Now that the holidays are here and the kids are about to go on vacation, you might be wondering how you can keep them occupied without resorting to technology. I don’t know about you, but ever since I became a mom, I have always tried my best to provide my daughter with entertainment the old school way: less technology and more bonding time. Given my love for Monopoly Junior, Boggle and Scrabble when I was her age; naturally, I tend to veer towards nothing else but… BOARD GAMES!!! Thus, this list.
8 Board Games that Kids Will Absolutely Love
Sushi Go Party!
Age: 8 and Up / Players: 2 to 8 / Playtime: around 20 minutes
If you’re a board game fan, you’ve probably heard of Sushi Go! where you earn points by coming up with the best sushi combos. Well, Sushi Go Party! is basically an expanded version of that. The difference is that you get to customize every game that you play by choosing a la carte from over 20 delicious dishes. This ensures that your kids will never get bored of the game. Plus, you can have up to 8 players join – that’s some great holiday fun right there!
OrganATTACK!
OrganATTACK! is a pretty straightforward card game that started as Kickstarter project by The Awkward Yeti. You basically have to attack the organ cards of your opponents using their corresponding afflictions before they attack and destroy all of yours. While older kids might find this more entertaining because of the artwork and the afflictions involved, it may prove to be very educational for younger kids, as well. Just don’t get too surprised when your kids start talking about medical afflictions in front of you. :p
Bubble Jungle
Age: 5 and up / Players: 2 to 4 / Playtime: around 10 minutes
Younger kids will absolute looooove Bubble Jungle (also called Tricky Trunks) as it involves a plastic elephant that they will use to pick up colored balls from a box. I mean, with 48 colourful balls, colorful plastic elephants, and cute cards to match; you really can’t go wrong with this one.
Sleeping Queens
Age: 8 and up / Players: 2 to 5 / Playtime: around 10 minutes
For little girls (and little girl wannabes), ‘Sleeping Queens’ is a sure hit! Not only will your kids have fun trying to wake up these queens from their royal slumbers, but you will also rest well knowing that they will be exercising their brains while doing so. ‘Sleeping Queens’ involves strategy and quick thinking, after all. Plus, it involves kings, knights, dragons, wands, and jesters – all of the things little princesses – well, my daughter, anyway! – live for.
Uglydoll
Age: 6 and up / Players: 2 to 6 / Playtime: around 15 minutes
Probably one of the easiest (and most fun) games to play out there, Uglydoll is sure to bring out the fun for everyone – adults included! All you have to do is keep turning over cards until you can spot 3 matching Uglydolls and then snatch them before the other players do. Just make sure you keep an eye out for the pikon kids and end the game if they start fighting.
Photosynthesis
Age: 10 and up / Players: 2 to 4 / Playtime: 30 to 60 minutes
If your kids are a bit older and you have plenty of time on your hands to play a longer game, check out ‘Photosynthesis’. This strategy board game will take some time to finish, but pre-teens will love the challenge that comes with sowing their crops, growing their trees, and throwing shadows onto their opponents to slow them down. Besides, look at how pretty the game looks once a lot of trees are up!
Level Up: Super Mario
Age: 8 and up / Players: 3 to 6 / Playtime: 10 to 30 minutes
Come on: who wouldn’t want a Super Mario board game? Relive your own childhood as you play this game with your kids, and advance Mario and his friends up the Mushroom Kingdom to get the most coins and make it to the castle. Ah, the memories!
Dutch Blitz
Age: 8 and up / Players: 2 to 4 / Playtime: 1 to 15 minutes
‘Dutch Blitz’ is a bit more traditional looking and may not be as fun for younger kids to look at; but for someone like me, who grew up in Germany, it brings back a lot of childhood memories – memories that I would like to impart to my daughter in some way, as well. In ‘Dutch Blitz’, players get their own card deck and basically try to empty their blitz pile. If you’re looking for something that isn’t too distracting in terms of gameplay, this would be a good game for you.
Fortunately, there are a lot of places in Manila that you can visit to keep your children entertained, including board game cafes (you can look for the games on this list at a board game cafe near you!); but I still prefer staying at home to play board games and bond with my little one. I’d highly recommend trying out these games at a board game cafe first; and then, when you fall in love with one (or a few), it’s time to invest in them! Check out Gaming Library for all of your board game needs! 😀
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