Educational Board Game Benefits.
Board games are one of the most popular forms of entertainment for children and adults alike. Children love to watch their parents or other players move around a board and race to get all their pieces across first, while adults often enjoy playing them with friends at parties.
One thing that many people don’t realize is that there are actually educational board games out there!
The best board games for kids are those that teach them something. Educational Board Games have been around for decades and they continue to provide children with a fun way to learn while having a great time.
I’m going to share 20 of the most popular educational board games on the market today, as well as what they can teach your child about life!
What Are Educational Board Games?
Educational Board Games are used to teach children about life through the use of playing games. They’re fun and engaging, but they also provide valuable lessons that will stay with your child for a lifetime. You’ll find all sorts of games which offer many educational benefits and at the same time, offer hours of laughs too.
The Best Educational Board Games For Kids.
BeIow you will find over 20 different games available, over time I will add to this article so it may be more than 20.
I have also included a description and what your child can learn from each game.
You can use this guide for buying gifts, having a family fun game night or just plain learning.
Enjoy.
Best Educational Board Games – Pre-School (2,3,4 and 5)
Math For Love Tiny Polka Dot.
The colourful card deck that grows with your child.
It comes complete with 16 easy-to-learn games that playfully teach math, from counting and early numeracy to arithmetic and logic.
Tiny Polka Dot is the perfect playful way to fall in love with numbers.
Topics And Skills Learned in Math For Love Tiny Polka Dot.
- Matching colours and shapes
- Count
- Compare
- Arithmetic
- Logic
Check Out Math For Love
My First Castle Panic.
A group of monsters is coming right to your Castle! Catch all the monsters before they smash the Castle flat.
My First Castle Panic is a cooperative game – you can show your cards to each other and talk about the best way to catch the monsters and work as a team to win!
Topics And Skills Learned in My First Castle Panic.
- Matching colours and shapes
- Strategic thinking
- Long-Term thinking
- Teamwork and Cooperation
- Sportsmanship
- Planning ahead
Check Out My First Castle Panic
Orchard Toys Shopping List Games.
Children race to be the first person to get all the items on their list and put them in their basket. The board is simple and uncluttered, which helps children understand how there are words that go with pictures.
Children can learn to recognize various grocery products and read the names from their lists. The game can promote plenty of discussions, not only while playing but also on a shopping trip to a real supermarket.
Children can see how many items from the game they can see on the shelves.
This award-winning game encourages memory and literacy skills.
Topics And Skills Learned in Orchard Toys Shopping List Games?
- Memory Skills
- Literacy
- Taking Turns
- Patience
Check Out Orchard Toys Shopping List Games.
Best Educational Games for Primary School Kids (6,7,8,9 and 10)
Thinkfun Rush Hour – Traffic Jam Logic.
We bought this for our son at Christmas and he loves it!
It comes with multi-level challenges and in total there are 40 to complete.
Playing through the challenges builds reasoning and planning skills and provides a great stealth learning experience for young players.
The challenges become increasingly difficult as you play through them.
Topics And Skills Learned in Thinkfun Rush Hour – Traffic Jam Logic.
- STEM
- Critical thinking
- Problem-solving
- Strategy development
- Memory Skills
- Long-Term thinking
Check Out Thinkfun Rush Hour – Traffic Jam Logic.
The Lakes Regional Monopoly Board Game.
The world’s favourite family board game brings you another exciting edition of MONOPOLY – The Lakes.
Who doesn’t love MONOPOLY? This game is just as good as the original but now takes you to some of the best heritage sites in the UK.
Explore some of the best and most iconic world heritage sites the UK has to offer in this exciting new edition of MONOPOLY:
Topics And Skills Learned in The Lakes Regional Monopoly Board Game.
- Math
- Geography
- History
- Money Management
- Strategy
- Teamwork and Cooperation
Check Out The Lakes Regional Monopoly Board Game.
Underdog Games Trekking The National Parks:
Grab your walking stick and hit the trail!
Trekking the National Parks is a spirited family board game that lets players experience the U.S. National Parks in a fun and competitive way.
Players compete for points by claiming Park Cards and collecting trail stones as they race across the country experiencing the wonders at each of these magnificent landscapes.
The game was specially designed to be both entertaining and educational.
Every park card features an interesting fact and gorgeous photograph that will inspire players to explore the protected natural wonders of America. Each game also begins with a unique setup that alters the play experience in surprising ways, allowing for endless replayability.
Topics And Skills Learned in Trekking The National Parks
- Geography
- History
- Memory Skills
- Long-Term thinking
- Strategy
- Teamwork and Cooperation
Check Out Trekking The National Parks
Boggle.
This game is the most fun for family get-togethers. It’s great for kids who are 8 and up because it helps them learn vocabulary and spelling, and also gets them to visualize.
Players have three minutes to find as many words with the highest point value as they can.
Topics And Skills Learned in Boggle.
- Spelling
- Memory Skills
- Visualization
- Literacy
- Patience
Check Out Boggle.
Learning Resources Tri-FACTa.
This is a great little game to learn and get a better understanding of maths.
Each player gets given number tiles and a stand.
The board includes spots for 3 number tiles.
Players then take turns to put their numbers into these spots.
The aim is that each number will work together to create a correct equation.
Example – You could use tiles 3,4 and 7.
3 + 4 = 7
7 – 3 = 4
4 + 3 = 7
7 – 4 = 3
So these tiles could be used, once you use a tile it can then be removed. Once a player has run out of tiles, they win!
Topics And Skills Learned in Tri-FACTa?
- Math Skills
- Math Facts and Memorization
- Multiplication/Division
- Addition/Subtraction
- Problem-solving.
- Equation Building,
Check Out Tri-FACTa
Qwirkle Board Game.
Qwirkle is a mixture of scrabble and dominos all in one.
The aim is to create rows and columns of matching colors and shapes.
When you place a tile that touches several pieces with the same shape and color, you get points. The person with the most points is the winner.
Topics And Skills Learned in Qwirkle
- Tactical Maneuvers
- Memory Skills
- Visualization
- Strategy
- Patience
Check Out Qwirkle
Blokus.
In this game called Blokus, each person starts with a corner of the board and a pile of Tetris-like shapes. Every time you play one, it must touch another piece that is the same colour.
It is fun to try and get as many pieces of your own colour on the board while blocking the other players.
Topics And Skills Learned in Blokus
- Math
- Memory Skills
- Strategy
- Patience
Check Out Blokus
Math Rush.
If your kids like to play and learn at the same time, this game is for them. They will learn speed math and basic addition and subtraction skills while having fun.
Players must think fast as they work together, rather than competing against each other.
The aim is to complete as many goals as possible before you run out of time.
In Math Rush, players have to think quickly and make decisions while balancing speed and strategy.
Topics And Skills Learned in Math Rush?
- Basic Math Skills
- Critical Thinking
- Memory Skills
- Strategy
- Sequencing
- Team Work
Check Out Math Rush
Dabble Word Game.
This game is fantastic and has been awarded so many awards over the years including…
- Creative Child Magazine Word Game of The Year
- Parent’s Choice Gold Award
- Top 10 PAL Award Winner – PAL stands for Play Advances Language
- The Noise on Toys Award of Excellence
Topics And Skills Learned in Dabble?
- Literacy
- Phonics
- Critical Thinking
- Memory Skills
- Spelling
- Sequencing
Check Out Dabble
Bananagrams Word Game.
You take a certain number of letters and create words on your own surface.
You will use your board as you do with Scrabble, only without the restrictions to set squares or the frustration of losing possible places to set your words.
The challenge is to use all of your letters. The player who has no more letter tiles is the winner.
Bananagrams requires no pencil, paper, or board.
It comes in a small portable banana-shaped pouch that’s perfect for ages 7 and up.
Topics And Skills Learned in Bananagrams Word Game?
- Literacy
- Phonics
- Vocabulary
- Memory Skills
- Spelling
- Sequencing
Check Out Bananagrams Word Game.
Best Educational Games for Secondary School Kids (11,12,13,14,15 and 16)
Cash Flow.
This is an awesome game and probably one of the best listed here. (If not the best)
I first heard about this whilst listening to the audiobook Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money – That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!
If you want your kids to learn something that is definitely not taught in school then this is the game for you (and them)
The aim of the game is to not just play but also learn solid money management techniques.
The game will teach players some of the following.
- Basics of investing
- Income and expenses
- See opportunities where you previously couldn’t see them.
- Advanced investing techniques
- Creating Wealth
- Improve spending habits
Finally, there is currently a free online version of the game which you can start playing within minutes.
If you want to test it out before buying or sharing it with your children head to Cash Flow Classic
Topics And Skills Learned in Cash Flow?
- Mindset
- Life Skills
- Math Skills
- Money Management
- Financial Literacy
- Investing
- Success Principles
Check Out Cash Flow
The Game of Life.
The Game of Life is a board game that teaches kids and families about money.
It is like Monopoly, but you choose different paths based on what choices you make in your life. This includes your career, holidays and even family.
The game teaches kids how to manage their money. It teaches them about jobs and how income is important.
The game also helps kids understand the importance of investing early and how compound interest works.
Topics And Skills Learned in The Game of Life?
- Life Skills
- Math Skills
- Money Management
- Career Choices
- Investing
Check Out The Game of Life
Hasbro Gaming Scattergories.
To play the Scattergories game, you pick a list from the category cards and roll the 20-sided letter dice to determine which letter each answer will begin with.
For example, if the dice turns up the letter P, players start the timer and as quickly as possible, write down the answers to things listed on the card such as “boys names”, ‘things you plug in, ‘items in the vending machine’, or ‘song titles’, each beginning with the letter P.
When the time is up, players compare answers and each unique answer earns a point.
The player with the highest score at the end of each round is the winner.
Topics And Skills Learned in Hasbro Gaming Scattergories?
- Vocabulary
- Critical Thinking
- Reading
- Spelling
- Sportsmanship
- Memory Skills
Check Out Hasbro Gaming Scattergories