World Children’s Day, celebrated annually on November 20, is dedicated to promoting children’s rights, welfare, and well-being worldwide. One of the best ways to honor this day is to foster joy and learning through play. Board games, in particular, provide a fun, interactive, and educational way to spend time with children, helping to build important life skills while promoting family bonding.
Here’s why board games are a great way to celebrate World Children’s Day, along with some recommendations across various age groups.
Why Board Games Are Valuable for Kids
- Encourage Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving
Board games often require players to think ahead, strategize, and solve problems. Games can teach children to plan their moves while considering the actions of others. - Promote Social Skills and Teamwork
Playing board games involves communication, negotiation, and learning to win or lose graciously. Cooperative games help children work together, developing teamwork and social interaction skills. - Develop Math and Literacy Skills
Many games incorporate numbers, counting, and reading. Some help with basic math as kids manage money, while others help enhance vocabulary and spelling. - Teach Patience and Taking Turns
Board games naturally teach patience as players wait for their turn, think through their moves, and deal with the consequences of chance elements. - Enhances Fine Motor Skills
For younger children, manipulating game pieces can improve fine motor skills. Games can encourage precise hand movements, enhancing coordination.
Best Board Games for Different Age Groups
For Toddlers (Ages 3-4)
Spot It! 123
Age: 3+ / Players:1-8 / Duration: <15 minutes
A game of observation and speed, that hones reflexes, and supports executive functions like impulse control, emotional regulation, and more, Spot it! will definitely keep them (and you!) on your toes!
Concept Kids Animals
Age: 4+ / Players: 2-12 / Duration: 15-30 minutes
Concept Kids Animals is a cooperative version of the game Concept, adapted for kids who don’t yet know how to read. During their turn, kids attempt to make other players guess an animal by playing pawns on the icons on the game board. Concept Kids Animals offers 110 animals to be guessed. This communication game for children will allow them to discover the world of animals in a fun and innovative way.
Brainbox – Pictures
Age: 4+ / Players: 1+ / Duration: <15 minutes
This fun and memory-boosting game features illustrated pictures of preschoolers’ favorite topics. Players study the pictures-and-facts side of the card for 10 seconds, and then flip to the other side to see how many questions they can answer. BrainBox is a colorful and fun first game that will improve your child’s observation and memory skills.
For Preschoolers (Ages 4-6)
My First Carcassonne
Age: 4+ / Players: 2-4 / Duration: 15-30 minutes
The streets of Carcassonne are filled with kids; the city has never been so alive!
This version of the modern classic, Carcassonne, has been adapted to allow players of all ages to play together. Each turn, players place a tile to build the city. When they close a street with one or more kids of their color, they get to put their pawn on the board. The first to place all their pawns wins!
CATAN – Junior
Age: 6+ / Players: 2-4 / Duration: 30-45 minutes
CATAN Junior introduces a modified playing style of the classic game allowing younger players to experience the world of CATAN.
It is a perfect introduction to the CATAN series of games for kids and families. CATAN Junior is easy for younger players to enjoy while teaching them basic math skills.
Ticket to Ride – First Journey
Age: 6+ / Players: 2-4 / Duration: 30-45 minutes
Based on the award-winning original version, Ticket to Ride—First Journey welcomes younger players coast-to-coast throughout the US and Canada. The longer the routes, the more points are scored! With an emphasis on planning and foresight, this game supports the ability to anticipate outcomes.
For Kids (Ages 7-9)
Cardline Animals
Age: 7+ / Players: 2-8 / Duration: <15 minutes
Challenge yourself and your friends to a test of logic, intuition, and memory skills in Cardline Animals! Each turn, you’ll play a card from your hand, correctly positioning it in the line according to the animal’s size, weight, or lifespan. With each card played, the game gains more complexity, and the choices get harder and harder. Best of all, everyone is guaranteed to learn something new whenever you play. The first player to successfully place all of their cards during a round is the winner!
Cortex Challenge – Kids
Age: 8+ / Players: 2-6 / Duration: <15 minutes
Cortex Challenge Kids is a fast-paced brain bender that tests your mental focus, flexibility, and speed, but geared toward younger players. Comprised of eight different types of challenges, players attempt to solve the puzzles faster than their opponents. In no time, the kids will be better than their parents!
Dixit
Age: 8+ / Players: 3-8 / Duration: 30-45 minutes
A simple, lighthearted game, Dixit calls on the ability to make inferences and find connections, use vocabulary, and structure a sentence to tell a story. It also requires bluffing and internal dialogue skills, as you think about how you will describe your card. With its surreal illustrations and clever gameplay, Dixit is a fantastic game of communication and deduction!
Tweens and Teens (Ages 10+)
Unlock!
Age: 10+ / Players: 1-6 / Duration: 45-60 minutes
Over the past couple of decades, the escape room phenomenon has become a popular form of entertainment among teens and young adults, due to its ability to immerse players in strange and exotic settings, while challenging both the intellect and coordination. But, did you know that you can also enjoy the escape room experience from the comfort of your own home? Unlock! features a series of cooperative games, each of which, via an app and a single deck of cards, engages the same critical thinking parts of your brain as an escape room. Recreate the excitement and adventure, by exploring scenes, combining objects, solving riddles, and cracking codes, all around your favourite table.
7 Wonders
Age: 10+ / Players: 3-7 / Duration: 30-45 minutes
Perfect for both beginners and experienced players, 7 Wonders is an epic civilization-building game, where players lead one of the seven great cities of the ancient world. Leave your mark on the history of civilization by building an architectural marvel to transcend the ages!
Altered
Age: 13+ / Players: 2 / Duration: 15-30 minutes
Altered is an innovative two-player trading card game (TCG) that offers a new, refreshing approach to both competitive and casual players. Set in a universe of rich lore and visual design, this game sets out to explore a new, reshaped Earth after a mysterious event, the Confluence, profoundly altered it.
How to Make World Children’s Day Special with Board Games
- Host a Family Game Night
Gather the family for an evening of games that everyone can enjoy. Set up a cozy space, with snacks and a variety of games suitable for all ages. - Game Swap with Friends
Encourage your children to organize a board game swap with their friends. This promotes sharing, introduces new games, and builds social bonds. - Create a Board Game Tournament
Create friendly competition with a tournament where kids can play against each other or team up with siblings and friends. Offer fun rewards for participation, like “Best Strategist” or “Most Team Spirited.” - Charity Game Drive
Encourage children to donate gently used board games to underprivileged kids in your community, teaching them about giving and making this day meaningful for others.
Board games are a timeless and wonderful way to celebrate World Children’s Day. Not only do they provide entertainment, but they also help children develop critical life skills, from teamwork to problem-solving. Whether you’re playing a simple game with a toddler or engaging in strategic gameplay with older kids, board games bring families together and create lasting memories.
This year, make World Children’s Day a day of fun, learning, and connection by playing your favorite board games!
Liked these games? Find out where you can find them, here.