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Experts Tell Us the Best Board Games for 5-Year-Olds

This article showcases our top picks for the Best 5-Year-Old Board Games. We reached out to industry leaders and experts who have contributed the suggestions within this article (they have been credited for their contributions below). We are keen to hear your feedback on all of our content and our comment section is a moderated space to express your thoughts and feelings related (or not) to this article This list is in no particular order.

Treasure Hunt Game

This product was recommended by Alina Clark from CocoDoc

My kids love a scavenger hunt, but the amount of time it took for me to set up clues was less than fun for me. Between drawing pictures for my 4 year old and coming up with riddles for my 8 year old I was spending way to much time prepping. I picked up the Gotrovo Treasure Hunt Game based on the fact that it had a variety of cards. Pictures with the words on the back, riddles without the answer on the back, and a set of fantasy cards with places like Mermaid Cove. There are both indoor and outdoor locations that are color coded for the intended use, red: outdoor, blue: indoor, green: indoor or outdoor, gold: role-play and blank cards.

HABA Monza – A Car Racing Beginner’s Board Game

This product was recommended by Matthew Paxton from Hypernia

Monza is the game for all you small auto racers out there. It’s also a fantastic game for developing your color recognition skills while also considering strategy. Because you roll colors and move your piece, it’s similar to Candy Land in some aspects. However, you must consider the fact that decisions must be taken. You roll several colors each turn, which you can utilize in any sequence. There may also be other options available to you. Monza, in my opinion, is a terrific stepping stone in terms of difficulty, one step beyond toddler games and ideal for 5-year-olds.

Operation Electronic Board Game

This product was recommended by Chiara Gomiero from Handy Wine Guide

By playing this game you might find your vocation straightway! I’ve tried numerous times and I could not pick all of them without buzzing. My hand would always shake, thanks to God I’m not a doctor! =)

Scrabble Junior Game

This product was recommended by Chiara Gomiero from Handy Wine Guide

If your kids have started familiarizing themselves with words and have fun with them, with this game you can combine learning and fun, as it will strengthen their spelling and reading ability.

Connect 4

This product was recommended by Chiara Gomiero from Handy Wine Guide

This is another classic game, I remember spending many afternoons with my friends and family. Actually, I still do since it’s one of my son’s favorite games. It’s not just fun, it’s very useful to train skills like problem-solving and strategic thinking.

Guess Who?

This product was recommended by Chiara Gomiero from Handy Wine Guide

You’ve probably played it too when you were kids and didn’t realize, whilst you were having fun at it, that you were actually improving your ability to ask questions, use descriptive words and solve problems. Not bad for a 5-year-old board game!

Pop The Pig (Bigger & Better) w/Greedy Granny Old Maid Card Game

This product was recommended by Danyelle Durocher from N/A

– Very engaging and exciting for children and parents/caregivers – Works on kindergarten educational skills (color matching, number identification) – Builds on hand strengthening (gross motor) and pincer grasp (fine motor)

Candy Land Kingdom Of Sweet Adventures Board Game

This product was recommended by Danyelle Durocher from N/A

– Kids love talking about their favorite candy while playing the game – Teaches resilience as the game is up to chance and no skill – Works on visual motor skills (visual memory, visual discrimination) that are important for school work

Rhino Hero

This product was recommended by Olivia Tan from CocoFax

In Rhino Hero, players take turns to place walls and lay roof cards to build a collaborative tower. At specific, random points, you help the rhino climb the tower without demolishing it. The winner is the first to use all of their cards, or if the tower tumbles, you all win. Or lose. Some roof cards have additional symbols to indicate a change of play direction or that the next player skips a turn. This adds an element of strategy which keeps it interesting. Also, for 5-year-olds, Rhino Hero Super Battle has more cards, additional animal heroes, and evil monkeys to contend with. This is an excellent choice for an upgrade if you enjoy the basic game.

HABA Snail Sprint

This product was recommended by William Bradley from GameTableReview

As I told my children (5 and 8 years old) love it. Snail Sprint (Race) has been on the market for a couple of years and, almost from the beginning, it became an essential game for kids age 5 years. The game is very good and entertaining. Until the end, anyone can win. It is a game that includes magnetic snails that can crawl up a metal wall, which is the box (beware, because the box is a giant can). In addition, what I am talking about is that innovative concept in which not every girl or boy has her own snail, but also, they must try to get them to the end as soon as possible. In fact, it is not very difficult. The strategic and interesting part is when the kids roll the 2 colored dice, and depending on what colors they have on the card they move the snail that interests them. For example, if it comes out green and pink, the kids must decide whether to move the green snail to the next pink square, or the pink snail to the next green square. But, besides, there is a small nuance (we may call it the fun part), such as the snails can climb on top of each other, leaving the one below blocked, everywhere except on the vertical wall.

SEQUENCE for Kids

This product was recommended by Caitlin Dismore from Twin Family Travels

Sequence for Kids is an easy-to-learn game that does not require the child to know how to read. There are some specialty cards that need to be explained. But once you have played a few times, the kids catch on quickly to the objective of getting four chips in a row on the gameboard.

Monopoly Junior

This product was recommended by Caitlin Dismore from Twin Family Travels

Monopoly Junior teaches numerous skills that are important for kids to know. The money is simplified to just ones. The kids roll a die to determine how many spaces to move. Unowned properties can be bought while owned properties require you to pay rent. This game is fantastic to introduce your kids to money and reinforce counting skills.

Peaceable Kingdom Mermaid Island Cooperative Board Game

This product was recommended by Steven Walker from Spylix

Assist the Mermaids in swimming to Mermaid Island! Spin the spinner and decide as a group which mermaid to move. Make sure to avoid the Sea Witch! Pick up magic wands to push the Sea Witch back as you swim to Mermaid Island’s safety. A game in which everyone participates, no one is left out, and everyone has fun! In a cooperative game, players work together as a team rather than against each other. Peaceable Kingdom’s cooperative games instill confidence, encourage inclusion, and teach children to share.

Hasbro Game of Life Junior

This product was recommended by Steven Walker from Spylix

The Game of Life Junior features the classic gameplay of choices and chance, and players move around the board using cool car tokens that take them on exciting adventures. Players select a 3-D car token and make their own exciting choices and decisions to pique their imaginations. Will they go to the beach and describe making a sandcastle, or will they go to the zoo to see their favorite animals? To earn stars or money, players complete simple activities and actions specified on the action cards, such as finishing a song, acting, or telling a story.

The Floor is Lava – Interactive Game

This product was recommended by Steven Walker from Spylix

Lay down foam tiles on the floor. The spinner yells, THE FLOOR IS LAVA! and rushes to any tile. After that, the spinner spins to determine the safe color. The spinner announces the safe color on which the spinner landed. Then, players must jump to a tile of that color. The spinner removes the original title of the person who is the last to reach a tile. You’re out if you step in the lava! Be the last player standing to win!

Hasbro Gaming Chutes and Ladders: Peppa Pig Edition Board Game

This product was recommended by Steven Walker from Spylix

With the Chutes and Ladders: Peppa Pig Edition board game, you can slide into the fun! Kids can imagine themselves on the playground with Peppa Pig and her friends, climbing and sliding in this exciting game of ups and downs. It comes with four adorable character movers, allowing kids to play as Gerald Giraffe, Suzy Sheep, Danny Dog, or Peppa Pig. They spin the spinner and move along the gameboard’s numbered squares, attempting to reach the 100 square first. The ladders can help players get there faster, but they must be wary of the chutes, which can sweep them further away from victory. This board game requires no reading and can provide preschoolers with an opportunity to learn.

Gamewright Outfoxed! A Cooperative Whodunit Board Game

This product was recommended by Phillip Villegas from Three Pedal Mafia

A Board Game for Kids Ages 5 and Up to Solve a Mystery. A different suspect appears in each game. You can play the game as many times as you want. A fun deduction game for kids that teaches fundamental reasoning and puts their memory to the test. A 5 year old kid is beginning to understand the decisions and makes some logical blunders. The kid A five-year-old clearly uses logic and memory to make excellent decisions. The play length is ideal for playing a quick game.

Monopoly Junior: Unicorn Edition Board Game

This product was recommended by Ryan Yount from LuckLuckGo

The Monopoly Junior: Unicorn Edition Board Game is a must-buy board game for any parent boosting their five-year-old child’s cognitive abilities. It allows kids to be more creative by giving them the chance to create their magical world and get to have fun with all kinds of unicorns. The game is very colorful and features things kids love, such as butterflies, cupcakes, presents, rainbows, and shooting stars. In addition, the game does not consume time, and it’s super fun, exciting, and designed to introduce kids to the world of monopoly.

Chutes and Ladders Game

This product was recommended by Ryan Yount from LuckLuckGo

Chutes and ladders is a fun game, and it’s a great way to introduce five-year-old kids to this classic gameplay. Children will race to win by spinning the spinner to move their pawns up the ladders and down the chutes. The game is also an excellent way for children to sharpen their skills in counting numbers and recognizing them as they traverse through the board game to the top for the price. In addition, the game is suitable for both boys and girls making it the perfect game to build your child’s social abilities.

Wildcraft! An Herbal Adventure Game

This product was recommended by Chloe Daniel from My Tutor Source

A perfect game for family time. It’s a mix of adventure and learning that connects kids with nature and everything our earth offers them. Parents usually buy this game to teach herbalism to their kids with a fun, interactive, and beautiful design.

Winning Moves Games Classic Trouble Board Game

This product was recommended by Brigida Aversa from Tiny Hoppers

Pop O’ Matic Trouble is one of the all-time great board games for kids, winning many awards over its decades-long run of chart-topping success. It is ideal for 5-year-olds, since it engages them with the super-fun Pop O’ Matic popping dice system and fast-paced action. They will love using the colourful board and game pieces while learning about problem-solving as they try to avoid being caught by an opponent’s pegs. The game is inexpensive, comes fully assembled, and doesn’t have many small pieces that are easily lost, making it the ideal addition to your 5-year-old’s game shelf.

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Written by Zak Parker

Journalist, writer, musician, professional procrastinator. I'll add more here later.

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