The best board games for children 2025

Coconuts is a lively dexterity game inspired by the "Monkey King" character from Chinese mythology. In this engaging and playful game, players take turns launching coconuts towards cups positioned in the center of the play area. Successfully landing a coconut in a cup allows you to stack it on your board. Even more strategically, if you land a coconut in an opponent's cup, you can claim it and move it to your board. The game also features "Monkey King Magic" cards, which add a twist by allowing players to disrupt their opponents' shots in various ways. The first player to build a pyramid of six cups on their board is the winner.

ICECOOL2 is both a standalone game and an expansion for ICECOOL. It introduces tasks on 1-point cards, fish movement power on 2-point cards, and an optional tournament scoring. Combining both ICECOOL sets allows for new layouts, a new game mode called "The Race," play for up to eight players, and the ability to create custom layouts.

ICECOOL is an energetic and playful flicking game set in a penguin school, where players assume the roles of rascally penguins trying to snatch fish and the vigilant Hall Monitor trying to maintain order.

Gulo Gulo is an innovative and family-friendly board game that challenges players with a unique and tactile experience. In this game, players take on the roles of wolverines (Gulos) on a daring mission to rescue a baby Gulo from the clutches of a swamp vulture. However, the rescue mission is not straightforward, as the adult Gulos are tempted by the delicious eggs of the swamp vulture, leading to a series of precarious attempts to steal the eggs without triggering an alarm.

Ribbit (formerly known as Schildkrötenrennen or "Turtle Race" in its original version) offers a delightful, strategic race experience suited for families and players of all ages. This game is built around the concept of racing turtles—or frogs, in the reprint—across a field to reach a tasty salad.

Ghost Fightin' Treasure Hunters, also known as Geister, Geister, Schatzsuchmeister!, is an award-winning cooperative board game where players embark on an eerie adventure to collect treasures from a haunted house.

My First Carcassonne, also known as Carcassonne Junior, introduces the iconic tile-laying gameplay of the classic Carcassonne to a younger audience. This game captures the essence of the original while simplifying the mechanics to make it accessible for children, making it a wonderful entry point into the world of board games.

Players aim to pull the apprentices down the mountain before the witches reach the bottom. They place supports on the board to raise the starting area and set up their pieces. By drawing colored will-o'-the-wisps and moving figures along the path, strategic decisions come into play to either advance their apprentices or delay the witches. Winning requires getting four apprentices down the mountain before three witches do, with options to adjust the game's difficulty for more variation.

React, anticipate, and work together as a team to save the four dinosaurs in SOS Dino! Draw a tile, place it on the board, and then move one of the dinosaurs closer to safety in the mountains. Beware of lava flows and meteor showers!

Join Jonon and Jada, two children from the Stone Age, on a journey to rediscover how the first humans settled the world around them. In this children's version of the classic family game, players collect resources and build their own settlement.

Players assume the roles of brave heroes tasked with saving their magical land. They create a unique character, equip themselves, and prepare for adventure while managing limited inventory space. Together, they explore a modular game board, battle dangerous monsters, and earn powerful rewards through teamwork and strategic preparation.

In Sleeping Queens, a whimsical and strategic card game, players embark on a mission to awaken sleeping queens using a mix of strategy, quick thinking, and luck. The game features the Pancake Queen, the Ladybug Queen, and ten other queen cards, all under a magical sleeping spell. The goal is to wake these queens from their slumber and earn points.

Strange events occur on Mysterville Island, and Charlie Holmes needs your help to solve the case! Interrogate witnesses, analyze evidence, and return to the train station in time for tea.

Players take on the role of a mummy attempting to catch treasure hunters, while others aim to retrieve as many treasures from the pyramid as possible. The game features magnetic pieces on a vertical board, allowing the mummy player to obscure the hunters' movements. Players use dice to guide their movements, while the mummy must deduce their positions and try to capture them.

The lion's mane is far too long, risking his respect among the other animals. Players help the lion reach the barber before closing time, creating a path from his bed to the salon. They use cards to move the lion along the path, but must be careful as different colored tiles affect the time. If players manage to get Leo to the barber within five days, they win the game.

Brave and diligent elves clean up the house while sock monsters lurk in the darkness. Players search chests and cupboards for socks, aiming to be the first to collect three pairs. Monsters will try to steal solitary socks, so players must be cautious or unleash them on their opponents. Explore new rooms, find useful items hidden in the game box, and witness how the game evolves.

Players create animals by combining cards to help them escape in cooperative mode or to win the race of the year in competitive mode. The game features specific mechanics where players match three animal tails on the left with three heads on the right, including a llama, panda, turtle, elephant, or lynx. The objective is to find the best combination of these cards to complete the most animals with matching heads and tails.

Players control mice racing along a track while avoiding falling into holes. If a player falls into a hole, they temporarily become a cat, disrupting the other players until the round ends. The winner is the mouse that collects the most cheese by completing laps on the track.

Players control colorful mice and try to collect cheese pieces in a castle. They spend action points to introduce new mice, reveal corridors, move their mice, or change the labyrinth with a new tile. The first player to collect four different cheese pieces wins the game.

Chaos unfolds in the henhouse as the fox is on the hunt and the eggs haven’t hatched yet. Players choose to either throw a card into the pot or perform an action, such as laying an egg, hatching a chick, or stealing an egg from another player. The first player to successfully hatch three chicks wins the game.

The game is delivered in a real egg carton and includes nine yellow plastic eggs and one yellow wooden egg, which is worth 2 points, while the others are worth 1 point. Players roll the red die to determine actions, such as grabbing an egg from the box or trying to catch one after dropping it on the table. The game ends when someone drops an egg, and the player with the most points wins.

"Tier auf Tier" is a stacking game designed for toddlers. Players roll the die and stack the designated animal on the corresponding game piece along with any animals that are already there. The game features three different versions for little ones to explore.

Mino and Tauri are aliens who have crash-landed on Earth. They need to collect twelve items from a cornfield to repair their spaceship and return home. Players will set up one of four magnetic game boards vertically between them and take turns guiding Mino and Tauri while avoiding crossing boundaries. Can you gather all twelve items before time runs out?

Beware! The tentacles of a terrible octopus break through the waves. All hands on deck—grab your swords, cannons, and artillery!

Young Diplodocuses (Diplos) love the tasty leaves offered by the nearby willows. To win, your Diplo team must eat more leaves than your opponent’s team, unless one of you decides to call the wild T. Rex to chase away all of the opponent's Diplos.

Once upon a time, Wilfried and Marie discovered a magical book of stories. They could visit different tales and befriend amusing animal characters. Players decide who will take on each role, allowing characters to transform from a brave knight into a clumsy ninja, keeping beloved stories ever entertaining. Use your wit and imagination to shape the narratives and equip them with the right characters!

Giro Galoppo is a horse racing card game for players aged 6 and up, featuring mechanics similar to "Ave Caesar." Players take turns placing obstacles and then simultaneously choose cards from their identical sets numbered 1-6. The player with the lowest card value moves first, potentially pushing others back, while avoiding obstacles that would result in losing their turn.

In a slippery snail race in Mrs. Meyer's vegetable garden, Sebastian Snail, Gloria Slime, and their friends move at a snail's pace. Despite their slow speed, they can crawl over and slide past each other. Lucky dice rolls and clever moves help you get your snails to the winner's podium for points and victory!

Bring your camels to the oasis. Movement is determined by cards, and players must strategically choose which card to play for an optimal move. Sandstorms can disrupt everyone’s plans, causing all cards to be shuffled. The first six camels to reach the oasis earn points, and the player with the most points wins.

Honest sailors sail from one treasure island to the next, but they are pursued by Salvador Sea Devil, who tries to plunder their treasures. Players must hoist their sails quickly as a strong gust of wind propels their boats across the sea. The game board features islands marked with colored flags, and players use a bellows to create wind that helps them advance their ships while avoiding the pirate.