10 Best Board Games for Your Kids in Elementary School

Board games are full of benefits for students inside and outside of the classroom. They are a great way to relax and practice mindfulness, they help develop social skills and logical thinking, and they have many other educational benefits too.

Most important of all, they are great fun and leave students feeling happy.

This article will list the 10 best board games for kids in elementary.

1.    Catan Junior

This is a simplified and adapted version of the popular adult game of Catan. Catan Junior takes place in a world of pirates, making it an immediate hit with elementary aged kids. Players must collect resources to build hideouts and ships in order to avoid the infamous robber Ghost Captain. Recommended for children age 6+ and played with 2-4 players.

2.   Dixit

Great for elementary students aged 8 years and over and for 3-6 players. Dixit is a fun game that practices the art of storytelling. Each player has a hand of beautifully illustrated picture cards. Players take turns to create a sentence inspired by a card. Other players then need to choose one of their own cards that best suits the sentence. Players vote to decide which picture card best suits the sentence.

3.   Hive – A Game Crawling With Possibilities

Hive is a game of strategy. It has been likened to chess in that each hexagonal insect tile has its own rule of play. The aim of the game is to protect your queen bee at the same time as trying to surround your opponents. It is a quick 2 player game. Without a board, it makes a super game to play on-the-move. Recommended for +9 years.

4.   Mouse Trap

Something for the younger elementary kids now but a game that will appeal to all ages. Mouse Trap has been on the market since the Sixties and is still incredibly popular with elementary aged students. This game combines construction with the fun of a board game. The aim of the game is to build the mouse trap and trap your opponent. Kids are fascinated by the moving parts once the trap is set off. Suitable for children aged 6+ plus.

5.   Small World: Underground

A fantasy game where the aim is to gain control of the most regions and acquire the most relics. The game is full of mystical creatures who have special powers. Players must use these characters and their powers to defeat monsters that guard the relics and areas of power in order to gain points. The game is great for fantasy fans and will appeal to the imaginations of elementary aged children. Aged 8+, 2-5 players.

6.  Sorry!

A simple and quick game to play for elementary kids aged 6+. Players must race their way around the board to get their four pawns home first. Each player draws cards which tell them how to move. But watch-out, if an opponent collides with your pawn, it will be sent back to the start- Sorry!

7.   Mice and Mystics

The background story to this board game is enticing and engaging. Essentially, players must help save a king and his kingdom from an evil queen. The problem is the loyal players have all been turned into mice. It is a collaborative game where players must band together to defeat the queen. For players +7 years with an average play time of 60 minutes, it is a game that kids can get lost in.

8.   Junior Pictionary

Elementary aged kids love drawing! So, why not try Junior Pictionary, the fun of drawing and boards games all rolled into one. Players form teams and one team member selects a word card. It is then a race against the clock to draw the word and for your teammate to guess what it is you are drawing.

9.   Battleship

Recommended for kids aged 7 years and over, this is a 2 player game that requires logical and strategic thinking. Opponents must destroy each other’s battleships by guessing the coordinates. The handy storage cases that the game comes in make it a great game to play while on the move or in the playground. 

10.  The Game of Life

A light-hearted game that gets kids thinking about life events from families, careers and vacations. The aim of the game is to amass the most wealth by “retirement”. It’s a game of luck but also requires a little decision making along the way. For your children 8 years and above.

Final Thoughts

These are our recommendations for the 10 best board games for kids in elementary. We have suggested games with a range of themes, skills and games that are suitable for different ages within elementary school. We are certain you will find something in this list to excite your elementary kids!