Best Board Games for 6-8 Year Olds (2026 Guide)

Board games are one of the most fun ways to spend quality family time while developing children's social skills. The 6-8 year age range is a critical period when children begin to understand rule-based games and develop strategies.

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Recommended Age

6-8 years

Ideal Age: 7 years

The games in this guide are ideal for the 6-8 age group. Some games can also be played with younger or older children.

What Do Children Gain from Board Games at This Age?

Development Areas Supported

Problem Solving

Social Skills

Cognitive Development

Emotional Development

Children aged 6-8 develop the following skills through board games:

Taking turns and patience: Following game rules
Accepting losing: Emotional maturity
Developing strategy: Planning and foresight
Social interaction: Communication and cooperation
Math skills: Counting, addition, comparison

Top 10 Board Game Recommendations

1. Ticket to Ride: First Journey

Overall Score

4.9

A children's version of the classic Ticket to Ride. You connect cities by creating train routes.

Why is it ideal for this age?

Simplified rules
Short game duration (15-30 min)
Teaches geography
2-4 players

Pros

Easy to learn, satisfying to master
Visually appealing
Can be played by the whole family
Balance of strategy and luck

Cons

Limited compared to original version
Less fun with 2 players

2. Catan Junior

Overall Score

4.8

The 6+ age version of the award-winning Catan game. It teaches resource collection and trading on a pirate-themed island.

Skills it teaches:

Resource management
Trading and negotiation
Basic strategy

Parent Tip

Catan Junior is a great way to prepare your child for the adult Catan game. You can transition to standard Catan after age 8.

3. Dobble (Spot It!)

Overall Score

4.7

A speed and attention game. There's always one matching symbol between any two cards - whoever finds it first wins!

Advantages:

2-8 players (ideal for large groups)
Portable metal tin
5 different game modes
15 minutes per round

4. Kingdomino

Overall Score

4.8

2017 Game of the Year award-winning domino-strategy game. Match terrain pieces to build your kingdom.

Why we recommend it:

Develops visual-spatial intelligence
Simple rules, deep strategy
15-20 minute game duration
2-4 players

5. Jenga

Overall Score

4.5

A timeless classic! Build a tower from wooden blocks and pull pieces without toppling it. Perfect for hand-eye coordination.

Version recommendations:

Classic Jenga (best for beginners)
Jenga Giant (for outdoors)
Jenga Tetris (different shapes)

6. Zingo

Overall Score

4.6

A fast and fun version of Bingo. Visual matching for pre-readers, word recognition for readers.

Educational Value

Zingo is an award-winning educational game produced by ThinkFun. It makes reading skills fun.

7. Labyrinth

Overall Score

4.7

A Ravensburger classic. Slide the labyrinth walls to reach treasures. Requires planning and adaptation skills.

Game details:

2-4 players
20-30 minutes
7+ age recommendation
Develops spatial thinking

8. Guess Who?

Overall Score

4.4

The classic guessing game. Find your opponent's character by asking yes/no questions. Logical thinking and questioning skills.

9. UNO

Overall Score

4.5

The card game every family knows. Color and number matching, simple strategy.

UNO variations:

UNO Junior (4+ years)
UNO Flip (double-sided)
UNO Attack (with card launcher)

10. Monopoly Junior

Overall Score

4.3

A fast and simple version of classic Monopoly. Basic money management and trading concepts.

Warning

Even Monopoly Junior can take 45-60 minutes. For children with short attention spans, Dobble or Zingo may be more suitable.

Comparison Table

Game	Players	Duration	Difficulty	Educational Value
Ticket to Ride First Journey	2-4	15-30 min	Easy	Geography, strategy
Catan Junior	2-4	30 min	Medium	Trading, resource management
Dobble	2-8	15 min	Easy	Attention, speed
Kingdomino	2-4	15-20 min	Medium	Spatial intelligence
Jenga	2+	20 min	Easy	Motor skills
Zingo	2-6	10-15 min	Easy	Reading, matching
Labyrinth	2-4	20-30 min	Medium	Planning
Guess Who	2	15 min	Easy	Logic
UNO	2-10	20-30 min	Easy	Numbers, colors
Monopoly Junior	2-4	45-60 min	Medium	Money management

How to Choose?

For Beginners

Dobble - Fast, fun
Jenga - Everyone knows it
UNO - Classic card game
Zingo - Educational and simple

For Strategy Lovers

Ticket to Ride - Route planning
Catan Junior - Resource management
Kingdomino - Area control
Labyrinth - Spatial thinking

What to Consider When Choosing Board Games

Number of Players

2 players: Guess Who, Battleship
2-4 players: Most strategy games
4+ players: Dobble, UNO, party games

Game Duration

10-15 minutes: Dobble, Zingo (for short attention spans)
20-30 minutes: Most games (ideal duration)
45+ minutes: Monopoly, Risk Junior (experienced players)

Theme Preference

Choose according to your child's interests:

Animals: Zooloretto Junior
Dinosaurs: Dino World
Space: Space Base Junior
Princesses: Sleeping Queens

Safety Information

Safe Features

✓Prefer CE and EN71 certified games
✓Watch out for small pieces (for siblings)
✓Consider age recommendations

Certifications

CEEN71

Family Game Night Tips

For a Successful Game Night

Set a fixed day each week
Keep phones away
Focus on fun rather than winning
Let the child choose the game
Prepare snacks!

For other educational toy recommendations, check out our 3-5 Years Educational Toys Guide and for building blocks comparison, see our LEGO vs Mega Bloks article.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should be the first board game for my 6-year-old?

Start with Dobble or UNO. Simple rules, quick to learn. Once your child gets used to the game concept, you can move on to strategy games like Ticket to Ride.

Do board games reduce screen time?

Absolutely! Regular family game nights create quality time together and children move away from screens toward social interaction.

Which games can I play with a single child?

Guess Who, Battleship, and some solo puzzle games can be played with 2 people. Many games also have solo modes.

Where can I buy games?

Amazon, D&R, and specialty toy stores offer wide selections. You can also consider Letgo and Dolap for second-hand options.

Conclusion

Board games are valuable tools for the development of children aged 6-8. They develop strategy, patience, social skills, and problem-solving abilities in a fun way.

For beginners, we recommend Dobble or Ticket to Ride: First Journey. You can expand your collection based on your child's interests.

Explore Children's Board Games