Collection: Early Elementary (Ages 5 - 7)

At this time in your kindergartener’s life, they’re brimming with curiosity, eagerness to learn, and desire to become more independent. One of the best ways to give them a headstart on their education and nurture those amazing qualities is to play some kindergarten board games with them.

By using a fun game to help your child develop their math skills, motor skills, critical thinking, strategic thinking, and more, you’re not only giving them a better chance to excel in school, but you’re also helping them associate learning with fun. That quality will help them excel not only in school but in life.

Perhaps even better is the quality family time you can share while playing your child’s favorite board games. They won’t be young forever, but the memories you create on family game night will always be there.

Take a look at these board games for kindergarten through age seven and find the perfect one for you and your little one.

Strategy skills are useful in school, but they’re also indispensable in everyday life — both in and out of the classroom. Here are some great board games for 5-year-olds and up to develop their strategy skills.

My Monster

Strategy board games for 5-6 year olds should be simple and fun. That’s exactly what My Monster is. This game allows your child to develop the basic strategy skills of experimentation and prediction, and it does so by engaging their senses.
The goal is to be the first to build the monster by identifying the right shapes in the bag and reproducing the monster on the corresponding card. This game also helps your child develop probability and tactile skills.

Cross Lanes

Cross Lanes is one of the best board games for 6-year-olds and up to develop their predictive and planning skills. The first player to run out of cards in this bowling-themed game wins. The strategy comes from choosing the right number on the right card at the right time.

Strong social skills are an indispensable asset for any child, no matter what path they choose in life. Here are some board games for kindergarten and up that can help them develop these skills.

Are We There Yet?

Are We There Yet? is the perfect game for the whole family to enjoy during a road trip — or any time. Simply flip through the cards to find 50 fun and easy activities to help pass the time and strengthen your child’s ability to communicate and interact with others.

Save the Pie

This game requires your child to work together with teammates to achieve a common goal. The goal is to get the berries to the pie maker before Beary Bear has a chance to eat them all. If you’re looking for first-grade board games that can make your little one a better team player, this one is the perfect answer.

Board games for kindergarten kids and up should nurture their endless curiosity and encourage imagination. These games do exactly that.

Clover Leap

This vocabulary game helps your little one understand sentence structure and communication by challenging them to create sentences using word tiles. This nurtures creative thinking and allows them to engage with their sense of humor.

ARTributes

If you’re looking for board games for 7-year-olds and up that can inspire creative thought, you can’t go wrong with ARTributes. One player is tasked with using their imagination to draw a picture of a given word, and the others must determine what that word is based on the image.

Not all board games for kindergarten children are going to appeal to your child specifically, but if you can find the right game to pique their interest, they may become more open to games of all kinds. But how exactly do you find the right game to engage your child and foster learning and play?

Engage Their Interests

You may have a specific skill in mind that you’d like to develop in your child, but if that quality doesn’t align with their natural inclinations, they may not take to the game like you’re hoping they will. Instead, start with something that speaks to them.

Choose Based on Their Skill Level

Some kindergarteners may be ready for a bigger challenge. If that's the case, looking into board games for 6-7 year olds may be the best way to capture their interests.

Let Them Choose

Allowing your child to choose the type of game they’d like to play doesn’t just tap into their natural inclinations; it also allows a sense of independence, which can help them become more engaged with the game.

Here are just a few additional 7-year-old board games that can help precious learners get a headstart on their education:

Dreaming Dragon

Hook 'em

Glow Spotters

Bee Alert

Sneaks

Ultimately, all of these games offer a doorway to learning, growing, and developing indispensable skills in your child. The most important thing is making the time to play together as a family.

Believe it or not, board games for 7-year-olds can be surprisingly fun for the whole family. That’s because it’s time spent together. Following a few tips, you can integrate your board games into family gatherings.

Set a specific time:

Spontaneity can be fun, but relying on it for family game night won’t always work out. Set a time for your family game night, and get everyone on board.

Do some prep:

Things can get tedious if you’re all learning the rules at the same time. Learn the game yourself first and maybe even teach it to one or more of your children before game night.

Make it a tradition:

Incorporate your board games into your family traditions and holiday celebrations, and they’ll become a lifelong staple.

Of all the things your child can gain from playing these board games, the biggest benefit is perhaps the memories of their family coming together to love and support them. These games can be unforgettable fun for everyone.