One great way to keep your young child entertained and spend some quality time together is by playing games! With this list you can find the perfect board games for 4 year olds that you know your child will love.
As these little explorers navigate the realm of play, the right board game can foster not only joyous laughter but also essential developmental skills. In this guide, we delve into a treasure trove of the best board games specifically designed to captivate the imagination and curiosity of 4-year-olds.
These are tried and tested games that are loved by 4 year olds and their parents alike!
Be sure to also check out our list of the best board games for 3 year olds!
Board games for 4 year olds
Candy Land
Number of players: 2-4
Up first is the classic Candy Land!
Geared towards younger children, the Candy Land board game is a classic that has stood the test of time.
Candy Land’s genius lies in its straightforward gameplay, making it an ideal introduction to board games for preschoolers. With no reading required, it’s easy for little ones to grasp the concept, fostering essential skills like color recognition and turn-taking.
And because it is a game of chance, not strategy, younger children can hold their own against older siblings or adults.
To play Candy Land, each player selects a gingerbread game piece and places it at King Kandy’s Castle. Players take turns drawing colored cards from the deck and move to the corresponding spaces on the vibrantly colored board, with the goal of reaching the end and reaching King Kandy’s Castle to win the game.
Bunny Hop
Number of players: 2-4
Bunny Hop is designed to stimulate strategic thinking and memory skills, enhance fine motor skills, and reinforce preschoolers’ color recognition.
The game involves rolling the die, pressing any matching-colored bunny, and collecting it if it hops into the air.
However, not all bunnies hop, adding an element of memory challenge. The winner is the first person to collect one bunny of each color.
Kids love this element of suspense, waiting to see whether or not the bunny will hop!
The set includes a carrot patch game board, 20 bunnies in four colors, 4 farmers, 1 die, and game instructions.
Bunny Hop is the perfect addition to family game night, ensuring your preschooler is included with its no-reading-required and fast-play design.
Pancake Pile Up
Number of players: 2-4
Pancake Pile-up is an exciting relay-race style game made even more fun by the pretend pancake and spatula props!
To play Pancake Pile-up, start by flipping an order card and dashing off to grab the first pancake depicted. Use the spatula to place it on the plate, then race back to hand the plate and spatula to the next player to get the next pancake.
The team that correctly completes their card first wins!
The game set includes 10 pancakes in 5 flavors, 2 pats of butter, 2 plates, 2 spatulas, 10 order cards, and a griddle game board (box bottom).
Zingo
Number of players: 1-6
Zingo introduces children to the thrill of Bingo with a fun twist.
In Zingo, players slide the Zinger to reveal two tiles adorned with images. As the images are called out, players race to match them with the corresponding pictures on their Zingo cards, fostering quick thinking and pattern recognition in an engaging and lively game of Bingo.
The goal is simple: be the first to fill your Zingo card with matching tiles and shout “Zingo!” to claim victory.
The game cultivates critical skills such as pattern recognition, memory enhancement, and vocabulary building.
The simplicity of gameplay ensures that even the youngest players can grasp the rules quickly, making Zingo a perfect addition to family game nights and an invaluable tool for early learning.
This is one that our kids come back to over and over again, and I love that they can play it independently without needing help from an adult!
Yeti in My Spaghetti
Number of players: 2+
In the delightful world of preschool board games, Yeti in My Spaghetti stands out as a hilariously entertaining experience that turns mealtime chaos into a playful adventure. The game’s simple yet engaging premise, coupled with the infectious laughter that ensues, makes Yeti in My Spaghetti a delightful choice for our little diners.
In Yeti in My Spaghetti, players take turns removing individual strands of plastic spaghetti from a bowl containing a friendly yeti character. The objective is to skillfully extract the spaghetti without letting the yeti fall into the bowl, creating a lighthearted and giggle-inducing balancing act for our little diners.
As children carefully strategize and negotiate the delicate removal of spaghetti strands, they enhance their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
The game encourages patience and turn-taking, fostering important social skills.
The whimsical yeti character adds an element of surprise and anticipation, making every round a suspenseful and joy-filled dining escapade.
Yeti in My Spaghetti is not just a game; it’s a recipe for laughter, skill development, and shared moments of amusement for our imaginative four-year-olds.
Let’s Go Fishing
Number of players: 1-4
This game turns the classic fishing experience into a fun and interactive game for kids.
With a rotating pond at its center and colorful fish waiting to be caught, Let’s Go Fishing introduces youngsters to the excitement of the fishing experience.
Equipped with miniature fishing rods, children take turns trying to hook the magnetic fish as they swim by.
As young players concentrate on aiming their rods and skillfully capturing the fish, they enhance their hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and patience.
The game not only provides a wonderful opportunity for family bonding but also serves as a valuable tool for introducing early learning concepts in a playfully engaging manner.
This has been a favorite in our house for years as a fun, fast game to pull out and play together.
Hoot Owl Hoot
Number of players: 2-4
This game takes players on a journey through the moonlit forest, where they collectively help a group of owls reach their nest before the sun rises.
Each turn, a player draws a card. If it’s a color card, they move to that colored space on the board, if it’s a sun card it means they are getting closer to morning. The whole group wins if they get back to the nest before the sun comes up.
The cooperative nature of the game teaches kids the value of working together toward a common goal. As they strategize to move the owls along the color-coded path, children enhance their color recognition skills and practice basic counting.
The absence of competitive elements makes Hoot Owl Hoot an ideal choice for fostering a sense of teamwork, empathy, and shared accomplishment, creating cherished moments of joy and learning for our curious and compassionate four-year-olds.
Spot it! Junior
Number of players: 2-5
Spot It! Junior is a fast-paced matching game where players race to find matches on the circular cards.
There is one matching symbol between every two cards, so you’ll always find a match, it just depends who finds it first!
This game helps kids develop matching skills, visual perception, and pattern recognition.
Spot it! is a favorite, frequently played game in our house, especially by our four year old!
And it’s one that we as parents genuinely enjoy playing as well.
Animal Upon Animal
Number of players: 2-4
Animal Upon Animal is a wildly entertaining animal stacking game that the whole family will enjoy!
In Animal Upon Animal, players take turns rolling a die and then strategically stacking their animal pieces on the central wooden crocodile.
The goal is to be the first to successfully place all of their animals atop the stack without causing it to topple, creating a lively and engaging balancing act for our little architects.
This game is a great way to help children develop hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and spatial awareness.
Bluey Scavenger Hunt Game
Number of players: 2-4
For the little Bluey lover in your life, you can’t find a better board game than this Bluey Scavenger Hunt Game!
Based on the popular Bluey animated series, this game invites players to join Bluey, Bingo, and their friends on a delightful scavenger hunt around the house. The game board features colorful illustrations of familiar locations from the show, adding an extra layer of excitement for young fans. With simple rules and engaging gameplay, Bluey Scavenger Hunt captures the essence of Bluey’s playful spirit while encouraging creativity and exploration.
This is a cooperative game where players work together to get all they toys into the toy box before bedtime. Each roll of the die moves you to a new square where you draw the indicated card, which could be to find an item of a certain color, act something out, answer a trivia question, etc. If you land on a clock square it moves you one step closer to bedtime.
With its wholesome theme and relatable characters, Bluey Scavenger Hunt Game transforms playtime into an enriching adventure filled with laughter, learning, and the magic of Bluey’s world.
We honestly got this game on a whim because our kids loved Bluey so much and it quickly became one of the most loved games in our home!
Pengoloo
Number of players: 2-4
Pengaloo is an engaging memory quest designed to captivate the attention of young explorers!
The game board features an assortment of colorful penguin characters, each concealing a pair of eggs.
To play, roll two colored dice and then lift up two penguins to search for eggs in the matching colors. The first player to get six penguins on their iceberg wins!
This game is a perfect first board game for children given that reading is not necessary and the rules are simple and easy to follow.
The game promotes cognitive growth through a combination of strategy and luck, making it an ideal choice for fostering critical thinking in a playful setting.
Hungry Hungry Hippos
Number of players: 2-4
Four is the perfect age for kids to really enjoy the classic game Hungry Hungry Hippos.
In the energetic game of Hungry Hungry Hippos, players take on the role of hungry hippos and race to collect as many marbles as possible. Using their colorful hippos, each player rapidly presses the lever to make their hippo lunge forward and capture marbles in their mouth, creating a lively and entertaining competition that keeps little ones engaged and giggling.
This is a favorite in our house that our kids never get tired of playing!
Tips for picking great board games for 4-year-olds
Choosing the right board games for 4-year-olds involves considering their developmental stage, interests, and the educational benefits you want to emphasize. Here are some tips to help you pick good board games for this age group:
- Simple Rules: Opt for games with straightforward and easy-to-understand rules. Games that involve minimal setup and have clear instructions are more likely to keep a 4-year-old engaged.
- Short Playtime: Select games with relatively short play durations to match the attention span of a 4-year-old. This ensures that the game remains enjoyable and doesn’t become overwhelming.
- Educational Value: Choose games that offer educational benefits, such as color or shape recognition, counting, and memory skills. Many board games for this age group are designed to integrate learning with play.
- Cooperative Games: Consider cooperative games where players work together toward a common goal. This not only promotes teamwork but also eliminates the need for intense competition, fostering a positive gaming experience.
- Engaging Themes: Select games with themes that resonate with 4-year-olds. Whether it’s animals, superheroes, or everyday activities, a familiar and engaging theme can enhance their interest in the game.
Remember, the most important aspect is to make sure the game is enjoyable and age-appropriate, encouraging both learning and fun in equal measure!
Other posts you might be interested in:
Best Board Games for 2 Year Olds (That They Can Actually Play!)
