and put the focus on matching the colors and patterns. You can play a whole game in about 30-45 minutes, and then after the game our preschooler will extend the fun by building towers with the tiles.

This game also comes in a compact travel version , so we keep it in our suitcase and take it with us wherever we go.

Qwirkle or Travel Qwirkle

10. rummikub.

Time to Play: 45-60 minutes Number of Players: 2–4 Minimum Age: Some 3-year-olds can understand the concepts of this game, but it’s an even better fit for 4-year-olds and 5-year-olds Get It: Rummikub Rummikub Large Number Edition -->

This classic family game will build your child’s math skills, but they’ll have so much fun they won’t even realize they’re growing their brain at the same time. As a bonus, Rummikub is challenging enough to keep even adults on their toes. When grandparents come to visit, this is the game both kids and grandparents love to play!

This is supposed to be for ages 8 and up, but our preschooler was still able to understand the rules after one practice game when she was three. Several reviewers have said their preschoolers get into this game as well. Plus, it’s great reinforcement for kids who are learning to recognize numbers.

11. Sushi Go

Time to Play: 15 minutes Number of Players: 2-5 Minimum Age: 4-year-olds can understand the basic gameplay, but 5-year-olds are a better fit for the strategy Get It: Sushi Go

My family’s top go-to card games are Sleeping Queens and this quirky little card game. My kids will happily sit and play this for an hour or more – round after round after round.

To play, you pick one card from your hand to keep, then pass your cards to the next person. Everyone keeps doing this until all the cards are picked. Then you score points based on which cards you picked to keep: Did you get the most maki rolls? Did you dip your nigiri in wasabi to triple its value?

When my preschooler was three, she loved this game, even though she didn’t get the strategy of which cards to keep. In fact, she didn’t care who won because she had so much fun just picking her favorite cards and passing the rest along. Now that she’s older, she’s starting to pick up on the strategy – and her 3-year-old younger sister is now in that “having a blast picking cards” phase.

Sushi Go or Sushi Go Party

12. outfoxed.

Time to Play: 15 minutes Number of Players: 2-4 Minimum Age: 3-year-olds can play this with a little help, so it’s an even better fit for 4-year-olds and up Get It: Outfoxed!

This preschool board game is like Clue but for 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds. A fox stole a pot pie, and you have to figure out which fox it was before they escape into the foxhole.

My kids will regularly play this cooperative whodunnit game independently, and I love watching them work together as a team to solve the mystery.

This is a fun little game to build preschoolers’ logic and deductive reasoning skills.

13. The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game

Time to Play: 15 minutes Number of Players: 2-4 Minimum Age: Even toddlers get into this one, so it’s excellent for 3-year-olds and up Get It: The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game

This makes a great first board game for preschoolers because it doesn’t require a lot of strategic thinking, it’s quick to play, and the game rules are easy to understand. Plus, the artwork is adorable!

But here’s my favorite aspect of this game: Kids can easily play this independently while you sneak a catnap on the couch.

If you have more than one child or your child likes to play board games with friends, you’ll likely want to play this with the kids the first couple of times to help them learn the rules, but after that you can peace out.

Here’s the (adorable) setup: Your forest friends are hungry, and they need your help. Be the first to fill your log with delicious acorns, and you win.

The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game

14. animal upon animal.

Time to Play: 10-15 minutes Number of Players: 1-4 Minimum Age: Even 2-year-olds can play this one, so it’s a great fit for preschoolers as young as 3 Get It: Animal Upon Animal

When your child is ready to move from cooperative to competitive games, this is another fun stacking game for preschoolers to develop their fine motor skills and practice hand-eye coordination. In this game, you stack different wooden animal figurines on top of a large alligator, trying to see how high you can stack them before it all comes crashing down. This game develops your child’s executive functioning skills as they learn they’ll need to be patient and use creative problem-solving in order to get their animals to stack without falling down.

But even when the stack does come crashing down? Giggles all around.

This game is simple enough for young kids to play independently, which is perfect if you need a few minutes to yourself to make an important phone call, take a bathroom break, or sneak a piece of chocolate from your secret stash (I won’t judge).

And unlike some other stacking games for kids that are made with low-quality plastic, these sturdy wooden pieces are made to last. Our copy of this game has lasted through four kids! (Side note: This game is made by the same company who makes Orchard , which my kids also love.)

Pro tip: If your child still tends to put small objects in their mouth, I recommend starting out with the First Animal Upon Animal edition because it has larger game pieces perfect for younger kids.

Animal Upon Animal

Bonus 7 more preschool board games you’ll love.

If you’ve already played all the games recommended above and you want more ideas, check out the list of even more preschool board games below. Note: We don’t stock the following board games in our shop, so I’ve included links to Amazon for your convenience.

15. Go Fish †

† This site is reader-supported. When you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Time to Play: 20 minutes Number of Players: 2–6 Minimum Age: The matching concepts are a good fit for 3-year-olds and up Get It: Go Fish Alphabet or Go Fish for Art (cards and companion book)

Playing this classic card game with your kids when you’re exhausted levels out the playing field. I don’t believe in letting my kids win, but our 9-year-old and preschooler beat me and my husband on a regular basis.

We have a couple sets of this game – one alphabet set that helps our preschooler work on letter recognition, and another set featuring the artwork of Van Gogh and other artists. Our kids get exposed to art, and we get to hear our preschooler say “Van Gogh,” which is pretty much the cutest thing ever. (If you like the idea of the art edition of Go Fish, they also have a set with modern artists and another for impressionists .)

Time to Play: 20-30 minutes Number of Players: 2–10 Minimum Age: 3-year-olds can understand the matching part of the game, but this is an even better fit for 4-year-old preschoolers and up Get It: Uno

The box says this classic game is for ages 7 and up, but our preschooler has been playing it for a while. When you think about it, Uno is mostly a matching game. And preschoolers love matching games!

When we first started playing, she needed a little help understanding the “special” cards, but after playing it a few times, she’s learned the meaning of the different symbols. And she knows exactly how to unleash the wrath of the Wild Draw Four card on her poor mother.

To simplify this game for your little ones, you can skip keeping score at the end of each hand.

Time to Play: 5 minutes Number of Players: 2–8 Minimum Age: Even 2-year-olds can play this one, so it’s a great fit for preschoolers as young as 3 Get It: Zingo

This is a matching skills game like bingo, but what keeps it interesting for older kids and adults is the competitive twist – you have to be the first one to notice a match and snag it before someone else does.

That sounds like a simple enough task, but our kids actually snake a match out from under our noses more often than you’d think. (I’m blaming chronic parental sleep deprivation.)

Time to Play: 20 minutes Number of Players: 2–4 Minimum Age: 4-year-olds can understand the concepts, but older preschoolers tend to enjoy it more Get It: Ruckus

The box says this card game is technically for ages 5 and up, but my preschooler can’t get enough of this game. In this matching game, you can steal piles of matches from other players, and that’s when the real fun begins.

If you don’t have 20 minutes for a full game, it’s easy to shorten it up by playing to a smaller number of points instead of the recommended 77 points.

Quick tip: We put a box of tissues in front of our preschooler’s hand so she could lay her cards out on the table without everyone else being able to see them.

19. Aquarius

Time to Play: 20 minutes Number of Players: 2–5 Minimum Age: The game includes variations for players as young as 3 Get It: Aquarius

You probably won’t find this game on most lists of preschool board games and card games because the box says ages 6 and up. But because this game is really just a matching game, preschoolers catch on quickly.

Plus, the instructions come with different variations for different ages as young as three, which makes it easy to modify the game to fit the people playing.

You play the cards kind of like dominoes – which can be a fun preschool board game itself! – and match up different patterns to the cards already on the table.

This is a game my husband and I love to play after the kids are in bed (with the most advanced variation on the rules!) so it’s a cost-effective and flexible addition to your family board game collection.

20. Shopping List

Time to Play: 15 minutes Number of Players: 2-4 Minimum Age: Some toddlers can play this one, so this is a great pick for preschoolers age 3 and up Get It: Shopping List

This preschool memory game lets kids pretend play they’re at the grocery store filling their cart with everything on their shopping list. My preschooler absolutely loves this game, which is probably an indication that I should put her to work at the grocery store more often. My toddler loves to join in on this one too, but her attention span doesn’t last for a whole game.

If your child loves this game, you can get expansion packs for extra fruit and veggies and for clothing items .

21. Richard Scarry’s Busytown

Time to Play: 30 minutes Number of Players: 2-4 Minimum Age: Toddlers can play this game with a little help, so 3-year-olds and up are a great fit Get It: Richard Scarry’s Busytown

Like Hoot Owl Hoot or Orchard , this falls into the category of cooperative preschool board games, and my preschooler loves playing this one too. But game play takes about twice as long for this game, so it’s not as appealing as the other cooperative games we own.

The part that keeps this game interesting for us as parents is the “I Spy” component of looking for little details on the game board. Still, this game isn’t our first choice to play with the kids. We encourage them to play independently, and they have just as much fun!

For even more awesome game ideas, check out:

• All ages: The Best Board Games for All Ages
• Ages 18 months to 3 years: The Best Toddler Board Games
• Age 3: The Best Board Games for 3-Year-Olds
• Ages 5 to 6 years: The Best Board Games for Kindergartners

Before you go, get my FREE cheat sheet: 75 Positive Phrases Every Child Needs to Hear

Which are your favorite preschool board games? Share in a comment below!

I'm a mom of four, a Certified Parent Educator, and the author of Happy You, Happy Family . I believe if you want a loving parent-child relationship that will last into the teenage years and beyond, the time for nurturing that kind of relationship is now . The good news? All you need is 10 minutes a day. Start here »

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20 Comments

Pengoloo, Spot It, and Sequence for Kids are all games we love! We never bought kid’s Carcassonne, but our 6 and 8 year olds are already rocking the adult version. Another one you should try with kids is Labyrinth – very good for spacial reasoning, and no reading needed. Ticket to Ride, First Journey is fun too but requires reading.

This is a fantastic list of games. My biggest struggle is not what games to buy but what to dow it’s them once they are in the house. My kids tend to ruin boxes and loss pieces.

Oh wow. This came to my inbox today and was so well timed! As a child, I remember family board games being fun as well as teaching lots of skills, but I was already in school when those memories were formed. With 8, almost 5 and almost 2 year old daughters, we’re ready to throw out Ker-plunk, kids monopoly and ludo. Out the window, hard. We’re UK so yet to check if we can get all of these here, but this will now form our present request list I think. With 2 kids birthdays in Aug and Sept, then the other in Jan just 3 weeks after Christmas – we always struggle for variety. We already have Uno, and everyone loves it, and would also echo the other comment that Labyrinth is really good. We also don’t believe in letting the kids win, but that one is great for early strategy practice and 3D thinking. Thanks for the list! Smith family, Bristol UK

We love “The Ladybug Game” It was invented by a 9yr. old I believe. No reading is required, great game for kids & adults to play together!

We love Simply Fun games. It is a home based company. The games are fun, quick and grow with kids as they get older with many of the games having different levels and twists to keep kids of all ages interested in the same gave. They also can be geared toward certain needs such as fine motor, problem solving and memory. they are a little more money but well worth the price.

THANK YOU!!! What a great list! I’ve been keeping my eye out for good board games for our Family Game Nights and so glad these are road tested! I am putting ALL of them on my wishlist! One game that my 6 yr old and 3 yr old like to play together (does require reading) is Silly Street. The game board is a puzzle to put together first then the cards to advance are interactive with the board and each other. Another one we love is Go Go Gelato. Who doesn’t like playing with ice cream?! Thanks again for taking the time to play these and share your experience!

We love the game Tenzi. It’s super easy for kids who know how to match patterns as it only involves dice. The aim is to get ten dice to match before the other player/s. You get 40 dice in a set, so up to 4 players. But there are so many variations of this game, you can play in many different ways (e.g Tower Tenzi, where you get ten dice all showing a matching number but you also have to stack them up in a tower!).

My daughter and I love Sleeping Queens! It teaches them math without them even realizing it – or me, for that matter. I remember my daughter laid down a sequence that was like 1 + 3 + 5 = 9, and I thought “How did you know that…?” Then I realized she just figured it out from doing math in the game. So cool to watch her learn right before my eyes.

What an awesome story, Ann! We looooooooooove Sleeping Queens so much :)

Blokus is great fun, but it’s a little difficult for younger kids, even kids around the 8-9 range. They can play it, but they don’t really “get it”, as in they don’t really understand how to place their pieces strategically, so they usually end up running out of space way before you do, which can be frustrating for them.

Colin, that’s a great point, thank you for sharing! I’m chronically sleep deprived and maybe I have horrible spatial intelligence (ha!) so the kids sometimes catch me off guard when we play. But I’ll take that into consideration and update the list with another game that has even wider appeal for preschoolers. :)

Great games for toddlers. We LOVE Orchard and Animal Upon Animal! But if that’s really your game closet, my God you could use some better adult games haha.

Ha! We keep our favorite adult games somewhere the kids can’t reach them. ;-) Glad you enjoyed the list!

Thank you so SO much for your recommendations! We’ve purchased Ruckus, Sleeping Queens, and Stack Up, and my 4 year old LOOOOOOOOooVES these games. Less screen time and more bonding time.

Shirley, that makes me so happy to hear! :) Here’s to more bonding time with our little ones!

Love your suggestions and we play with most of them. How about Chickaboom…lots of fun. A balancing game with strategy and hand eye coordination. Fun and fast. Race to the Treasure and Labyrinth are also really good ones. We like the electronic Labyrinth and the Whoowasit by Ravensburger. My little ones enjoy the game too even if some of the details escape them. Thanks for the suggestions.

Great list!!! We now own many of the games you recommend. My 5 year old’s current favorite is Rat a Tat Cat by Gamewright. I really like how the rules can be adapted for an “easy” and “hard” version of the game, giving the game more longevity. She also LOVES to play Outfoxed. Other favorites are Crazy Eights, Go Ape, and Busytown. She’ll be getting Sleeping Queens this Christmas!! I would love for her to get into RPG such as My Little Pony Tails of Equestrian, but I think she might be too young for that still…. I have Sushi Go but haven’t tried it with her yet because of all the math it has… Wish there was a game like Sushi Go but only with addition and subtraction easy enough for her to practice….

We don’t have any of the above, except Uno. But the GoTro Family Treasure Hunt Game is our newly 4 year old’s favorite! We bought to help create his fourth treasure hunt themed birthday and we play it every night! –

Thank you so much for your great lists of board games- these came in handy for my Christmas list. We also love Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza although it is a little hard for my 3 year old.

I love playing Blokus, Skipbo, and Apples to Apples Disney version which my children loved very much.

My daughter created a new game and I started a project called the Underwater Hunt.

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Preschool Inspirations

Preschool Activities and Learning

Board Games for 3-Year Olds You’ll Love

July 10, 2020 by Editor 3 Comments

These board games for 3-year-olds are sure to be a hit! Plus, they are parent and teacher-approved.

As a veteran preschool teacher, I have some important criteria I use when looking for games!

• Preschool board games should be exciting enough to capture a child’s attention and simple to learn
• Games for 3-year-olds need to be fun and teach a skill of some kind (turn-taking, cooperation, or learning skills)
• The best preschool games should stand the test of time without feeling torturous

Plus, it helps when there aren’t a bazillion pieces to pick up!

If you’re looking for the best games for preschoolers, whether it’s for a preschool classroom, family game night, or a great gift for a preschooler, we’ve got you covered!

Board Games for 3-Year-Olds

Hoot Owl Hoot

Hi Ho Cherry O

First Orchard

Feed the Woozle

Count Your Chickens

Games for 3-Year-Olds

Yeti in my Spaghetti

Let’s Go Fishin’

The perfect introduction to Uno for 3-year-olds! This farm version helps little ones learn their colors, farm animals, and the beginnings of strategy as they play. A fun and interactive way to play…and gets them practicing for the big version of Uno!

Sneaky Snacky Squirrel

Richard Scarry’s Busytown Eye Found It

The Little Orchard

What to do when the crow tries to steal all the cherries from the orchard? This game builds memory skills and team cooperation, as well as, some giggles as you “caw, caw” out loud as you race against the crow.

Pattern Blocks and Boards

These pattern blocks are irresistible, especially as a game for 3-year-olds. It’s so much fun to make different animals. Bonus: Children are working on geometry skills at the same time! This Melissa and Doug set is extra durable, and I’ve had class after class use it as well as my own children.

Magnetic Town Maze

Animal Upon Animal Stacking Game

Looking for even more fun and engaging games for kids? Check out these blog posts on all kinds of games!

• 20+ Best Board Games for Kids
• 20+ Best Family Games
• Games for Preschool That Teach
• Free Preschool Games
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• December Preschool Themes You’re Going to Love! - December 1, 2023

November 11, 2020 at 5:37 pm

Wonderful ideas. Super resources ..very helpful. Thank you so much.

November 24, 2020 at 7:40 am

My pleasure, Sandi!

February 2, 2021 at 5:32 am

I love it! Another awesome game that we came across, which my 2 year old loved was “Friends and Neighbors”

Great blog!

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Best Board Games for 3 Year Olds & 4 Year Olds

This post was first published april, 2012. updated 2019..

Why Play Board Games With Young Children?

There are so many great reasons to play board games with your child(ren)!

1. Time With Your Children

First of all, board games allow you to spend quality, intentional, and uninterrupted time with your children . In this world filled with constant distractions and Facebook beckoning for our every waking moment, it’s easy to try to multitask while spending time with our kids. Chances are that by diving into a board game, you are committing to playing until that game is finished.

If you’re playing Chutes and Ladders, which is a game that never. seems. to. end., finishing a game might not be doable…which is precisely why it wasn’t including on our list! :)

2. Improve Social and Emotional Development

Second to quality time together as a family, children learn how to take turns and be graceful losers when playing board games . Playing together offers the perfect time to demonstrate to your child(ren) how to be a good sport. It is easy as parents to want to let our children win every single time we play because we don’t want to harm their fragile self-esteem. That is the absolute worst thing we can do for our kids. There is a time for winning and a time for losing… children should frequently experience both to learn how to handle the triumphs and disappointments that will inevitably come later in life.

Big Brother (4 years) is extremely competitive. He gets angry when he loses at anything…or at least he used to. Playing together as a family has offered us a perfect opportunity to teach him how to handle his feelings of disappointment in a positive way. Now, he will usually (though not always) shake hands after he has lost or say, “good job” because we have coached him during the times of playing together as a family.

3. Encourage Cognitive Development

Finally, board games are excellent for your 3 or 4 year old’s cognitive development . Even the simplest of board games includes some type of strategy as well as counting, color recognition, matching, and more! Children learn best when they are engaged and having fun. Board games offer exactly that!

Related Post:  Best Toys For Toddlers

Here are just a few of our favorite board games for young children. Please note, this is  not  a sponsored review. We are simply sharing our experience with our favorite board games in age order.

Our Favorite Board Games  For Toddlers

Roll and Play Board Game  :: For Children Ages 18 months and Up Think your toddler is too young to play board games? Think again! This simple board game for toddlers is a wonderful way to introduce games to your little one. There is a large plush die with a different color on each side is tossed. The child then chooses the corresponding color of card and must perform the action on that card. My favorite part of this game is the cards. There are six colors: Red:  Action Cards. Example:  Do a silly dance. Yellow:  Emotions. Example:  Make a sleep face. Purple:  Body Parts. Example:  Rub your belly. Green:  Animal Sounds. Example:  Roar like a lion. Orange:  Counting. Example:  Clap your hands eight times. Blue:  Colors. Example:  Find something blue. You can play this in a group and take turns or you can just let your toddler play again and again…either way, it’s an excellent first board game for toddlers! Related Post: Simple Sorting Games for Toddlers

Board Games For 3 Year Olds

Zingo ::  A Board Game For Ages 3 and Up Zingo is, by far, Big Brother’s favorite game to play. Our game has been so well-loved…so much so that there is a hole in the box! It is simple to understand and tons of fun for the whole family! Rather than winning by having a certain number in-a-row like regular Bingo, in Zingo you have to fill the entire board to call out “ZINGO!” The game comes with durable cardboard Zingo cards as well as plastic chips that are housed in an equally impressive “chip distributor”. It is also great for matching pictures to text, even though your child will do it subconsciously. Children younger than 3 can usually pick it up (especially if they have older siblings), but they’ll need lots of guidance.

We have a winner! He’s calling out “ZINGO!” We only have the original Zingo game , but they also make Zingo 1-2-3 (that teaches number recognition and one-to-one correspondence) and Bilingual Zingo  (which is in both English and Spanish).

Hi Ho Cherry-O : Board Game For 3 Years and Up Hi Ho Cherry-O has been one of our go-to games for a while now. An entire game can be played in about 5-10 minutes. I love how this game teaches color recognition and one-to-one correspondence while simultaneously encouraging fine motor development as your child has to carefully place the small pieces of fruit onto the game board. This game is also perfect for introducing turn-taking to your young child. This board game for 3 year olds comes with the game board, baskets that are inserted into the game board, a spinner, and the individual pieces plastic of fruit. Each person will take turns spinning the spinner and adding the specified number of cherries (or other fruit) to their basket The downside? The tiny pieces that go with Hi Ho Cherry-O get lost easily  (which is why you’ll want to put them in a baggie ASAP) and can be dangerous to children who still put small objects in their mouths. The quality of the game board could be better as well.

Board Games For 4 Year Olds

The Ladybug Game ::  A Board Game For 4 Years and Up  The Ladybug Game is near and dear to my heart because it was actually invented by a first grader (the grade that I taught before staying home with my two boys)! I love how this game blends fun with learning about ladybugs (what they eat and who preys on them) as well as lots of counting practice. The box says it is appropriate for ages 3 and up…but I would suggest it for kids 4 or older as there is quite a bit of components to this game that could get confusing. It is a typical board game with various colors of ladybugs for the markers. Each player must draw a ladybug card and then follow the directions on that card (either move a certain number forward or a certain number back). Some cards even have a little ladybug at the bottom that means you get another turn, which you have to be paying close attention to notice (oops). Then there is another component of collecting aphid cards to use just in case you land on a certain spot. The only downside? The Ladybug Game can take a while to finish (still not anywhere near as bad as Chutes and Ladders) and can get confusing if you don’t pay close attention to each of the components.

Board Games For 5 Year Olds

Bug Trails ::  For Children Ages 5 and Up (or modified for younger children)

Bug Trails is a domino game with a twist! We really enjoyed playing this board game and I think it is one that will easily grow with our family! We modified the game slightly to make it simple enough for Big Brother to play. As the boys get older, however, we’ll be able to modify it to make it more challenging. This would also be a fun board game to play with another family!

What are some of your family’s favorite board games?

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74 Comments

We absolutely love Zingo and the Ladybug Game, as y’all know. For kids in the early reading/spelling phase, the same company that made Zingo has a game called “What’s Gnu?” that uses the Zingo-type pieces and distributor to give letters. Players use one of the two letters that come out to spell three letter words on the game cards (each card has two letters and one blank space.) Great way to work with kids on combining sounds and word construction skills.

Oh, new games to check out. We have only tried Candy Land and Memory. We don’t quite follow the rules since she is only 3, but she loves them.

I would like to invite you to share at our new link party Happy Family Times at http://craftymomsshare.blogspot.com/2012/04/happy-family-times-2.html . We are hoping to inspire more family time for everyone.

Wow! Thanks for the recommendations! I only have Hi Ho Cherrio and my little’s one’s birthday is in a couple of weeks! Perfect!!!

These are great! my 4 yo is getting into games but the 2 yo wants to play as well!. These are great to play together. Love all your ideas. Thank you so much for sharing

My kids (ages 3 and 4) love Zingo!

Awesome gift ideas for the nephews and nieces, too! Thanks! Oh, I have a soft spot for Hi Ho Cheery-O as I loved it as a kid and was heart broken when my mom sold it at a yard sale when I was a teenager. I agree, I’m sad about the lack of quality of the new game compared to my version as a kid 20 years ago.

I guess this is technically a card game, not a board game, but my 2-1/2 year old adores UNO. We took out all of the “special” cards (draw two, wilds, stuff like that) at first, so he was just matching colors and numbers, and have been slowly adding them back in.

We play a lot of SORRY, too — he usually needs help counting the squares as he moves his game piece around the board, and with which direction is “forward” or “backward” (as the number 4 card requires), but it’s still fun. :)

I was literally trying to figure out which games to put on my son’s birthday list today! Thanks so much for a great post. We don’t own any of these games, so the grandparents and aunt will be appreciative of so many ideas. :)

My kids love war and is great for comparing numbers. We remove the face cards for my almost 5 year old and just do 1-5 for my almost 3 year old. Simple but fun :)

We also really love chess and Harvest Time. Harvest Time has such a great theme- planting crops and having to harvest them by winter. It also reinforces cooperation, as a child that rolls a vegetable that they have already harvested can help a fellow player.

Great ideas…we love Zingo at our house and out newest favorite is Froggie Boogie. Will have to checkout the others. We have an awesome toy store near us that you can check out the games before you buy them. Sort of like the library…we love trying out new games without a big investment :)

We like Brown, Bear Brown Bear (the game) and Junior Pictolino which is meant for two year old. http://deltaflute.blogspot.com/2012/03/board-games-and-toddlers.html

Thanks for the great game recommendations. I’ll be getting the lady bug game and bug trails for my son. He’ll love playing them. One of my sons all time favorite games to play is Cariboo. He loves trying to find the bouncy balls hidden behind the doors.

Hello, just came across this on Pinterest and loved the list particularly the first game which I really want for my 2 year old daughter, unfortunately it turns out its not avaliable in England :-( Personally we love “Natural History Museum Animal Detective” which is aimed at older children but my daughter loves hunting out that animals.

thank you, I will be buying the Roll and Play Game. I had no idea of games for younger kids.

I was wondering if anyone else has issues with their almost 4 year old wanting to spin for everyone else & move the game pieces for everyone too. Basically my son wants to play all of the turns & have us sit & watch – but he still calls it our piece – if that makes sense. I like that he gets extra practice counting the pieces to move & spinning, etc – but is it also teaching him that he doesn’t have to take turns?

Thanks for any advice!!

We ran into this too with our 4 year old. We started letting her play for herself and me or my husband and that left one person to play for themselves, causing her to still have to give someone else a turn, but didn’t make her entirely give up her “desire” to play for everyone. : ) Good luck!

We love Monsteropoly. It is like monopoly but with common monsters that scare kids. Each card has a humorous story on how the monsters are misunderstood and are really nice. You learn math with the money, purchase properties (monsters) and follow simple directions. I like that it can help with fears. We also love a few discovery toy games that are no longer made; Games to Grow on. One is shape matching and colors. Flip the board and you are trying to get to school. You roll dice, draw cards, and move accordingly. You can get sent forwards and backwards. My 5 and 3 year old can play.

Currently my almost 4 year old daughter is obsessed with Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders. I recently found an interactive DVD Candy Land game that is her new favorite. There are three separate games on the DVD and they are pretty cute. We also like the Eric Carle games.

My 3 year old loves the game “Hiss” — basically building snakes with cards by matching colors. We also play a letter matching game we made up using our Scrabble set. It is his fave!

Haba makes a version of Hi, Ho, Cherry-O where the pieces are bigger and wood, and the board is of a much better quality. It’s called Orchard. They also add a puzzle element which turns it into a cooperative game, so no one loses. Haba makes incredible board games for children.

Bendominoes is a great domino variant for littler kids. Memory is a classic as well. Rivers, Roads and Rails is a matching game where they have to add their pieces to a bigger map so all the roads and traintracks match up.

Hiss! is also great for the three to four year old set. They have to build their own snake out of different colored pieces, and they can build on other peoples’ snakes as well.

Awesome post! I love your opinion of chutes and ladders. I recently got it for my boys for Christmas, and oh my, it DOES take forever! We love Candyland, Memory and Hi Ho Cherry O! We will have to check out Zingo very soon! Thanks for sharing!

We love YamSlam…sort of a cross between yahtzee and poker. So much fun…and great for practicing math skills.

http://discoverexplorelearn.com/product-reviews/yamslam/

Mancala is also a favorite at our house, along with Uno and Candyland.

You’ve picked some great ones. Zingo was always a favorite with my Kindergartners and my young grandsons love Hi Ho Cherry O and The Ladybug Game. Another fun one to try is Yahtzee Junior. It is a child’s version of the regular Yahtzee game with dice to throw and decisions to make about which dice to keep and which to roll again. It comes in a variety of themes – Disney Princesses, Toy Story, Spongebob Squarepants and Mickey Mouse characters. Check it out. I’m going to look for the Bug Trails. Where did you get that one?

Thanks for the great reviews of these games! We have so many games that we actually have to switch out which ones stay on our shelf! We enjoy Hi Ho Cherry O but it does drive us a little crazy with all the little pieces and my husband doesn’t like it because his huge fingers have trouble with the little cherry stems. LOL I am adding the other games to Amazon wishlist. (:

My two-year-old is obsessed with Go Away Monster (Gamewright) , which she plays endlessly with her tolerant 4.5-year-old sister, who it was originally bought for. I recommend it without hesitation.

The first time she played Snakes and Ladders, my eldest kicked over the board in frustration. As a games designer, let me tell you that is the correct response to a very tedious game with a very dubious message about luck and lack of skill.

Have you checked out the games offered by SimplyFun? If your family enjoys game play you will be enjoy browsing their selection. I am a consultant — I don’t want to hide that. I got involved with the compnay after being invited to a party in my neighborhood. I have a 1 and 2 year old. I am a former K-12 teacher as well and now stay home with my kiddos and teach a couple of nights a week at my local community college. Anyhow, I was so impressed with the quality and the selection of games. I wanted one of everything which is how I ended up as a consultant. I love your post and you reasons why people should play board games. I think there are many parents out there that don’t realize the long term benefits of game play. There is quite a bit of research out there about the links between board games and success in math. It’s pretty incredible! Thanks again for your post! If you have a chance please take thet ime to check out SimplyFun. Also, I started a blog yesterday where I will be posting about the learning achieved through play. I only have an introductory post so far but I’d love for you to hop over and check it out. Thanks. http://everydayweplay.blogspot.com/

I’m so glad I read your comment and took the time to check out Simply Fun – what a great site full of awesome fun and educational games!! Thank you so much will definitely be going back to buy some cool games to play with our toddler! :-)

ohhh I’ve just seen that this is a US site, I’m in Australia – do you ship out here? :-/

Hi Mel! My personal website is http://www.Katie.SimplyFun.com . Online ordering is only set-up to ship within the US. If you are highly interested in placing an order, you can contact me directly. I can have the order shipped to my home and then ship them to you. I have never shipped anything to Australia so I have no idea what the cost would be. That’s the only option I can think of though. Thanks for your interest. [email protected] is my email.

We are totally obsessed with a game called Dixit! My kids were 7, 6, & 5 when we started playing it. The 5 year old needs some help, but is learning very quickly. It’s basically a storytelling game, but with strategy. You can read more specifics on my post about it. It’s won several awards. http://thinkmagnetkids.com/2012/01/23/dixit/

Great post! This is an area where I struggle to be proactive. Definitely picking up a few of these:)

My boys current favorite game is The Ladybug Game!! They love it. (They are 5 and 4). Our other current faves are both of the Busytown boardgames, and the Traintastic Cargo game from Chuggington.

Also, Chutes and Ladders is only fun when you pretend that the slides go up instead of down! Otherwise that game always ends in tears. I mean come on who thought that game up?!?!

This is a great post. Love a good game review. It’s important that they’ve been played by real people and given real reviews. Thanks for the list. :) Debs

Can you believe we only have one of those games? We need to stock up on those! You’ve definitely given me some ideas for my son’s birthday. He turns 5 in May. We have Candy Land, Hi Ho Cherry-O, Chutes and Ladders..Monopoly, and a couple of others. I 100% agree with you. Playing games is one of the best ways to spend time with your child without interruptions! :)

The Sneaky Snacky Squirrel Game is a favorite at our house! It’s great for helping develop fine motor skills, turn taking, counting and one-to-one understanding.

We just got Roll and Play for my daughter’s 2nd birthday thanks to your info about it. It is the cutest game! We love it, thanks! We also have Zingo…another “Think Fun” great.

Just want to let you know I’ll be linking to this in my post scheduled for Tuesday. We bought two of the games you mentioned here and love them!! Thank you!!

Jenae, I’ve been wanting to find a board game for my son to play but he’s only 18 months and I though for sure we would have to wait till he was older then 3. I just bought the roll and play game from your link. Thank You!! I can’t wait to try it out with him!

your site is amazing!! thank you for sharing all your ideas to do fun and educational things with our children!! i woke up this morning thinking what a great day (cold and wet outside) to play a board game but what board games are good for a toddler? Of course your site had that info!! love it! thank u :-)

We recently gave our 6 yr old son Trouble as a birthday gift and he loves it!

I love board games… We have a few on this list and I’m always looking for more.

My son is 5.5 and we play a lot of Mille Bournes lately. I loved it as a kid, and he loves it. It’s fun for grownups too. It’s a card game that teaches counting, relative number size, planning, and if you’re a grown up it can be very cutthroat! :)

There’s also a HABA game called The Black Pirate that is very popular (although sort of larger and expensive but awesome). You get to blow your ship around with a little rubber bulb that acts as bellows.

Quirkle is in the gift pile for Christmas, and I’m hoping that will go well, my son also really likes dominos.

I am compiling a list of girls board games and would be interested in any games people think are particularly suited to girls.

Okay so with the craziness of raising twin 2-year-olds and the obvious chaos that that brings, I completely overlooked the concept of introducing board games into their every day play. *palm slap to forehead You’ve completely inspired me with this piece. Thank you!… and thank you StumbleUpon ;)

You have to try Richard Scarry Airport and Busytown games for toddlers. Available through Amazon. Awesome quality and great fun. We also love Curious GeorgeBeach game. I think they are all made by Wonderforge. Xx

Hello there………..

There’s lot of the best free fun strategy games for you available .many people have play free fun strategy games from here and they commented that here they found more advantage then else.for more information please visit here

Nice post. I like how you reviewed by age group which is always important when it comes to kids games. Your review style has inspired me in my reviews to come Nice job.

Wondering why chess is not in the list…

Curious how many 18 month to 5 year old you know who play chess? That’s what this list is targeted to. I could see a 6 or 7 year old beginning to learn, however even the board game itself is listed as 8 years and up.

Bug trails look soo fun, and your kid is really happy playing it! Thanks for this awesome review, I think I’m going to buy this board game for my niece :)

Spot It! is a current favorite with my 4 year old. Getting some ideas for Christmas here – thank you!

I purchased one game for my girls ages 7&9 they loved it! As a teacher I bought another for my students. Thier academics have improved 100 percent. The game is from the creator of Apple’s to Apple’s fame Matt Kirby picaroongame.com

My three year old loves Candyland, although in the interests of keeping the game fairly brief, I took out all the cards that could potentially send the player back to the start. She also likes to play matching games :)

We love Zingo, too! Qwirkle is a new favorite at our house–we found that even a 3yo could play. :-)

We introduced our 4 year old and 6 year old to Settlers of Catan Jr. and it is really fun to play for the whole family. My husband and I tend to handicap ourselves for fairness sake… each person is suppose to start with two castles and one boat, but we don’t give ourselves those to start and only let the kids have it. It is a complex game and teaches strategy; my 4 year old is a pro.

Our sons are 2.5 and 4 (both boys), and board games have become BIG business in our house over the last six months or so. Lately, the four-year-old has really been into checkers (great for learning strategy), and “Q’s Race to the Top” (a game centered on manners, ethics, positive attitude, etc. but also includes gross and fine motor skills) is also a favorite. Both kids love Zingo quite a lot, too, and for just general family silliness and fun, they love Hungry Hungry Hippos.

We have several “classic” games (e.g. Candyland, Operation, Chutes and Ladders) which they rarely ever play with.

However, two recent acquisitions that they LOVE are “Hoot Owl Hoot” and “Count Your Chickens,” which are both cooperative games. These are a nice change of pace, because big brother is inherently very competitive and gets pretty down-in-the-mouth if he doesn’t win (something we’re working on, and for which board games are a great training ground). Playing these removes the competitive edge and makes it just an enjoyable exercise for everyone, which is more little brother’s speed. I would say Hoot Owl Hoot is better for strategy–you discuss things as a group and decide which owl you should move and why, what the advantages or drawbacks might be to each potential choice–whereas Count Your Chickens is more of a straightforward counting game. The 2yo LOVES “the baby chicks game” (as he calls it) since it’s pretty simple, he gets to move the game piece, it has the fun spinner, and he gets to practice fine motor skills by picking up the tiny baby chicks and putting them on the rows in the chicken coop. We have also modified game play on the fly to incorporate arithmetic, since big brother is into addition and subtraction pretty intensely ATM. While the little one gets basic counting practice with moving the game piece along the board square and hunting for his specified number of chicks, they “help” one another by dividing the number of chicks to find. For instance, if younger brother spins, is supposed to move 5 squares, and is therefore supposed to find 5 chicks, big brother will break it down into a math problem saying “okay, Bubba, you find two chicks, and I will find 3 chicks, and together, we will round up 5 chicks.” These games are also nice because they’re fast, so we can usually squeeze one in between dinner and bath. I’d highly recommend both of these to anyone with kids in the 2-6 range, especially if you have more than one child and competitiveness is an issue when you play games together!

Thank you. I’ve seen several lists of games for younger kids and this is the first one that looks like a fit for our family … And, to answer your question; When I was a child, I enjoyed playing Triominos. I was pretty big on trying to beat my own best scores, so I LOVED playing games I could enjoy alone. My favorites were Perfection (which I only had access to to when I was visiting someone who owned the game) and Mr. Mouth (which I bought secondhand with my very own money – I was so proud – lol). I would sit and play Mr. Mouth for hours :-)

We love Hullabaloo by Cranium. It’s great fun… A lot of physical action along with practicing listening skills… There’s been a lot of laughs with this one especially when the parents get involved. LOL Racoon Rumpus by Educational Insights is another favorite in our house. Each player has a Racoon card and they need to dress the Racoon… You roll dice to accomplish this. One die has colors and the other die has clothing pieces – shirt, pants, whole outfit etc. in the middle you lay out cards with outfits on them – great for discussing different professions with your child (Dr., Scientist, chef, Vet, baseball player, ballet dancer etc) say you roll blue pants – then you chose card that has that of course has blue pants. Each card has a different color shirt and pants etc… Goal is first to 5 outfits wins game. But watch out if you roll the underwear – uh oh you must return all your outfit cards back to middle pile. Great for practicing turn taking and color recognition, conversations about professions, and an introduction to a graceful and funny way to learn sometimes there are setbacks… And well… you just pick up and try again. This game is rated ages 2-5… My 3 year old loves it and it’s super quick too… 5-10 minutes max. We also love the Sneaky Snacky Squirrel game, Pop the Pig, Spot it Jr. And good ole Barrel of Monkeys :) I’ve looked at Hiss a couple times and now have seen it in this list too so I will look into it for sure.

My almost 3yo loves Feed the Woozle. I’m so grateful he’s not interested in candy land or chutes and ladders. My attention span is much too short for both of those!

Okay so with the craziness of raising twin 2-year-olds and the obvious chaos that that brings, I completely overlooked the concept of introducing board games into their every day play.

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Hi Ho Cherry-O is my favorite game board!

Awesome post! You’ve picked some great ones. Currently my nephew is obsessed about Chutes and Ladders, Ocean Raider and Monopoly. These all games we play every now and then at home. He loves all the games. And I recently gifted him Pet Me on his 8th birthday and he is really mad about this game because we also have pet at our home and find it interesting to own a pet and giving them food. I think you can add these games also in your list of games. Great post Thanks for helping me to pick-up next game for my niece also :P.

We are a toy making enterprise creating product for families to engage , communicate, and discover the world around them through play. We believe in the power of play of helping people unlock their creative wealth. We just concluded a very exciting game that teach kids about different countries around the world and encourage them to be more understanding, empathetic and turn them to be a global citizen. We would like to hear your review on the game and would like to send you a copy.

this is really useful information for me newly married, maybe later this game can i do with my child

Hi, thanks for your nice blog. It’s really detailed and helpful.

Thank you for sharing! I’d love to buy these board games and play with my kids. It must be really fun.

Your information is great, I agree with this and I always spend time every evening to play with my daughter!

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I found a lot of information here to create this actually best for all newbie here. Thank you for this information.

Your site is very beautiful and full of content

Thanks for the info…Really helped me getting around with my bratty niece.

Great article. I have always loved board games and will love playing them with my grandson now!

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The Best Board Games For 3 Year Olds for Endless Fun

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Are you looking for the best board games for 3 year olds? I have got you covered!

Playing board games is a wonderful family activity, and one of our favorite things to do, especially in the winter months in New England. It is so cozy and fun to snuggle up in front of the fireplace and have a family game night.

While three year olds can certainly be challenging (I have had four of them, so I can certainly relate!!!), they also have many fun and wonderful qualities. Starting to play board games with your 3 year old is a great way to lean into the FUN part of a three-year-old!

At 3, your child will be able to understand simple directions. In fact, playing board games is one of the best ways to work with them on following directions.

They are also starting to develop their little personalities, and it is fun to see them have strong preferences for their favorite colors and characters.

The age of 3 is really a wonderful age to start playing board games. I encourage you if you haven’t, to choose one from this list of best board games for 3 year olds, and start a family game night!

*Post may contain affiliate links .

I am fairly minimalist when it comes to buying things for my kids for several reasons.  When they have massive amounts of stuff it’s just more for me to clean up and organize.  I am all about keeping the cleaning to a minimum!  They also seem to get overstimulated and don’t play as well when they have piles of toys everywhere. 

Games are great for teaching all sorts of skills such as colors, counting, shapes, etc, whether they are labeled as educational board games or not.

Counting, colors, shapes, sorting, sure, those skills are great. However, board games are fantastic for teaching REALLY IMPORTANT skills for 3-year-olds, such as following directions, taking turns, waiting patiently, losing gracefully, and many other social skills.

The Best Board Games for Three-Year-Olds

The best board games for 3 year olds will have simple-to-follow directions, and no reading required (or at least the ability have an adult do the reading and not take away from the fun!).

Candy Land is a classic game that we all played growing up. It’s great for teaching colors, counting, and of course, waiting your turn. While it’s not one of the most fun board games to play as an adult, all of my three year olds have absolutely loved this game.

The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game

The Sneaky Snacky Squirrel Game is one of my all-time favorite toddler board games! The goal is to collect acorns from the tree to put in your game piece, which is shaped like a log. The players spin the spin and choose the color acorn they have landed on. There is a cute little squirrel squeezer that must be used to grab the acorns.

It’s super fun, and we love it! This is one of the family board games that our kids loves the most. It is a wonderful game for working on matching, counting, hand-eye coordination, and fine motor skills.

Get the Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game here!

Hi Ho! Cherry-O

This is another classic that most three year olds will be able to handle.

In this game, the spinner will let you know how many cherries to pluck from the tree and place into your bucket. It is such a fun way to teach numbers, counting, and, with older children, simple addition and subtraction. 

When I play this game with older kiddos, I ask questions such as “You have 3 cherries in your bucket! How many more are left?” They think it’s all fun and games, but they’re really doing math problems. Win, Win!

Get Hi Ho! Cherry-O here!

Count Your Chickens

This is a cooperative game, so everyone works together and everyone wins. This can be a wonderful way to introduce board games during family game night if you have a little one who simply can’t handle losing. While I think it’s important to teach children how to lose gracefully, it is also important to have games that focus on having fun instead of winning.

The players work together to help Mother Hen collect her chicks and get them back to the coop.

Find Count Your Chickens here!

Snug as a Bug in a Rug

This game is also a cooperative game and has 3 different levels that can grow with your child.

The players work together to get all of the bugs hidden under the rug before the stink bugs stink it up.  This game uses a die instead of a spinner and teaches colors, numbers, shapes, counting, and the concept of big versus little.

Find Snug as a Bug in a Rug here!

Bears in Pairs

There are so many ways you can play this adorable memory game. The little bears are hidden inside the doors. The players then take turns spinning the spinner to choose a door to open. The goal is to find a pair of matching bears!

I got this game for my youngest, Beckham, for his 2nd birthday. It is for two years old and up, and while he wasn’t able to grasp the concept of it as a matching game (or simply didn’t have the attention span), he still enjoyed opening and closing the doors and looking for the bears.

We love the colorful bears and the cute little house!

Find Bears in Pairs here!

Think Fun Roll and Play

This is the first board game that my twin girls, Josie and Margo played when they were two. It was fun enough for Theo to play with them and he was four at the time. It truly is such a fun game and a great way to burn energy and work on gross motor skills on a cold or rainy day.

This game is definitely easy enough for a young two year old to play. The players simply roll the ball and choose a card that matches the color it landed on. The cards each have an action for the players to perform, such as galloping like a horse, giving a high five, jumping up and down, etc.

While most of the cards have pictures that make it fairly easy to guess the action, you will definitely need an adult or an older child to assist with reading some of the cards.

Find the Think Fun Roll & Play Game here!

Monkey Around

This is another fun game for 3 year olds, that really works for ages 2+. Similar to the Think Fun Roll & Play Game, it comes with 48 action cards that have simple activities such as skipping, hopping, marching, and spinning.

It is a silly, wiggly game that is great for teaching children how to follow directions.

Find Moneky Around here!

Feed the Woozle

If your three year olds are anything like mine, THEY LOVE SNACKS! This board game for three year olds is about picking a silly snack (think hairy pickles and fuzzy donuts) and feeding them to the Woozle.

Your little one will work on dexterity and fine motor skills as they scoop up the snack with the spoon game piece and feed it to the Woozle! The best part is that they will be full of laughter at the sheer silliness of the snacks!

Get the Feed the Woozle game here!

Honeybee Tree

This is a really fun family game to play with toddlers, as it is simple to understand. In this game, the players carefully remove the leaves from the tree without causing the sleeping bees to fall!

Be warned, it does take about 3 minutes for an adult to set the game up, so make sure your younger children have something to do while you’re setting the game up.

Find Honeybee Tree here!

This is one of our family’s absolute favorite board games! It is so much fun to play for kids and adults alike.

The concept is Uno, but with animals and a little red barn! An animal is placed on the opening of the barn and players take turns matching the game pieces, either by animal type or color, and knocking them back into the barn.

I like to make it extra fun by making the animal sound in a silly voice as I take my turn! This is a great educational game, that is still silly and fun. Everything needed for a perfect game for a three year old!

Find Uno Moo here!

Don’t Break the Ice

This is a game that I don’t have much patience for, but my children really enjoy playing. While it is rated for ages 3+, there is a great difference in skill between a just-turned three-year-old, and an almost four-year-old. This game is more appropriate for an older three year old, in my opinion!

In this game, Phillip the Penguin is balanced on top of the ice blocks. The players take turns knocking off the ice blocks. When Phillip falls, the game is over!

Find Don’t Break the Ice Here

My First Orchard

This is another My Very First Game by Peaceable Kingdom. I just love all of their cooperative board games! Players work together by rolling dice and picking matching fruit from the orchard before the raven swoops down and gets it.

If the players harvest all of the fruit before the raven reaches the orchard, everyone wins! This comes with a nice big fruit basket, and the game pieces are nice and large. If you worry about your little one putting things in their mouth, this is the perfect choice for you.

Find My First Orchard here!

Off to Bed is for ages 2+, and what parent doesn’t want a game about going to bed?! There are three ways to play this game, so it can grow with your toddler.

The premise of the game is to collect all of the items that the animal friend needs for bedtime. It has high quality wooden pieces, perfect for a toddler’s first board game!

Find Off to Bed here!

Haba Critter Cruise

This is a cooperative game for ages 3+, in which players work together to match all of the animals with their suitcases and get them on the ark before the water rises.

The wooden animal pieces are high quality and super adorable! This game is perfect for younger children and still fun for older children.

Find Haba Critter Cruise here!

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8 Tips to Prepare Your Child for Preschool - Rogers Party of 5

Wednesday 16th of August 2017

[…] Top Board Games for Preschoolers […]

Carrie @ Wiley Adventures

Tuesday 13th of June 2017

Love these suggestions! I think I always underestimate what my little ones are capable of but they LOVE to play games....

Also, I wish all of the game people would get together and come up with a uniform box size for board games. The organization kills me ?

Connie Hulsart

Wednesday 7th of June 2017

I love board games and i completely agree with you, they teach such amazing social skills. Taking turns, being a good loser lol, etc are great skills to learn before starting school. My girls and i still play board games all the time. We love yahtzee, candyland, and cooties. Cooties is a really cute game for littler kids, check it out for Theo. Great post

Bre @ Bre Pea

Tuesday 6th of June 2017

My daugher LOVES the squirrel game, but those darn acorns end up all over my house because she sneaks them! lol

Haha! Luckily my son is really good about keeping things where they're supposed to go. We worked on it like crazy because of the small pieces that are choking hazards for the babies.

My son used to love Sneaky Squirrel! It's such a fun game. He's now a fair bit older so now he's into chess, connect four and monopoly

Oooh, I love connect four! We have a tic-tac-toe game that my son loves, but he can't get the concept of three in a row. Every time he gets three, he thinks he's the winner lol!

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25 Best Educational Games for 3 Year Olds to Uplift Learning

5 Online Games for 3-Year-Olds

5 toy games for 3-year-olds, 5 board games for 3-year-olds, 5 card games for 3-year-olds, 5 active games for 3-year-olds.

As your precious little one grows, so does their amazing brain! At three years old, their brain is like a sponge, soaking up everything around them. It’s a fascinating time for their development, and the games you play with them can have a big impact.

Math & ELA | PreK To Grade 5

Kids see fun ., you see real learning outcomes ..

Watch your kids fall in love with math & reading through our scientifically designed curriculum.

Did you know that during these early years, their brain is forming connections at an incredible pace? Did you know that 80% of a child’s brain develops during the first three years of their life? When your child’s brain produces excess synapses during the first three years, it becomes more responsive in later life. So it is important to stimulate the 3-year-old’s brain as much as possible. And there is nothing better than games for 3-year-olds to develop their mental and physical strength.

This article will take you on a stroll through the best 25 games for three-year-olds to improve their mental and physical abilities while keeping them fruitfully engaged.

25 Learning Games for 3-Year-Olds for Fun Learning and Entertainment

It is difficult to grab a three-year-old’s attention for a long time. They have the shortest attention span with interested in everything bright on Earth. Games for three-year-olds have to be fun yet educational. Here are the best games for 3-year-olds:

We all love playing online games, and so do our kids. Online games are another reason for screen exposure for our kids and an opportunity for them to learn from it if we, as informed parents, choose the right games for our children. So, it is wise to allocate a portion of the screen time we have allotted for our kids to online learning games. Take a look at some of the best games available online.

1. SplashLearn

Skill: Math and reading skills

Price: Free for teachers and a 7-day free trial for parents. Subscription starts at $4.99 per month.

SplashLearn is one of the best games for 3-year-olds to improve their math and language skills . This platform has interactive visuals, sound quality, and a storyline to engage young children. All the games have a simple interface and language that toddlers can easily understand. In addition, this platform has several helpful resources for parents and teachers to educate young students, like blogs, research notes, curriculums, etc.

2. Balls and Boxes

Skill: Memory improvement 

Price: Free 

Balls and Boxes is a challenging and one of the many free games for 3-year-olds available online. It is an award-winning educational game that is easy to play but hard to get right. It has three boxes, and each box has a ball. The balls get shuffled at each level, and players must remember which ball belongs to which box. It is a great brain teasing game to improve your toddlers’ memory and overall brain development.

3. Create Mosaics

Skill: Memory and logical reasoning skills 

This free game for 3-year-olds online can help them learn colors and improve their logical skills. It is a simple grid of four and six different colors. Children have to follow the color grid and fill in the right colors in the large blank grid in the center of the screen. 

4. Counting Pizza Party

Skill: Counting skills 

Price: Monthly subscription starts at $8.00 per month

Counting Pizza Party is a fun game where kids make pizzas and improve their counting skills. They get to decide what type of pizza they want to make and select its topping as well. When the customers make a request, it is up to your child to get the correct amount for topping on their pizza.

5. Learning Shapes

Skill: Shapes

By playing this game, 3-year-olds can learn basic shapes with the help of animated characters such as squares, rectangles, circles, hearts, and so on. The game has two types of exercises – coloring and shape-recognising activities. 

After online games, let’s explore kids’ very first and favorite love, toys, and learning toy games for them.

A 3-year-old kid is exploring their world curiously. Everything from insects to planes piques their curiosity. In this arena, toys cater to their developmental needs and natural curiosity. Toy games provide them with sensory experiences, encourage imaginative play, and offer them a sense of control and mastery. They allow kids to mimic real-life situations, experiment, and create, fostering enjoyment and a sense of accomplishment. Following are some of the most amazing toy games filtered from a whole lot just for you!

6. Toddler Chicken Egg Toys

Skill: Color matching and motor skills

Price: $18.99

It is one of the top educational games for 3-year-olds and is perfect for stimulating their color senses and motor skills. This game is also ideal for children suffering from sensory disorders. This simple game can enhance their contextual understanding and color-matching skills.

7. The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game

Skill: Math skills, social and strategic planning 

Price: $15.79

A family of four can enjoy this strategic game and improve the mathematical skills of their toddlers. In this game, 3-year-olds will learn to win a game by feeding their squirrels first. The gameplay is simple — spin the spinner, squeeze the matching colored acorn with the squirrel squeezer, and place it into a log. This game involves multiple elements,  perfect for entertaining your toddler.

8. The Honey Bee Tree

Skill: Hand-eye coordination, strategic thinking, and dexterity

Price: $17.97

This honey bee game is educational and fun for a 3-year-old. Your toddler will experience thrill and excitement while removing leaves from the tree without disturbing the honey bees. Players who have fewer honey bees in their trays at the end will win this game. It is a strategic and sensory game that can develop your child’s brain and keep them entertained at the same time.

9. WinkleStar Dartboard

Skill: Motor skills, color matching, and identifying fishes

Price: $12.59

Unlike the traditional dart boards with sharp darts, this is a unique kids-friendly dartboard with round balls as darts. So, it is a completely safe and educational game for young children. The dartboard contains different colors, fish images, and patterns to improve toddlers’ color, shape, and print recognition skills. It is a perfect classroom and party learning game for 3-year-olds. 

10. Cootie Bug Building

Skill: Color matching and motor skills 

Price: $8.99

Cootie is a classic educational game for three-year-olds. This is a fun party activity for toddlers to learn color-matching skills and improve their hand-eye coordination. Players have to spin the spinner and hope to land on the bug part they need to complete their Cootie bug. The player who builds the bug first wins the game.

Everyone has fond memories of playing board games as kids. Their popularity lies in their ability to create suspense and happy feelings in moments of victory.  Board games enhance children’s strategic thinking and problem-solving skills. Through them, kids also learn qualities like teamwork and sportsmanship. Now that we know how important board games are for children, let’s see a few best ones around.

11. Candy Land

Skill: Color matching and strategies 

Price: $12.99

Candy Land must have brought your childhood’s nostalgic memories back. It is a classic board game that every child has played. Over the years, different versions of the game have been created. But the traditional version with colored cards, sweet illustrations, and four gingerbread players is the best. Children must pick the cards and move their plastic players on the board to explore different landscapes and mountains while targeting the castle.

12. Chutes and Ladders: Peppa Pig Edition

Skill: Counting, addition, and color recognition 

Price: $9.99

Chutes and Ladders is the best party game for three-year-olds. Four players can play this game at one time. There are multiple versions of this game available today. So, based on your child’s interest, you can get the game. This game helps toddlers improve their counting and number-adding skills. Children have to spin the spinner and count numbers to move their player on the board squares and aim to reach the 100th square. This way, Chutes and Ladders inject a dose of thrill and excitement into the gameplay.

13. Magnetic Maze

Skill: Creativity, imagination, and motor skills

Price: $22.99

As the name suggests, it is a magnetic board with vibrant images and graphics. Your child has to use a magnetic ball to move it from point A to B while crossing a maze. Children will use their imagination and strategic skills to move balls in the magnetic maze. It is a simple game to stimulate imagination and creativity among toddlers.

14. Hi, Ho! Cherry-O

Skill: Math Skills

Price: $11.99

Hi Ho! Cherry-O is yet another classic board game for three-year-olds. In this game, children have to spin the wheel and pick cherries from the tree based on their instructions, like 1, 2, 3, etc. They will learn to read, count, add, and subtract while picking the cherries. 

15. Disney Classic Characters Matching

Skill: Identify similarities and differences

Price: $14.39

If your child is a big fan of Disney movies, this game is perfect for them. You will get 72 tiles with Disney character pictures like Mickey Mouse, Minnie, Dumbo, The Incredibles, Donald Duck, Goofy, etc. Children have to pick the matching photos and name the Disney character. You can also make this game fun by giving a time limit for finding the right Disney character match.

Card games are ageless as much as they are entertaining. It is a perfect way to spend quality time with your friends and family. A session of card games builds memories you cherish for years to come. Kids can also be introduced to card games for their age and understanding. Card games often involve memory, math, and critical thinking, entertainingly enhancing cognitive skills. Let’s take a look at a few superb card games we have put together below!

16. Lingo Cards

Skill: Language and memory skills

Price: $14.99

Do you want to teach your mother tongue to your toddlers? If so, you can play lingo cards with them. These are regular 52 cards with two jokers. However, a phrase from your selected language will be printed on each card. So, you can show different cards to your children and teach them words with phonetic pronunciation. These lingo cards are available in various languages like Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, etc. 

17. Smack It!

Skill: Memory and motor skills

Price: $6.99

It is a fast-paced and rowdy card game for three-year-olds. Your entire family can play this game together and spend some quality time. Players must sit in a circle and swiftly swipe cards in the center. But they must remember when to say smack it and win the game. These cards are also perfect for playing classic games like wars and Slapjack. 

18. Gimme 5

Skill: Counting and patterns

Price: $4.99

This game is a toddler version of Snap. It has a hundred colorful cards that you can divide equally among your toddlers and let them put cards individually in the center pile. However, they will try to use their power cards to make their opponent give away their card as a punishment. It is the perfect classroom card game you can play with over ten kids.

19. Steal The Bacon

Skill: Matching skills 

Steal The Bacon is the tastiest fun game for 3-year-olds. This card game contains delicious breakfast cards like pancakes, bacon, etc. Players have to match breakfast cards, and when their breakfast plate matches their opponent, they rush to steal the bacon from their plate. The player who steals the bacon first obviously wins the game.

Skill: Matching and memory skills

Price: $9.94

BLINK is a fast-paced family card game. In this game, two players race against one another and try to match different colors, shapes, and counts of two cards. You can play a card with four yellow stars on any card with yellow symbols (color), on a card with any number of stars (shape), or a card with four symbols of any kind (count).

It’s a game of speed & focuses with no reading or counting, so it’s perfect for young children.

“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”

Yes, active games make children anything but dull. When children involve themselves in active play, they experience an adrenaline rush that makes them more robust, confident, and intelligent. Therefore, there should be no undermining of physically active play for children. Qualities a child does not learn in the physical constraints of a classroom; he learns effortlessly in the playground. Following are a few great active games for 3-year-olds:

Price: $26.99

Elefun is a cute elephant that produces butterflies from its trunk. It is the best activity game for toddlers. The game is pretty simple, you have to plugin the Elefun, and it will first produce a trumpet sound before throwing butterflies out of its trunk. After that, children can use a net to catch butterflies, and the one who catches the most butterflies will win the game. With this game, you will get 20 butterflies and three nets. So, three-year-olds can play this game with their friends and do some physical activity.

22. Toy Rocket Launcher

Skill: STEM skills

Price: $19.99

For unlimited outdoor entertainment, you can give this toy rocket launcher to your toddler. It is not only a fun toy to create foam rockets. It is a scientific and technical toy that teaches children how to apply the right amount of pressure at the right angle to fly a rocket. Also, assembling this toy rocket requires some basic engineering skills. So, if you have a little engineer or scientist in your family, you should definitely play this activity game with them.

23. RaboSky Bean Bag Toss

Skill: Motor skills and important sensory development

Price: $24.99

When toddlers toss bean bags into the interactive holes, this will not only improve their motor skills. But it will also improve their tracking, visual, coordination, and aiming skills. It is a perfect party and classroom game to keep energetic three-year-olds active all day.

24. Whack A Mole Game

Skill: Motor skills  

Price: $38.99

Whack A Mole Game is the best educational and entertaining game for 3-year-olds. It is an electronic game that automatically pops up moles, and children have to use hammers to whack them all. You can set the game’s speed based on your child’s ability. It is also available in eight languages that help improve language skills among children. With hand and eye coordination improvement, this game improves visual and tactical senses in young children.

25. Hover Ball

Skill: Motor skills

Price: $45.95

To tire out energetic toddlers, this is the perfect indoor soccer game. It is a football, but it is made of foam and travels in the air. Kids will have a blast kicking around this hover ball. The best thing about this ball is that it travels in the air. Therefore, it is perfect for playing indoors without breaking anything.

“Play is the primary way children were designed to learn” – Kathy Hersh-Pasek and Roberta Golinkoff

These captivating learning games are tailored for the enjoyment of 3-year-olds . They effectively blend education with entertainment, ranging from engaging board games to interactive online experiences. With a variety of options available, some offered at no cost while others require a fee, you can immerse your toddlers in these games and witness their developmental progress firsthand.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How can i pick the best games for my three year olds.

While selecting the best games for three-year-olds, check the educational and entertainment levels in the game. The game should teach a skill or value to children. In addition, it is an advantage to have some entertainment value in the game because it is hard to retain the attention of young children.

Should I allow my kids to play online games?

Online games are helpful to entertain and educate children when parents are busy with other errands. Having said that, monitoring your child’s screen time is equally essential.

How many hours of play does a 3 year old need?

Toddlers should be allowed at least one hour of free, unstructured play and at least half an hour of structured adult-led structured play.

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Best Board Games for 3-Year-Olds Adults will Love Too

I watched him jump up from the floor and squeal in delight . “Anddd the winner is…. Jacob!” he announced.  My 3-year-old just won Candy Land. We high-fived and before I could get a word in he said “Can we play again?” Again? Sure. 

Candy Land….for the hundredth time. Don’t get me wrong, I love Candy Land. It’s quick to play, simple enough for the youngest of kiddos, and when we added a deck of letter cards to draw before each turn, the game became more interesting …but there have to be more exciting board games available for 3-year-olds. 

3-year-olds are at the fun age where they can understand simple rules of play, and playing big games makes them feel more grown-up. Squeals of delight and roars of laughter make watching them play the games even more fun.

Board Games are Packed with Opportunity

We love board games because they are packed with great learning opportunities . Board games teach teamwork, cooperation, sportsmanship, patience, strategy, and sometimes academic skills, fine-motor skills, and gross motor skills. 

You can add a deck of cards to any game to make it educational. Make a deck of cards for letters, number identification, counting, rhyming, letter sounds, even addition, and subtraction later on. 

Everyone (not just the kids) draws a card before their turn and you have a fun way to teach academic skills. Don’t forget to have the kids check your answers when it’s your turn- you may just forget some of your letters and need to be reminded what the correct ones are.

When Can a Child Start to Play Board Games?

We love to introduce board games early on. Board games are a favorite activity in our family because beyond spending quality time together, they teach social skills, teamwork, empathy, good sportsmanship, strategy, motor skills, and are a fun way to teach academic skills.

A few games are simple enough for 2-year-olds to understand, but most games are more appropriate for 3-year-olds. You know your child best. Some games require strategies that may be difficult for your child, and there are plenty of games that will be easy for your child. 

If you try a game that’s too difficult, try again in a couple of months. At this age, children are constantly learning and growing, and it’s fun to watch them conquer new skills.

What Makes a Good Board Game?

When we are trying to find a new family game, there are many important things we consider. Our favorites are cooperative games that have different levels of play, so they are interesting and developmentally appropriate for many years to come. 

Games for 3-year-olds need to be exciting to play, and simple to learn. We also look at how long it takes to finish. 3-year-olds aren’t able to focus for a long period of time, so it’s important to keep the game moving.

One of the most important criteria for a good game is the skills it teaches. Board games help kids practice social skills (cooperation, turn-taking, sportsmanship), academic skills (colors, number id, letter id, sounds), motor skills (fine and gross motor), and higher-level thinking (strategy). Research shows kids learn best through play so we love to integrate learning with games.

We have searched high and low, and tried many games. These are our favorites that have passed our family’s high standards.

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Our Favorite Skill-Building Board Games for 3-Year-Olds

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Feed the Woozle 

• Playtime: 15 minutes
• Skills Practiced: turn-taking, social skills, teamwork, gross motor skills, body awareness, and fine motor skills, number recognition (1-3)
• Number of Players: 2-5

Kids work together to feed The Woozle yucky foods like  Muddy Meatballs and Fuzzy Socks. The Woozle sits across the room, and players roll a dice to find how many items (1-3) they can feed the Woozle. This is a cooperative game so everyone works together to keep the Woozle fed and happy. 3 different levels of play make this an engaging game for kids of different ages and will entertain your family for years to come. 

Snug as a Bug in a Rug

• Skills Practiced: colors, numbers, shapes, counting, matching, big/little, turn-taking, social skills, teamwork
• Number of Players: 2-4

Your family works together to get the bugs to safety before the stinkbugs attack. Roll a dice, spin a spinner and find the matching bug. Each level gets more difficult so kids of different ages can play together and the game will entertain your family for years to come. 

Pick Me Up Piggy

• Skills Practiced: memory, storytelling, turn-taking, social skills, teamwork

Players hide each animal in one of the locations around the board. As you hide the animals, tell a story about why they are at that location. The horse might have been hungry, so he went to the pizza parlor for some pizza. After the animals are hidden, draw a card and follow the directions. Piggy travels around the board, the challenge is to pick up his friends before he runs out of gas! 

Hoot Owl Hoot

• Skills Practiced: colors, matching, strategy, problem-solving, turn-taking, social skills, teamwork

Help the owls make it home before sunrise! In this cooperative game, if all the owls make it back everyone wins. Two levels of play make it fun for kids of different ages to all be engaged at the same time. 

Count Your Chickens

• Skills Practiced: counting, problem-solving, turn-taking, social skills, teamwork

Work together to help Mama Hen gather her chickens who have flown the coop. Spin the spinner and gather the chickens back to safety. 

Games for 3-Year-Olds

Sneaky Snacky Squirrel **Best Selling Preschool Game 

• Skills Practiced: colors, turn-taking, social skills, fine motor skills

My 3-year-old loves this game and it’s a favorite in my kindergarten classroom as well. Spin the spinner and grab the matching acorn on your log with the squirrel tweezers. This is a great way to practice fine motor skills. Adding a deck of letter cards to draw before each turn makes the game more challenging. The first to collect all 5 colors of acorns before the wind blows them out of your tree wins. This will be a family favorite for many years to come. 

• Skills Practiced: colors, animal id, turn-taking, social skills

3-Year-Olds love this fun farm version of Uno. Match either the color or the animal. Try to get all of your characters into the barn first to win!

• Skills Practiced: colors, number id, turn-taking, social skills

The package of Uno says for ages 7+, but as a color and number matching game, it’s perfect for preschoolers. When I taught our 4-year-old to play, we first played with our cards facing up. He caught on and played on his own in no time. He loves to feel like a grown-up when he’s playing this fun card game! 

You may consider a cardholder like this one to help your kiddos hold their cards without dropping them. 

Let’s Go Fishin’

• Skills Practiced: colors, hand-eye coordination, turn-taking, social skills
• Number of Players: 1-4
• Age: 4+ (This game is simple for 3-year-olds)

This is the perfect game for 3-year-olds. The only rule is to take turns and the person with the most fish at the end wins. The pond spins around, which makes the fish open and close their mouths. Kids feel such pride and joy when they are able to catch a fish! To make this game more challenging for older children, add a deck of cards to draw before their turn. They could practice letter identification, number identification, counting, rhyming, or even addition and subtraction. 

And if you’re brave enough… 

Candy Land.

Want More?  

If you liked this, you’ll love: 

Best Books for Preschoolers

Most Meaningful {Skill Building} Gifts Your Preschooler will Love

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Your Turn  

What are your favorite games to play with your 3-year-old? 

About Elizabeth

Elizabeth is a mama of two boys, a former teacher, and the founder of Discovery Play with Littles. Her mission is to make raising kids with character simple and fun. Join us for our best learning through play ideas, character growth activities, and family connection ideas so you can watch your child thrive.

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PLAY is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood. -Mr. Rogers

45 Best Board Games for Kids That the Whole Family Will Enjoy

We had real kids test dozens of board games — these won the day!

We've been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process.

But how can you tell if a board game is worth buying? That's where the Good Housekeeping Institute comes in. Our experts test toys and board games all year long, staying on top of new toy releases and evaluating them for safety and ease of use. After zeroing in on the best-looking board games of the year, they send them out to actual families, who play them over and over again. (The best ones end up Good Housekeeping Best Toy Award winners.) From years of research, the games on this list have gotten the highest scores and are the best board games for kids to buy 2024. If it’s time to refresh your game stash, check out our top picks and get ready to for a fun family game night.

Looking for more great games? Check out these Good Housekeeping guides:

Best Board Games | Best Board Games for Friends and Family

Best Dressed Banana

This one encourages kids to get as fanciful as they like: Players use magnetic pieces to dress up their bananas, and then vote to give them superlatives like "Most Creative" or "Silliest" until everyone has a certificate. "We’ve played it every day for a week now,” one parent tester said. “My son even started making up his own rules. We love that anyone can be a winner.” Ages 4+

Chompin' Charlie

Throughout this game, players feed Charlie acorns in colors indicated by their roll of a picture die, and they can watch his facial expression change as he gets too full. Eventually he can’t hold any more, and the acorns spill out from a tree stump! Parents liked that it taught kids turn-taking and color recognition. Kids loved when the acorns tumbled out, and they raced to fill their stashes. Ages 4+

Jurassic World Ravenous Raptors

Kid testers loved "feeding" these dinos, which they do by pushing down on the dinosaur's tail as quickly as possible to get it to chomp on some marbles. They'll be so wrapped up in the action, they won't even realize they're working on their hand-eye coordination at the same time. Ages 4+

Gnomes at Night

In this game, players work together, not against each other — the timer is the real enemy. They have to move around the maze together, avoiding walls and collecting treasures, before time runs out. Magnets are the secret to the unique, vertically oriented game board. Ages 6+

GiiKER Smart Four

This is played like your typical four-in-a-row game, but it also comes with more of a challenge: Stacking pieces vertically gives you another axis to connect four pieces. Players can play head-to-head or solo against a computer — but testers say the computer is hard to beat! Either way, they'll have to sharpen their strategic thinking skills. Ages 6+

Orangutwang

This game is best for preschoolers who like a little chaos (and a big mess) in their games. Players take turns hanging fruit and animals on the vine, using their fine motor coordination. Eventually, though, the vine gets too heavy, the "twang" happens, and the vine springs up and sends the pieces flying! Ages 4+

Team Digger

In this game, players work cooperatively to make five-card sequences that move their pups around a board and (hopefully) dig up bones. Does it sound like pre-coding skills ? It is, and without the use of screens. “I’ve done some coding and can definitely see the parallels,” one parent tester said. Ages 6+

Rattlesnake Jake

It's a game of nerves, reflexes and find motor coordination. Players have to take turns stealing gold nuggets from Rattlesnake Jake, who is coiled around them. Little by little, he rattles, his rattle gets more intense and he strikes! Families who tested this one said that the suspense of the game, plus the way everyone jumped at every strike, made it really fun to play. Ages 4+

Castle Panic 2nd Edition

You and your team are inside a castle, and hordes of monsters are invading — what do you do? Work as a team and put those thinking brains together, that's what! Testers loved that this was a cooperative game that encouraged them to use their strategic thinking skills to win or lose as a team. Up to 6 people can play. Ages 8+

Word on the Street Junior

Players set up the A – Z tiles and pick a card with a category like "a country in Asia," then think of relevant words to spell out. It's a good game to get them practicing their vocabulary and sounding out words. For a twist, try pairing up the older and younger kids onto teams to work together to come up with answers. Ages 7+

Meet Mahjong

For anyone who's ever wanted to learn how to play Mahjong, this will give players the basics to learn how to play. It has the American rules, the Chinese rules and also advanced rules for those who think they can deal with a greater challenge. "As a parent, I loved that he was so into learning this popular game from another culture,” one tester said. Ages 8+

Players step into the role of detective, solving the case of a chewed-up homework or a purloined cake. The suspects? All dogs. Players must use critical thinking skills and powers of deduction to use clues on the challenge cards to eliminate suspects and determine the culprit. The game is designed for one player, but kids can always work together. There's also Cat Crimes for people who prefer felines. Ages 8+

5 Second Rule Relay

Testers told us this was an inter-generational hit — even groups with a huge spread in players' ages reported that everyone had fun. Which is good, because it goes fast, since players have to think of an answer quickly when a baton is passed to them. The timer is automatically reset when the baton is passed on. Ages 8+

Where's Bear?

Conceal the bear under one of six nesting boxes and have kids guess where he is. For little ones, it can be as easy as pointing or describing the box ("the one with a slide"). Older kids can play along, too, by finding hidden images on each block. Ages 2+

Cranium 25th Anniversary Edition

It doesn't matter if you're a Cranium pro from back in the day or if you've never played before — 800 new questions and 18 different activities mean it's a whole new game for everyone. Testers loved trying out the different challenges, even if they didn't exactly know all the references. Ages 12+

Pass the Pigs

Rubbery pig figurines act like dice as players shake them up, roll them and tabulate points based on the positions in which they land. First player to 100 points wins! It comes with its own “sty” storage. Parents appreciated how easy the pigs were to transport, making this a great go-to travel game. Ages 7+

Guess in 10 Junior Animal Kingdom

A great option for playing on the go, Guess in 10 Junior has kids pick an animal card that other players have to try to figure out. A guide uses pictures to give kids hints about questions to ask, such as where the animal lives and what it eats, so reading isn’t required. Beyond animals, other available themes include Inside My House and Food We Eat . Kids loved learning about a the different animals, and parents reported that older siblings had fun with these too. Ages 3+

Pokémon Battle Academy

This game is for Pokémon fans who are interested in learning how to play the trading card game. It comes with three decks (Pikachu, Eevee and Cinderace), and a game board shows kid how to lay out the cards, while a strategy book breaks down what they can and can't do on each turn. By the end, they'll be masters of strategy. Ages 6+

Mrs. Wordsmith Phonics Blah Blah Blah Card Game

This Uno-like card game was developed by teachers, but kids will have so much fun with it that they may not realize they’re learning. One player puts down a word card and the next has to try to match letters in that word with their own cards. With each turn, kids hone their understanding of letters and sounds. This one was a hit even with reluctant readers. “I like these cards better than workbooks,” one said. Ages 5+

Heads Talk Tails Walk

You want to find the head and body cards that match to make one animal. But the real thrill starts when you don’t get a pair: Flip a dog’s head to go with a horse’s body, and everyone has to bark as they gallop around. This is another game where it’s more fun not to win. Ages 3+

Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; she previously wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother . She lives with her husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found dominating the audio round at her local bar trivia night or tweeting about movies.

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• [8 PAGES, ENDLESS FUN] - Our innovated busy board for toddlers has 8 pages to play, featuring multiple varieties of toddler activities, can keep your little one busy for hours. This toddler busy board is designed in varying difficulty levels to be challenging but not too much to keep your toddlers interested. Including zipper, shoelace, belt, button, clock, calendar, shapes matching, threading numbers, hook&loop letter, jigsaw animal puzzle and etc.
• [PLAY WHILE LEARNING] - Keep your baby entertained while they develop essential skills like dressing at their own pace, improving fine motor skills and finger dexterity. The Octopus button page help improve hand eye coordination. Clock, calendar and season weather page is for cognitive skill. Shape matching page and fun jigsaw puzzle improve recognition and imagination. Toddler can learn spelling and numbers through the hook&loop letters board and interesting number threading game.
• [SOFT & PORTABLE TODDLER TRAVEL TOYS]: Our sensory toys for toddlers 1-3 is made of toxic-free soft fabrics and felt with no hard corners, safe for your little toddlers to play. Busy board with handle, portable for toddlers to carry and flexible to fit in most diaper or school bags. Great toddler activities sensory board to keep them occupied while on car, airplane, travel or settings needing quiet.
• [EASY TO OPERATE] - Design for little hand to use, this Montessori toys is well constructed and in suitable size for toddlers to hold. You can also work on educational board together with your kids and teach them spelling, counting and matching. Great toddler activities for preschool learning. Also a good alternative to screen time.
• [DECENT GIFT & SATISFACTION]: Esjay Montessori busy board for toddlers gifts is made with quality and care. Each parts are securely attached to the board and reliable enough to hold up to toddler’ s use. The covers are printed with cute dinosaur pattern and animal alphabet, makes it a decent Christmas and birthday gift for 1 2 3 4 year old boys and girls. If you have any problems, our friendly service is here to help.

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Product information

Product Dimensions	4 x 6 x 0.1 inches
Item Weight	1.05 pounds
ASIN	B0BZ4R5F56
Item model number	All win deer202104193268
Manufacturer recommended age	3 years and up
Best Sellers Rank	#77 in Toys & Games ( ) #1 in
Customer Reviews	4.5 out of 5 stars
Manufacturer	Esjay

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From the brand

Toddler Sorting&Matching Toys

Busy Board Multiple Pages

Esjay toys encourages curiosity and imagination, our mission is to make learning fun and easy at home.

We make our products with quality and care and are dedicated to providing high quality and distinctive products with great value.

Product Description

Multi-page Content for Hours of Fun

The busy board is like a book filled with pages of exciting activities. With eight different pages to explore, your child will never get bored. Each page is filled with different activities to keep your child entertained for hours.

With the busy board, you can feel confident that your child is not only having fun but also developing important skills that will help them thrive.

Non Toxic, Soft & Reinforced Sewing: Many toddlers like throwing things around, that’s why we introduce this soft fabric made busy board to you. It's soft with no hard corner that won’t harm your babies. We have reinforced the sewing part to make sure they won’t easily fall, reliable enough to hold hold up to toddler’ s use.	Family Time: Enjoy a parent-child time with your toddlers with this Montessori toys. You can teach them to spell and count or demonstrate how to operate.	Portable Quiet Book: Light weight with handles design, this toddlers busy board is portable for kids to carry and play. Designed in suitable size and are flexible to fit in most diaper bags or school bags. Eliminate boredom while on cars, airplane and travel. Good alternative to screen devices while on settings needing quiet.

Learning Alphabet, Spelling & Numbers: The busy board cover is printed with interesting animal alphabet. And there is a Hook& Loop DIY board with letters & numbers for toddler to learn spelling and counting.	Toddler can remove the pages from the busy board, flexible to carry and play on anywhere you want. They can also share some of the pages with their friends and explore this multiple activity board together.	An excellent Christmas, Easter, birthday and back to school gift for toddlers. Dimensions: Unfolded Size: 11 x 17.5 inch Folded Size: 11 x 8.6 inch Weigh: 1 lbs Material: Toxic-free soft fabrics and felt

Customer Reviews
Quantity	10 Cards with 10 Categories of Toys	8 Pages	8 Pages	8 Pages	8 Pages

What's in the box

Videos for this product.

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Review Busy Book with a 9-month old

Katie Danger

Review and Use of Best Busy Board For Kids / Toddlers

PTwealthjourney

Honest Review of Toddler Busy Board Book

This is an amazing book to keep little busy

Its.MadisonTaylor

Customer Review: Perfect road trip activity for toddlers!

Lehua Birkholz

Is this a good toy for a child?

Honest review of this soft busy board

Best Activity Book For Toddlers!

Emma’s Reviews

Watch this before you buy this busy board!

Kimberly Tatum

Honest Review of our Busy Board - Would we buy it again?

✅ Rachel’s Reviews

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Customer reviews.

• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 5 star 69% 18% 8% 3% 3% 69%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 4 star 69% 18% 8% 3% 3% 18%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 3 star 69% 18% 8% 3% 3% 8%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 2 star 69% 18% 8% 3% 3% 3%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 1 star 69% 18% 8% 3% 3% 3%

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

Customers say

Customers like the entertainment value of the board book, saying it's filled with engaging and interactive activities that keep their little one entertained for hours. They also say it'll help them learn, with so many activities for children to do while learning and being occupied. Customers also appreciate the quality of the product, saying that it'd be great for travel with a toddler. They are also satisfied with appearance. However, some customers are disappointed with the letters. Opinions are mixed on durability and ease of use.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Customers find the book engaging and interactive, keeping their children entertained for hours. They also say it's interesting and inspiring for busy little children.

"...This activity toy is a lot of learning fun . Kids are well occupied while in the car. The laces, zippers, buckles and snaps are all well-made." Read more

"...The colors and quality are durable, fun and vibrant...." Read more

"This is a cute little book! There are many activities . I ended up returning for another option that didn't have any loose pieces...." Read more

"...recommend this book to any parent looking for an educational and enjoyable activity for their child. It's a winner in our household!" Read more

Customers find the motor skills of the toy entertaining and learning for children. They say it has many activities for children to do while learning and being occupied. Customers also say it's a great chance to play with their kid and inspires them.

"...This activity toy is a lot of learning fun. Kids are well occupied while in the car. The laces, zippers, buckles and snaps are all well-made." Read more

"...Not only does she have fun, but she's also learning and developing important skills ...." Read more

"I like the Montessori toys. They teach , entertain and they look great...." Read more

"This product has so many activities for children to do while learning and being occupied at the same time...." Read more

Customers like the quality of the toy. They say it's great, car friendly, and awesome. Some customers also say the board is missing the letter "i" and they had to glue it on. Overall, most are happy with the quality and use of the product.

"...The rest of the book was great with all the options of the clips, shoe laces and snaps!" Read more

"...to take into restaurants/friends houses that don’t have kids and it works great ! My daughter is 16mo now and loves to use this...." Read more

" Great toy for my 11 month old. Helps develop fine motor skills while being portable and quiet for public use." Read more

" Great airplane toy !" Read more

Customers find the weight of the book good for traveling with a toddler. They also say it's perfect for road trips and at home.

" Very travel friendly - we use this in the car and at restaurants. I unzipped and took out of some of the older activities...." Read more

"...It is easy to take with you since it folds up and has handles. Overall this is a great product at good price." Read more

" Great travel busy book . However there are some shapes that one ought to stick to match to shapes in the book and I can't get the adhesive to work." Read more

"...Helps develop fine motor skills while being portable and quiet for public use." Read more

Customers like the appearance of the book. They say it's cute, nice, and colorful. Some say the book is creative and Montessori-like. They also say the outer pages are great for little ones working on fine motor skills.

"...The colors and quality are durable, fun and vibrant ...." Read more

"This is a cute little book ! There are many activities. I ended up returning for another option that didn't have any loose pieces...." Read more

"...I unzipped and took out of some of the older activities. The outer pages are great for little ones working on fine motor skills. Very customizable." Read more

"I like the Montessori toys. They teach, entertain and they look great ...." Read more

Customers have mixed opinions about the durability of the toy. Some mention it's well-made, educational, and has held up well so far, while others say it'll break easily. Some customers also report that the parts broke away from the book like they were not properly attached. Overall, the product is a good choice for those looking for an educational and fun toy for their children.

" Some of the parts broke away from the book like they were not properly attached - we had to take them off so the small buttons didn't end up..." Read more

"...The laces, zippers, buckles and snaps are all well-made ." Read more

"It did help my 1 year old stay busy on a plane but the pieces fall out easily and we lost some...." Read more

"...It is decent quality . Each section can detach via zipper so if your little is not ready for that section, you can remove it...." Read more

Customers are mixed about the ease of use of the toy. Some mention it's easy to use, convenient, and easy to setup. However, others say that it'll take a lot of time and labor to put the pieces together.

"...I’d say it’s worth it but does take a little to get together ." Read more

"...I thought the book was easy to assemble and only required adding Velcro to the small felt pieces. Looks likes it’s easy to crank, just wipe down...." Read more

"I like the variety of activities in this one book. There is some labor involved that I was unaware about...." Read more

"It's both entertaining and learning for the children. Easy to use ." Read more

Customers say the letters in the activity book are missing. They also say the numbers and letters are messed up and the letters get everywhere.

"Product is nice but missing the letter “i .” I also had to glue on the velcro stickies on the back because they came off...." Read more

"...Only problem I had was it was missing some numbers and letters but other than that it’s very colorful and great learn tool!" Read more

"Cute and entertaining but missing letters and numbers . Mine did not come with the letter Y or number 7." Read more

"...Speaking of Velcro letters, we are unfortunately missing the letter i , and since that letter is in his name I had to improvise and use the 1...." Read more

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