7 Cooperative Board Games for Kids Under 8
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Board games are a great way to take a break from the screens to enjoy quality time with family and friends. Cooperative board games for kids can provide hours of fun and laughter while working together as a team.
Not only are they a lot of fun, they also teach valuable skills like teamwork and problem-solving. In this post, we’ll take you through the benefits of cooperative board games, how they work, where you can buy them locally or online, and more!
What is a cooperative board game?
Cooperative board games are designed to be played by multiple people who work together toward achieving the same goal. They’re different than competitive or solo games because they require players to cooperate and help each other out in order to win, rather than fighting with one another over.
Cooperative board games also have no winners or losers; everyone wins!
What are the benefits of cooperative board games?
Cooperative board games have many benefits! Some key ones include developing social skills like problem-solving in a fun way, building confidence through making mistakes without fear of being judged or laughed at by other players, and learning to work together with others towards a common goal.
Cooperative board games also promote empathy by asking you to put yourself in someone else’s shoes – sometimes the fate of your favorite character depends on how well you cooperate with each other. Finally, they’re designed to be played over multiple rounds so you can play time and again, which can be great for families or groups of friends who want to continue playing together!
How cooperative board games work
Cooperative board games are designed so that everyone has a turn. In some rounds you will have more turns than others; in other rounds, your team may lose one turn while the other players move ahead.
Cooperative games typically contain hidden information (like cards) which must be uncovered by all players working together – this means no player is ever kept out of the game because they had too few turns where they could contribute to uncovering secret information.
You’ll also find cooperative games with mechanisms like dice rolling as well as worker placement mechanics that require teamwork from every member of your group!
Recommended cooperative board games for kids
Cooperative board games are a great way to teach young children about teamwork and compromise while having fun.
Count Your Chickens
For ages: 3+
Number of players: 2-4
Time to play: 15 minutes
About the game: Count and work together to collect the baby chicks to bring them all back to the coop safely before Mama Hen gets home.
Video: How to play Count Your Chickens
Outfoxed!
For ages: 5-15
Number of players: 2-4
Time to play: 20-30 minutes
About the game: Find out who the guilty fox is in this fun cooperative whodunit! Roll the dice to reveal the suspects or find clues. Use the decoder to eliminate suspects, and teamwork will help you find the suspect!
Video: How to play Outfoxed!
Race to the Treasure!
For ages: 5+
Number of players: 2-4
Time to play: 20 minutes
About the game: Work together to beat the ogre to the treasure by building the path and collecting three keys.
Video: How to play Race to the Treasure!
Hoot Owl Hoot
For ages: 4-8
Number of players: 2-4
Time to play: 15 minutes
About the game: Players work together to help the owls get back to their nest before sunrise. Match a color card to the same colored space to move along the board until you get the owls back home.
Video: How to play Hoot Owl Hoot!
Dinosaur Escape
For ages: 4+
Number of players: 2-4
Time to play: 10 minutes
About the game: Help the dinosaurs escape to safety before the volcano erupts by working together to flip the fern tokens over and find matching dinosaurs. Move them around the board to help the dinosaurs escape to safety before the volcano erupts!
Video: How to play Dinosaur Escape.
Cauldron Quest
For Ages: 6+
Number of players: 2-4
Time to play: 20 minutes
About the game: Use strategy and problem-solving skills, work together to find the ingredients you will need for casting spells. But watch out for the wizard who will try to block your way.
Video: How to play Cauldron Quest.
Friends and Neighbors: The Helping Game
For ages: 3+
Number of players: 1-4
Time to play: 10 minutes
About the game: In this game for young children, they will choose a token from the bag and see if they can help someone. While playing this game they will learn about empathy, feelings, and helping others. They can play alone or cooperatively with up to three other people.
Video: How to play Friends and Neighbors.
Many more cooperative board games for families can be found in different stores from big-box retailers to Amazon and toy stores. Cooperative games like these promote math, language development, social skills, and more! Pick one (or a few) out and plan a family game night!
