Five Great Board Games to Play with Kids

Updated: Aug 5, 2021

It feels like it's been raining all summer and I have to say, my garden has been loving every drop! Board games are a great way to spend time with family, but it can be hard to tell which games are going to be winners until you try them. In this post, I'll delve into five games that (in my own experience with a 5, 7, and 9-year-old) have been simple, enjoyable, and easy to learn how to play. All of the games featured in this post can be borrowed from the Essa Public Library!

Sushi Go!

Curate your own sushi feast and get points for the right bundles and combinations! Cards are passed around the circle and every turn another dish is added to your (adorably illustrated) dinner.

We played this game endlessly when we had it on loan from the library and it was perfectly enjoyable for both the adults and the children involved. My little ones quickly developed their own characteristic strategies and it was endearing to see those strategies unfolding in each and every game:

Strategy #1: Hoard all the pudding

Strategy #2: Go for the big sashimi points--take the risk!

Strategy #3: Hold out for the wasabi dip!

Here's how to play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DORG3uIoH4

Borrow from EPL: Sushi Go

Also available: Sushi Go Party!

Dixit

This game is a bit like Cards for Humanity or Apples to Apples, but without any text, making it perfect for the whole family (even pre-readers)! Using a hand of abstract, fantastic imagery, each person has to anonymously play the card that best suits the theme of the round. Players take turns being 'the storyteller' and invent a word or a sentence to accompany one of the cards in their hand (this serves as the aforementioned theme). Players then guess which card belonged to the storyteller: if all or none of the other players guess it right, then the storyteller gets no points. Otherwise, they earn 3 points (as does any player who correctly identified their card). The rest of the players will earn points for every player who chooses their card instead of the storyteller's card.

Here's how to play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qi4MoW6NuaQ

Even my (then) five-year-old was able to enjoy and fully participate in the game, and it's always more fun when everyone in the family can be actively involved.

Borrow from EPL: Dixit

Ghost Blitz

Alright, this one is SUPER fun to play. Of five objects on the table, only one will NOT be represented in either shape or colour on a card that is drawn (for example, either the shape of a chair or the colour red can indicate the chair piece). Whichever item is left out: that's the one to snag!

Two things I really like about this game.

I like the quirky, concrete pieces and simple overall design.
It's incredible how even a clever, fully grown human can sometimes get tripped up over which object to grab! It really felt like just the right level of challenge to keep players focused and engaged. Great game for kids.

Here's how to play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLiyeNpOXKQ

Borrow from EPL: Ghost Blitz

Also available: Ghost Blitz 2

Ticket to Ride

While the official children's version of this game would probably be ideal, I've only ever played the original Ticket to Ride with my kids (I liked this one so much that I bought my own copy long before I knew you could borrow it from the library!). Players are given secret starting points and destinations and need to assemble tiny, physical train cars on the board to complete the route. Only certain colours can be placed on certain routes, and players will draw cards to collect enough train cars of the corresponding colour. It's a lot of fun and, with a little help now and then, even little ones can play and enjoy.

Here's how to play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPGLlaGrShY

Borrow from EPL: Ticket to Ride

Also available: Ticket to Ride Europe

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Trivia Game

While I prefer the title 'Philosopher's Stone' for the first Potter book, the Americanized wording doesn't detract from this entertaining game. It's really fun to play. The Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Trivia Game has almost a Clue-like vibe with the different rooms (the four Hogwarts common rooms) and each space corresponds to a trivia topic that players have to try to answer. We played this right after reading the first book (when it was still fresh in our minds) and it was awesome! Some of the questions were certainly trickier than others, but altogether, it was neither too difficult nor too easy for anyone and we loved flexing our Potter-know-how skills!

Here is an 'unboxing', more or less, just to give you a sharper image of the game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBYdlPqDa0U

Borrow from EPL: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Trivia Game

Also available: Harry Potter Scene It?