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10 Best Board Games for Toddlers

Updated 15 September 2020

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Daniel Booth

Daniel is our primary content producer here at TheToyZone. He is a big kid at heart and a self confessed geek. His mission is to find toys that kids will treasure, researching and writing about toys he wants to play with himself.

Toddlers develop fast, so having fun at this age should also be educational. Playing board games can help a toddler develop cooperation and critical thinking skills and learn how to take turns and win or lose gracefully. Not to mention, board games are fun! The problem is, which kinds of board games are toddler-friendly?

Monopoly or Trivia Pursuit isn't going to go down well with the little ones. So to help you choose, we‘ve picked out the 10 best board games for toddlers. We picked only games that have been tried, tested, and highly rated by real parents, and we didn‘t include any with fake reviews.

  • 1Zobmondo!! The Ladybug Game, Great First Board Game for Boys and Girls, Award-Winning Educational Game, Kids’ Game for Ages 3 and Up

    B0008ELWYG-Zobmondo!! The Ladybug Game, Great First Board Game for Boys and Girls, Award-Winning Educational Game, Kids’ Game for Ages 3 and Up

    With The Ladybug Game, kids help the multicolored ladybugs find their way back home. It can be played with up to four players. It is a game that's both fun and educational, so tots can learn about reading and counting through numbers, colors, and symbols. Even better, this game was created by a child for children.

    What we love

    • Toddlers can still understand without having to read
    • Features brightly colored, vivid artwork

    What We Don't Like That Much

    • There's a chance the game may last a long time
  • 2Orchard Toys Crazy Chefs Children's Game, Multi, One Size

    B000MLYPB2-Orchard Toys Crazy Chefs Children's Game, Multi, One Size

    Crazy Chefs is one of the best board games for toddlers because it teaches them just how much fun it can be to cook in the kitchen. It comes with five boards, each with a different chef, and kids work to make one of the five menu options first to win. There are various ingredients used so tots can discover new foods.

    What we love

    • Straightforward enough so that it's easy to learn
    • Pieces seem thick and long-lasting

    What We Don't Like That Much

    • May benefit from the pieces being larger
  • 3Wonder Forge Richard Scarry's Busytown, Eye Found It Toddler Toy and Game for Boys and Girls Age 3 and Up - A Fun Preschool Board Game,Multi-colored

    B002V3RCE6-Wonder Forge Richard Scarry's Busytown, Eye Found It Toddler Toy and Game for Boys and Girls Age 3 and Up - A Fun Preschool Board Game,Multi-colored

    Suitable for two to four players, the Richard Scarry's Busytown Eye Found It is a fun, cooperative game that has kids racing around the streets of Busytown. The game encourages teamwork and it can help kids with object identification as they search for those elusive hidden items.

    What we love

    • Cute way for kids to learn about teamwork
    • Simplistic design that helps toddlers understand it quickly

    What We Don't Like That Much

    • Some of the object locations might be too easy to find
  • 4Educational Insights The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game for Preschoolers & Toddlers, for Boys & Girls, Ages 3+

    B00486ZVC4-Educational Insights The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game for Preschoolers & Toddlers, for Boys & Girls, Ages 3+

    One of the best-selling preschool games, The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel can help tots recognize colors, learn to match, develop hand-eye coordination, and more. Along with the tree-shaped game board come 20 colored acorns, four logs, a spinner, and a Squirrel Squeezer. The game also teaches the concept of losing and winning.

    What we love

    • Easy and quick setup process
    • Features appealing artwork that's child-friendly and colorful

    What We Don't Like That Much

    • The small size of the acorns might make this game best for older toddlers
  • 5HABA My Very First Games - First Orchard Cooperative Board Game for 2 Year Olds (Made in Germany)

    B004BW8TYC-HABA My Very First Games - First Orchard Cooperative Board Game for 2 Year Olds (Made in Germany)

    The First Orchard game is one of the 10 best board games for toddlers. It takes a classic and revitalizes it for young children. It's designed to be played with up to four people and it only takes about 10 minutes. This cooperative game comes with everything needed such as a raven, a fruit basket, four of each fruit, four tree tiles, five path cards, and one color die.

    What we love

    • The wooden fruit can be used in pretend play
    • The die is large in size and easy for small hands to grasp

    What We Don't Like That Much

    • Would be nice if all the pieces were made from wood
  • 6Educational Insights Hoppy Floppy's Happy Hunt Matching Preschool Board Game, Fine Motor Skills, 2-4 Players, Ages 3+

    B00T0OYC92-Educational Insights Hoppy Floppy's Happy Hunt Matching Preschool Board Game, Fine Motor Skills, 2-4 Players, Ages 3+

    Kids can take to the Hoppy Floppy's Happy Hunt game as they rapidly work to aid the brightly colored bunny rabbit in gathering up the colorful carrots. It's meant for up to four players as each person gets a basket to fill up. Things can get even more intense as players may spin the wheel to steal a carrot or knock over a basket.

    What we love

    • Game can be fast-paced to keep young toddlers' attention
    • Seems to hold up well through multiple, frequent uses

    What We Don't Like That Much

    • Could help if the baskets were bigger so the carrots have more room
  • 7Chutes and Ladders Game: Retro Series 1978 Edition

    B06XWG5MR8-Chutes and Ladders Game: Retro Series 1978 Edition

    Parents can revisit their childhood with their own children thanks to this Chutes and Ladders Game: Retro Series 1978 Edition. The point of the game remains the same as kids work to reach the top of the board without sliding down.

    What we love

    • Easy for kids to see the numbers and count their spaces
    • The board is sturdy

    What We Don't Like That Much

    • The spinner can be a bit stiff
  • 8Peaceable Kingdom Monkey Around Game

    B0788XV9JM-Peaceable Kingdom Monkey Around Game

    The Peaceable Kingdom Monkey Around is one of the 10 best board games for toddlers and it encourages them to get up and move. In fact, the cards in the game direct tots to perform one of many actions from hugging to balancing the toy banana on their heads. There are 40 cards that teach kids different skills.

    What we love

    • Has both solo and partner cards so kids can do acts alone or with someone
    • Great way for kids to hone simple skills

    What We Don't Like That Much

    • Could have a better storage option to keep everything contained
  • 9Peaceable Kingdom Acorn Soup - Game for You and Your 2-Year-Old

    B07CPMDQCC-Peaceable Kingdom Acorn Soup - Game for You and Your 2-Year-Old

    This cute game helps kids play and learn as they create adorable acorn soup for the hungry squirrel. Fun for the whole family, tots can have an introduction into counting and following directions and develop some fine motor skills in the process. It comes with eight recipe cards, 24 wooden ingredients, and a wooden spoon.

    What we love

    • Good way to develop multiple motor and learning skills
    • Can easily spark imaginative play

    What We Don't Like That Much

    • The wooden spoon could be a bit longer
  • 10TOP Bright Wooden Board Games for Kids, 2in1 Flying Chess Family Game, Toddler Traffic Theme Toys for 3 4 5 Year Old Boys and Girls Gifts

    B07VK4G9Q8-TOP Bright Wooden Board Games for Kids, 2in1 Flying Chess Family Game, Toddler Traffic Theme Toys for 3 4 5 Year Old Boys and Girls Gifts

    This traffic-themed Flying Chess Family Game is a two-in-one as it features a double-sided board. On one side, you'll get flight chess. On the other side is goose chess. The turntable is reversible as well. This design offers kids multiple ways to play so they may have hours' worth of fun.

    What we love

    • Turntable is easily reversible so you never lose the dice
    • Made from durable material

    What We Don't Like That Much

    • Might take time for some toddlers to understand