Board games aid 3 year olds in their social, cognitive and emotional growth while also allowing them to spend quality time with family members and other children their own age. Most board games are great at teaching children about taking turns, good sportsmanship and following simple rules all necessary skills they will need for when they begin school and for life.
If you’re after a board game for your 3 year old you’ll be happy to check out the list below where we included some great games your child is sure to love!
Tips for Choosing Good Games for 3 Year Old Boys & Girls
Choose a game with colors and graphics that will appeal to your child
Look for games with one or two simple rules, too many rules will leave young children feeling overwhelmed.
Consider what educational skill or skills you want the child to work on. For example, if you want your child to improve their concentration and memory then choose a matching game. If you want your child to begin learning teamwork, then choose a cooperative game. Thirdly, math skills can be practiced with a simple counting game!
While educational value is indee important it is most important look for a game that your child will find fun and want to play again and again.
The Best Board Games for 3 Year Olds List
1. Busytown Eye Found It
Busytown is a great cooperative game for toddler age children and their families to enjoy togther. This game features a 6 ft board and helps children learn about teamwork, object identification, matching and aids in verbal skill development.
Each time the child plays they experience a slightly different adventure. The graphics for this game are bright and bold which most young children find appealing.
2. First Orchard
First Orchard is an exciting cooperative game for preschoolers. This educational board game reinforces color recognition and counting.
The object of the game is for the players (2–4 players) to pick all of the fruit before the hungry crow reaches the orchard. The large pieces of fruit are easy for children to handle and kids love trying to get all of the fruit picked before the crow reaches the orchard. This is a great game to teach children beginning strategy and turn taking while encouraging them to improve their verbal skills.
3. Snug as a Bug in a Rug
Snug as a Bug in a Rug is a great game for 3 year olds. It gives them practice in colors, numbers, shapes, counting, matching and differentiating between big and little while at the same time encouraging teamwork, and taking turns.
The object of the game is to get all of the bright colors bugs to safety before the stink bugs come and smells up the place. It’s a fun game for younger children and even parents have a bit of fun watching their child get excited trying to get all of their little bugs to safety.
4. Disney Parks Candyland
This version of the popular Candyland board game is great for three year olds! It features many of your child’s favorite Disney Characters. The gingerbread men used as tokens all wear Mickey Mouse ears. Kids love moving around the different colored squares trying to be the very first one to reach the magic castle.
5. Don’t Break the Ice
Don’t Break the Ice is a fun strategic game for any preschooler who is 3 years of age. Designed for 2 to 4 players the object of the game is to build an ice block in the included frame making sure that Phillip the penguin is in the center of the board.
Players then use the small mallets to knock out the ice cubes one at time without causing Phillip to fall through the ice.
6. Hoot Owl Hoot
Hoot Owl Hoot is a cooperative matching game for 2–4 players and is a fun board game for any 3-year-old. Kids try to get all of the little owls home to their nest before the sun comes up. There are 6 little owls that play and must get home.
Kids simply choose a card and fly any little owl to that color on the board. If they draw a sun card they must move the sun one step closer to sunrise. Players can discuss which owls should be moved on each turn and they all work together to get the owlets home.
7. Hi Ho Cherry O
Hi Ho Cherry-O is a fun counting game will encourage 3 year olds to practice and further develop their number recongition and counting skills. The game is designed for up to four players with the object of the game being that the first player who picks 10 cherries off their tree and puts them into their basket wins.
The number of cherries each player picks per turn is determined by the spinner. However, if a player lands on the bird, the dog, or spilled basket of cherries they can lose some or all of the cherries they have already collected. It’s a great game for teaching kids about taking turns, good sportsmanship and fair play.
8. Sneaky Snacky Squirrel
Another great board game for 3 year olds is Sneaky Snacky Squirrel. This action packed game is designed for 2 to 4 players and helps young children practice their fine motor skills, taking turns, hand/eye coordination and strategy.
Each player spins a spinner on their turn if they land on a color they get to pick up an acorn of that color and put it in their tree trunk. If they land on a 1 or a 2 they get to add their choice of color acorns. There are also spaces on the spinner where you can lose a turn, steal one of your opponents acorns or lose all the acorns you have collected.
9. Count Your Chickens
Count Your Chickens is a great game for children to learn the power of teamwork since it requires kids to play as a team to win. The idea behind the game is that all of the baby chicks have left the coop and players need to help the mother hen bring all of the chicks back to the coop before the mother hen reaches it.
It is a game that helps children practice their counting skills as well as gain valuable communication and social skills. The game comes with a board, the mother hen (and stand), baby chick tokens and a spinner.
10. Paw Patrol Pop Up Game
If your child loves Paw Patrol they are going to love the Paw Patrol Pop Up Game. This game is designed for 2 to 4 players and is a competitive game!
The object of the game is to get all of your tokens around the board and into the safe spot ahead of your opponents. The dice for the game is located under a plastic bubble, which keeps it from getting lost. This game is a great stepping stone to games like sorry and trouble.
11. Boggle Junior
Boggle Junior is designed for one or two plays and is a great game for helping kids develop early reading skills. Kids match the large letter cubes to the letters on each picture/word card. This game can be used to teach children letter and word recognition as well as beginning to learn the spelling of simple words.
12. Lucky Ducks
Lucky Ducks is fun color and shape matching game for 3 year olds can be played by 2 to 4 players. The game requires 2AA batteries. At the beginning of the game you start the ducks rotating in the pond. Then players take turns choosing a duck, If the duck matches your shape and color you get to keep it, if not you have to put it back and the next player takes a turn. The first player to collect 3 ducks wins.
At the time of publication this game also comes with a free Pop the Pig matching card game, so your child will get two games for the price of one.
13. Disney Classic Matching Game
This is a Classic Disney Matching Game that will help young children improve their concentration and memory. This game easily holds a toddler’s attention since it features many favorite Disney Characters.
The game is designed for 2–4 players and comes with 72 thick cards. (36 pairs). Each player flips over two cards. If the cards match they get to keep the tiles. If the cards don’t match they turn them back over and the next player has a turn. The player with the most pairs at the end of the game wins.
14. Sequence for Kids
Sequence for Kids is a game for 2–4 players ages 3 years and up. The object of the game is for a player to get 4 spaces in a row by drawing a card and placing a marker on a square with the same picture. The game helps children to develop logical thinking skills and learn how to think strategically.
15. The Ladybug Game
The Ladybug game is a simple board game designed for children ages 3 years and up. It is a great way to help kids develop early math and reading skills. Kids will learn to count, follow directions and take turns.
The object of the game is to get all the ladybugs home while avoiding the praying mantis and feeding aphids to the hungry ants. This game is easy to adjust to meet various children’s specific developmental and skill levels.
Why Consider A Board Game 3 Year Olds?
Playing games with your child at an early age will help them to build a number of important skills they will need throughout their lives. These games for 3 year olds are made for childrens play, but adults can get a kick out of them while also enjoying some quality time with their children!
