Games make great Christmas gifts for kids of all ages. From family games nights to rainy days to travel days, games are the perfect way to pass the time and have fun too! Plus, there are so many benefits to playing games. Aside from giving kids screen-free time, they teach kids to take turns, be good sports and to strategize. Board games also help children develop logic and reasoning skills, improve critical thinking and boost spatial reasoning. We’ve always included at least one board game as a part of our kids’ Christmas gifts.
We’ve compiled a gift guide of fun and interactive games for kids of all ages. Our list contains family favorites and some super fun new additions that we’ve had the pleasure of playing with this year. There’s also games for on the go. Travel games make great stocking stuffers and are perfect for road trips or playing by the pool or beach.
We received complimentary copies of some of these games (*) review purposes. Click on the titles for an easy way to purchase these games for the holidays (affiliate links). You can also find most of these games in our Amazon Influencer Store.
Preschool (Ages 4+)
Yeti, Set, Go!* (Play Monster)
Yeti is at it again. In this follow up to Yeti In My Spaghetti, Yeti needs your help to get all the meatballs up the mountain. Be the first to get a meatball in all 4 quadrants of your mountain and you’re the winner. Hysterics will definitely ensue once the meatballs start flying.
Jumping Jack* (Goliath Games)
Kids take turns pulling carrots from Jack’s bunny hill. But watch out! One of Jack’s carrots will make him jump high into the air!
Tic Tac Tongue (YULU)
Strap on your lizard mask and get ready for a fast-paced game of skill and speed. One player flips over a number card. The other two players face off to knock down the correct insect card. The lizard that knocks down the most insects the fastest wins!
School Aged (Ages 6-10)
Color Smash* (Pressman Toys)
Color Smash is the fun, fast card game of color coordination and fast reflexes! Players take turns laying their splats on the stack, until there is a splat with the word on it then SLAP! Be the player to collect the most cards to win!
Monopoly Junior (Hasbro)
For kids just learning about money and are not quite ready for the lengthy regular version, Monopoly Junior is a good starter game. With less rules, kid friendly properties and lower dollar amounts, it will teach kids how to play until they’re ready for Monopoly.
Home Alone Game* (Big G Creative)
Based on the ’90s movie Home Alone, Home Alone Game gets you in on the action as you help Kevin defend his house on Christmas Eve from the Wet Bandits. You’ll need to use your smarts to set up contraptions that will hopefully outwit the burglars. What I liked most about this game is the nostalgic feeling you get while playing. Home Alone was an iconic movie for my generation. Now it gets to be introduced to a whole new set of kids through this creative game.
Googly Eyes (Goliath Games)
Put on the zany, vision-altering google eye glasses and start to draw while your team tries to guess what you’re drawing. Players take turns drawing and guessing, so everyone gets a chance to wear the glasses.
Tween (10 and up)
Not Parent Approved* (Not Parent Approved)
Think of this game as the kids version of Cards Against Humanity. It was created as a fun way to get kids back to the board game table and away from their screens. There’s no better way to get them to do that than allow them to do and say the things we as parents tell them not to. This fill-in-the-blank game lets kids be mischievous selves (within reason) without getting in trouble. Not Parent Approved is the recipient of Scholastic’s Gold Star Toy Award.
Happy Little Accidents* (Big G Creative)
Turn squiggles and shapes into works of art with the Happy Little Accidents game. Inspired by the wisdom of legendary painter Bob Ross, Happy Little Accidents promotes creativity, positivity and the notion that everyone is an artist.
Travel Games
Ice Pop Swap* (Winning Moves Games) Ages 4+
Ice Pop Swap is a sweet color matching, card swapping game. Collect 4 ice pop sticks of the same color and win. It’s plastic carrying case makes the game portable and perfect for travel.
Monster Match* (North Star Games) Ages 6+
Monster Match is the fast-paced game of catching cute donut-eating monsters. Players roll the special “Monster Dice” and race to find a monster that matches the dice rolled. The portable and eye-catching monster pouch is perfect for vacation, camp, and parties.
IQ Stars* (Smart Games) Ages 6+
IQ Stars contains 120 brain-boosting games in 1 handy traveling case. It’s brain teasing fun for the whole family.
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