At 3 and 4 years old, my boys are at the age where they are able to understand the concept of board games and card games. We already had a few classic games on hand – Chutes and Ladders, Don’t Break The Ice, Hungry Hungry Hippo – but Santa was kind enough to add to our collection. My boys have been excitedly playing these games together, over and over, ever since Christmas! Here is my list of 10 Awesome Games For Preschoolers, along with the links where you can buy them:
Games For Preschoolers
The majority of the games I have listed are for children ages 4+ but my 3 year old has successfully played and loved every one of them.
1. Raccoon Rumpus –
To play Raccoon Rumpus, each player takes turns rolling the dice and picking up the matching costumes. For example, if you roll the color red and a shirt, you would pick up a costume card that has a red shirt on it and place it onto your raccoon card. If you roll underwear, you have to put all of your cards back! The rules say that the first person to get 5 costumes wins but we play until there are no cards left and the person with the most costumes wins. There are a large variety of costumes, from ballerina to fire fighter, which is a great way to open discussions about different occupations. Practice colors, matching, and learn about occupations. Game includes 4 raccoon cards, 20 costume cards, 1 jumbo color die, 1 jumbo costume die, and game guide. Ages 3+
2. Zingo –
Zingo is a fun game of Bingo for kids! Little ones love pulling the Zinger forward to reveal two picture tiles at a time. The first person to call out the tiles that match the images on their card gets to take the tile. The first player to fill their card and yell “Zingo!” wins. Practice vocabulary recognition, matching, memory, and concentration. Game includes 1 Zingo! Zinger, 72 picture tiles, 6 double sided Zingo! cards. Ages 4+ There are also versions of Zingo available – Zingo Site Words, Zingo 1-2-3, Zingo Word Builder and more!
3. Shelby’s Snack Shack –
The object of Shelby’s Snack Shack is to collect the most bones. To play, spin the first spinner to see which action you will be taking – collect bones with the Shelby Squeezer, lose bones because the Sneaky Seagull stole them, miss a turn because you were playing with a flip flop, or steal bones from another players bowl. Once you know which action you will be taking, spin the second spinner to see how many bones to collect or lose. This is one of my boys’ favorite games and I even love playing it too! Practice number recognition, counting, early math skills – addition and subtraction, and fine motor skills. Game includes 1 Shelby Squeezer, 4 bowls, 40 bones, and 1 double game spinner. Ages 4+
4. Poppin’ Puzzlers –
Just like Perfection, this is a race against the clock. The difference is, you’re also racing an opponent! Perfection is a great game but it wasn’t long before it became much too easy for my boys. This game is a bit more challenging and my boys really enjoy it. My favorite part is that there is a convenient storage compartment built in! Practice shape recognition, memory, matching, and fine motor. Game includes game board with timer and 40 Shapes. Ages 5+
5. The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel –
To play The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel game, spin the spinner then pick up the matching colored acorn with your Squirrel Squeezers. Place the acorn in the matching colored hole on your log. The first person to collect all 5 colored acorns wins. Other actions on the spinner are pick an acorn, steal an acorn from another player, or lose an acorn because of a gust of wind. Practice hand-eye coordination, fine motor, matching, and sorting. Game includes Squirrel Squeezer, 20 colored acorns, 4 logs, and 1 game spinner. Ages 4+
6. Alphabet Go Fish –
Turn the classic Go Fish game into a fun way for your little one to learn their letters with these Alphabet Go Fish cards! These cards are durable and the images on them are fun and colorful. The cards are a little large and may be a little difficult for small hands to fan out but we use these card holders and my boys love them. Practice letter recognition, memory, matching. Game includes 52 beautifully designed cards. Ages 4+
7. Alphabet Matching Game –
Turn your Alphabet Go Fish cards into a fun game of memory! Use as many or as few cards as you like. We have picture memory games as well but my boys really love playing with their letter cards. Practice letter recognition, memory, matching.
8. Bugged Out –
This is the preschool version of the classic game of Jenga. To set up, stack the bugs in rows of three. Roll the die and carefully remove the bugs according to the color rolled. Add the removed bug to the top of the pile. The person who knocks the tower down is “out” and the game is played again until there is one person -the winner- left. Practice hand-eye coordination, problem solving, colors, and taking turns. Game includes 30 colored bug bricks, and 1 die. Ages 4+
9. Monkeying Around –
Take turns spinning the spinner to see how many monkeys you have to hang from the magnetic tree top. As the monkeys add up, try to keep the weight evenly distributed to prevent the tree from toppling down. Practice hand-eye coordination, balancing, colors, counting, and taking turns. Game includes swamp base with spinner, tree trunk, and 36 monkeys. Ages 4+
10. Think Fun Roll And Play –
This is game that we’ve had for about a year now, but one that my boys still love to play, so I wanted to add it to the list. Think Fun Roll And Play is designed specifically for toddlers. Simply toll the large plush die and identify which colored side faces up. Choose a matching color card and perform the activity shown. Activities are as follows:
Red: Actions (Say your name)
Purple: Body Parts (Pull your ears)
Green: Animal Sounds (Moo like a cow)
Yellow: Emotions (make a scared face)
Orange: Counting (Jump eight times)
Blue: Colors (Find something purple)
Game includes 48 cards, and large plush die with storage pocket for cards. Game encourages creativity, active play and gross motor skills. Ages 2+
I hope you decide to give some of these wonderful games a try! They are a sure way to provide your family with hours of fun! If I’ve missed any of your favorites, please share them with me! I’d love to hear your suggestions!
