Are you on the hunt for some exciting board games that your 5-year-old can play? Granted, there are many kid and family-friendly board games to consider.
However, not all of them are suited to younger children. Not to worry – I’ve put together this useful list complete with all the best board games for 5-year-olds!
Each of these is not only age-suitable. They’ve also gotten the stamp of approval from moms, dads, grandparents, and kids alike!
So, let’s find out which are the most exciting and popular board game options right now!
Fantastic Classic Board Games for 5-Year-Olds
Sure, there are plenty of exciting new board games available these days. However, why not opt for a classic for your five-year-old?
These games have been keeping kids and adults entertained for centuries. And, screen-free since before there were screens or even electricity in some cases, too!
Chess
Most kids can begin to learn the basics of Chess at around 4-5 years old, believe it or not! You can start off with simple movements and a learning vs. a competitive approach.
In the game, they learn strategy skills and critical thinking. If they get good at it, they may even be able to compete in tournaments later on in life!
There are many fantastic starter chess sets available, such as this Chess Armory Wooden 15” set. It’s a wooden set that comes in a lovely felted carry-case that folds out into a game board!
Snakes & Ladders
Snakes & Ladders is an old classic that’s actually based on an ancient Indian game called Moksha Patam. It’s also one of the most beloved board games for kids all over the globe!
This magnetic Snakes & Ladders set features some rather kid-friendly, cute, and cuddly snake characters. And, this Dinosaur Snakes & Ladders set swaps snakes out entirely for dinos!
Checkers & Chinese Checkers
Checkers, or Draughts, as it’s also known, is another golden oldie board game. In fact, a similar game board was found dating as far back as 3000 B.C.E in Ur, Iraq!
This lovely portable magnetic Checkers set is a simple and affordable option to start kids off playing the game. Plus, its foldable carry-case conveniently flips out into a game board!
The ancient Egyptians and Romans also played older variations of Checkers, but, interestingly, not by the Chinese! In fact, Chinese Checkers got invented in Germany!
It is based on an older American game called Halma, too! As exhibited by this wooden Chinese Checkers set, its star-shaped board is one of the main differences between the two.
The Best Hasbro Board Games for 5-Year-Olds
Hasbro is one of the foremost names in games, especially board games for kids. So, it’s no wonder they have tons of fun options available, including games specifically for 5-year-olds!
Yes, the Hasbro game options I’ve listed below are all age-appropriate and come highly-rated!
Hi-Ho Cherry-Ho
This board game is both fun and educational, teaching kids numbers and counting! In it, players need to pick or put miniature cherries back on the tree based on where the spinner lands.
This game is designed specifically for three to six-year-olds, too! Disney fans will love the Disney Junior Mickey edition that also features Disney friends – Donald Duck and Goofy!
Chutes and Ladders
Chutes and Ladders is based on the classic Snakes & Ladders game. However, instead of slithering and sometimes scary creatures, the game features chutes that players zip down!
There’s even a Marvel Spider-Man Web Warriors edition. It features popular characters, including White Tiger, Iron Spider, Power Man, Venom, Black Cat, Green Goblin, and Rhino!
If you truly want to acquaint kids with this classic game as you played it, though, there is an original.
The Retro Series 1978 edition includes the original game pieces, game board, and spinner!
Clue Junior – Case of the Broken Toy
Mini detectives will be delighted by the opportunity to solve their own mystery! However, the game theme is much more kid-friendly – there are no bloody or gory murders to solve here!
As such, this Junior version introduces them to Clue in a light and appropriate way. In this game, they must search for clues to find out who broke Mr. Potato Head, instead!
Monopoly Junior
Monopoly is probably one of the first board games that springs to mind when we think of the topic! However, do you know that there is a Monopoly Junior game, too?
In fact, there are many versions, not least the classic game! These include an Amazon Exclusive edition, as well as Cars 3, Unicorn, Peppa Pig, and Trolls World Tour editions.
Trouble
This roll-and-move board game offers a bit more unpredictable fun for kids. Each player needs to move their pegs to the safe zone to win, popping the dice each turn to move spaces.
Plus, there are a few unique Junior Trouble editions! These include a Netflix Super Monsters, Star Wars The Mandalorian, Cars 3, Trolls World Tour, Neon Pop, and Special Edition!
Scrabble Junior
Scrabble Junior is another classic board game, and it’s great for building young kids’ vocabulary! The junior version includes a special two-sided board that grows with kids.
One side features the standard blank game board for advanced kids. And, the other side introduces them to the game with pre-printed words on it for them to match tiles to.
There’s even a Disney edition featuring new and old characters, such as Mickey, Mira, the Puppy Dog Pals, and more!
The Game of Life Junior
If you love The Game of Life board game, then you’ll likely be interested in this Junior version! Instead of focusing on a lifetime, though, it takes kids through one fun-filled day!
In the game, they spin the spinner, move their car around the board, collect stars, and more! There’s also a Family Vacation edition of the game featuring various fun family getaways!
Perfection Neon Pop Edition
This unique board game is one for kids to play alone! You see, it is suitable for one or more players.
In it, players need to match the game pieces to the corresponding slots in the game board. However, they need to do this before time runs out and their matched pieces pop out!
Risk Junior
Risk the Game is also available in a junior edition! However, instead of continents, players get to conquer fictional islands on the game board navigating with their pirate ship!
Some islands have exciting hidden treasures to discover and claim! Plus, the ship game pieces shoot out the game dice like a cannonball!
Yahtzee Junior Disney Princess Edition
Little princesses will love being introduced to the classic game Yahtzee with this pretty pink version! This fun and oh-so-simple to learn game is great fun and easy for kids to follow!
It features all the classic Disney Princesses, including Mulan, Tiana, Pocahontas, and Rapunzel. All kids have to do is roll the princess dice and match the ladies accordingly!
Candy Land Kingdom Of Sweet Adventures
There are few things kids love more than candy. Luckily, this board game has all the sweetness without any actual sugar!
In it, players need to navigate their gingerbread man through various sweet territories on the game board. Their aim is to make it safely to the golden Candy Castle!
Yes, they’ll need to travel through the gummy hills, lollipop woods, and more, encountering some yummy surprises on the way!
Top Cooperative Board Games for 5-Year-Olds
Cooperative board games are unique because they require players to work together, not against each other, to win. This is why they come highly recommended for kids!
So, if you’re tired of squabbling kids or want them to learn teamwork, opt for these popular cooperative options!
Gamewright Outfoxed! A Cooperative Whodunit Board Game
Oh no, Mrs. Plumpert’s award-winning pot pie has gone missing! Little mystery-solvers need to work together to outfox the suspect before he gets away with the deed – and the goods!
In this game, players move around the board collecting clues and evidence to build their case and unveil the culprit. Will they catch him red-handed, or will they get the better of them?
Trolls World Tour Cooperative Strategy Board Game
The Trolls World Tour Movie is hugely popular with kids right now. Let them play out the movie their style in this themed cooperative board game!
It has a unique fabric game board and includes four collectible troll character figurines with real hair! They get three main characters to play with, as well as one surprise figurine!
Jumping High Five Noah’s Animal Rescue! Cooperative Board Game
We all know the story of Noah and his Arc! In this cooperative board game, kids get to play out this fantastical rescue for themselves!
Jumping High Five also created a cute Baby Dinosaur Rescue cooperative board game for kids to play. In it, they need to navigate the game board to get baby dino to safety!
Peaceable Kingdom Race to the Treasure! Cooperative Board Game
Do you have some little treasure hunters on your hands? If so, I think they’ll love working together to build a path, beat the ogre, and find the treasure first!
Peaceable Kingdom also has similar Dinosaur Escape and a Mermaid Island cooperative board games available for little mermaids and paleontologists-in-the-making!
Briarpatch Pete The Cat The Missing Cupcakes Cooperative Board Game
If you’re looking for a no-reading-required game option, this cute missing cupcake is the perfect choice!
Both boys and girls will love working together to get the missing cupcakes back from Grumpy Toad.
I love that the game really gets them involved, too! Yes, they need to sing songs, do activities, and identify objects, animals, and more!
Osmo – Detective Agency
This unique and fun detective game bridges the gap between digital games and board games! In it, players work with their detective agency to solve mysteries around the globe!
This is a single-player game, though, less so a cooperative game. However, children can join together to solve the mysteries!
Just remember, you do need an iPad or Fire tablet (no wifi required, though) to play this game. This set includes an iPad base, but you can buy the game without it if you have one.
Perfect General Board Games for 5-Year-Olds
There are a variety of fun board games for 5-year-olds available from various manufacturers! Here are the best picks of the bunch!
Cashflow for Kids
In this Robert Kiyosaki board game, kids learn to nurture their financial quotient! This board game teaches finance, accounting, and investing basics, including vital terminology.
Yes, it definitely offers a fun way to teach kids some valuable life and money skills! You and the rest of the kids and adults in the house can even join in and learn a few things.
Spin Master Soggy Doggy
Do your kids require something a little more hands-on? If so, perhaps getting stuck into giving this Soggy Doggy a bath is just the thing!
In this game, they must race around the Soggy Doggy and bathtub in the middle of the board to win.
Beware, though, that Soggy Doggy loves to shake himself and send players back to square one before bathtime is done!
VATOS Little Detective Memory Game
If you’re looking for an excellent search and find option, this super-sized board game is well worth considering!
In it, players must find the corresponding patterns on their cards on the actual game board. The game is suitable for young children 3 years and up to play together, as well as parents and kids!
Zobmondo!! Store The Ladybug Game
This cute, bug-themed board game is a buzz! Players need to help their lovely ladybugs get back home safely to their rose bush.
However, the scary mantis and hungry ants are blocking the way! This game suits 2-4 players from age 3 and up, so it’s perfect for younger siblings to play together!
Ravensburger World of Disney Eye Found It
Lovers of “Where’s Wally,” and other search-and-find games will surely enjoy this super-sized Disney-themed board game! The board itself measures a whopping six feet!
So, there’s plenty of space for family, friends, and siblings to join in the fun. In fact, the board is packed with over a thousand treasures for kids to find!
Once found, they can mark them with their adorable little Mickey Mouse ear markers! There’s also a Disney card version of the game, as well as a Rickard Scarry’s Busy Town edition!
Educational Insights The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel
The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel is on the hunt for nuts to store away and needs a hand! Little kids will love helping to expand the squirrels’ nut pile in this educational board game.
In it, kids spin the spinner to find out how many nuts they can collect, counting, and recognizing numbers on the way. Beware, though; robbers may raid their stash, too!
Playing also builds hand-eye coordination as kids need to pick their nuts up with their squirrel squeezers.
ThinkFun Zingo Bingo
This fast-paced action game will have kids on the edge of their seats in no time! Why? Well, in it, each player gets a game board with random items on it.
They then need to grab any matching board tiles as soon as they shoot out of the Zinger! There are a limited number of tiles each turn.
And, these could match more than one player’s game board! So, all players will have to think fast, recognize, and quickly grab any matching tiles first!
If your kids already love this game, don’t despair! There are three more versions apart from the original game – these include Zingo 1-2-3 Number, Sight Words, and World Builder!
Ravensburger Labyrinth Junior
This maze-navigating game is another excellent board game for 5-year-olds! It’s actually a junior version of the original game that’s specifically adapted for kids aged 5 and up.
In it, players need to navigate the ever-changing maze, find and collect the most treasure to win. The labyrinth is full of surprises and a secret! There’s also a Frozen II version for movie fans!
Goliath Triominos Junior
This triangle-shaped domino game is another classic that’s been turned into a junior version! It’s not only a fun game; it’s also educational, helping kids learn counting, colors, and numbers.
This junior version has two levels of difficulty, too. So, advanced kids can challenge themselves once they’ve gotten used to playing the game!
Jax SEQUENCE for Kids – The ‘No Reading Required’ Strategy Board Game
SEQUENCE is yet another popular board game that’s been adapted into a kid’s version! It’s also a no-reading-required option suited to kids aged 3 years old and up.
In it, players flip their character cards and place a token on the corresponding character on the board. The first to get a row of four tokens on various characters wins!
Spin Master HedBanz Junior
HedBanz is a unique and equally fun guessing board game. In it, each player dons a headband and pops in a card that the other players can see, not themselves.
Each player then needs to ask the others yes or no questions to figure out what’s on their card.
There’s also a Disney edition that features adorable Mickey ear headbands!
Best Types of Board Games for 5-Year-Olds
Are you wondering what types of board games are best to choose for 5-year-olds? If so, take a look below – these are some of the best kinds of games to entertain young kids this age!
Spin/Roll-and-Move Board Games
Spin or roll-and-move games usually involve the use of spinning mechanisms or dice. After players spin or roll, they also usually get to move or do another game action as per the result.
Search-and-Find Board Games
Looking for hidden objects by playing search-and-find games is a fun way for kids to pass the time. All that concentration also means a little peace and quiet for you and the household!
Thematic Board Games
Thematic board games are games that rely more heavily on luck and a specific theme than strategy or anything else.
These games are ideal for kids as they are usually quite fun, easygoing, and easy to play, too!
Educational Board Games
Educational games are ones that teach kids vital skills, such as maths, colors, life lessons, and much more. These games don’t need to be serious, either – many are quite fun, actually!
Memory Board Games
These types of board games test kids’ memory in one way or another. Each of these games is unique, though, so there are no standard rules or gameplay for all of them.
No Reading Board Games
No-reading required board games are ideal to start kids off playing. After all, many kids have just acquired this skill.
So, it’s not always the easiest for them to process reading during the game! If younger siblings want to get involved, no-reading required games make for an excellent choice!
Cooperative Board Games
Cooperative board games are an interesting choice compared to your standard competitive options.
You see, they require players to work together towards a common goal instead of against each other!
Junior Versions of Classic or Popular Board Games
Do you want to play your board game favorites with the kids? Luckily, many wonderful, popular board games are also available in junior versions to introduce them to the game!
Detective or Mystery Board Games
Detective and mystery board games are fun for curious kids to play. These challenging games encourage kids to think creatively to solve unique mysteries, enigmatic occurrences, and more!
Strategy Board Games
Strategy board games are also known as Eurogames. These games typically involve a lot more thought and planning than thematic or luck-based games.
They’re excellent for teaching kids to plan ahead and utilize game resources, too! Many of these games are based on real-life situations, such as city building, war, and more.
Conclusion
Board games are an enjoyable way to spend some quality time together as a family. However, they’re also one of the best ways to entertain and educate kids, screen-free!
Be it holidays, after dinner, or lazy weekends, they offer plenty of laughs, learning, and more! So, don’t delay – start the tradition off early with these exciting board games for 5-year-olds!
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