Essential Board Game Choices for Preschoolers

Choosing the right board games for your little one can be a really fun journey that you and your family can take together not all board games are equal and a lot of the staples from your childhood may not be the best choice in this modern-day and age.

Trust us that board games have come a long way since the days of trouble and Candyland and now there are some really great options available for you and your family

With all that said and done here are some great board game selections for your little one from the ages of 2 – 4 here are our top board game picks that we guarantee will not disappoint.

2 Years Old

What age is the best time to start teaching your child about the joys of board games? Well, there are plenty of people debating this around the board game community a lot of people will agree that there are some fantastic board games on the market for 2-year-olds that are bound to keep your child interested and having fun while learning each step of the way.

Here are the top 6 board games that I have found highly recommended and some brief descriptions. All of these games are have high-quality components and

Acorn Soup

Game Description

Making Acorn Soup is easy as 1-2-3! The round box bottom doubles as a bowl, which contains wooden ingredients and a sturdy wooden spoon for mixing and stirring. Simple recipe cards teach toddlers to identify the ingredients and count as they cook. Mix, stir, eat and play together! Counting, pretend play, sorting, fine-motor skills are benefits of this fun, interactive game! INCLUDES: 8 recipe cards, 24 ingredient tiles, 1 wooden spoon, parent guide and instructions.

Monkey Around

Game Description

Get ready to get up and move! Monkey Around contains 40 cards that prompt players to do movements together – from hugs to high fives, to simple skills like balancing, hopping, and marching. Included in the game is a bean bag banana that adds to the fun and learning.
A wonderful first board game for kids that was created specifically for you and your two years old. Kids love getting to move about while playing a game!

Here, Fishy, Fishy!

Game Description

In the free play, the children experiment with the fishing rod, the sea, as well as all the funny sea inhabitants. They swim happily in all directions and discover many exciting things to play with. In the game with rules, the children have to catch a fish of the colour appearing on the die. Whoever manages is rewarded by the fish and gets a toy that he can then puzzle into his template. Who is the best angler and collects all his toys first?

Check out Here Fishy Fishy on Mightyape Here

My First Orchard

Game Description

This game is based on the brand’s classic Orchard game but adapted for the smallest ones. The rules are adjusted to their age and the game material is specially designed for small children’s hands. The beautiful and handy wooden pieces are also very suitable for free play and fostering better motor skills.

Check out Here My First Orchard on Mightyape Here

Eeny, Meeny, Moo, where will I find you?

Game Description

Farm animals play hide & seek. Who wants to help search for them? Two entertaining game ideas provide diverse educational opportunities. Eagle eyes and an elephant’s memory win this farm theme hide & seek game.

Check out Here Eeny, Meeny, Moo, where will I find you? on Mightyape Here

Little Builders

Game Description

Master builder Matt is the head of the large construction site and there are lots of things to do! He has many plans for the colourful houses that have to be built today. The children help Tim the labourer transport new building blocks from the quarry to the construction sites. Time, however, passes quicker than you might think. Will you finish your houses in time before Matt and Tim’s working day is over?

Check out Little Builders on Mightyape Here

3 Years Old

Being a three year old is tricky you start to put those toddler years behind you and get ready to head towards kindy and preschool your whole world is starting to come alive as you learn new things each day.

Your board games should reflect this and that’s why this list is tailored for the three-year-old in your life here are some great board game choices that we are sure they will love and are perfect for this age group.

Race to the Treasure

Game Description

A Cooperative Game that is fun for the whole family In this game, which has won multiple awards including the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award and PAL (Play Advances Language) Approval, players try to beat the Ogre to the treasure by creating a path from Start to End.

Along the way, they need to collect three keys to open the treasure.
Players strategize, cooperate and build a path together.
If they do it before the Ogre gets there, they all win!
The game includes 1 game board, 1 pair of dice, 37 game cards, 4 key tokens, 1 Ogre snack and instructions for gameplay.
Children will learn: – Strategy & Cooperation

Check This Game out On Mightyape

Willy’s Wiggly Web

Game Description

Can you cut all the little bugs free before Willy the Spider falls from the top of the web? Watch out—it’s wiggly! Set up the web and place Willy and the 10 bugs all around the web. Pick a card, follow the instructions to cut the web, and then pass the scissors either left or right. Work together to cut all the bugs free, and you all win! Willy’s Wiggly Web encourages kids to work together to cut the bugs free from Willy. This way, kids work together, learn together and they help each other!
INCLUDES: 1 pair of child-safe scissors, 6 web posts and platform, 1 Willy spider, 10 bugs, 30 cards, instructions for 3 game levels and 50 paper webs.

Feed the Woozle

Game Description

Feed the Woozle – An Award-Winning Game of Silly Snacks and Mixed-Up Moves! The big mouth Woozle is hungry. Can you feed him 12 silly snacks, like chocolate-covered flies and hairy pickles, from the spoon before all the snacks are gone? Play together, work together, and have some monstrous fun! Instructions for play include three different game levels so the fun will grow with your child.

The game includes 1 stand-up Woozle, 24 silly snacks, 12 yummy cards, 1 die, 1 spinner, 1 spoon and instructions for three variations of gameplay.

Features

Feed the Woozle is the award-winning game of silly snacks and mixed-up moves with three play levels so it will grow with your child
Players work together to feed the hungry big-mouth Woozle 12 silly snacks from the spoon before they run out
Children learn fine and gross motor skills, counting and social development skills with no reading required
Winner of four awards including Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award and PAL (Play Advances Learning) Seal of Approval
Peaceable Kingdom packaging is all designed to be frustration free – naturally!

4 Years Old

4 Years old is fun this is the stage that kids are really starting to develop and are getting ready to head into that school-based environment here are some games to help create some learning experiences for your little one

Dinosaur Escape

Game Description

Three dinosaurs are lost in the ferns and a volcano is threatening to blow! Work together to move the dinosaurs around the board. Uncover the matching dinosaurs under the fern tokens to rescue all three dinosaurs. Get the dinosaurs safely to the island before the volcano erupts and everyone wins!

Features:

Dinosaur Escape allows kids to work together, use their memory, and incorporate a simple strategy to rescue the dinos.
They love the satisfaction of a volcano and of course, playing with dinosaurs.
Everyone plays together and everyone has fun!
Includes 3 dinosaur movers, 1 die, 1 game board, 12 fern tokens and 5 volcano puzzle pieces with a stand.

Friends & Neighbours

Game Description

Friends and Neighbors is a matching game that focuses on emotions. Can players help a little girl who’s sad because she’s standing out in the rain or a boy who’s afraid of the dark? Reach into the Helping Bag and Pull out a token – can it help someone on the game board? If so, it’s a match!

Features:

In playing the game and reading about the feelings and needs of the characters, parents can help their children recognize feelings in others – the first step to building empathy.
Includes: 4 game boards, 14 tokens, 1 helping bag, 1 stop signboard, social and emotional intelligence parent guide and friends and neighbours storybook.

Mermaid Island

Game Description

Watch out, mermaids! The sea witch is on the move.

Together, players help the mermaids to swim to Mermaid Island before the witch gets there. Spin, move and pick up a wand to gain the power to defeat the Sea Witch. The tension builds as the Sea Witch gets closer to Mermaid Island, but everyone is working together against the common obstacle of the Sea Witch so no one feels left out or left behind.

The game structure encourages teamwork and shared decision-making.

Catch Me!

Game Description

The Player who is the cat (with the wooden cup) rolls a die which tells them which of the coloured mice they must try to catch. The other players are holding the tails of each of the mice. But watch out! Only the player holding the tail of the matching mouse may pull their mouse to safety. Don’t be too jumpy or you may lose! Includes instructions for two game variations.

Features: