Looking for ways to keep your child away from screens and develop their critical thinking and reasoning skills? Board games are a fun and engaging way to achieve this. However, not all board games are suitable for young children, and it can be challenging to find the right game that will keep them interested and challenged.
If you have a 6-year-old child, we have compiled a list of the best board games for them. From cooperative games to strategic ones, there is something for every preference. Whether your child loves action-packed games or adorable character games, we have got you covered. So, let’s explore the top board games for 6-year-olds that are not only entertaining but also educational.
In This Article
HappyBabyHub’s Best Board Games For 6-Years-Olds Picks
1. Hasbro Gaming Cootie
Are you ready to make new memories with your 6-year-old? Introduce them to the classic Cootie game and have a blast building crazy bugs together! Spin the spinner and hope it lands on the part you need to complete your bug before your opponents do.
With plastic insect bodies, heads, and accessories in a variety of bright colors, the creative possibilities are endless. Let your kids’ imaginations run wild as they mix and match the pieces to make their wildest bug creations. The first player to build a complete bug wins!
2. HABA Inspector Mouse: The Great Escape
In the game of Inspector Mouse, players take turns locking up criminals by spinning a dice and turning the door in the appropriate direction. But watch out! If you don’t keep track of the crooks’ positions, you might not be able to catch them all before the alarm goes off.
This game is great for cooperative play, where everyone works together to catch the bad guys, or for competitive play, where only one player can come out on top. It’s up to you to decide how you want to play each time.
3. ThinkFun Zingo Bingo
The Zingo bingo game is simple to play and comes with a special zinger gadget as well as an easy-to-follow instruction booklet. To win, you must slide the zinger, make a match, and complete the card. Children’s motor, language, and coordination abilities may all be improved through this competitive, fast-paced game. This entertaining game can accommodate up to seven players and is best suited for kids ages four and above.
4. Hasbro Gaming Trouble Board Game
Get ready for an action-packed and thrilling game of Trouble! First, place your pegs onto the board and get ready to roll the Pop-O-Matic die. The die could let you move your pegs to the Start, move them ahead, or even make you skip your turn while others advance.
To win, you’ll need to get all of your pegs to the Finish space by traveling the full length of the board. But watch out, if another player’s peg lands in the same spot as yours, you’ll have to restart that peg. It’s a race to the finish and the first one to get all four pegs to the Finish area wins!
5. Magic Labyrinth
The Master Wizard’s apprentices unintentionally misplaced certain items in the Magic Labyrinth. They must now make an effort to find them before the Master realizes they are missing. The young wizards keep running into invisible walls in this magical maze, which forces them to restart. As you make your way through the maze and get the Master Wizard’s approval, hone your memory and demonstrate your talent.
6. Peaceable Kingdom Stories of The Three Coins
Let’s take a journey to Storia where a traveler is on a quest for a happy ending! It’s up to you to guess how they’ll make it there. First, a Traveler card is selected and the first player begins the tale. As they tell the story, they flip over three cards and use magic coins to mark the next card they think should come up – keeping it secret from the others.
Now it’s time for the other players to guess which card was selected. But be careful! If you guess incorrectly, the inkwell marker drops a notch. Work together to tell the story, incorporating thrilling details from the booster dice. Can you come up with a happy ending before the ink runs out?
This imaginative and collaborative game is perfect for fans of role-playing, fantasy, or creative games. It’s a fun way to exercise creativity and storytelling skills with friends and family.
7. Hasbro Gaming Guess Who?
Let’s revisit a classic childhood game – Guess Who? – and introduce it to your little ones for a fun-filled time. Each player picks a mystery character card and asks yes or no questions to guess the identity of their opponent’s mystery person. This version includes unique character names and artwork like Sam with a cap, Amy with spectacles, and Al with a thick white beard.
Challenge your opponents to multiple rounds or ramp up the difficulty level by waiting until the third turn to ask whether the mystery person is a boy or girl. This board game is perfect for children aged 6 and up to flex their deduction skills and have a blast!
8. Gamewright Outfoxed!
Mrs. Plumpert’s cherished pot pie has vanished, and a chicken Chase must now solve the mystery! You walk around the board in Outfoxed to acquire clues, then utilize the unique evidence Scanner to eliminate suspects. The guilty fox is hurrying out the door, so you need to work together swiftly! Will you stop the ravenous troublemaker before it flees or will you be outfoxed?
9. The Floor is Lava
Your little ones will need to imagine the floor is boiling lava and jump from foam piece to foam piece, trying to avoid falling in. Players will spin the color wheel and then make a quick move to the same-colored foam tile before the timer runs out. This game is perfect for both kids and adults who want to have a blast while getting active.
Your children will enhance their strength, fitness, balance, and stamina while hopping around on these sturdy, non-slip foam stepping stones. These stepping stones are versatile and can be used indoors or outdoors.
10. Hasbro Gaming CONNECT 4
Get ready for some thrilling disc-dropping fun with Connect 4, the classic game that’s perfect for playing with your 6-year-old! The goal is simple: be the first player to connect four discs in a row by dropping your red or yellow discs into the grid. But watch out! Your opponent may be plotting their own strategy to block your every move and line up their own four discs in a row.
11. IELLO: Detective Charlie
Join Detective Charlie Holmes in solving the mysteries of Mysterville! Something strange is happening in town, and you need to put on your detective hat and interview the locals to crack the case. Every person you talk to will have valuable information that will aid in your investigation. But don’t waste time, the clock is ticking!
You only have until 5 o’clock to get to the bottom of this mystery and return to the police station for tea time with Detective Charlie. Can you solve the crime and be back in time for a cuppa? The fate of Mysterville rests in your hands!
12. Blue Orange Games Dragomino
Join the exciting adventure of Dragomino, the kid-friendly version of Kingdomino! Get ready to build your very own kingdom and collect as many dragon eggs as possible. Explore unknown territories and search for mighty dragons while matching beautiful sceneries.
Select a domino to add to your kingdom, then compare it to the already placed dominoes. Make sure to match the right scenery and earn an egg – either a plain one or with a cute little dragon inside! The player who collects the most dragon eggs at the end of the game is the winner!
13. 5 Second Rule Jr.
It might sound simple to list three ice cream flavors, but can you manage it while twisting down for five seconds and with the other players looking at you? You have to speak quickly, so simply say anything that comes to mind and run the risk of giving stupid responses – because we all like a good chuckle and that would be amusing!
14. Mouse Trap Kids Board Game
Are you ready for a wild and wacky game of Mousetrap? Pick your favorite mouse character, Sneakers Mouse, Nacho Mouse, or Pepper Mouse, and get ready to set the trap! Spin the cheesy spinner and navigate through the maze. Keep your eyes peeled for your friends’ mice in the corny trap region, where you can catch them with the crazy contraptions made by Hungry Hippo and Girafalaff. Scramble around and try to catch a mouse before anyone else does!
15. Marvel Avengers Top Trumps Match Board Game
Get ready for an epic battle of wits with Top Trumps Match, the Crazy Cube Game, featuring your favorite Marvel Avengers heroes, such as The Hulk, Captain America, and Iron Man! The goal is to match five of your preferred Marvel characters in a row before your opponent does.
But beware, your opponent may still come out victorious by matching the winning character on their Top Trumps card. It’s a game of strategy and luck, so choose your moves wisely! Get ready to experience the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat!
16. Sorry! Game
In order to win the Sorry! game, you have to slide, collide, and score. The distance that you can move one of the pieces on the board depends on the cards you draw. You can quickly reach the finish and bump either your own pawns or those of your opponents if you fall on a slide.
Overpawn your opponents and take cover in the inaccessible Safety zone. Up until they have all three of their pawns from Start to Home, the children keep moving and bumping. But be careful—if the pawn gets bumped, you have to start all the way back at the beginning!
17. HABA Rhino Hero
What is that? Is it an animal scaling the wall? Rhino Hero is once more on the go. The superhero from the animal kingdom bravely climbs the tallest buildings in search of thieves and outlaws. He is as intelligent as a fox, as muscular as a lion, and as hefty as a rhinoceros. Therefore, even the most sturdy structure may begin to sway when Rhino Hero is around. Can you assist Rhino Hero in completing his shaky building task and erecting the tallest and most sturdy skyscraper possible?
18. CATAN Junior
Embark on an exciting adventure in Catan Junior that will leave aspiring swashbucklers wanting more! Perfect for kids and families, this game is designed for players as young as five years old. The game is set on a ring of islands, each with its own unique features, such as Spooky Island, where the Ghost Captain resides. Players must construct hideouts on each island, while also collecting resources like wood, goats, molasses, and weapons to achieve their goals.
19. Hasbro Gaming Trouble: DreamWorks Trolls World Tour
Join Poppy, Branch, Cooper, or Queen Barb as they journey through the colorful and musical Trolls universe. But watch out for Delta Dawn, the Country Trolls’ mayor who can only be stopped by Tiny Diamond!
Land on a Guitar space to take a shortcut and have even more fun. The aim of the game is to be the first to move all four of your troll pawns onto the finish square. In addition to the classic Pop-O-Matic dice roller, this game features a die with symbols that can change a player’s move or strategy. Get ready to mix things up and have a blast with your Trolls-loving 6-year-old!
20. Ticket to Ride First Journey Board Game
This game is perfect for introducing 6-year-olds to the cross-country travel game with its simplified rules and a new map. Players collect train cards and compete to connect cities from coast to coast, just like in Ticket to Ride. But in this version, routes are shorter, and players draw railway cards from a deck. The game ends when one player completes six tickets and claims the golden ticket as their prize.
How Do Board Games Help 6-Years-Old?
Board games can help 6-year-olds improve their cognitive skills, social skills, and problem-solving skills. They can also help 6-year-olds learn about rules and fair play. Board games can be a fun and educational way for 6-year-olds to spend time with family and friends.
How Do I Keep My 6-Year-Old From Losing All The Pieces Of A Board Game?
It can be very frustrating when your child loses the pieces to their favorite board game. Here are a few tips to help prevent this from happening:
- Store the game in a special place: A small toy box or a shelf in their closet dedicated to board games can help remind your child to be careful with the pieces.
- Play with your child: Showing your child how to handle the pieces with care will help them be more careful when they play on their own (1).
- Supervise game time: If you can, try to sit with your child while they play to make sure the pieces don’t go missing.
- Make piece replacement a rule: Before starting the game, explain to your child that if any pieces go missing, the game will have to be put away until all the pieces are found. This will help motivate them to keep track of the pieces.
My Child Can’t Sit Still Very Long, Can They Play Board Games?
There’s no need to worry if your child can’t sit still for very long – there are plenty of board games that are perfect for kids with short attention spans! Try games that are fast-paced and full of action. For something a little more challenging, try memory or matching games. Whatever you choose, your child is sure to have a blast. We included both fast-paced and long board games in this list. The most important thing is your supporting your child by encouraging them to have fun and express themselves (2).
Can My 6-Year-Old Play Adult Board Games Like Monopoly?
There’s no hard and fast rule when it comes to playing adult board games with kids. It really depends on the maturity of the child and the game itself. Monopoly, for example, can be a fairly complex game for younger children. If your child is interested in playing, it might be worth trying a simpler version of the game first. There are also many board games specifically designed for kids that adults can enjoy too.
