Playing games with your young children is so much fun for them! They love to spend time with their parents. Playing games is also a great way to build or reinforce new skills, like counting, turn-taking, and teamwork. We’ve provided a list of games you can play with your kindergartner. Some you probably played when you were their age. Others might be new to you. Check them out!
Candy Land
This traditional board game has delighted children with its sweet and colorful trail since the early 1940s. Why has it become a classic board game for the younger set? Probably because it is just the right length, includes lots of yummy ways to advance (or fall behind), and is easy to learn. Perfect for non-readers, this game is played by drawing color cards. One blue square on your card? Move your marker to the next available blue space on the trail. Two yellow squares? Move forward until you get to the second available yellow square. Scattered among the color cards are picture cards, such as Princess Lolly and Gramma Nutt. The right picture card can help you get ahead of other players, but the wrong one can set you back! Go ahead and make Candy Land a tradition on game night at your house.
Hoot, Owl, Hoot
This cooperative board game by Peaceable Kingdom has won the hearts of children and parents for its simple concept, easy play, and focus on teamwork. The goal is to get the baby owls to their nest before the sun rises. This game uses color cards and sun cards, but instead of choosing one owl for each person, the players work together to get all the owls in the nest. Once the child is advanced enough to recognize certain strategies, the teamwork can become a little more advanced. It’s a gentle game which involves a lot of fun hoots!
Uno
Does your kindergartner love numbers? Try a game of Uno! Addicting and fairly easy to learn, this card game relies on numbers (0 to 9) and colors to move the play along. It can be played with two people, but is even more fun with a group. Use the special cards, like Skip, Wild, Reverse, Draw Two, and Draw Four, to change up the action. First one out of cards wins the game! Uno is fun for both kids and adults, so it is great for family time.
Chutes and Ladders
Here’s another board game that has stood the test of time. This game involves one die, a marker for each player, and a board game sectioned off into 100 numbered squares. Ladders and slides criss-cross up and down the board, making play exciting and unpredictable. Counting off the number of squares you need to move and then moving the marker in the right direction is the challenging (and skill-building) part. Landing on a ladder square is fun because it means your marker gets to move closer to the end. Landing on a slide square takes your marker further away from the end (but kids love slides, so it’s still a little fun).
Fancy Nancy Fabulous Fashionista Game
Looking for something different for your fashion-conscious girl? This game involves matching dresses to shoes. Three complete outfits wins the game! Each dress has a number, and the matching shoes have a corresponding number. Spin a special die to determine if you pick up a dress or a shoe from the upside-down pile of cardboard cutouts. Hang the dress in your own private wardrobe (which can be decorated with the stickers provided), and set your shoes down on your special shoe-bench. Your fellow players won’t be able to see them, and you might be able to trade them for one of their shoes or dresses. Although this game might seem a little silly, Fancy Nancy does inspire creativity in many young girls, and parents will appreciate the modesty of the clothing.
Rivers, Roads, and Rails
Build a network of rivers, roads, and rails with your child! The world you build will be different each time you play the game. The game consists of many square cards. Players pick a certain number of cards and try to match them, one-by-one, onto the growing network. A road can only connect to a road, and a rail can only connect to a rail. Make sure you play this one on the floor because you will need plenty of space! Ideal for the child who loves to play with train tracks or little cars, Rivers, Roads, and Rails builds skills like turn-taking, patience, and planning ahead.
We hope you enjoy these fun games with your kindergartner!