The best board games for kids that the whole family can enjoy

We know how much everyone loves The Gruffalo, so bring him to life in this fun dice board game, for ages three and up, as well as fun for all the family. Can you and your little ones help to get Mouse home to safety? This game is best played with two to four players.

One reviewer said: "I bought this for my 4 and 5-year-olds, they absolutely love the Gruffalo so I knew this would be a hit! They love it as it’s easy and simple to play and it doesn’t take too long to complete either, so they stay focused on the game and don’t lose interest. It’s very cute and we love playing as a family. I would highly recommend it."

Another outing for The Gruffalo, this time in a memory game. Aimed at ages three and up, it’s a great way to test your little one’s memory, and they’ll love matching up the images. This one is best played with two to six players, and you could even play as part of teams and see which team is the best.

Tried and Tested by Group Commercial Content Editor, Sophie Knight: "If the memory game is a bit tricky, you can always play ‘snap’ with the cards instead."
Another reviewer said: "Wow! For the price this is amazing - a little box, but as with Ravensburger games, the quality is good. The card is nice and thick, so this will definitely last. The illustrations are beautiful and my son loves it! It's got a good amount of pairs, so has a bit of challenge, yet is still suitable for young children. Will definitely consider buying another one of these memory games with different pictures. Plus the box is small enough to take with you on weekend trips!"

Give everyone a plate, then match the cards up and see who ends up with the most cupcakes. The illustrations are bright and cheerful, and this game encourages politeness. Get your toddler to ask “Would you like my cupcake?” and encourage please and thank yous with this fun little card game. It will make you want to bake cupcakes afterwards, though.

Tried and Tested by Group Commercial Content Editor, Sophie Knight and Susan, nan to Eli: "Eli loves playing this game when he comes to my house. It's great for teaching manners and he loves sharing out the cakes between plates. He does always steal the chocolate ones though!"
A different reviewer said: "This is a really cute game. It’s simple and doesn’t take too long. You start off with one of each cake design laid out, then take turns taking one off the pile. If it matches one of the cakes you get to keep them both and put them on your plate."

Everyone loves the classic game of Charades and now it's the kids' turn with this Charades For Kids The Board Game. It's been specially designed for children to play and enjoy. This is a great board game to have around for Christmas, family holidays and rainy afternoons. It's best played with at least 3 players and children aged 4 and above.

A reviewer put: "We recently played this game while we were on holiday, with my 4yo and 6yo, they enjoyed it so much we bought it as soon as we came home, it was really easy for them to understand, there are different versions of the cards, a set for those who can read and some with just pictures, we have spent hours playing this game."

Ideal for any get-together, this board game is for two or more players so is great for groups of friends and family. Plus, it spans generations. The challenges are tricky enough for both grown-ups and kids alike so no need to hold back and let the little ones win! Simply open the box, strap on a tail, and win some bananas.

Review: "I bought this for a family party. It was enjoyed by all, from the children up to the adults! Great fun!"
A reviewer said: "Now this game is absolutely hilarious for all the family and you can’t help but laugh. We had a great time playing this game! It is definitely worth buying it as it's great value for money. I found this game on TikTok and I had to have that fun in my home."

Because of the small parts, be careful if you have any younger ones. Nevertheless, it’s great for developing dexterity and fine motor skills in kids aged six and up. Not to mention, you know you'll have just as much fun as the children when playing this classic board game.

A parent reviewer said: "Great game to play with the family, especially of your competitive it can be very tense. Haha. My kids loved it and always laughed when it beeped because it made them jump."
Another parent reviewer put: "We had oodles of fun with this retro game. Lots of giggles while developing fine motor skills. I highly recommend it as a bonding activity with your kids too."

UNO is a classic, and the Extreme version has an extra level of difficulty thanks to the introduction of a random card shooter. Pressing a button has never been so nerve-racking! It’s aimed at ages seven and up, but get your little ones involved with the numbers and colours and you can all enjoy it together.

One reviewer said: "With the addition of the batteries this is not a cheap game but it does offer hours of family fun. If you already have the card game Uno then you will know what to expect, however Uno Extreme does have a few variations which add to the fun and hilarity."

Unleash imaginative play with this exciting, hands-on game. Children can bury items in the garden while Diggy the Dog is frantically digging trying to give them back. Easy to understand with sturdy components and careful design, it ensures hours of interactive fun.

Review: "Super easy to set up, great fun game for all the family! Plenty of laughs to be had!"

If you and your children enjoy playing word games, you'll be in with a treat with P is for Pizza. You'll have to think on your feet as you race to think of words. For example, can you think of a pizza topping beginning with P or something that can be squeezed beginning with O?

Reviewed by Our commercial content writer, Arabella Horspool: "As an avid player of board games, I'm constantly on the lookout for something exciting an unique and Big Potato games always seem to tick these boxes. P is For Pizza has to be one of my all-time favourite games. It's portable, in a compact box (so it's easy to store) and it's fast-paced and addictive. There was also some pizza-themed stickers hidden inside the box which was a nice touch."

This speedy observation game features illustrations from the beloved book your toddler will already know and love, The Gruffalo. In this modern version of 'pairs', whoever spots the single matching magical image between two cards wins the card in this game. But will they get the next one too? Although this game is said to be suitable from four years, we reckon it's a great way to encourage your little ones' observation skills.

Review: "Quick and easy to play with any number of people and suits a good range of ages. It's a nice neat little game which doesn't take up too much room when storing it and does not need much room to play which is really nice compared to some board games."

Guide your frogs across the pond and block other players from doing the same. The first player to get their entire frog family to the other side wins the game. But watch out, the fish can scare your frogs back to the start! Flexible thinking, clever planning and the chance to thwart your opponents make this a fun and exciting game for two to six players.

**A reviewer called Simon said: "**So much better than all the roll a dice games for young kids, plenty of strategy but anyone can win. It is brilliant."
Another reviewer put: "I bought this as a Christmas gift so I cannot really comment, but I'm sure the recipient will love it. It is very reasonably priced and it was delivered quickly."

Pete the Cat is famous in the book world and now there is a board game. The game is perfectly designed for little kids with no reading required. The gameplay is easy, but also challenging, and kids can use their counting skills and learn the valuable skill of winning and losing graciously (you hope!).

A reviewer said: "This was a very colourful game board with appealing cute button pieces. The board is quite large which is nice for younger kids. Easy to learn and enjoyable. The spinner is built into the board, so kids have to learn how to reach it without knocking the player pieces over, but it helps that you won't lose it. It has simple directions, so young kids can understand that you get buttons or give away buttons to Pete. The "jar" that you place your buttons in is a small flat piece of cardboard. This is not designed to hold buttons well when you switch "jars" with other players. I plan on using small plastic cups, so buttons stay in place. It was a very good game!"

It says on the box that this is for children aged eight and above, but it’s Playdough, so little ones can still get involved and have fun even if they’re not following the rules properly. A great family game for kids, teenagers and adults alike.

Review: "Its a really fun game and can be enjoyed by fairly young kids with a little help to read the cards, as well as teens and adults. If you've had the game a while you'll need to replace the dough, but other than that its super fun. I think its a bit pricey, that's the only downside."

With more than 200 questions about the Disney universe, young children will love this game, and toddlers will enjoy all the characters and colours. Questions include “the colour of Scar’s mane” to “the colour of the feather in Captain Hook’s hat” and “the colour of the buttons on Olaf the Snowman”. Then, you answer by holding up your card of the correct colour.

A reviewer said: "I already own colour brain and I'm a huge fan of it. I'm also a huge Disney fan so this is the perfect game. I had so much fun playing it with my family, the number of colours on the card is a great addition. It was definitely more challenging than I thought it would be which is great! And there are so many different cards I won't get board of it any time soon."

This quick question card game is for kids and grown ups too! Each player must wear a headband with a card, and then must guess what the object is on that card by asking questions to the other players. The quick-fire game is brilliant at helping kids to learn deductive reasoning skills.

One reviewer said: "I bought this for my 4-year-old son for his birthday. It's helped him learn how to ask questions and also how to give little hints. I think this game is good and very fun for the family. It encourages little ones to open up their imagination."
Another reviewer put: "I love this game! It arrived today, and the kids (ages 9 and 4) wanted to open and play it as soon as they saw the box. I couldn’t say no. We played a few rounds, and we had lots of belly laughs! I finally had to call an end for bath time, but promised we would play again. Highly recommended for family fun with younger children!

Choose a card and act out the facial expressions, the little ones will love making funny faces with you. While it's aimed at ages eight years and up, it'll help younger children to identify facial expressions and the emotions that come with it.

One reviewer said: "Bought this to play on holiday. It's an easy game to play so good for kids. Younger children may not recognise some of the words though. We thought it was fun and had a few giggles."
A parent reviewer said: "I bought this as a Christmas gift and it is really good fun for all ages. It is quite funny to see how people act out a feeling using just facial expressions. There are two sets of cards one for adults one for children. This is nice, light-hearted fun."

In this speedy and hilarious card game, mooing like an angry cow can win you the game. Spot the only matching pair of words between two cards, and be the first to sound out the answer. With zero tactics required, anyone who can read and make noises can play! 

One reviewer wrote: "Such a fun game! It is small enough to take anywhere but still great fun. We had so much fun playing this. The noises created were something else! Expect hours of laughs and stitches with this game."
A different game reviewer put: "This little game is fantastic fun for young and old! You just have to be willing to sound a bit silly! It's small enough that you can take it with you on holiday as well. Would highly recommend."