These are classic board games for children 8 and up, with many suitable for “kids of all ages”. Featured games are some of my personal favorites from my time working as a pediatric and school-based Occupational Therapist, as well as from my own childhood. Inherent to board games is the facilitation of basic skills in visual, motor, cognitive and social development.

Board games were family staples 30 years ago. TV commercials depicting parents and their children gathered together around the dining table for a rousing board game were actually reality-based. These were the days of 3 television networks, no home computers and no cell phones. There was 18 hours of programming a day and no cable television nor VCR.

Parents and kids alike now tend to turn to electronics for solitary entertainment. Cable television and DVDs provide unlimited entertainment options. We have adults and kids slave to their cell phone, with non-stop texting and gaming. Video games have progressed through many generations. Kids would just as soon die as to admit to peers that their house had neither Wii nor Xbox.

I challenge you to return to the lost art of family entertainment with classic board games.

Games reviewed in this hub: 

Guess Who

Battleship

Hangman

Monopoly

Clue

Twenty Questions for Kids

NUMBER OF PLAYERS:  2 players

AGE:  6 to 12 years old

BRIEF OVERVIEW:  Players try to guess their opponent’s “mystery person”.  Each player has a game board grid with 48 character faces.  Eliminations are made by asking yes and no questions, such as “Is your person a female?” and “Does your person have a beard?”  Kids really love this game. 

SKILLS:  Visual discrimination, visual-motor, fine motor, reasoning and strategy. 

VERSIONS:  Many versions, including Star Wars.  Travel version available, which is more challenging to fine motor manipulation skills due to smaller size. 

NUMBER OF PLAYERS:  2 players

AGE:  7 to 12 years old

BRIEF OVERVIEW:  Players place their fleet on their vertical grid.  Players then take turns calling out and marking coordinates, hoping for a “hit”.  First player to sink opponent’s fleet wins. 

SKILLS:  Fine motor, strategy and reasoning.  Very challenging in visual perception and visual motor. 

VERSIONS:  Multiple editions, including electronic.  Travel version available, which is more challenging to fine motor manipulation skills due to smaller size. 

NUMBER OF PLAYERS:  2 players

AGES:  6 to 12

BRIEF OVERVIEW:  Each player spells out a word with the tiles.  Players take turns guessing letters.  A piece of the hangman is exposed for wrong guesses.  Winner must guess opponent’s word before his/her own hangman is complete. 

SKILLS:  Visual perception, visual-motor, fine motor, spelling. 

VERSIONS:  Multiple variations on the basic game in game pieces and packaging.  Travel version available, which is more challenging to fine motor manipulation skills due to smaller size. 

NUMBER OF PLAYERS:  2-8 players

AGES:  8 and up

BRIEF OVERVIEW:  Monopoly was created by an unemployed Pennsylvania heating engineer during the depression in 1934.  The game is based on purchasing real estate in Atlantic City.  Players have the option to purchase real estate when they land on various locations.  They may also purchase houses and hotels.  Other players landing on these locations subsequently must pay to the owner.  As players advance around the board, they pay and collect from other players.  There are also chance cards and other pitfalls and opportunities.  This game could last for days. 

SKILLS:  Visual perception, visual-motor, fine motor, basic math skills, planning and strategy. 

VERSIONS:  Star Trek, Disney, Indiana Jones, Planet Earth, Simpsons, Seinfeld, Pirates of the Caribbean, Electronic Banking. 

MODIFICATIONS:  I have included in the Amazon capsule a version of the game that includes rules for shorter game play.  Also in the Amazon capsule is an Electronic Banking version of the game.  Players start with $15M on their bank card.  Players’ cards are swiped for credits and debits. 

NUMBER OF PLAYERS:  2-6 players, with up to 10 players depending on game version. 

AGES:  8 and up

BRIEF OVERVIEW:  This game is more than 50 years old, and is a who-dunnit murder mystery.  There are 6 possible suspects and murder weapons for the death of Mr. Boddy.  Players collect clues as they advance around the Mystery Mansion on the game board. 

SKILLS:  Visual perception, visual-motor, fine motor, strategy. 

VERSIONS:  Clue Jr, Harry Potter, Simpsons, The Office, Scooby Do.  Update of the classic game features celebrity mansion and characters who look like actors in the movie. 

MODIFICATIONS:  Clue Jr for 5 to 10 year old players.  Children play to discover who ate the cake before dinner.  The Harry Potter version has players solving the disappearance of a fellow Hogwarts student. 

NUMBER OF PLAYERS:  2 to 10 players

AGE:  7 and up

BRIEF OVERVIEW:  Game includes 150 cards with 20 clues each, for a person, place, thing or year.  Players advance around game board while trying to figure out clues. 

SKILLS:  Auditory processing, reasoning skills. 

MODIFICATIONS:  Cards can be used to quiz other players with no need to use game board.  Good transition or break activity between homework sessions. 

Trouble

Parcheesi

Life

Sorry

Scrabble

Risk

Trivial Pursuit

Rack-O

Upwords

Aggravation

Payday

Hollywood Squares

Password

Bonkers

Concentration

Checkers

Chinese Checkers

Tiddly Winks

Backgammon

Have I sparked any memories of your favorite games? I hope I have inspired you to revisit classic board games for your children, or better yet, for your entire family. Add board games to your Christmas and Birthday shopping lists.

My Game Review Hubs

Toys- Board Games for Children 3 to 8

Toys- Card and Dice Games for Children 3 to 8

Toys- Family Board Games for Children 8 and Up

Toys- Family Card and Dice Games for Children 8 and Up

Games That Promote Hand Skills for Ages 3 and 4

Games That Promote Hand Skills for Age 5 and Up

Family Games That Promote Motor Skills for Age 6 and Up

Family Games That Promote Motor Skills for Age 8 and Up

My Other Pediatric Topics

Interacting with Your Premature Infant:  Developmental Care in the NICU

Children’s Behavior- Sensory Regulation, A Different Perspective