As a dad, I often wonder how to keep my child engaged in something interesting, beneficial, and not boring. And this time, I'm not talking about gadgets. Over the past few years, we’ve tried a lot of board games. Some of them became favorite games, while others just helped us have fun together. In this collection, I’ve put together 7 board games for kids, especially for preschoolers, that truly work for our family.

These board games not only teach counting and support cognitive development, but also help create unforgettable moments during gadget-free family evenings. If you're interested in more options, you can check out the Unique Board Game Picks for Holiday Nights for fresh ideas that work well during the holidays. I hope this list is useful to you and that you find something exciting for yourself and your child!

Candy Land is a simple and fun game for the little ones, perfect for introducing them to the world of board games. Players draw a card, identify the color, and move their piece along a bright, colorful path towards the Candy Castle. The game is suitable even for children who can’t yet read or count, helping them learn colors and teaching them to take turns. It was such a joy to see my daughter’s excitement as she played with us on equal footing from the very first moments.

Candy Land is entirely luck-based, so there’s no need for competition or strategic thinking. This makes it accessible and enjoyable for kids of all ages (but not for toddlers - safety restrictions) and abilities, allowing them to simply enjoy adventures in the Peppermint Forest or on Gumdrop Mountain. The game teaches children patience and the importance of following rules in a lighthearted and fun environment.

Candy Land is a family game that has become a true classic for people. It brings moments of joy and reminds us of the simple pleasures of childhood. The game enables parents to play with their kids, share laughs, and create lasting memories. It’s a wonderful choice for a rainy day or a quiet evening, bringing happiness and bridging generations.

Just like Candy Land, Chutes & Ladders is a great starter board game. Its rules are simple and intuitive, even for the youngest players who can’t read yet. Players spin a numbered spinner and move their token accordingly on a 100-square board. Landing at the bottom of a ladder lets you climb up, while landing at the top of a chute sends you sliding back down. The goal is to be the first to reach square 100.

Chutes & Ladders combines counting practice with life lessons about good and bad choices. The game board illustrations depict positive behaviors that lead to ladders (helping others, studying) and negative actions that result in chutes (being mean, making messes).

This game excels at teaching juniors number recognition and counting skills up to 100. The unpredictable nature keeps everyone engaged. No player is ever completely out of contention until the final moves.

Third place goes to another game with simple rules. The game Don't Rock the Boat is a fun dexterity game where players take turns carefully placing colorful penguin or octopus figurines on a wobbly pirate ship. The goal is to add the figurines without tipping the ship and sending all the penguins into the "water."

The game develops fine motor skills and coordination. It's important for children to learn how to use their fingers, pick up small objects, and move them carefully. In this game, players must gently pick up figurines and place them on an unsteady surface, helping to improve precision and control of movements. Children also learn about balance and equilibrium because placing a figure incorrectly can cause it to fall. This greatly develops spatial thinking and introduces them to basic physical principles.

Don't Rock the Boat helps kids be patient and attentive. Rushing or careless movements can lead to failure, so the game teaches focus, slow, and deliberate actions. This is an essential skill, especially for preschoolers, who often act impulsively. The fun penguin figurines evoke more emotions in young kids than uniform wooden blocks like those in Jenga. While playing, children learn the connection between their actions and the results, which helps them better understand cause and effect.

Math Island is an educational board game where players must escape the island using math skills. Players roll the dice to receive an addition or subtraction problem within 20. Whoever solves the problem moves their token forward by the number of spaces equal to the answer. If the token lands on a "danger" space (like quicksand or a guard), the player must follow the instructions on that space, which could mean moving back or skipping a turn. The winner is the first to reach the finish line, avoiding dangers and solving math problems correctly.

Although the box indicates the age 6+, we bought it when our child was 4. We play together as a family, and my spouse and I ensure safety. At this age, a child is already capable of basic logic. Every dice roll and task becomes a small puzzle. Math Island turns math into an exciting adventure rather than a boring chore. For a preschooler just starting to explore numbers, this is invaluable. Instead of simply memorizing numbers or examples, the child actively uses them to achieve in-game goals.

By playing Math Island, a child prepares for school. They learn to count and perform basic arithmetic operations. The game also helps teach following rules and taking turns, listening to and following instructions. A child develops focus and concentration, making math a part of everyday fun activities. It also provides a strong foundation for future knowledge.

Among my collection of board games, Mouse Trap holds a special place as one that brings tons of laughter and interaction. It’s a game of luck and construction where everyone tries to be the last mouse standing on the game board. Players take turns rolling the dice and moving their mice around a board that gradually builds into a complex Mouse Trap. If a mouse lands on a build space, the player adds the next piece of the trap. Once the Mouse Trap is fully assembled, the goal shifts to collecting 6 cheese tokens. When a player has 6 tokens and their mouse lands on the special "Start the Mouse Trap" space, they can try to catch an opponent’s mouse that’s on the corresponding trap space. If the mechanism works, the caught mouse is out of the game, and the used tokens are returned to the board. The winner is the player whose mouse is the last one "free" on the island.

Mouse Trap is, first and foremost, a classic. While similar games weren’t available during my childhood in my country, it deserves a spot on the shelf as a game that evokes nostalgia. Even though the original game didn’t require collecting 6 pieces of cheese to trigger the trap, the game board itself hasn’t changed much since those days. The game mostly comes down to luck, but it’s still considered one of the strategy games. For instance, deciding where to move an opponent’s mouse using the "move a mouse" card can be very important.

Mouse Trap is an excellent tool for teaching kids about cause-and-effect relationships. They can see firsthand how one action (pressing a lever) sets off a chain of events that leads to a predictable outcome (the trap being triggered). This helps develop logical thinking and an understanding of how different components interact with each other. This "domino effect" is both exciting and educational for a child’s mind.

The next game in our family collection is Paw Patrol Sequence for Kids. It’s a simplified, themed version of the classic Sequence, specifically adapted for younger players. Unlike the original Sequence, which uses playing cards and includes more strategic "joker" cards to remove an opponent’s chips, the Paw Patrol version focuses on visual matching with characters from the show. There are no suits or numbers, making it intuitive for preschoolers. The goal of the game is to be the first to line up four chips in a row (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally) on the game board featuring character images. Players take turns drawing cards from the deck, choosing one to play by discarding it and placing their chip on the corresponding space on the board, then drawing a new card. The inclusion of two "free paw" spaces (similar to corner spaces in the original game) adds flexibility, allowing them to be part of any sequence.

My daughter's love for Paw Patrol blossomed long before the allowed two episodes a day at the age of four. But it's not just about the famous characters. Unlike many children's games where winning often depends on the luck of the dice, this one feels more like a strategy game, involving card selection and token placement. There's not always a perfect card to achieve the desired result, and a child learns to wait for the right card or the appropriate moment. This is a great way to prepare preschoolers for real life, where things don't always go their way.

The board features many characters, and the child needs to accurately match two identical characters to place a token. This requires visual searching and matching specific images, which is a more complex task and helps develop visual memory. Additionally, the child learns to "scan" the board to spot potential lines of three tokens or areas that need to be blocked. This builds the foundations for analyzing visual information, a skill that will later be useful for reading maps, diagrams, and other visual data.

Thanks to their favorite characters, the child doesn’t even notice they are in a setting that actually promotes development. And I count this as time spent with Paw Patrol. Don’t judge me please 😉!

The last item in this article is actually 4 games in one box! So, you could say I’ve revealed a total of 10 gaming opportunities. And yes, it’s PAW Patrol again, PAW Patrol The Movie Adventure City 4 Game Adventure Pack. There is a quick guide on what about.

In this game, 2-6 players race to be the first to collect their 4 unique mission tokens by searching throughout Adventure City. Players take turns rolling the dice and moving their pup figures, flipping tokens on the spaces they land on. If a player finds their mission token, they keep it. If it’s a “Lonely Pup” token, it goes to the Obedience School, bringing all players closer to losing. The game is won by the first player to collect all their mission tokens, or everyone loses if 6 “Lone Pup” tokens end up in the school.

The goal of this racing game for 2-4 players is to get all four of your pup pieces from their starting “base” around the circular track and safely back to the “home” space. Players take turns pressing the central dome to “roll” the dice. To enter the board, you must roll a 6. Pieces move along the track, and if a piece lands on a space occupied by an opponent, that opponent’s piece is sent back to their base.

This memory game, a classic among card games, is designed for 1 or more players. The goal is to collect as many matching pairs of cards as possible. All 72 cards featuring PAW Patrol characters are laid face down. Players take turns flipping over two cards, trying to find a match. If the cards match, the player keeps them and gets another turn. If they don’t, the cards are flipped back over, and the next player takes their turn. The winner is the player with the most pairs.

In this version of classic domino, 2-4 players compete to be the first to get rid of all their tiles. Instead of regular dots, the tiles feature images of PAW Patrol characters. Players take turns placing tiles so that one of their images matches the image on the open end of the chain on the table. If a player doesn’t have a matching tile, they draw from the “bank” until they find one or until the bank runs out. The winner is the first player to play all their tiles.

First, this bundle offers great value for the price. For $26, you get four diverse games with different gameplay in one box.

Second, it’s the perfect solution for hosting little guests. The beloved "Paw Patrol" characters, familiar to all kids, will immediately grab their attention. With games of varying difficulty and mechanics, it’s easy to engage children of different ages for hours in one place.

While they’re immersed in adventures with their favorite pups, you’ll have time to catch up with friends. The set allows for switching activities if kids lose interest in one game or adapting to different age groups. This ensures the kids' corner will be the epicenter of fun. In a world where kids are often glued to gadgets, this is priceless.

Looking at this opus about my pick of board games for kids, I realize it’s got everything parents could need. There are simple, colorful games for beginners and ones that help develop motor skills. Plus, there are games for building logic, tackling obstacles, thinking strategically, and even improving social skills. These aren’t just boxes filled with tokens and cards. Good board games for preschoolers are a doorway to deeper game nights. It’s amazing to see kids learning patience, taking turns, and handling setbacks, all while playing and having fun. Watching them dive into their favorite characters, make up stories, and laugh at the twists in the game is such a joy. They’re learning and growing, and honestly, what parent wouldn’t love that?