If you’re looking for educational board games that are engaging and promote active thinking all while being fun and excitingyou’re in the right place.
Learning board games today are a mix of the classicsclassroom-esque and teacherlyas well as creative games that have evolved to target the interests and necessary skills for kids today.
In this guideI’ve listed out some of the best educational board games for kids of all ages. I’ve played these in my own classroom and with family for guaranteed laughs and learning for everyone.
30 Best Educational Board Games
As you scroll through the listyou’ll notice games have been sectioned off by age. For the most partthese are relative. Every child develops at their own pace. Avid gaming families will have more practice with strategy-type games and so might find their younger children can handle games intended for a slightly older age.
The idea is to use the guise of fun (and hopefully laughs) to power up the mind and develop important skills that can be applied in a variety of ways outside of gaming.
Ready to plan your family game night with these 30 educational board game ideas?
Board Games for Preschoolers & Kindergartners
The Sneaky Snacky Squirrel
This popular preschool board game is highly recommended for little ones. Starting with the basics of taking turnsspinning the spinnerand following the rulesit’s a great intro to board game and collaborative play.
The goal is for each player to fill their tree trunk with acorns of every color. The spinner tells players which action they can take on their turn. Children have to correctly match the acorn colors. Using the squirrel grabberplayers work on fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination to pick the tiny acorn pieces from the tree and place them into their tree trunks.
Along the waychildren learn that the luck of the spinner can run out! A wind storm or a sneaky squirrel can take 1 or all of the acorns from their tree trunk!
Outfoxed
Cooperative games have a ton of valueespecially for younger children who are developing sportsmanship and collaboration skills. Children as young as 4 or 5 can play and learn from siblingscousinsor friends without the stress that comes from direct competition.
In Outfoxedplayers team up to find the fox who stole the pie! Game pieces move with each roll of the dice. Everyone must work to collect cluesdiscuss what they revealand work together to draw logical conclusions to figure out which fox is the thief.
Zingo
Put away the flashcards. There are better ways to practice recognition of sight words and other commonly seen words in children’s books. Zingo takes sight word Bingo up a notch and comes with 2 levels of words to practice. (There are also topic-specific versionstoo.) It’s quick to playtooso children can play a few times in a row without taking much time.
Zingo helps preschoolers and early elementary students build their language skills as they focus to match the yellow tiles with what’s on their Zingo boards. Each board shows an image and the word to describe the image. Not only do pre and early readers practice word recognitionbut they also develop a sense of how picture clues can help them decode and even comprehendwhich is an essential reading strategy.
It’s one of the best board games for 5 year olds who are just starting with sight wordsas well as for reinforcing and learning new words in a fun way.
Mancala
This ancient game dates back to the first centuries in A.D. times and perhaps even further back to Ancient Egypt. Today’s game materials are a wooden board and marble gemstones but historical records show people dug holes into the ground or carved the board out of rock and used seedsbeans or stones to play.
This 2-player educational board game seems simple but requires countingstrategyand is a great way to practice reasoning skills. Mancala doesn’t take long compared to other board games and its small size makes it great on the go. Best of allit’s a game for everyone in the family 5 and up!
Connect 4
You might not think this simple concept of getting 4 in a row is all that educational. Butanyone who has played this classic game knows how much planningstrategizingand reasoning is involved with not only winning this game but also blocking an opponent from getting 4 in a row first!
Connect 4 is great for families with children who are at different points academically. No readingwritingor keeping score required so varied age groups can play together. An added bonus is the fine motor skill practice for little fingers as they position the red or black chip in the intended slots.
Guess Who
This 2-player game is a timeless guessing game where each player tries to figure out the other’s mystery person first. By asking yes or no questionsplayers collect information about the mystery personallowing them to eliminate people from the board that don’t match the information they’ve learned.
The process of forming questions versus statements is a skill young children learn over time. Understanding how to phrase yes or no questions versus open-ended questions builds on this skill. Guess Who adds to this by asking players to compile clues mentallydraw conclusionsand then refine their questioning strategy for their next turn to continue to narrow down the list of possible people.
Sum Swamp
Learning and practicing basic addition and subtraction facts is a lot more fun when you’re racing through a swamp hoping to avoid crocodiles! This math game is best for preschool through the early elementary years when counting and addition and subtraction facts are practiced.
Players roll the dicewhich includes 2 numbered dice and an operational dice for addition and subtraction. After solving the basic fact shown on the diceplayers move their game piece accordingly. There are added challenges like evens and odds and repetition to build math fact fluency in the endless loop where players could get stuck in the swamp for a while.
Educational Kids Board Games for Elementary
Bananagrams
This fast-paced word game is an absolute family and classroom favorite! Best for ages 7+each player gets some letter tiles and has to be the first one to use all their tiles as they race to make connecting crossword puzzle grids. Think Scrabble without the wait or the need to keep score!
Great for spelling practiceword building skillsproblem-solvingand quick thinking. The 144-letter tiles zip up into the banana-shaped zipper pouch and can be taken and played anywhere.
Scattergories
My family loves Scattergories. It’s the perfect game to play with bigger groupstoobecause there’s no limit to the number of players. The game suggests 13+ but I’ve played this game with kids who were as young as 10. If there are elementary-aged children who want to joinjust pair them up with an adult or older sibling. Teams make it even more fun!
In this gamelanguage Arts skills get a workout by reading the different categories of items on each game list and thinking of something that fits that category.
The catch is a letter is set by rolling alphabet dice. Players have to think of things that match the category and start with the right letter. Critical thinking comes in handy because if you think of the same thing as someone elsethey cancel each other out for 0 points. Only original answers earn points
Big Boggle
This classic word game now comes in a bigger 5×5 grid format to make longer words and more points possible. Boggle is great for all ages 8+ and is played with a 3-minute timer for a quick word work game or when the family game night is cut short.
Similar to Scattergoriesplayers who’ve used the same letter cubes to make the same word cancel out. Sothinking cleverly for the most original words is the goal.
HoweverBoggle is different from word games like Bananagrams or Scrabble because words can be made with letters snaking from left to rightup and downand diagonally. More than one of these directions can be used to make a single word so players have to visualize and manipulate each word mentally as they build them.
Madlibs
Diagramming sentences does not a fun exercise make! Even the best lessons about different parts of speech still can be a bit dry. There’s not much room for interpretation…A verb is a verb. That’s why practicing and reviewing how words function within a sentence with a game is a lot more fun (and effective).
Enter Madlibsthe board gamewhere the goal is to use nounsverbsadjectivesand adverbs to make the most hilarious sentence possible. Players flip over a sentence card and then use their word cards to complete the blanks in the sentences to out silly the other players.
The Settlers of Catan
In this family favorite strategy gameup to 4 players work to build their own settlements. The location determines which resources the player gains and can use to trade with other players or build more. Along the waypoints are earned and the player with the most points wins.
Throughout the gameplayers have to think ahead and plan out their actionsunderstand the value of their resources and when to use themas well as assess risks and whether they’re worth taking on or not.
And even though the game is easy to learnit doesn’t grow tired. The game board is different every time depending on the actions of the players. As everyone in the family builds their level of playyou can get game extensions to add to the complexity or even just to accommodate more players.
Morphology
Writing a word 5 times or copying its definition from a dictionary is not the way to build spelling strategies or help kids learn and remember what a word means. Visual representations and games that break a word into parts are much more effectivenot to mention enjoyable!
In this gameplayers as young as 8 work in teams and use the materials that come with the game to build or visually show the word in the hopes their teammate can guess the word. Children and adults have to really think about how to break apart words and their meanings. And the materials level the playing fieldso to speak because no one has to draw or act things out like in other games.
Rush Hour
Rush Hour is one of the most popular education puzzle games. This STEM and logic game works the muscles of planning and reasoning while developing spatial and visualization skills.
The concept is simple. Get the red car out of traffic. The game comes with 40 challenge cards from beginner to expert. Start by setting up the cars on the grid according to the challenge card. Thenmoving the cars only in straight lineswork to free the red car from the rush hour traffic.
Rush Hour is a great 1 player gamealthough players can team up and try to figure out solutionstoo. The game and all its parts are small and lightweightmaking it perfect for on-the-go kids!
Sequence
The object of this game is to get the number of required 5-in-a-row sequences by playing cards and placing a chip on a matching card on the board.
While some luck is involved because of the cardsplayers have to plan their strategy but also work on blocking opponents from landing 5-in-a-row and problem-solve when they themselves are blocked. The game adds twists with free spaces in the cornerJacks that are wildand the ability to remove others’ chips.
This classicconceptual game can be played by individual players or teams for even more fun and challenges. Along the waychildren practice observing and making predictions about their opponents’ moves and chart out where to best lay-out their own sequences.
Qwirkle
The game includes 108 wooden tiles in a drawstring bag with the aim of connecting matching colors and shapes to make rows of 6. As the tiles are placeda grid-like formation similar to a crossword puzzle.
Qwirkle reminds me of a visual version of Uno where players make deliberate tile placements to maximize the number of points earned and win. Along the wayplayers problem-solve and strengthen spatial skills.
Money Bags
The name of the game says it all! This money game was a favorite in my 2nd-grade classroom and fun to play at hometoo. The game board comes along with a spinner100 plastic coinsand play paper money. Children practice money recognitioncountingaddingand making money amounts using coins and paper money.
Players land on squares and earn money depending on the chore or task assigned to that square. The spinner tells how a player gets paid. Soimagine a player earning 34 cents but it can’t be paid with any quarters. Extra money can be earned at the Bank Exchange when players trade in their coins like 5 nickels for a quarter. The goal is to cross the finish line and earn the most money to win.
Ticket to Ride
The basics of this family favorite game are easy to learn but everyone in the family will quickly realize how much thinking is needed to be successful! The game board is a map of the United States and players need to connect cities by building train routes across the country to score points.
In addition to learning U.S. geographythere’s a ton of strategy that reveals itself the more the game is played. Andstrategies have to be changed from game to game depending on how the board develops. Players who take risksas well as players who are more careful with their decisionscan earn points for connecting routescompleting destination ticketsand even building the longest route on the board.
Ticket to Ride is best suited for players 8+. For similar games to build up to thistry a strategy game like My First Carcassonne.
Blokus
Ready to give spatial perception skills a workout? This game reminds me of Tetris for those of you who remember it. This game is all about fitting as many of your shape pieces on the board. When no one can make any more movesthe player with the fewest pieces left wins.
The difference is Blokus can be played by up to 4 players and even kids younger than 7 can catch on. The strategy part of the game comes in when players position their tiles to block other players from continuing to make connections with their remaining shape pieces.
5 Second Rule
The fun and beauty of this game is how simple it is. Players choose from 150+ topic cards and have to name 3 things in that category in 5 seconds. I’m sure you can imagine the pressure of having just 5 seconds and how it winds up creating funnytongue-tied answers!
Even though there is a Junior version of this gameI recommend the original version. Even the youngest of players will grow their understanding of the topics and quick-thinking skills. Andif need bethe rules can be modified to name just 2 things or to allow a few extra seconds.
Castle Panic
This game removes all competition between individual players. Insteadplayers work cooperatively to defend the castle from the monsters in the forest. Togethereveryone strategizes to keep the towers standing. If it’s a successeveryone wins. If noteveryone loses.
This game is great entry into strategy games. Younger children play together with older siblings and adultswhich helps them learn how to plan future movestake risksand problem-solve. What I also love about this game is how suspensful it is! It keeps everyone of all ages engaged and committed to working together to win.
Q-bitz
Ready for a brain workout? in Q-bitzplayers use the cubes to make the pattern shown on the chosen game card. Since there’s nothing to read on playing cardsyoung children who are ready for the challenge can play against older siblings and adults.
Starting in round 1players try to be the first to make the pattern. Each of the 3 rounds adds a layer of difficulty. By the third roundplayers have just 10 seconds to study the pattern on the card and to make it from memory! This is a favorite classroom and family game to stimulate visual skillsspatial reasoningconcepts of symmetryand memory recall.
Rummikub
This exciting STEM game comes with all the fun of playing the card game Rummy. But it adds to the challenge with an everchanging arrangement of tiles on the board that requires players to strategize and continually refine their thinking. This is one of my all-time favorite games!
The goal is to be the first player with no tiles left to use. Tiles are placed in 3 or 4 of a kind groupings and sequenced runs of numbers. Howeverunlike Rummyplayers can move these tiles into different configurations as long as they can work out a new place for each oneas well as place the tile(s) that fit from their rack. This can’t be done without visualizing complex moves and making adjustments as the board changes.
Children 8+ will have fun playing Rummikub with siblings and adults. It’s also a good idea to make sure everyone knows how to play basic Rummy with cards first.
Skipbo
Not a board game but one played with cardsSkipbo deserves a spot on this list. It’s all about number sequencingstrategizingand a bit of luck. But if you’re family loves to play Unothis is a great way to step up the challenge.
Players are each dealt a hand of cards and play begins with the goal of building ordered number piles of cards. The more times its playedthe more players will learn how to best use wild cards and finish their turn so as not to help out the next person to go.
Farkle
I love Farkle for mental math skills. It’s a simple dice game for up to 6 playersalthough more people can play if you share dice or have extras. Different dice combinations result in a specific number of points. Players can also decide to risk the points they’ve earned on a turn by rolling again or keep what they scored.
The points scored all numbers that end in 0for example 50400or 1,500. Write the points earned on the score pad to keep trackbut practice calculating everything mentally. Younger kids may count by 100s but the more they play the more efficient their adding strategies become.
You’ve Been Sentenced
Learning the mechanics of what makes a sentence isn’t exactly thrilling. Butinfuse some fun and creative thinkingand suddenlygrammar lessons become engaging and even hysterical.
Players start with 10 cards. Each card has words and variations of those wordswhich are often different parts of speech that can be used in all kinds of creative ways depending on the sentence. In a set amount of timeplayers must make the longest grammatically correct sentence possible with as many of their 10 cards as they can. Sentences can and are often nonsensical which makes the game lots of laughs.
Carcassonne Board Game Standard
Have you ever played the writing game where one person starts by writing the first sentence of the story and each person afterward adds on another sentence to keep the story moving forward? The goal is to have a complete concise story in the end even though it’s not clear how the story will end.
The Carcassonne Board Game is similar because each player places tiles to create a Kingdom. Howeverbanish any set notions about how the Kingdom will be built. Practice flexible thinking and refining moves based on the actions of the last person. Players must be strategic about where they place each tile and where they choose to place their few Meeples (people pieces) to score points.
Not to mentionthe very title of the game can spur an entire study of the real Carcassonnea medieval fortress city in the south of France!
Educational Board Games for Teens & Tweens
Cashflow 101 & 202
If you’re looking for games that teach about money and finances that go above and beyond Monopolygive Cashflow a look. (Although be warned. They’re among the pricier games on this list.)
This game is all about learning financial strategies like accountinginvestingbudgeting and understanding debt. Older childrenespeciallycan develop financial literacy skills that’ll be important for them as they mature into young adults. Throughout the gameplayers also work out math skills as they do the required calculations to keep the game moving.
Pandemic
Another cooperative gamein Pandemicplayers work together to find cures for 4 different diseases that are taking over the globe. Everyone wins or people all over the world are history!
Different characters in the game have strengthsand togetherthe players have to figure out how to best use them to researchtreatandhopefullyfigure out how to eliminate each disease. Family-friendlybut particularly for families with tweens and teens who are capable of understanding the concepts and the strategies needed to save humankind.
Codenames
Although Codenames is a competitive game2 teams of 4-8 players each work together to be the first to contact all of their spy network’s secret agents. To startset up a 5×5 grid of cards showing the code names of all the secret agents for both spy networks. Also among these cards are bystanders and 1 deadly assassin.
Each team chooses 1 spymaster who gives clues to help the team find all of their agents first. The spymaster has to follow strict rules about the types of clues they can give. Players must draw conclusions about the word associations between the clue and the codenames of the secret agents. If a wrong guess is madeteams could uncover bystandersgive the other team an edge by revealing an agent in their networkor worst of allchoose the assassin which immediately ends the game.
Codenames is a game for the entire family or large family groups. Everyone must pay attention to the words on the board and connect the clues correctly.
Which of these educational board games for learning would you and your family like to play?
Like this post? Please save it on Pinterest or share it on social media!
Leave a Reply Cancel reply