Top-10

It is very important for parents to spend enough time with their children, and it is a pleasure to do this with a good board game. It can give a lot of pleasant emotions and memories, help distract the child from the computer or tablet, in addition, many board games not only entertain, but also develop intellectually, emotionally or physically.

However, in order for the board game to become a favorite pastime, you need to choose it correctly. In this article, I will try to give maximum useful advice on choosing, and also offer readers a rating of the best popular children’s desktops.

Rating of board games for children

Hasbro Jenga Games

A simple yet fun game suitable for kids aged 6+. It will be a great option for family leisure or a holiday in honor of the child’s birthday.

The game consists of 54 polished wooden blocks that are used to create an 18-story tower. Each tier in it consists of 3 bars, and each next floor is laid perpendicular to the previous one. Players alternately take one block from the lower levels of the tower and put it on top. It is forbidden to get the bars from the top three levels, touch the turret with both hands at the same time. The loser is the player on the course of which the structure collapses.

Cosmodrome Games Imaginarium. Childhood

Children’s version of the popular game Imaginarium. It differs from the «adult» version only in the illustrations on the game cards, the rules of the game remain the same. Each round, one of the players puts one of his cards face down on the table and says what he associates with the picture on it. After that, the rest of the players also lay out one card face down, choosing those on which the picture best suits the named association. The cards are shuffled and opened, after which the players try to guess which one the host has laid out. Depending on how the votes are divided, it is determined how many steps forward each player’s chip must go across the playing field.

Asmodee Dobble

A dynamic card game suitable for family leisure, children’s parties. It consists of a set of round cards, each featuring a unique set of drawings. Any two cards in the set will have one match, and the task of the players in this case is to find and sound it faster than their opponents. In the information booklet that comes with the game, 5 variants of the rules are described, in addition, no one bothers to compose your own, home edition.

Tenth Kingdom Sea Battle

An improved version of the classic Sea Battle, the favorite game of all schoolchildren and students. It is played according to standard rules — players take turns choosing a square on the opponent’s playing field, trying to «shoot» one of the ships of his fleet. The winner is the one who first sank the entire flotilla of the opponent.

The set includes two game tablets, with two playing fields in each. The lower field is intended for placing the player’s ships, and the upper field, stylized as a radar, is for indicating the results of firing at the enemy. Hits are marked with red chips, misses are marked with white.

Ravensburger Cucaracha

An original and fun board game that will appeal to both children and their parents. The playing field here is a labyrinth, all the walls in which are made in the form of cutlery: spoons, forks and knives. Each wall segment freely rotates around its own axis. A mobile nano-cockroach will be placed in the center of the labyrinth, which independently moves along the corridors.

On their turn, each player rolls a special die, on the sides of which cutlery is depicted, looks at what has fallen out, and then rotates any corresponding wall element by 90 degrees. The task of each of the players is to pave the way for the cockroach to their corner of the map. After reaching this goal, the winner receives a token, and the game starts again. The game ends after one of the players has collected 5 victory points. While playing, the child learns to quickly plan his actions, develops a reaction, learns to calculate his moves.

Monopoly My first Monopoly with a terminal

Children’s version of the famous economic game «Monopoly». It differs from the adult version by a reduced size of the playing field and somewhat simplified rules that allow to reduce the time of the game, and a brighter design. So, the players’ chips are made in the form of cute cats, dogs, cars and steamboats, and skate parks, ice cream parlors and toy shops act as businesses here.

The specificity of this variety is the presence of an electronic funds control system, which made it possible to abandon paper notes that wear out quickly. Each player has his own electronic card, and all operations to transfer funds from account to account are carried out using a special machine — «ATM». The game helps to explain to the child the basics of the economy and the functioning of the banking system.

Boring games Mister Twister

The classic «twister» is not a board game in the full sense of the word, since the playing field is usually laid out on the floor, but it is most often referred to in this category anyway. This version of the game is designed in the style of Disney cartoons, its packaging is decorated with images of Bambi the deer and Thumper the rabbit.

The rules of the game are standard: the set contains a playing field, on which there are 4 rows of 6 colored circles in each: green, red, yellow and blue. With the help of a special tape measure, the leader determines the player’s limb and the color of the circle on which he must place it. The one who touches the floor with his elbow, knee or fifth point is eliminated, and the last player remaining on the field wins.

DoJoy Effects Fiction

An adventure game for children aged 4+, developed by a professional speech therapist. The task of the players here is to guide their figure-hero through the entire playing field, completing tasks from the cards along the way. The tasks here are varied and aimed at improving diction, fine motor skills, and creative abilities. The big advantage of the game is the absence of a competitive element. The standard rules assume that the game ends in victory when all players return to the castle, and tasks can be solved by joint efforts.

HOBBY WORLD Kids Mafia

The classic «Mafia», adapted for children of primary school age. The role of the «mafia» here is performed by predators who want to capture the magical forest and drive out all the inhabitants from there. At night they go hunting, during the day they disguise themselves as peaceful animals. The task of the inhabitants of the forest is to reveal and expel predators, the same ones win if they drive away a sufficient number of herbivorous animals.

The game «children’s mafia» has a bright, «childish» design, unable to scare anyone, while the rules have not been changed or simplified. Both civilians and predators have characters with special abilities, and their number in the game is determined by the rules, depending on the total number of players.

What are board games for children

At the moment, there are a huge number of board games suitable for children, so it can be very difficult for a person who has not previously encountered them to understand the assortment offered by stores. I will try to explain what desktops are and how they differ. This information will certainly help you figure out which game to buy for your child.

Board games can be classified by:

• the number of players;
• according to the degree of cooperation;
• by dynamics;
• type.

If desired, this classification can be expanded and developed, but these points are enough to get an idea of ​​\u200b\u200bwhat a particular game has to offer. Below I will provide a more detailed breakdown of each category.

Number of players

This indicator displays the minimum and maximum number of people who can play the game. This indicator is strictly stated in the board rules and is usually indicated on the box. There are games that allow you to play alone, two, three or more people.

In some cases, you can try to play the game with fewer players. Than it is provided by the rules, however, in this case, part of the mechanic will not work correctly. If too large a company gathers at the table, there will not be enough cards or other game materials for everyone, and the game will stretch out and lose momentum.

Degree of cooperation

Board games can be divided into:

• competitive, in which each player seeks to beat his partners;
• cooperative, in which players jointly oppose game mechanics;
• «All on one» is the rarest type of board game in which one or more players oppose the rest, united in a team.

Moreover, each game can have its own characteristics, prescribed in the rules. So, in some competitive board games, players can form situational alliances, while in cooperative ones there may be competitive elements.

Dynamics

According to this indicator, board games are usually divided into turn-based and dynamic. The first category includes, for example, classical chess or checkers, in which the sequence of steps is strictly defined. In dynamic games, like dobble, everything depends on the reaction of the players, each of which can make its move at any time.

game type

The most extensive way to classify. Board games can be divided into:

• classic — chess, checkers, dominoes, lotto, mahjong;
• card games — any games that use any cards or cards;
• role-playing — games in which players take on the role of a character with their own characteristics and abilities;
• military — board games in which real or fictional battles are played. The most common example here will be «sea battle».
• economic — here the players will have to engage in some kind of «economic activity» — production, trade, etc.;
• strategic — games in which the player usually has to deal with military operations, economics, diplomacy at the same time, trying to achieve the goals set for him with the help of these tools;
• adventure — here the game usually moves according to a certain scenario, and the task of the players is to achieve their goals by performing certain actions provided by the game mechanics;
• logical and intellectual — a variety of quizzes and puzzles;
• mobile — suggest that the players in the process will have to take active actions;
• detective in them players need to expose criminals or investigate any crimes.

This classification is not exhaustive, and any game can belong to several categories at once. Thus, chess is simultaneously a classic, logical and intellectual game, and the well-known mafia combines the features of a card, role-playing and detective game.

How to choose board games for your child

In order for the game to interest the child, it is necessary to choose it wisely. For this it is necessary to take into account:

• recommended age;
• party duration;
• individual preferences of the child;
• available number of players;
• the dimensions of the playing field;
• the quality of the elements of the game.

Let’s analyze each point in more detail.

Recommended age

On the packaging of the vast majority of board games indicate what age category they are designed for. This number determines both the overall design of game elements and the complexity of the rules and mechanics, as well as the overall direction of the game.

You can start playing board games from 3-4 years old. For this age category, simple “walkers” are intended, in which players take turns throwing a die and moving chips around the field, games in which it is supposed to find pairs of identical objects or sort them according to a common feature.

At 5-7 years old, you can offer your child simple logic, role-playing and adventure games. At 8-12 years old, he will already cope with a simple strategic or economic game, and starting from 13-14 years old, a teenager can already quite cope with any board games, with the exception of those that have an 18+ limit.

Before you buy a game, be sure to look at what age category it is designed for, find the rules or a video review on the Internet to understand whether the child will cope with the tasks.

Party duration

Different games require different amounts of time. In some cases, one game can last 5-10 minutes, while a large game can take several hours. Here you need to remember that perseverance is not the strongest feature of young children, so it is advisable for them to choose board games that take no more than half an hour, and leave longer games to older children.

Individual preferences

All children are different: someone may love cars, and someone may love animals or dinosaurs. The right choice can only be made by knowing what the child’s temperament and range of interests are, otherwise the gift runs the risk of being in the back drawer after several trial batches.

Available number of players

The creators of any board game develop its balance based on how many people will play it. If you plan to play with two or three people, it makes no sense to take a game designed for 5, since most of the mechanics invented by the author will not work as they should, and the gameplay will be very boring. The opposite is also true — a game designed for 1-2 people is not suitable for a large company.

Dimensions

An important indicator in a situation if you choose a game that could entertain a child in the car. Some tables do not require much space, allowing you to sit on a table in a train compartment, while others require a large dining table or a large area of ​​​​the floor. There is a simple rule at work here. The larger the box with the game, the more space you will need in order to decompose its elements.

Quality

An important aspect for a children’s board game, especially if it is designed for a younger age category. Toddlers are not always neat and do not control their movements well enough, so it is good if the game elements are strong and wrinkle-resistant and large enough so that they cannot be put into their mouth or nose or simply lost. Pay attention also to the fact that all parts of the game are safe and they could not be injured.

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