The Best Educational Board Games for 2023: Must Have Family Fun
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The best educational board games for kids & families | Learning board game suggestions for preschoolers, kindergarten, elementary, and beyond: math, logic, reading, science, history, team building, & more!
Playing board games as a family is one of our favorite ways to spend time together, and it’s even better when they are educational board games!
In addition to our family’s top 10 favorites, I’m sharing several other educational board games we enjoy when learning certain subjects, sharing with friends, on family game night, or just to mix things up.
Seriously, you can find learning board games for any subject these days: math, logic, reasoning, reading, literature, grammar, all kinds of science, history, geography, and beyond!
And – perhaps even more important than the educational benefits – there are so many benefits to playing board games as a family such as teaching kids life skills that they’ll need as they grow and contributes to strengthening relationships within the family. In fact, we consider playing board games to be an essential part of our family culture!
Learning Board Games For The Win!
Educational board games aren’t dry and dusty these days; they are adventurous, engaging, and make great gifts for Christmas, birthdays, or just because you want to introduce some new fun to your table. Board games can be great gifts for all ages, too!
From Hi-Ho Cherry-O to Catan and beyond, a fun game is always a good gift and an educational board game just makes the fun even better!
Aside from entertaining, educational board games can also help improve problem solving skills, foster communication and cooperation, and increase knowledge of a wide range of topics.
Thanks to these fun games with an educational focus, kids can practice skills with their favorite educational board games and not even realize they are growing while they’re laughing! That’s a serious mom-win right there. You go, girl!
No matter what subject your kids are learning about (math, spelling, geography…seriously, anything!), there’s an educational board game for it nowadays. There’s even a trend in the homeschooling world called gameschooling – learning through the play of educational board games! It’s so much fun and we were on that train before we even knew it had a name.
Jazz up your next family game night with one of these awesomely enjoyable board games.
PLEASE NOTE: While I’ll tell you what ages are recommended for the game, we have noticed many games are great even younger than they say (perhaps because we are avid players and our kids grow up with it? Or perhaps it’s a homeschooling family thing? Either way, we let you know what we think, too!).
And when the goal is learning (after all, you are playing educational board games to help your kids learn, right?), it’s okay if they have to think and grow a bit.
The Top 10 Best Educational (and Fun!) Board Games For Families
Here are the top 10 educational board games our family loves; we own and play each one of these and I suggest them confidently to you…be sure to let me know which your favorites are!
1. Settlers of Catan
If you’ve never settled Catan, you’re in for a treat! Settlers of Catan is hands-down our family’s top pick for must-have educational board games. The extension kit allows you at add more players and the expansion packs keep the adventures always new (our favorite is Cities and Knights).
The Junior version of this simple and fun strategy game is also enjoyable (even for parents!), and a great way to introduce your younger family members to this classic board game.
- NUMBER OF PLAYERS: Great for 2-4 players, but expansion packs allow for more!
- AGES: The box says 10+, but we have a 7-year old who is learning and plays along, too. There’s also a Catan Junior that’s fun for younger kids (and us, too!).
- PLAYING TIME: This game takes 45 minutes up to 2 hours per round, depending on how many are playing and how may expansion packs (if any) you choose to use.
- EDUCATIONAL BOARD GAME BENEFITS: Strategy is the main benefit to this game (in addition to fun). Players need to think ahead, trade cards, and consider what others are doing. Reading and addition are also part of play. It’s a great game for the entire family, and definitely a classic you’ll want in your board game collection.
One thing we invested in was board game cases to keep our Catan sets organized and easy to take along. THAT is how much we play them around here and enjoy sharing them at game nights with friends.
2. Blokus
Classic Blokus is strategy at its best. We could play this over and over again and never get bored (actually, we do!).
There’s also Blokus Trigon and Blokus Duo if you want to mix it up and have more options…or if you have a big family and want to have a Blokus marathon. It’s so much fun and accommodates a multiple number of players (from 2-4).
- NUMBER OF PLAYERS: Great for 2-4
- AGES: This is labeled as 7+, but personally we’ve had our kids start enjoying it as young as 5 years old.
- PLAYING TIME: This game takes 20-40 minutes a round, depending on how many deep thinkers you have. We usually “block” out half an hour.
- EDUCATIONAL BOARD GAME BENEFITS: This is all about strategy and thinking ahead, plus adjusting as others play. It helps develop critical thinking skills, is a great strategy game, and and is a fun way to stretch your kids’ minds.
We’ve loved Blokus for critical thinking fun for years and it’s one of the best board games we’ve invested in!
3. Qwirkle
When we received Qwirkle as a gift, we had no idea it was going to become a family favorite for years to come and that we’d also enjoy playing with company. It even comes on vacation with us!
While it’s not technically a board game, we’ve included it on this list of educational board games because it’s a great game for kids, it’s super fun as a family with younger players and older one, and it’s even interesting and challenging enough for an at home date night game!
- NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2-4 players
- AGES: 6+ per the box, but again we say younger. Even 4 & 5 year olds can hop in on this fun!
- PLAYING TIME: 1/2 hour or a little more, depending on ages and number of players
- EDUCATIONAL BOARD GAME BENEFITS: Qwirkle not only teaches kids logic, planning, observation skills, color and shape identification, and matching — it involves strategy that keeps it interesting for adults, too. This is a good game for kids who are very visual and hands-on.
4. Ticket To Ride
Ticket To Ride is another game that pulls you in. And for the younger kids, Ticket To Ride: First Journey is awesome, too.
It was a new game to us, suggested by friends after they saw how much we enjoyed Settlers of Catan, and it’s one we enjoy with our older kids and even the younger ones who are good at creative thinking and strategy.
- NUMBER OF PLAYERS: Great for 2-5 people
- AGES: 8+, per the manufacturer, but again we say 6+
- PLAYING TIME: Anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour
- EDUCATIONAL BOARD GAME BENEFITS: This is similar to Catan in that it’s primarily a strategy game. There are several different versions to help you stretch your skills in this area. Reading, addition, and geography are all included for the price of fun!
5. Sequence
Traditional Sequence is something we’ve enjoyed for what feels like half of forever.
Sequence Numbers is also great, if you can find it at a yard sale, and Sequence Letters will be under our Christmas tree this year (shhh, don’t tell the kids!).
- NUMBER OF PLAYERS: This is a wonderful group game, because it’s good for up to 12 players (2-12)
- AGES: The box says 7+, but we say 4 and up if you’re willing to help here and there
- PLAYING TIME: This game takes half an hour
- EDUCATIONAL BOARD GAME BENEFITS: This is great for matching, logic, and strategy.
6. Monopoly
This is the ultimate classic educational board game; Monopoly classic has been around for decades and there are more than 3000 editions of it available now (from your state to Star Wars and everything in between!).
For a fun new twist, check out Monopoly Builder! If Monopoly and Catan had a collision, this is the game you’d end up with.
And of course, there’s a Junior edition if you have lots of young players.
- # PLAYERS: Great for 2-8
- AGES: 8+ (although we say 6 and up!)
- PLAYING TIME: Depending on the number of players and skill levels, from hours to days (I jest, but fun fact: according to The Guinness Book of World Records, the longest Monopoly game ever played lasted 1,680 hours for 70 straight days of play…you’ve been duly warned!).
- EDUCATIONAL BOARD GAME BENEFITS: This is a strategy, math, and critical thinking classic! And because the game ends when one person has created their monopoly, it can last a long time — which makes. it the perfect game for a rainy Saturday afternoon at home.
7. The Game of Life
Life is another classic game to introduce to the next generation.
It’s one of those board games for kids and adults that makes you smile. There is a new, updated version available but some may prefer the classic due to value systems. So take note of which edition you are purchasing.
- # PLAYERS: Great for 2-4 players
- AGES: 8+
- PLAYING TIME: 30 minutes
- EDUCATIONAL BOARD GAME BENEFITS: Not only is their skill needed for the game, this is a great conversation starter and a fun way to think through the various stages of life.
8. Clue
Whodunnit? That’s what you need to find out! In this classic game of Clue, you’ll all enjoy trying to figure out the murderer.
- NUBMER OF PLAYERS: Great for 2-6
- AGES: 8+ (we say 6+)
- PLAYING TIME: 20-30 minutes
- EDUCATIONAL BOARD GAME BENEFITS: Problem solving and deductive reasoning are honed during this fun mystery. It’s a deductive reasoning, fact gathering, process of elimination game that will build critical thinking skills even while it evokes laughter.
9. Rummikub
Rummikub is a game not everyone thinks they can teach kids, but we’ve started our kids as early as first grade!
Rummikub Classic is good for when you have 2-4 players play and is so much fun the kids might not realized it’s one of the educational games you’ve stocked up on.
- # PLAYERS: Great for 2-4
- AGES: 8+ (we’ve found that as young as 5 can play, but may get frustrated, so 8+ is solid)
- PLAYING TIME: 30-60 minutes
- EDUCATIONAL BOARD GAME BENEFITS: A great STEM game, this will help with math skills, problem solving, and strategy. Your child will use sequencing, pattern recognition, and learn to plan ahead with this fun classic game.
10. Scattergories
One of my personal favorites, the classic Scattergories is pretty amazing, but I have to admit the new quick card game is also quite fabulous.
Players roll a many sided die with letters, and the letter that’s on top determines the first letter for the words each player must list out based on the cue given. Each player must list as many words as possible, and while you may not get all the answers, the highest score wins. You can play one quick round, or go for more of a marathon (we find 6-10 rounds to be a solid amount for a good game night).
- # PLAYERS: Great for 2-6 players
- AGES: 12+ (as young as 9 if your kiddo is well read and a good speller)
- PLAYING TIME: Each round is only a few minutes, so it’s up to you
- EDUCATIONAL BOARD GAME BENEFITS: Spelling, vocabulary, and thinking fast are needed for this game and will challenge players to bring their best. Lots of fun and a rare language building game great for students, those learning ESL, and families.
The 9 Most Fun & Educational Board Games For Preschool & Kindergarten (kids ages 2, 3, 4, and 5 years old)
If you’re looking specifically for educational board games to play with younger kids, but that the whole family can also enjoy, these are are our favorites – two thumbs up for kids, older siblings, and parents.
We like them because the vary in complexity and in the skills they encourage in kids. They are also simple, but good learning tools.
It’s fun to mix it up and play several in a day or binge on one and move onto the next when you’re ready. If you’ve got other board games for kids you’d recommend beyond these, be sure to leave a comment so we can try them out on our next family fun night!
Educational games can also help young children develop important social skills, too, so they are also great for play dates and in a group setting.
Through playing, children learn to work together, communicate effectively, and practice good sportsmanship. They build self esteem, as well as learn how to handle winning and losing gracefully.
Educational games also provide an opportunity for young children to learn about the world around them. Toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergarteners are always looking to learn, make connections, and discover “why” – learning board games can help with that!
Through educational games, children can learn about nature, geography, history, and more. They can also hone important math and language skills, gaining confidence and comfort in using them outside of textbooks, worksheets, and formal settings.
Educational games provide a safe and fun way for young children to learn and grow. Not only do they help children develop important skills and knowledge, but they also provide a great way for children to bond with family and friends.
Zingo
Zingo is a fun, simple way to learn sight words. This games is bingo with a twist: you identify pictures and the words with them.
Perfect for pre-readers and early readers to start learning sight words.
- PLAYERS: 2-4 players
- AGES: 4 and up
- TIME: Each round takes 3-5 minutes, and you can play as many rounds as you want
- EDUCATIONAL BOARD GAME BENEFITS: Matching, observation, early reading
Hi Ho! Cherry-O!
This delightful game will bring smiles to their faces. Hi Ho! Cherry-O teaches colors, counting, and enhances fine motor skills. More than that, though, is the hours of fun this game will bring to your family table.
- PLAYERS: 2-4 players
- AGES: 3 and up (although we’ve helped 2 year olds play!)
- TIME: 10 minutes per game
- EDUCATIONAL BOARD GAME BENEFITS: Colors, counting, fine motor skills
CandyLand
The perfect first board game for your toddler! CandyLand is a colorful adventure through a sweet imaginary land and is often one of the first board games for kids a family starts with (it’s a classic for a reason!).
There’s no need to read and kids can play this with or without an adult, which makes it a good board game for even the littlest of players. Players roll to see how many spaces they move (counting for an early way to practice math) and kids learn to take turns.
- PLAYERS: For 2-4 kids and their young at heart friends
- AGES: 3 and up
- TIME: Games take 5-15 minutes
- EDUCATIONAL BOARD GAME BENEFITS: Teaching colors, counting, and logic, this is a great introductory board game for young children.
Busytown: Eye Found It
For all fans of Richard Scarry, Busytown: Eye Found It is a delightful, oversized hidden pictures game that will teach your child subtly as they laugh and discover with their friends.
- PLAYERS: 2-4
- AGES: 3+
- TIME: 20 minutes
- EDUCATIONAL BOARD GAME BENEFITS: Not only will this game help develop your child’s power of observation, it encourages team work, attention to detail, object identification, and matching skills.
This will become one of your favorite educational board games if you enjoy pairing your activities with a book (and what homeschool mom doesn’t!?).
The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel
Educational Insights The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel is a truly unique game at a time when so many seem like recycled versions of the classics. I love it…and the kids do, too.
- PLAYERS: 2-4
- AGES: 3+
- TIME: 20 minutes
- EDUCATIONAL BOARD GAME BENEFITS: Learn color matching, fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and early strategy skills.
Shelby’s Snack Shack
Educational Insights provides another fun, one-of-a-kind game for kids with Shelby’s Snack Shack. This time children are encouraged to count and add while strengthening motor development.
- PLAYERS: 2-4
- AGES: 4+
- TIME: 20 minutes
- EDUCATIONAL BOARD GAME BENEFITS: Learn counting, early addition, fine motor skills, and hand-eye coordination.
Chutes and Ladders
Another classic game that is a part of childhood. Chutes and Ladders lets your kids build confidence with numbers and counting, learn directions, and have a blast!
- PLAYERS: 2-4
- AGES: 3+
- TIME: 10 minutes
- EDUCATIONAL BOARD GAME BENEFITS: Learn number recognition, counting, up and down directions, and learn about rewards for good deeds.
The Ladybug Game
What fun! Immerse your child in the world of backyard bugs in The Ladybug Game.This game was created by a 1st grader (which in and of itself is enough to make this one of the best educational board games for kids) and provides fun for the whole family!
- PLAYERS: 2-4 players
- AGES: 3 and up (although we’ve helped 2 year olds play!)
- TIME: 10-15 minutes per game
- EDUCATIONAL BOARD GAME BENEFITS: Learn counting, addition, subtraction, and early reading skills along with fun science facts about ladybugs and other backyard insects.
Sequence for Kids
It’s not just for tweens to adults anymore; now kids can join in the Sequence fun, too!
Sequence for Kids requires no reading, either, so kids as young as 3 can play independently (without help from a parent or big kid) and enjoy being on their own in one of the board games they’ve seen everyone else enjoy, too!
- PLAYERS: 2-4 players
- AGES: 3 and up
- TIME: 10 minutes per game
- EDUCATIONAL BOARD GAME BENEFITS: Matching, taking turns, and logic are all a part of this fun game for kids.
Best Educational Board Games for Ages 6-8
Connect 4
A true classic, Connect 4 helps kids with strategy and logic, colors and patterns, and even fine motor skills.
This is one of the best educational board games to travel with, as it is sturdy and fits easily in a knapsack.
- PLAYERS: For up to 7 players, this is great for young kids, older siblings, and parents to all play together! An
- AGES: According to the game box, it’s for ages 10+, but again…we would say 7 and up
- TIME: Games take 1-2 hours, depending on the ages of those playing and the number of players. The Junior version is about 20 minutes per game.
- EDUCATIONAL BOARD GAME BENEFITS: This game requires strategy, logic, and critical thinking. It also teaches probability. The various additions to it keep it fresh and interesting.
Labyrinth
A great logic game that changes as you play, Labyrinth is sure to engage their minds and capture their attention (and you’ll want to play, too, which makes it a super win!).
- PLAYERS: 2-4 players
- AGES: 7 and up (although we say 6 — it’s really a great game for all ages and no one will get bored!)
- TIME: 20-30 minutes per game
- EDUCATIONAL BOARD GAME BENEFITS: Problem solving, decision making, thinking ahead, strategy
Making Family Game Nights Extra Special
Along with having a good selection of the best educational and fun family board games, there are other ways to jazz up your family game nights.
Consider choosing themed snacks, music, and even dressing to a theme that goes with your selection of board games for the evening. For instance, if you’ve chosen Monopoly and Ticket To Ride as your educational board games for your event, you could pick themed snacks (Pinterest has a ton!), wear a top hat, and kick off the evening by playing the Chattanooga Choo-Choo.
You can also choose books or movies that mention the game, tie into its theme, or in some way relate to a place mentioned in it for a fun weekend them. You’ll get so much time together plus enjoy the many other board game befits, too!
What are your favorite educational board games?