Playing board games with your kids can have many benefits. Board games can get your kids away from the screen and allow you to enjoy some family bonding time. On top of this, many board games can have educational benefits while still being very fun.
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Best Educational Board Games to Play With Kids
Chess
Chess is one of the oldest board games that is still played today. It’s a great game for teaching problem solving and strategy skills. In order to win, you need to keep track of all the pieces on the board while planning your moves ahead.
On top of traditional chess boards, there are chess boards available in all different themes from Harry Potter chess boards to Disney chess boards. You can teach chess to kids as young as 6 as this guide explains, although older kids are likely to appreciate the game more. Chess is a 2 player game, making it better suited to one-on-one time.
*If you are looking for board games for younger kids, check out this post: 12 of the Best Games For Kids
Scrabble
Scrabble encourages players to earn points by forming words. On top of being a great game for expanding your child’s vocabulary, Scrabble helps kids to develop math skills through adding up points and forming patterns. Plus, it helps with teaching forward planning.
You can play Scrabble with up to four players. As with chess, older kids are likely to appreciate Scrabble more.
If you run out of word ideas, don’t worry. There are lots of tools online that can help you play scrabble better such as this word unscrambler tool.
Monopoly
Monopoly encourages players to buy property around a board until one person owns all the property. It’s a great game for teaching kids money management because in order to win, you need to be able to budget well and take calculated risks.
On top of the classic version of Monopoly, there are now many other versions themed around everything from Star Wars to Pokémon. You can play Monopoly with up to eight players, making it ideal for large families.
Qwirkle
Qwirkle is a game that involves matching colors and shapes using tiles. On top of helping to build logical skills through patterns, Qwirkle is a great game for teaching strategy much like chess or Scrabble (in fact, it’s a bit like a combination of chess and dominoes).
The game is easy to set up and can be played by all ages. Up to four players can play Qwirkle at a time.
The World Game
If you’re looking for a game to teach geography skills, The World Game is the perfect option. Players compete to find the strongest fact about a country and win.
In doing so, players learn trivia about various countries from capital cities to flags. The game also teaches map orientation, helping kids to work out exactly where countries are in the world. It’s suitable for players of all ages and can be played with up to five players.
Learning doesn’t have to be boring, and you don’t have to force it on your kids. By finding the right ways to help them learn, you can have fun and bond while doing it. Board games are the perfect thing for that because they are fun and educational.
What are your favorite educational board games to play with your kids? Tell me in the comments!
