Best Board Games and Card Games for Toddlers and Preschoolers
Kids this age are a tough crowd. They want your time and attention, but maybe you’ve read the same book 20 (million) times already and you’re looking for something different to do.
Cue introducing board games and card games. It’s a new activity that allows you to focus on your child while they learn valuable skills, all through a game.
You don’t have to go hunting through Pinterest for crafts that use supplies you don’t have. It’s simple. You grab a game and get started.
Except what games work for a 2-year-old?
Can your 2-year-old and 5-year-old play together? And let’s be real, you don’t want to play a boring game 20 (million) times. That was the problem with the book.
I’ve got you covered! This list includes the top 11 board games for kids ages 2-5 based on real experiences playing these games with kids. These are the games that have us coming back again and again for these ages.
Best Board Games for Kids Ages 2-5
This is THE number 1 game I start playing with kids as young as 2-years-old. Even if they don’t know numbers yet, play with your hands face up so you can help them. Not only do you have a fun way to connect with your toddler, they’re also learning. While playing this game they’ll practice matching, number recognition, color recognition, patience, and taking turns.
2. Happy Bunny
This simple game includes color and number recognition as you move the bunny along the board and pull carrots. You sort the carrots based on which ones have a bite, then line them all up and the longer line determines whether the players (the bunny) or the farmer wins.
3. Candyland
Kids love this game and it’s simple. It practices color recognition, taking turns, and patience. The biggest downside is that it’s BORING for adults. It makes this list because it’s one of the first games I introduced to my kids and it’s a great place for them to start. But before you leave this page in disgust, try this: give this to your kids and let them play it together without adults. This is one of the first games I let them have unrestricted access to so they could play on their own.
4. Dinosaur Escape
This game will capture any dinosaur-loving kid as you play together to save the baby dinos before the volcano erupts. It’s cooperative, works memory and counting skills, and includes cute dinosaur figures. Plus, you can make it easier by leaving the tokens flipped face up once revealed or make it more difficult by only flipping tokens in the same color section that the dinosaur you moved is in.
5. Race to the Treasure
Of all the kid games I’ve played, this is one of my favorites! It doesn’t get boring over multiple plays (like some other games already named). It’s cooperative and teaches number recognition, letter recognition, and how to use a grid system. Caution: might lead to adorable mispronunciations like calling the ogres “yogurts.”
6. Chutes and Ladders
This is another that kids love, but adults lose interest in quickly. It’s a good upgrade from Candyland because it adds numbers and different movement rules (with the chutes and ladders). It’s another that I let my younger kids have unlimited access to so they could learn to play independently.
7. Sorry
This classic game has all the makings of a great board game for kids, like simple mechanics that offer practice in skills like counting, number recognition, and sportsmanship. My kids started playing this shortly after Candyland and Chutes and Ladders.
8. Spot It
Every card has one match and kids love to find it! The toughest part of this game is the speed. You can start them slow and work up to playing faster as their recognition gets better and better. It also has variations and staying power: I’ve played with elementary aged kids and adults.
9. Hoot Owl Hoot
This game is like a cooperative upgrade from Candyland. You must move all the owls to the nest before the sun reaches the end of its track. Like Candyland, the owls move when a player plays a color card, but unlike Candyland, you can move the owls farther by working together.
10. Outfoxed
Guess which fox stole the pie by moving across the board to find clues. If you find enough clues before the fox gets to the hole, you can guess the fox’s identity and win the game. This is another game I don’t mind playing several times and it’s one of the more advanced games on this list.
11. Sleeping Queens
When I realized how few games I had that I could play with kids this age, I went searching and this is the first one that I bought. I’ve played this with 3-year-olds, with our hands face up for a little help. It introduces more complex mechanics (like offensive and defensive special cards), number recognition, and addition.
BONUS: Any Memory or Matching Game
Start playing matching games along with Uno, as an introduction to games in general. Find one with a theme the kid will love! If it’s too hard at first, start with a small number of matches and work your way up to a higher number.
Games with the Most Staying Power
So you’ve seen the whole list, but the next question is will you need to buy a whole new set of games as soon as your kid ages out of these? No, not with this list.
Not every game on this list works well past age five (I’m looking at you Candyland and Chutes and Ladders!), but several of them will last years after this age range and a few are games I still play with other adults.
1. Outfoxed
Players ages 2-5 often need more support to plan and prioritize in this cooperative game, and as an adult playing, I often find myself filling in the gaps. With a few more years of practice, children can shift into a more active planning role and the game will continue to be enjoyable for several years as they claim ownership of the planning and prioritization aspects of the game.
2. Sleeping Queens
As players grow and learn more skills (first matching, then addition), Sleeping Queen’s rules naturally offer more opportunities (the ability to draw more cards at once). Not only will players have more play options, they’ll also master the use of the special cards, unlocking the ability to hold onto them until the right moment or taking risks to see if they pay off. These layers offer several extra years of playability.
3. Sorry
With several years of experience, Sorry becomes the opportunity to test the more nuanced skills that allow players to play the game well. Your 5-year-old can probably beat you at Sorry, but can they beat you when they play with five cards in their hand? My family owns multiple games of Sorry, and our “forever” copy has a variant where players play a card from their hand each turn. We had so much fun playing with adults using this new variant!
4. Spot It
As Spot It players grow, they’ll get faster and the games will truly turn into the friendly competition that gets everyone at the table talking. Even groups of adults can enjoy this one, especially with the number of variants it offers to keep things interesting.
5. Uno
I consider Uno the longest-lasting game on this list, and the decades it’s been around only support my opinion. It’s familiar and versatile, meaning once the very youngest of players learns the game, they’ve unlocked the chance to play with just about anyone. Your 5-year-old with several years of experience can do well in small groups, large groups, groups of kids, groups with adults and kids, or inviting grandparents or great-grandparents to play.
Where to Start
So instead of reading that book AGAIN or loading everyone into the car to hunt for craft supplies, try one of the games from this list!
Starting with zero playing experience? Try Uno for any of these ages as a simple starting point with the most longevity.
If your little player has already mastered the simplest games from this list, Race to the Treasure or Sleeping Queens are a great step up to acquire fundamental skills to continue on their board game journey.