19 Addictive Board Games for Young Kids (Under 8)
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The thing about family board games is that not many of them are indeed for the entire family. Sure, Candyland is a classic, but it can be hard to find board games for 6-year-olds and 7-year-olds that older siblings and parents will also enjoy playing.
We are a game-loving family and having a newly minted 7-year-old and another one who will be 18 in three weeks (!!), finding board games we all want to play is difficult in our house. Difficult, but not impossible.
Many of the classic family games start at age 8 or even 10, which means 6 and 7-year-olds are still at an in-between age. Strategy games like Clue and Monopoly are still a little tricky for them. On the other hand, the rest of the family may not get excited about a rousing game of Chutes and Ladders.
Sound familiar? Then have no fear. I’m here to help.
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How to choose the best board games for kids
When selecting kids’ board games, it is essential to consider the personality of the child. Is the child competitive? Is the child prone to outbursts if they don’t win? Do they enjoy being challenged?
For example, when choosing a board game for 7-year-olds, Clue Jr. is for kids five and up. Will this game be too easy for your child? On the other hand, standard Clue is for kids eight and up, but does your child have the ability to be strategic enough to play it without getting frustrated? To avoid boredom and frustration, consider the child when deciding which game to buy. You know them best.
The game aisle can pretty intimidating. Is it fun? Will we all enjoy playing? Is it worth the money?
There are plenty of great family board games for 6-7-year-olds that can be fun for adults and older kids while still including the younger child in family game night.
With some searching, we have found and collected a lot of great games that the whole family loves. Below is a list of our favorites that will be the perfect addition to any board game collection.
The best board games for young kids
Catan Junior
For Ages: 6 and up
Number of players: 2-4
Time to play: 30 minutes
About the game: A modified version of the original Settlers of Catan game, Catan Junior is designed for players as young as 5. Avoid the Ghost Captain and be the first player to control seven pirate hideouts to win the game.
Classic Operation
For Ages: 6 and up
Number of players: 1+
Time to play: 10 minutes
About the game: Kids will love to "operate" without being buzzed while their parents will love the nostalgia of this classic game.
Peaceable Kingdom Race to the Treasure!
For Ages: 5 and up
Number of players: 2-4
Time to play: 20 minutes
About the game: Strategize by creating a path to beat the ogre to the treasure.
How to play Race to the Treasure video
Battleship
For Ages: 7 and up
Number of players: 2
Time to play: 30 minutes
About the game: Battleship is one of those games that most of us have likely played at one time or another. Call out a letter and number combination to see if you can hit your opponent’s ship. Keep calling out shots to sink your opponent’s ships.
Carcassonne
For Ages: 7 and up
Number of players: 2-5
Time to play: 35 minutes
About the game: Carcassonne is a classic European style game that involves strategy instead of simple luck of the draw that is typical of most children's games. Place tiles to build roads and villages and followers (the meeple pieces) to score points.
Tip: If this game is a little difficult for your 6 or 7 year olds, try playing the standard version without the farmers, or try My First Carcassonne for ages 4+.
Sorry (Classic Edition)
For Ages: 6 and up
Number of players: 2-4
Time to play: 30 minutes
About the game: Sorry has been a family game night favorite since the 1930s for good reason. The gameplay is simple; get your four pawns home to win.
Tic Tac Toe
For Ages: 6 and up
Number of players: 2
Time to play: 5 minutes
About the game: Stop wasting paper and play the classic game of Tic Tac Toe with this portable game board for fast, easy fun with kids of all ages.
Sequence
For Ages: 7 and up
Number of players: 2-12
Time to play: 30-60 minutes
About the game: Sequence is part board game, part card game. Players compete to create columns and rows. To start, the first player plays the lowest card of a particular suit and the next player plays the next-highest and so on. This goes on until the Ace is played and the sequence continues.
Classic Yahtzee
For Ages: 8 and up
Number of players: 2 or more
Time to play: 30 minutes
About the game: Roll the dice to get one of each dice combination to win the game. Like poker hands, you can get a full house, straight, three of a kind, four of a kind, or get Yahtzee with five of a kind.
Qwirkle
For Ages: 6 and up
Number of players: 2-4
Time to play: 45 minutes
About the game: Qwirkle is almost a mash-up of Dominoes and Scrabble. Receive a “hand” similar to Scrabble and put your tiles down next to like colors or patterns until the tiles form a grid. The player with the most like tiles wins the game.
Pass The Pigs
For Ages: 7 and up
Number of players: 2-4
Time to play: 30 minutes
About the game: Pass the Pigs is an easy and addictive dice game where you roll weighted pigs and score points based on how they land.
Ticket to Ride - First Journey
For Ages: 6 and up
Number of players: 2-4
Time to play: 30 minutes
About the game: Draw tickets to create train routes in order to complete your trip across the country.
Jenga
For Ages: 6 and up
Number of players: 1 or more
Time to play: 10 minutes
About the game: The object of Jenga is simple. Stack the blocks in alternating order then remove the blocks one by one. The object of the game is not to knock over the tower. The first person to do so loses the round. How to play video
Mouse Trap
For Ages: 6 and up
Number of players: 2-3
Time to play: 30 minutes
About the game: Roll the dice to race your mouse to the finish while building the mother of all mouse traps. But don’t let your mouse get caught in the trap! How to play video
Classic Trouble
For Ages: 5 and up
Number of players: 2-4
Time to play: 25-35 minutes
About the game: Trouble is one of those classic board games that has stood the test of time. There have been some changes to the game, but the gameplay is still pretty much the same. Stay out of trouble while moving all of your game pieces around the board. How to play video
Why should you play board games with kids?
First and foremost, playing games with your kids is a great family bonding experience. Board games are also great for concentration and memory. Not only that, but board games are also a fantastic way to learn life skills such as communication, critical thinking, taking turns, and conflict resolution.
New versions vs. retro versions
I hope this list has given you some ideas for great family board games to play with your six and seven-year-olds. You will see that when available, I have linked to the retro remakes of the classics on this list.
I am a sucker for nostalgia, and when it comes to the games I played as a kid, I am resistant to change. We’ve got some newer versions of these classic games, and they’re just not the same. They tend to be of lower quality, and they have added elements to the gameplay that I don’t feel enhances the game. But this is just a personal opinion, of course.
I love that stores have realized there is a market, and they are now carrying retro versions of these games. But the important thing is: Enjoy a family game night and have fun, regardless of the version you’re playing.
Final Thoughts
There are a lot of board games for 6 and 7-year-olds that aren’t too easy or “kiddie” for everyone. So make some game night snacks and your family will enjoy playing these games almost as much as your young child.