👈🏻 Back to Best Children’s Games
Have you played some really simple games and looking for a slight step up? These games build on the core concepts of turns and game structure by adding a touch of logical reasoning.
⭐️ Top Picks
Our top recommendations in this category, and games that we personally own to fill this niche.
My First Castle Panic
Summary: Work together to play cards matching the spaces of monsters to remove them before they reach your castle.
You Might Like If… you want a cooperative “tower-defense” children’s game that helps teach concepts like matching, resolving enemy movement, and understanding of basic monster abilities.
Richard Scarry's Busytown: Eye found it! Game
Summary: Spin and move your way across the giant board to reach picnic island before the pigs eat all of your food, all while seeking and finding objects along the way.
You Might Like If… you want a children’s game that helps to teach counting of spaces while having a fun search-and-find element where you work as a team to find objects across the huge illustrated board.
NOTE: The version linked here is a new edition that makes some big changes, such as the game being competitive, though it could be house-ruled to be cooperative. The version we recommend most is the original “Eye found it!” edition if you can find it.
Dragon’s Breath
Summary: Collect the most crystals by predicting which color you think is most likely to fall from the tower when the next ice ring is melted by the dragon.
You Might Like If… you want a children’s game that helps kids practice evaluating physical probabilities and plays well with a mix of ages, including adults.
Magic Mountain
Summary: Work together to strategically roll marbles down the Plinko-like mountain to move all the students to the bottom before the witches.
You Might Like If… you want a cooperative children’s game that helps kids practice evaluating physical probabilities and plays well with a mix of ages, including adults.
Dragomino
Summary: Draft domino-like tiles and place them to match your other tiles to collect the most eggs that hopefully contain dragons!
You Might Like If… you want a children’s game that introduces the concept of tile-placement and matching that has interesting decisions for older kids and adults but enough randomness to level the playing field with younger players.
Hammer Time
Summary: Hit the box with the hammer to try to knock off the gemstones that match the colors on your goal card, but be careful — knock off too many and you get nothing!
You Might Like If… you want a dexterity children’s game that helps kids evaluate physical probabilities and practice showing restraint, while still being fun for older kids and adults.
No Mercy for Monsters
Summary: Work together to throw socks and other objects to knock over monsters that have broken into your neighbor’s house!
You Might Like If… you want a cooperative dexterity children’s game that has some fun silliness, a cool 3D presentation, and a light memory element.
Rhino Hero
Summary: Take turns adding levels to the tower and moving the Rhino Hero higher and higher, but don’t be the one to knock it down!
You Might Like If… you want a stacking dexterity children’s game that comes in a small package and has some added interest with players trying to play all their cards and move the little Rhino Hero figure.
Spot It! Disney 100 Years of Wonder
Summary: Race to spot the only matching Disney character for any two cards in the game.
You Might Like If… you want a quick children’s game with an element of speed in searching for matches. The Disney 100 Years of Wonder edition is great as it has more images per card and leans into characters beloved by many kids, but other Spot It! editions are also good options.
UNO (Pixar Edition)
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Summary: Try to get rid of all your cards first by matching color or number, along with additional effects like wilds, reverses, skips, and “draw 2” cards.
You Might Like If… you want a game to introduce kids to card games and practice matching. We recommend the Pixar set as it contains familiar characters and the pictures help assist when matching by number.
NOTE: While young kids can just lay their cards face-up on the table, you may also consider the Little Hands Card Holder to help them hold a hand of cards.
My First Carcassonne
Summary: Place tiles to expand the landscape, trying to complete roads with your meeples so you can go out first.
You Might Like If… you want a children’s game that introduces tile-laying and helps kids trace whether a path has been completed and has some light strategic decisions when choosing where to place a tile.
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