Child’s Play
From the timeless fun of stacking animals to their first taste of Ticket to Ride, we run through the best children’s games to play with kids – and adults! – of all ages
Words by Charlie Theel
AGES 4-6
Little ones below the age of four struggle a bit with formal concepts and structure. Beyond waiting your turn, much is too difficult for them to grasp and products tend to skew closer to toys than actual games. Right around the age of four massive changes in attention span and learning take place. This is a wonderful age to game with.
Animal Upon Animal
is among the most ubiquitous Haba games for good reason. Players compete to stack quirky animal pieces atop each other, helping to develop hand-eye co-ordination while formalising the basic concepts of dexterity gaming. It’s a stepping stone to later titles and an experience which can be shared at any age.
Ravensburger’s Bugs in the Kitchen is a perennial favorite. Using the box as part of the game is a gimmick which lights a fire in a child’s eyes. This one functions as a boundary for a jittery hexbug to vibrate across and sow chaos. Participants turn and re-orient little fork and spoon wall sections in the middle of the box, attempting to corral the robotic insect into their personal cubby. Although it offers only a modicum of strategy, this one has a sense of spectacle and awe that delights little hearts.