100+ Educational Board Games: This Ultimate Guide Helps You Make Learning Fun
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Educational board games are easy and powerful ways to make learning fun.
If you're looking to incorporate more gaming into your family or homeschool life, this list of over 100 educational board games will make it easy to find a variety of ways to boost learning.
Use this guide for inspiration and make sure to grab a pencil and paper so you can jot down all the must-have games you want to enjoy with your family.
Educational Board Games Make Such a Difference
As a mom and homeschool parent, my mission is ALWAYS to make life and learning fun.
After all, we only have one life to live . . . and the years that our children are home with us are so brief in the grand scheme of things. So why wouldn’t you want to make those years as filled with fun and joy as possible? That's one of the reasons why we love gameschooling so much (especially on a budget) 🎉
If your family is anything like mine, one way you love to spend time together is playing games. Whether they’re board games, card games, video games, or a game we made up, a bit of lighthearted competition and collaboration is something we can’t resist. Quality time together plus developing important social skills and problem-solving skills makes everyone a winner.
Classic board games can be so much fun (and some of our favorite things to do!). Over the years, we've all had our personal favorites and take turns picking out new games to add to our collection.
What’s even better is when we find a game that’s not only fun, but that has some kind of educational element to it — whether it’s subtle or in-your-face. Educational board games rock!
And that’s what this guide is all about! I’ll be sharing some educational board games with you that I think your family would love. You’ll probably see some of your favorites on this list. (I’d be surprised if you didn’t!) But I hope you also find some that surprise, delight and excite you.
*Note: I’m trying my best to focus on educational board games, but there may be some card games or “not-quite-sure-what-to-call-this-genre” games that sneak their way onto the list 😉
How to Use This Guide to Educational Board Games
I want to make this guide with the best educational board games as helpful as possible. With that goal in mind, I've broken down the educational board games into 11 different categories:
- Creative Arts
- Geography
- History and Trivia
- Language Arts
- Life Skills
- Logic and Reasoning
- Math
- Motor Skills
- Science
- Strategy
- Technology
- Engineering
Some educational board games can reasonably fit into multiple categories, but for simplicity’s sake, I put them in the category that seemed like the best fit.
For each game, you'll find:
- the number of players it can accommodate
- the manufacturer suggested age range
- how long it takes (on average) for active gameplay
- brief description of the game.
Some games are best suited for younger players. But, I love finding family board games to enjoy. An educational game is such a fun way to boost game nights and more!
100+ Educational Board Games for Learning Fun
Games of all sorts are excellent ways to get kids excited and engaged. And when you can pair those games with educational themes or skills, you'll have so much learning fun. Plus, you can use games with kids of all ages, from toddler to homeschool preschool activities and all the way up through high school!
Creative Arts Board Games
Artsy Fartsy
4-12 players, ages 10+, 30-60 minute playing time
A family-friendly game with clues that are FUN TO DRAW! Not much is off-limits in this fast-paced game that keeps everyone engaged and begging for more! Team up with family and friends to draw, guess and STEAL clues that will have everyone laughing out loud!
Canvas
1-5 players, ages 14+, 30 minute playing time
In Canvas, you play as a painter competing in an art competition. Players will collect transparent Art Cards, layering 3 of them together to create their own unique Painting. Each card contains a piece of artwork as well as a set of icons used for scoring. Icons will be revealed or hidden based on the way players choose to layer the cards making for an exciting puzzle.
Cartoon It
2-6 players, ages 6+, N/A playing time
Sharpen your memory and your drawing pencil as you play this fun, fast-paced memory game with an artistic twist. You’ll have 30 seconds to memorize a cartoon character with six specific features shown on the Character Card. When time is up, all players draw their cartoon character from memory using hints from the Features Board.
The player with the sharpest memory scores the most points, and you’ll have hilarious fun comparing your drawings. Cartoon It promotes drawing and memory skills and is perfect for the entire family.
Cranium
4+ players, ages 16+, 60 minute playing time
Challenging players to use their whole brain, Cranium challenges you to complete activities in 4 color-coded categories: Creative Cat, Data Head, Star Performer, and Word Worm.
Teams work together to complete activities (like spelling a word backwards, drawing with their eyes closed, solving a puzzle, sculpting a creation, or acting out a phrase) before the time runs out. The first team to reach the Cranium Central space and complete one last challenge wins!
Dixit
3-8 players, ages 8+, 30 minute playing time
In each round of Dixit, one player selects a card and thinks up a clue inspired by the card. The other players all choose cards that they think match the clue. The cards are shuffled and then revealed. Players secretly vote for the card that best matches the narrator's story. The player whose card is chosen scores points.
Junk Art
2-6 players, ages 8+, 30 minute playing time
Players compete in over a dozen challenges to make beautiful art out of junk! Using irregular shapes, you must figure out how to balance the crazy shapes and out play your opponents.
Pictionary
3-16 players, ages 8+, 90 minute playing time
In this quick-draw family game, the goal is to get your team to guess the word or phrase you’re trying to draw before the time runs out.
Rory’s Story Cubes
1-12 players, ages 6+, 20 minute playing time
This die-based game empowers players to work separately or together to weave a wonderful story. Roll the cubes and then integrate as many of the illustrated components (which includes items, characters, and animals) to tell a story. With 54 different illustrations and over 10 million combinations, the storytelling possibilities are limitless! There are also several different versions, so you can expand the fun.
Sagrada
1-12 players, ages 6+, 20 minute playing time
Throw dice and use the tools-of-the-trade in Sagrada to carefully construct your stained glass window masterpiece. Special tools can be used to help you break the rules by spending skill tokens; once a tool is used, it then requires more skill tokens for the other players to use them. The highest scoring window artisan wins!
Telestrations
4-8 players, ages 12+, 30 minute playing time
Telestrations is the visual version of the classic “telephone game” where you draw what you see, then guess what you saw to reveal hilarious outcomes.
Each player starts with their own erasable sketch book, marker and word card. A roll of the die determines each player’s secret word. The timer gets turned and everyone draws their word. After 60 seconds, everyone passes their book to the player on their left.
Then, each player takes a few seconds to guess in words(s) what they see, and passes again. The timer is turned and everyone draws the guess.This continues until everyone’s sketchbook passes by every player and returns back to its original owner, where it’s time for The Big Reveal. Everyone shares their book and the hilarious miscommunication is revealed.
WhatchamaDrawit
1+ players, ages 6+, N/A playing time
This fast-action, fun-filled game features two playing modes. In the competitive mode, one player draws a card, the rest draw whatever is on it, and the first player decides who has the “best” picture. In free play mode, everyone just has fun drawing what’s on the cards.
Geography Educational Board Games
Geography is one of our favorite subjects for our homeschool. And I LOVE to add games to take our geography fun to the next level!
7 Wonders
2 to 7 players, ages 10+, 30 minute playing time
Draft cards to develop your ancient civilization and build its Wonder of the World. You are the leader of one of the 7 great cities of the Ancient World. Gather resources, develop commercial routes, and affirm your military supremacy. Build your city and erect an architectural wonder which will transcend future times.
Continent Race
2+ players, ages 7+, 30 minute playing time
Have fun learning the continents, countries, and flags of the world. It's a card game and a race to see who can collect the most countries from each continent first!
Race Across the USA
2-4 players, ages 8+, N/A playing time
Players race across the USA to be the first to visit six states, answer geography questions, then get back to their home states to win the game! Players can use the game board for clues to answer questions and win state cards. Questions are geared to each player’s own grade level, so kids 8 and up from different grades can play together on an even field.
The Scrambled States of America
2-4 players, ages 8+, 20 minute playing time
Have fun learning about the United States in this madcap game of observation and quick reflexes. Collect state cards by matching them to a Scramble challenge. Or “Go the Distance” and find a state’s closest neighbor. Win the most cards and call yourself the Head of States!
The World Game: Fun Geography Board Game
2-5 players, ages 7+, 40 minute playing time
Race around the world, pass famous landmarks, and win. Mess with your opponents with 10 different actions or save yourself and strategize to win the game.
The World Game: The Ultimate Geography Card Game
2-5 players, ages 5+, 20-60 minute playing time
The basic game is to compete with facts between World Countries (a bigger country beats a smaller one, etc.). There are also 4 possible challenges: Flag, Location, the Capital City and a Continent challenge. A fun trivia board game for all ages!
Trekking the National Parks
2-6 players, ages 8+, 30-60 minute playing time
Up to six players compete in a cross country race to visit the National Parks and collect the most points. Gathering colored trek cards allows players to move across the map and claim valuable park cards.
If a player is the first to visit a National Park, they collect that park's colored stone, which awards bonus points at the end of the game. Players must jockey for position and make tough tactical decisions at every turn to emerge victorious!
Trekking the World
2-5 players, ages 10+, 30-60 minute playing time
Players compete to be the ultimate globe trotter by racing to visit world-renowned locations and collect rare souvenirs along the way. The game spotlights 48 real-world destinations, each beautifully illustrated and accompanied with educational passages to inspire your next getaway.
History and Trivia Board Games
Alhambra
2-6 players, ages 8+, 45-60 minute playing time
The world’s best architects are looking to demonstrate their skill. Employ the best teams of builders and make sure they always have the right currency they need. The player who builds the most valuable Alhambra will win the competition for the best palace.
Chronology
2 to 8 players, ages 14+, 30 minute playing time
Have a family of history buffs? Want to make history more fun? This timeline-based card game could be the perfect fit! Take turns reading out historical events and placing them on your personal timeline. Each time you’re right, you get to keep the card and your timeline grows. The first player to collect 10 cards in their timeline wins!
Stone Age
2-4 players, ages 10+, 30 minute playing time
Travel to the time of hunters and gatherers in this classic game of tools and tribes. Players take turns placing figures on board spaces to perform actions and gather resources.
There are a limited number of spaces, so you must determine the best actions to take each round. Strike the right balance to create the most advanced civilization and lead your people to a better life. There’s also a My First Stone Age version for ages 5+.
Trekking Through History
2-4 players, ages 10+, 30-60 minute playing time
Time travel to some of the greatest moments in human history. Meet legendary people and join remarkable events as you try to see all you can before the clock runs out during family game night. My boys and I have had a blast with this game!
Trivial Pursuit: Family Edition
2-36 players, ages 12+, 90 minute playing time
Play individually or in teams, taking turns moving around the board and answering questions correctly to win wedges. Family members can test their smarts with question after question in 6 categories: Geography, Entertainment, History, Sports and Leisure, Arts and Literature, and Science and Nature.
Be the first player or team to earn each of the 6 wedges and answer a final question correctly to win!
Language Arts Educational Board Games
Alphabet Bingo
2-6 players, ages 4+, NA playing time
Alphabet tokens are pulled from the blue bag and called out. Your child then places their red token on the matching square. Get 4 in a row to get bingo!
For a twist on traditional Bingo, try Letter Sound Bingo, Cooperative Bingo, and Picture Bingo to determine the letter that goes with the picture.
Alphabet Go Fish!
2-6 players, ages 4+, NA playing time
Similar to the original, fish for pairs of alphabet letters. Fun colorful oversized cards show capital and lowercase letters with corresponding artwork and words to help little ones learn to read.
Apples to Apples
4-8 players, ages 12+, 30 minute playing time
In this game of comical comparisons, players take turns acting as the judge. The judge draws a Description card (which features adjectives like outrageous, lucky, rare, or neat). The other players secretly choose Thing cards (which feature things like zombies, chopping onions, giraffes, and millennials). The judge then decides whose Thing card best matches their Description card.
The person with the best match gets to keep the Description card. The first person to collect a predetermined number of Description cards wins. There’s also an Apples to Apples Junior version for ages 9+.
Anomia
3-6 players, ages 10+, 30 minute playing time
To play, draw and reveal a card from the center pile. If the symbol on your card matches the one on another player’s card, you must quickly face-off with the other player by giving an example of the person, place, or thing on their card before they can do the same for yours. Whoever yells out a correct answer first wins the other person’s card. Wild Cards create unexpected matches and the simple act of losing a card can set off a chain of cascading face-offs!
Balderdash
2-6 players, ages 8+, 60 minute playing time
In this hilarious bluffing game, players take turns pulling cards featuring unbelievable-but-real words from the English language. The rest of the players submit their own definitions, with the goal of getting the other players to choose their definition as the correct one. Points are awarded for each opponent who chooses your definition. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins.
Bananagrams
1-8 players, ages 7+, 15 minute playing time
Race to build personal crossword grids faster than the other players. When one player runs out of letter tiles, all players take a new tile from the pool. The first person to complete a word grid after all of the tiles in the pool have been taken wins.
My boys and I LOVE Bananagrams - and use the tiles in so many ways in our homeschool!
Blank Slate
3-8 player, ages 8+, 30 minute playing time
Blank Slate is the clever party game from The Op Games where you try to predict what others are thinking. Everyone secretly writes a word that completes a phrase on the cue card, but choose your word carefully . . . you score the most points for matching words with only one other person. The player with the most points wins!
Boggle
1-8 players, ages 8+, 10 minute playing time
This timed word game pits players against each other in a race to find the most words before the timer runs out. It’s a great way to practice and build vocabulary. To play solo, try to beat your own score! There’s also a Boggle Junior for younger kids.
Scattergories
2-4 teams, ages 13+, 30 minute playing time
In this fun, fast-paced vocabulary game, each team picks a card and gets ready to come up with answers for the category that’s listed. The twist? You roll a letter die to find out which letter each answer has to start with!
Start the timer and work with your teammates to come up with the most answers. The team with the highest number of unique answers (as in answers that weren’t repeated by another team) at the end of the round wins!
Scrabble
2-4 players, ages 10+, 90 minute playing time
In this classic word game, players draw seven drawn letter-tiles and use them to form words on the gameboard. Words can be played strategically to take advantage of points on the tiles as well as bonus spaces on the board. The person with the most points wins.
There’s also a Scrabble Junior version for ages 5 and up.
Upwords
2-4 players, ages 8+, 90 minute playing time
In this turn-based word-building game, players form words horizontally and vertically (much like with Scrabble). However, the twist on this game is that they can also stack the letter tiles to form new words out of old ones.
For example, “BIG'' could become “FRIGHT”, which could later become “SLIGHT”. Points are tallied based on the number of tiles used for a word — including ones that are underneath!
Life Skills Educational Board Games
Breaking Barriers
2-6 players, ages 7+, N/A playing time
Breaking Barriers Down is a block stacking game that includes questions to provoke conversation related to emotions of happiness, sadness, anger and fear. This therapeutic tool helps kids develop emotional intelligence, improved awareness of self, and social skills.
Chat Chains
2-8 players, ages 8+, 15-30 minute playing time
Popular among psychologists and occupational therapists, this social emotional learning game can help kids open up as well as practice conversational skills. Players choose a topic and then use Question and Answer cards to build a chat chain and make a connection. There are multiple play styles to choose from.
Crazy Chefs
2-4 players, ages 3-6, 20 minute playing time
Aspiring chefs will love the chance to help in the kitchen in this fun food-themed, matching game. Help the Crazy Chefs gather their ingredients and utensils to prepare a delicious meal before spinning the spinner to cook it. The winner is the player whose dish is ready first! With four playing boards to choose from. Players can choose to cook tacos, pizza, stir fry or chili and can learn about the ingredients in each dish.
Crazy Chefs is a great way to encourage discussion about food, ingredients and food preparation and can be used to discuss healthy eating.
Emotional Rollercoaster
2-6 players, ages 6-13, 30-60 minute playing time
This anger management game helps children learn how to cope and calm down when angry, use mindfulness and breathing exercises to stay grounded, explore what makes them angry, improve their ability to express themselves, and understand that if one coping strategy doesn’t feel right to them, they can try another.
Money Bags
2-4 players, ages 7+, 20 minute playing time
As they make their way around the game board, kids collect, count, and exchange money—the player with the most money wins. Game play reinforces early financial literacy skills with the help of the set's realistic play bills and coins as well as introduces kids to the fundamentals of early math success!
Pay Day
2-6 players, ages 8+, 30 minute playing time
Pay Day is played on a one-month calendar with 31 days. During the game, players will have to deal with various bills and expenses, but will also have the opportunity to make deals on property and earn money.
At the end of each month, players are paid their salary (the same for each player) and must then pay off all outstanding bills, taking out a loan if necessary. Most money (or least debt) wins after a certain number of months decided by the players.
Shopping List
2-4 players, ages 3+, 15 minute playing time
In this fun and simple memory game, players must race to be the first to fill their trolley or basket by matching all the items on their shopping list. Players have a choice of four fun shopping lists to choose from, including one on a tablet. Each list features a variety of everyday items to observe and talk about.
Social Skills
2+ players, ages 5+, N/A playing time
There are no right or wrong answers in these 6 unique board games. Each game has players discuss the solutions to socially challenging situations.
Together the group decides upon the best action encouraging all players to communicate, listen, and participate in the game. The games target 6 important issues that kids often struggle with: morals, manners, empathy, friendship, showing emotions, managing emotions.
The Coping Skills Game
2-4 players, ages 7-12, N/A playing time
Players roll a die to move around the board. Landing on different spaces present them with different situations they must respond to OR a coping skills card. When they respond in an acceptable way, they receive a victory point chip. The player with the most chips at the end of the game wins, but all players win by developing positive coping skills.
Logic and Reasoning Educational Board Games
Balance Beans
1 player, ages 5+, N/A playing time
This solo player game combines math, logic, and critical thinking skills. The player works through 40 challenge cards, which become more difficult as you go. The goal is to balance the bean pieces on the seesaw according to the challenge cards.
Blokus
2-4 players, ages 7+, 20 minute playing time
Players take turns placing their 21 pieces on the board. Each piece must touch another of the same color, but only at the corners.
Stake your claim and protect your territory by fitting as many of your pieces on the board as possible while strategically blocking your opponents. The game ends when no more pieces can be placed down, and the player with the lowest number remaining wins!
Cat Crimes
1 players, ages 8+, N/A playing time
Tangled yarn and a missing bird... which of the six furry fiends was responsible for each Cat Crime? With a little problem solving, you’ll be able to use paw prints, toy placement and other clues to figure out exactly where each Cat was sitting at the time of the crime. There’s also a Dog Crimes version.
Clue
2-6 players, ages 8+, 40 minute playing time
One murder… 6 suspects. In this suspenseful Clue game, players have to find out who's responsible for murdering Mr. Boddy of Tudor Mansion in his own home. Get the scoop on the mansion's rooms, weapons and guests and start detecting! Was it Plum with the wrench in the library? Or Green with the candlestick in the study?
Eliminate information throughout the game in this classic whodunit. The player who correctly accuses Who, What, and Where wins! There’s also a Clue Junior version.
Escape Room: The Game
3-5 players, ages 16+, 60 minute playing time
Included in this game are 4 unique 60 minute escape room puzzles that will test your cranial skills. Use images, gears, words, keys, shapes, maps and more to solve the three stages within each escape room. An analog timer on the Chrono Decoder centerpiece incessantly counts down, emitting ominous noises to create an environment shut out from the outside world.
If the puzzles stump you for too long, slide a hint card into the Hint Decoder to keep your team moving. Slide 4 keys into the Chrono Decoder when you think you have the answer... but beware, if you're wrong, a precious minute will be taken from you.
Guess Who?
2 players, ages 6+, 20 minute playing time
Practice your deductive reasoning skills in one of the most popular guessing games out there. Each player chooses a mystery character card. Then, using Yes or No questions (such as “Does your person have a beard/red hair, brown eyes/a toothy grin?), try to figure out who the other player’s mystery character is through the process of elimination. The first player to guess correctly wins.
Love Letter
2-4 players, ages 10+, 20 Minute playing time
All of the eligible young men (and many of the not-so-young) seek to woo the princess of Tempest. Unfortunately, she has locked herself in the Palace, and you must rely on others to bring your romantic letters to her. Will yours reach her first?
Your goal is to get your love letter into princess Annette's hands while deflecting the letters from competing suitors. From a deck with only sixteen cards, each player starts with only one card in hand; one card is removed from play. On a turn, you draw one card, and play one card, trying to expose others and knock them from the game. Powerful cards lead to early gains, but make you a target. Rely on weaker cards for too long, however, and your letter may be tossed in the fire.
Mysterium
2-7 players, ages 10+, 42 minute playing time
One player takes on the role of the victim (who is now a ghost) and the rest play as psychics. Over the course of the game, players work together to solve a mystery by psychically communicating with the victim. The ghost tries to lead psychics to the correct culprit. Mysterium also has as multiple expansion sets!
Outfoxed!
2-4 players, ages 5+, 20 minute playing time
Mrs. Plumpert's prized pot pie has gone missing, and now it's a chicken chase to crack the case! In this cooperative whodunit game, you move around the board to gather clues, then use the special evidence scanner to rule out suspects. You have to work together quickly because the guilty fox is high-tailing it towards the exit! Will you halt the hungry hooligan before it flies the coop — or will you be outfoxed?
Rubik’s Race
2 players, ages 7+, 5 minute playing time
Shake the scrambler and race head to head against your opponent. Shift and slide the tiles to become the first racer to match the 3x3 center of the scrambler’s Cube pattern. It sounds easy enough, but the Rubik’s Race is a board game of skill, speed and dexterity. Be the first to drop the divider frame on their completed side of the board.
Rush Hour Traffic Jam
1 player, ages 8+, N/A playing time
This solo player game combines math, logic, and critical thinking skills. The player works through 40 challenge cards, which become more difficult as you go. The goal is to balance the bean pieces on the seesaw according to the challenge cards. There’s also a Junior version for ages 5+.
The Uzzle
1-4 player, ages 4+, 5-30 minute playing time
Each player is given a set of five blocks, each of which has a number from 1 to 5 to indicate that it is a complete set. Flip the top card to reveal the puzzle. Race to see who will be the first player to solve the puzzle on the card.
Math Educational Board Games
Bus Stop
2-4 players, ages 4+, 20 minute playing time
This is a simple addition and subtraction counting game where you race to the bus station, picking up and dropping off passengers as you go. Throw the dice to move your bus around the board, either landing on a plus or minus square. Players spin the spinner to determine the number of passengers to count on or off their bus.
The game can change quickly as players gain and lose players by spinning the spinner. The winner is the player with the most passengers when their bus finally arrives at the bus station.
Clumsy Thief: The Crazy, Fast-Paced Money Game
2-6 players, ages 8+, 15 minute playing time
A hilarious, fast-paced card game reinforcing double-digit addition skills. Players look at their dealt hand for any two cards that add to $100 to make money stacks. Money stacks can be taken from other players if a player has a card in his hand that makes $100 when added to the top card of an opponent's stack. Thief cards also snatch stacks. Jail cards stop Thief cards. All players are actively adding and snatching. The player with the most money wins! There’s also a Clumsy Thief Junior version for ages 5+.
Hi Ho! Cherry-O
2-4 players, ages 3-6, 10 minute playing time
This turn-based game helps kids practice their counting skills. Players spin to find out how many pieces of fruit to collect or put back. The goal is to be the first to fill your bucket with 10 pieces of fruit. The updated game also has a cooperative play option which enables players to work together to pick all the fruit before the bird eats them.
Rat-a-Tat Cat
2-4 players, ages 3-6, 10 minute playing time
Players are dealt four cards, which are kept face- down, except for a quick peek at two of them. Each player in turn pulls a card from the draw pile to replace one of the four. Memory is important, as the object is to end with the lowest score, and players must keep track of the values on their four cards. "Peek," "Swap," and "Draw Two" Power cards turn up occasionally, allowing players to maneuver and strategize further.
Monopoly
2-6 players, ages 8+, 60-180 minute playing time
A game of skill and chance, Monopoly is all about buying, selling, and trading property to win. Build houses and hotels, collect rent, and hope you stay out of jail. Land on Community Chest or Chance for a chance to turn the tides — for better or for worse. There are tons of varieties of this game to collect.
Prime Climb
2-4 players, ages 8+, 45 minute playing time
Learn and master multiplication, division, factorization and prime number concepts by combining colors. Players race to be the first to get to the center of the board while avoiding getting knocked back to the start by other players. Highlighting the power of the prime numbers, Prime Climb is mathematical, deep, creative, and fun.
Proof! The Fast-Paced Game of Mental Math Magic
2-6 players, ages 9+, 10-20 minute playing time
Quick! Find an equation among the nine number cards on the table. Once you've got one, shout the result before anyone else! Tell everyone the proof. If your math adds up, keep the cards you used. Deal more and keep going. When the deck runs out, the player with the most cards wins.
Zeus on the Loose
2-5 players, ages 8+, 15 minute playing time
Catch Zeus if you can! The great Greek god has bolted from Mount Olympus and it’s up to you to nab this dashing deity. Play cards strategically, adding numbers as you climb up the mythic mountain.
Grab Zeus when the total reaches a multiple of 10. Better yet, summon the strength of Apollo, Poseidon, or all-powerful Hera to bring Zeus within your grasp. Reach the top of Mount Olympus with Zeus in hand and you’re a mortal among the gods.
Skip-Bo
2-6 players, ages 8+, 20 minute playing time
Players use skill and strategy to create stacks of sequentially numbered, ascending cards (2,3,4…) until they have no more left to play. Once everyone is dealt their own personal stockpile of cards, play begins by drawing from a central pile and building up to four “build” piles.
The Skip-Bo “wild” cards break up static situations and may be played as any number. Use these cards wisely, for they can really help you beat your opponents! The first player to deplete all of his or her Skip-Bo stockpile cards is the winner!
Smath
2-4 players, ages 6+, 45 minute playing time
Players take turns using the tiles in their racks to build their own crossword style equations. For beginners, start off with addition and subtraction. For the math whiz, step it up to multiplication and division! Each tile has a point value that is earned once it is played. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins!
Sumoku
1-8 players, ages 9+, 15 minute playing time
Sumoku is a unique crossword-style game with numbers. Whether you are looking for a fast-paced challenge with friends, a solo brain building pastime, or an addictive math game that brings the whole family together, Sumoku has it all. It can be played five different ways. Just add up tiles to multiples of the number shown on the die, connect them all together, and you have a Sumoku.
Sum Swamp
2-4 players, ages 5+, 20 minute playing time
Encourage math drills through fun game play with Sum Swamp. Journey through the swamp by adding and subtracting numbers on the dice.If you're lucky, you'll be able to take the Crocodile Short Cut, although sooner or later everyone gets caught in the Endless Loop. Landing on special squares, such as Even or Odds or a number space, makes things even more interesting - you could get stuck for quite a while.
Yahtzee
2+ players, ages 8+, 30 minutes playing time
In this classic dice game, players take turns rolling dice to try to score combos to fill 13 combos. You get a total of 3 rolls each turn to fill an empty box in your column of the scorecard. The person with the highest total at the end of 13 rounds wins.
Motor Skills Educational Board Games
Busytown: Eye Found It!
Race around town solving mysteries! How many objects can you find? Join Huckle Cat and Lowly Worm on a fun-filled race around Busytown to solve mysteries and find hidden objects. With hundreds of objects to find, this visual tracking game provides hours of fun, while building confidence each time a child says, “I found it!”
Dr. Eureka
1-4 players, ages 8+, 15 minute playing time
The brilliant Dr. Eureka has important experiments for you to complete. Pick a challenge card, 3 test tubes and 6 colorful balls to solve his scientific formula. Carefully move your materials from tube to tube without dropping them and position the balls as illustrated on the challenge card.
This game is a hands-on and dexterity-based brainteaser that can be played with friends or by yourself. My boys and I have a blast with this game!
Jenga
1-8 players, ages 6, 20 minute playing time
It's the classic block stacking, stack crashing game of Jenga. Stack the wooden blocks in a sturdy tower, then take turns pulling out blocks one by one until the whole stack crashes down. Is your hand steady enough to pull out the last block before the tower collapses?
No friends around? No problem. Play Jenga solo! Practice stacking skills, building the tower and trying not to let it come tumbling down
Operation
1-6 players, ages 6+, 10 minute playing time
Cavity Sam is feeling a bit under the weather, and kids will love to "operate" and make him better. Use the tweezers to take out all of Cavity Sam's 12 funny ailment parts that parents might remember -- such as a wishbone, Charlie horse, and Adam's apple. Players choose a doctor card and "operate" to remove that ailment from Sam, and collect the money if they can avoid the buzz. The player with the most money wins.
Perfection
2 players, ages 4+, 6 minute playing time
This dexterity and shape recognition game pits players to be the quickest to fit all 25 geometric shapes into the matching holes in the tray before time runs out and the tray pops out.
Science Educational Board Games
Cytosis: A Cell Biology Game
2-5 players, ages 10+, 60-90 minute playing time
Refresh your knowledge about cell biology while creating proteins and enzymes. Cytosis is a worker placement game that takes place inside a human cell. Players take turns placing flasks on available organelles within a human cell in order to collect resources or take actions to build enzymes, hormones, and hormone receptors and detoxify the cell. The player with the most health points at the end of the game wins.
Ecosystem
2-6 players, ages 10+, 15-20 minute playing time
Draft cards as you try to build the most balanced ecosystem nature has ever seen! Players choose, pass, and arrange eleven different card types and earn points by aligning animals with habitats where they most flourish.
Genotype: A Mendelian Genetics Game
1-5 players, ages 14+, 45-75 minute playing time
In this worker placement dice drafting game, play as research scientists discovering genetics in a 19th-century abbey. Draft from a pool of dice to validate genetic traits. Ensure the traits you need are available by using worker placement actions to manipulate the dice roll. Employ a cunning strategy to claim the best actions and resources before your opponents.
Ion: A Compound Building Game
2-7 players, ages 8+, 20-40 minute playing time
Players will interact and learn the fundamentals of ionic bonding through creating neutrally charged compounds, noble gases, charges, anions and cations, and acids and bases. Each round, players compete to build compounds using positively and negatively charged ions. Points are scored for successful compounds, Noble Gases, and achieving Goal Cards. After 3 rounds, the player with the most points wins.
Peptide: A Protein Building Game
2-5 players, ages 10+, 30-45 minute playing time
Players compete to collect amino acids and the matching mRNA nucleotides, then link those amino acids side by side to increase the length of their protein chain and score points. Each round, a number of organelle cards (such as nucleus, mitochondria or ribosome) are flipped face up in the center of the table for all players to see.
Players take turns selecting organelle cards that either (1) provide resources (like ATP from the mitochondria or mRNA from the nucleus) or (2) allow players to build onto their protein chain. As the game progresses, players will continue to add amino acids to their protein chain. The player with the protein chain worth the most points at the end of the game wins.
Periodic: A Game of the Elements
2-5 players, ages 10+, 40 minute playing time
Players move through the periodic table, collecting elements using the periodic trends. Apply or conserve energy strategically to win the game by having the most victory points at the end of the round.
Photosynthesis
2-4 players, ages 10+, 30-60 minute playing time
In Photosynthesis, take your trees through their life-cycle, from seedling to full bloom to rebirth, and earn light points as their leaves collect energy from the revolving sun’s rays. Carefully pick where you sow and when you grow, as trees in the shadows are blocked from light, and from light points.
Players score light points if their trees are in the direct lines of sun rays or taller than the trees blocking them from the sun rays. In a second phase, players use their light points to reserve seeds or trees, then plant or grow them on the board. Points are scored by maturing trees and removing them from the board.
Subatomic: An Atom Building Game
2-4 players, ages 10+, 40-60 minute playing time
Subatomic is a card drafting strategy game where players compete to build point-scoring atoms by playing subatomic particle cards from their unique deck. You can purchase new cards and add them to your deck throughout the game, making everyone’s strategy different. Build atoms like Helium and Beryllium, and gain bonus points for claiming the most of each element.
Your deck begins with up quarks, down quarks, and photons. Use these cards to obtain protons, neutrons, and electrons which improve your deck. As you construct atoms, you can also spend energy recruiting famous scientists into your deck, like Albert Einstein, Erwin Schrodinger, and Marie Curie.
Wildcraft
1-4 players, ages 4+, 45-60 minute playing time
The perfect mix of adventure and learning, Wildcraft! takes kids on an exciting quest through several ecosystems – while learning all about 25 edible and medicinal plants, where they grow, and how to use them. Players work together to climb the mountain, harvesting 26 edible and medicinal Plant Cards to fix 31 Trouble Card ailments along the way. Another one of our family favorites!
Strategy Educational Board Games
Catan
3-4 players, ages 10+, 60-120 minute playing time
Embark on a quest to settle the isle of Catan! Guide your settlers to victory by clever trading and cunning development. Use resource combinations - grain, wool, ore, brick and lumber - to buy handy development cards and build roads, settlements and cities. Acquire your resources through trades, cards or lucky dice (even outside your turn).
Chess
2 players, ages 6+, N/A playing time
One of the most popular games in the world, this 2-player strategy board game pits players against each other in mental medieval warfare. Take turns moving your pieces around the board in attempts to capture, attack, or defend. Games can end in checkmate, resignation, or a variety of draws.
Chickapig
2-4 players, ages 8+, 25-60 minute playing time
Players take on the role of chicken–pig hybrids who need to reach their goals, while dodging opponents, hay bales, and a comically-menacing cow in this chess-like strategy game. There’s also Chickapiglets for ages 4+.
Cover Your Assets
2-6 players, ages 8+, 15-45 minute playing time
Players compete to become the first millionaire by building towers of matching sets made from 10 different types of asset cards (things like jewels, silver and gold, classic autos, comic books, cash under the mattress, etc). Stack your assets to protect them and defend the top assets from being stolen by other players. The first player to reach $1,000,000 in assets wins!
Dragonwood
2-4 players, ages 8+, 20 minute playing time
Dare to enter Dragonwood! Deep in the heart of this mythical forest lurk angry ogres, giggling goblins, and even the famed and fearsome fire-breathers themselves. Collect sets of adventurer cards to earn dice, which you will use to roll against your foes. Stomp on some fire ants, shriek at a grumpy troll, or strike the menacing orange dragon with a magical silver sword.
Choose your strategy carefully because the landscape of Dragonwood is ever-changing. Only the bravest will overcome the odds to emerge victorious.
Forbidden Island
2-4 players, ages 10+, 30 minute playing time
Join a team of fearless adventurers on a do-or-die mission to capture four sacred treasures from the ruins of this perilous paradise. Your team will have to work together and make some pulse-pounding maneuvers, as the island will sink beneath every step. Race to collect the treasures and make a triumphant escape before you are swallowed into the watery abyss.
Mastermind
2 players, ages 8+, 20 minute playing time
Players test their code-cracking skills in this 2-player game of logic and deduction. The Codemaker sets a secret code using colored pegs while the Codebreakers uses logic, deduction, and a bit of luck to match the code. With over 2,000 possible peg combinations, the game can be different every single time.
Qwirkle
2-4 players, ages 6+, NA playing time
Build lines of tiles that are all the same color or shape, with no duplicates. Score big by placing a tile that touches multiple pieces with matching attributes. Score even bigger by matching all 6 attributes and creating a Qwirkle.
Qwirkle enhances many skills for young and old alike, including color recognition, shape recognition, math strategy, and problem solving.
Risk
2-6 players, ages 10+, 120 minute playing time
Take over the world in this game of strategy conquest. Players aim to conquer enemy territories by building armies, moving troops, and engaging in battle. The player who completes their secret mission first wins.
Sequence
2-12 players, ages 7+, 10-30 minute playing time
Play a card from your hand, and place a chip on a corresponding space on the game board. When you have five in a row, it's a SEQUENCE.
Learn to block your opponents or remove their chips, and watch out for the Jacks - they're wild! With a little strategy and luck, you'll be a winner. There’s also a Sequence for Kids version for ages 3 to 6.
Technology and Engineering Educational Board Games
Code Master
1 player, ages 8+, NA playing time
In Code Master, your avatar travels to an exotic world in search of power crystals. Along the way, you use programming logic to navigate the map. Think carefully, in each level, only one specific sequence of actions will lead to success. Once you collect all the crystals and land at the portal, you win.
Coder Bunnyz
1-4 player, ages 4+, 10-20 minute playing time
Program your robot bunny game token smartly with your code cards to eat the carrot and reach the destination before the others do. Play with different destinations or move to the next levels.
Teaches simple concepts like loops, branches, functions, conditionals and advanced concepts like Inheritance, Parallelism, List, Stack, Queue and Algorithm writing.
CoderMarz
1-4 players, ages 6+, 15-30 minute playing time
It's the year 2090. Your spaceship has just landed on Mars. Captain Capability, Captain Courage, Captain Creativity, and Captain Compassion need to be able to train themselves on Mars to collect supplies in order to help them settle. But here's the twist - to help the astronauts survive, you are the Master Mind. Your astronaut needs to collect all the supplies and essentials to survive on Mars and you can use your predictive instincts to do so.
Building on the core game mechanics of Coder Mindz, this game adds set collection and learning about the planet Mars and space exploration to combine both AI and astronomy education.
CoderMindz
2-4 players, ages 6+, 15-30 minute playing time
Players draw cards and use them to move their Bots across the board. The cards enable you to use different coding commands such as Move, Zap, Conditionals, Loops, and Functions. With six different levels of gameplay, players move from basic to advanced training, including running the program and debugging. The first player to get their Botto their End spot wins.
Engineering Ants
2-4 player, ages 5+, 15 minute playing time
In this cooperative game, players take turns rolling a die to move the shared engineering ant token around the board in search of blocked ants. Upon finding a blocked ant, the players work together to build something that will help the blocked ant get around the obstacle. Players win when they free all three blocked ants before the anteater token arrives at the central anthill.
Hacker: Cybersecurity Logic Game
Solo or collaborative play, ages 10+, N/A playing time
Play the role of a coder, hacker, and security engineer in 40 beginner to expert challenges. Program your agents to collect data chips while avoiding viruses and alarms. As you discover how a hacker can damage your programs, you will learn how to secure them from future attacks. Each of the 40 challenges includes three phases of play for a total of 120 coding puzzles.
Laser Maze
1 player, ages 8+, N/A playing time
Laser Maze requires you to use mirrors, beam-splitters, a little science and brainpower to direct the laser through a series of mind-challenging mazes and light up the target.
Mouse Trap
2-4 players, ages 6+, 30 minute playing time
Mouse Trap is the classic game of mouse-catching action! This fun-filled game of gadgets and chain reactions is a tried-and-true family favorite. Kids and their friends will laugh as they navigate the game board and try to steal their opponent's cheese.
Experience the fun with a swinging boot, a marble, and even a diver flipping into a tub – discover how these wacky tricks work together to drop the cage on an unsuspecting mouse. Race friends to the finish and nab opponents' cheese. Collect 6 cheese wedges first to win the game.
Robot Turtles
2-5 players, ages 4+, 15 minute playing time
Robot Turtles is a board game for kids inspired by the Logo programming language. Players dictate the movements of their Robot Turtle tokens on a game board by playing Code Cards: Forward, Left and Right.
When a player's Robot Turtle reaches a jewel they win. If they make a mistake, they can use a Bug Card to undo a move. As players advance, they will encounter obstacles like Ice Walls and use more complex Code Cards (like lasers to melt the walls). Play continues until all players collect a jewel, so everyone wins.
Rollercoaster Challenge
1 player, ages 6+, N/A playing time
In this thrilling engineering challenge, players get to build their very own roller coasters. Start by choosing a challenge card and setting up the pieces to match. Then, players use the remaining pieces to build a working roller coaster that meets the build conditions on their challenge card.
Pandemic
2-4 players, ages 8+, 45 minute playing time
Players must work together playing to their characters' strengths as they plan their strategy of eradicating the diseases before they overwhelm the world with ever-increasing outbreaks. If one or more diseases spread beyond recovery or too much time passes, the players lose. Win by curing all four diseases.
Educational Board Games for the Win!
Whew! That's quite a list! And I'll keep adding educational board games as I find them.
Which of these educational board games look the most fun to you?
Are there any educational board games your family loves that didn’t make the list? What are you favorite educational board games? Please share in the comments area at the bottom of this post 😊