Best Board Games for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Erin P.:  One of the best family board games for toddlers and preschoolers that is a rite of passage for every kid! Our kids are turning into such board game lovers, and our house has recently seen some pretty rowdy games of Candy Land. Try and hop onto the Rainbow Trail and don't get stuck in the swamp!

Kelly R.:  This is the little kids' version of the classic family board game Sequence. Fun for both kids and adults, the goal is to get 4 chips in a row while blocking your opponent. We adjust the rules for younger kids by having each player draw only one card.

Kelly R.:  I love that this is a cooperative board game, so everyone wins or loses together. A preschooler favorite in my house! The goal is to get the owls back home before morning.

Erin P.:  My younger sister loved this game 25 years ago, so it was neat to play it with our son! It's a great game for helping your little one develop basic math skills while having fun picking fruit from the trees and filling your buckets! I think our son was an older two-year old when we started playing this game, so this could be a great "first game" for your little one.

Brittany Kozielski:  Don't Break the Ice is one of my family's all time favorite games. The concept of the game is simple: don't be the one to break all the ice apart. You take turns tapping out pieces of ice one by one. The player to make the penguin fall off the ice loses. I still enjoy this game and I am a grown adult!

Kelly R.:  This bingo-style family board game is perfect for both pre-readers and early readers. Players race to match words and pictures to the spaces on their cards. We played this A LOT when my kids were little, though we always had to establish ground rules for who got to slide the tile spitter outer (technical term) to release the tiles each turn.

Kristy Pepping:  If you need board games for preschoolers, this is a great option and fun for parents too! Basically, you put all the marbles in the middle and try to gobble up as many as you can.

Lisa R:  In this simple counting and colors game, players take turns feeding the pig hamburgers until his shirt pops open! The cute pig and surprise factor help keep older kids and parents entertained. It's a new favorite in our house.

Kelly R.:  A wonderful cooperative game for kids where players work together to travel through Busytown and reach Picnic Island before the pigs eat all of the picnic food. Along the way, players work together to find hidden objects on the board.

Vanessa M.:  The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game is great for toddlers and preschoolers (and their grownups) because it is easy to learn and each game plays quickly. The little squirrel and all the game pieces are also too cute for words! Spin to collect acorns, but watch out for Squirrel Storms that blow your acorns back to the tree, and also keep an eye out for that Sneaky Squirrel who likes to steal acorns!

Erin P.:  We just picked up this game for our three-year-old and have already enjoyed a few tense, nail-biting rounds each of us hoping not to be the one who knocks the yeti into the bowl of spaghetti!

Alexandra F.:  Race to the Treasure is all about teamwork and cooperation, as players work together to find the best path to the treasure before the Ogre gets them. All of my kids have loved this one, and it’s a great game for younger kids that we adults (and even my older kids!) actually enjoying playing with the little ones, too.

Erynn:  Chutes and Ladders is a simple game for toddlers that helps kids learn to take turns, and the only skill it requires is counting (plus parents can help with that!). My kids are fond of the Spider-Man themed version of this game, too!

christadiserio:  Mr. Mouth Feed the Frog is a game that my husband's family played in the 80s and my 5-year-old nephew still loves today! The frog's mouth opens and closes while players flick bugs into the frog's mouth. Believe it or not - it can get pretty competitive but is a fun way to get the whole family involved in a game with the kids.

Jessica Evans:  Another family favorite! This is an easy yet surprisingly entertaining game as it takes the concept of matching and allows you to grow a snake as long as you want before completing it. But, you are also taking the chance that another player will have the opportunity to complete it and snatch up your catch!