11 Best Board Games for Kids and Families

Did you know it’s International Tabletop Day today – a full day to celebrate the joy that is board games and the competitiveness that comes with it. So what better way to celebrate than by breaking out the family board games?

You probably have an entire shelf or drawer full of the classics – Cluedo, Scrabble, Monopoly, and Life to name a few. But we’ve uncovered a few more to add to the table.

These newer board games will entertain the whole tribe and we’ve got games for preschoolers all the way to teens. Our round-up of the best board games for kids include award-winning board games, strategy games, cheeky card games and even escape room games.

Break away from Battleship and dive into the best board games for kids of 2023.

11 Best Board Games for Kids

1. Trapped Escape Room Games

AGES: 8+
BUY IT: Big W, Catch, Mr Toys, Toyworld and all good toy and games retailers.
GREAT FOR: Cooperative play

Best board games of 2023 - Trapped — Source: Supplied

For kids who love problem-solving and escape rooms, enter the next best thing – it’s an escape room game from the comfort of your own home.

The award-winning TRAPPED Escape Room Games are aimed at ages 8+ to adult so you can join in on the fun too. It allows you to turn any room into an escape room and comes with everything you need.

2. Storytime Chess

AGES: 3+
BUY IT: Story Time Chess
GREAT FOR: Preschoolers

Story-Time-Chess-hot-toys-xmas-2023 — Source: VR Distribution

An ideal choice for preschoolers, Story Time Chess is the most award-winning game out there. The game blends storytime learning and playtime into one with silly stories, vibrant illustrations, custom chess pieces, and a unique chess board.

The whole set is beautifully designed and can be passed on from generation to generation. It will become a cherished keepsake for sure. Best of all, no chess experience is required for parents or children to learn. Read all about it here.

3. Zombie Kidz: Evolution

AGES: 7+
BUY IT: Amazon and Gameology
GREAT FOR: Cooperative play, gamers and arcade enthusiasts

best board games of 2023 - Zombie Kidz — Source: Amazon

A family board game that includes zombies is always going to be a winner for the older crew and this one doesn’t disappoint. The object of the game is to defend a school from hoards of zombies while completing various tasks and moving around the board.

Zombie Kidz Evolution comes with a 4.8 average rating from over 1,000 reviews on Amazon. What we especially love about this game is that it’s a cooperative game so you work together to beat the zombies as a team. No sibling meltdowns about who wins!

4. Disney’s Villainous

AGES: 10+
BUY IT: Amazon
GREAT FOR: Disney fans and tweens

Best board games for kids - Disney Villainous — Source: Amazon

If your kids are more into Disney than Zombies, then Disney Villainous is a great choice, especially for tweens. It’s earned a 4.7-star average rating from over 5,800 reviews on Amazon and features six Disney villains.

Each player takes on the role of a Disney villain as they strive to achieve their own devious objective. Fun, engaging, and a great choice to play with your tween or to suggest as an activity at your tween’s sleepover. Much less traumatising than the Ouija board.

5. Jumanji Deluxe

AGES: 8+
BUY IT: Amazon
GREAT FOR: Adventure-seekers

Best board games for kids - Jumanji — Source: Spin Master

Developed by the toy legends at Spin Master, Jumanji Deluxe is the newest Jumanji board game and will make your family games night come to life! This is the electronic version of the legendary Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle movie where your band of brave adventurers head deep into the jungle.

On each turn, roll dice and move along the path, using the electronic Green Dome to reveal a captivating riddle or perilous event. Look deep into the Dome as mysterious words and animations illuminate and appear. From poisonous spiders to mountain avalanches, danger is everywhere. With 100 Challenges to survive, you never know what Jumanji has in store for you.

6. Exploding Kittens

AGES: 7+
BUY IT: Target
GREAT FOR: Anticipation-fuelled family fun

Best board games for kids - Exploding Kittens — Source: Supplied

Okay so Exploding Kittens is a card game but we’re still counting it on our list of best board games for kids because it’s awesome. Essentially, it is a kitty-powered version of Russian Roulette where the stakes get higher with every card you play. The fewer cards, the more chance you’ll draw a kitten and explode. #BOOM!

It’s a great game for the whole family (kids over 7 will especially get a kick out of it) and delivers a deck full of cheeky fun.

7. Palm Court The Fuzzies

AGES: 7+
BUY IT: Games World
GREAT FOR: Anticipation-fuelled family fun

You’ve probably seen The Fuzzies on TikTok before – it’s a sensory-friendly game that is SOO much fun! Think of it like a fuzzy Jenga where your job is to create gravity-defying towers out of colourful fuzzy balls.

The rules are similar to Jenga but with a few surprise elements thrown in for extra fun. It also won the BlogOn Best Family Game 2022 Award and is nominated for the Australian Game of the Year 2023.

8. Throw Throw Burrito

AGES: 7+
BUY IT: Kmart
GREAT FOR: Laugh-out-loud fun

Throw Throw Burrito lets you chuck burritos at your kids. No jokes. So clear away some space or head to the backyard and prepare to launch squishy burritos at each other.

The game is both a card game and a game of dodgeball – the first of its kind and is ideal for picnics, camping and any gathering.

9. CATAN: Trade, Build, Settle

AGES: 10+
BUY IT: Amazon, Target, Kmart and most board game retailers
GREAT FOR: Strategists

Best board games for kids - Catan — Source: Supplied

While CATAN has been around for years, we still had to include it in our best board games for kids list because it’s a family staple. CATAN has players vying to become the dominant presence on the island of Catan by paving roads, building cities, and establishing settlements.

The trading mechanic creates a perfect mix of social diplomacy and backstabbing among players and is a great one for kids who love strategy games.

10. AZUL

AGES: 8+ (but younger can play with a parent)
BUY IT: JB HiFi, Mr Toys Toyworld, Catch.com.au, Booktopia and many other toy retailers
GREAT FOR: Creative minds

best board games for kids - Azul — Source: Supplied

Colourful and engaging, Azul is another great board game for kids that works the right-brain creative side. In Azul, each player is a tile-laying artist competing to create the most decorative wall in the Royal Palace of Evora – great for creative minds and mini-artists.

Extra points are scored for specific patterns and completing sets; wasted supplies harm the player’s score. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins. The beautifully designed game pieces allow young children and non-readers to pick up and play the game too.

11. Ticket to Ride: Europe

AGES: 8+
BUY IT: Kmart and Amazon
GREAT FOR: Mini builders and STEM minds

best board games - ticket to ride europe — Source: Supplied

Ticket to Ride: Europe is an expansive board game that has players building railway routes across Europe, great for creative minds and mini engineers and keen travellers too. The gameplay is simple, yet sophisticated, with rules that can be learned in under 15 minutes.

The overall goal of the game is to collect and play train cards in order to place your pieces on the board, attempting to connect cities on your ticket cards. Points are earned both from placing trains and completing tickets but uncompleted tickets lose you points. The player who has the most points at the end of the game wins.