The best board games for 9-year-olds are the ones that encourage interaction over screen time. Finding one they will really enjoy is important, and sneaking in some learning or critical thinking practice is a bonus! I have a 9-year-old daughter, and I’ve compiled some of her favorite games as well as other parent-recommended options to help you find the best ones for your child.
Best Board Games For 9-Year-Olds
Yahtzee and Sorry are the most popular board games for families compared to the others on this list. For a fast-paced game, 5 Second Rule Junior is the best quick-speed game. Qwirkle is highly-rated and great for matching up shapes and colors.
Sorry
First, a classic board game that you probably remember from your childhood: Sorry Board Game
Though Sorry can be played by younger kids, too, I think 9-year-olds can enjoy the planning and strategy more than 6-year-olds can. In the game, you draw cards to move your four tokens from start to their home base.
Most cards are straightforward move ahead by so many spaces, but there are some that move you back or allow you to switch places. And there are Sorry cards, which allow you to take a token from your start and put it on an opponent’s square, sending their token back to start.
A lot of the game is the luck of the draw, but deciding which piece to move on your turn will involve some strategy and planning. It is a great game for the whole family since younger siblings can also play.
Fast Facts
Players: 2-4
Skills: Strategy
Recommended ages: 6+
Yahtzee
Yahtzee is another game that simple enough for younger siblings to play, but offers 9-year-olds more challenging strategy and planning.
In Yahtzee, players roll five dice at a time. You can have three rolls per turn to try to come up with a combination of dice you need on your score sheet. Combinations you are aiming for include full house, four of a kind, straight, and a Yahtzee (all 5 the same number).
Each combination has a score associated with it, but if you don’t get one of them, you may have to take a zero on something. The player with the most points after the 13 rounds to fill the score sheet is the winner.
While the recommended ages are 8 and older, I think first and second graders could play with maybe a bit of help with adding their scores. Kids who are 9 and older will get to think through planning and probability along with some additional practice.
Fast Facts
Players: 2+
Skills: Addition, probability
Recommended ages: 8+
Ravensburger 3D Labyrinth
For fun getting through a maze, try Ravensburger 3D Labyrinth Family Board Game.
The object of the game is to find the shortest route through the labyrinth while reaching targets and collecting treasure. It includes mythical creatures like princesses and dragons.
It will test your planning and strategic thinking skills, as the maze changes throughout the game. On each turn, a player tries to get to the object on their top card.
If there isn’t a clear path, you can insert a new maze card into one of the slots at the edge of the board to change the maze. Then you move as far as you can along the new path.
While moving along the maze’s path, each player tries to avoid traps and find all their treasure. The first one to collect all their items wins.
Parents love this game for much of the family. Many say ages 5 and up can understand and play, but it is better for kids with critical thinking skills a little further along.
Parents say the board is sturdy and the art is great. Since the maze is always changing, each game is different from any previous ones, making it great to replay.
There are other versions of Labryinth, including Ravensburger Junior Labyrinth Frozen 2, Ravensburger Ocean Labyrinth, and Ravensburger Harry Potter Labyrinth Family Board Game.
Fast Facts
Players: 2-4
Skills: Planning, cause and effect
Recommended ages: 8+
Stare Junior Board Game For Kids
If you want to build your child’s observation skills, try Stare Junior Board Game For Kids – 2nd Edition.
In this game, a player draws a card and stares at the picture on it for 30 seconds. Then another player asks a series of questions about the picture the first player has to answer from memory. If you answer correctly, you move up on the game board.
The pictures include photos, illustrations, and comics. Players can be in teams or play individually. There are different rules for adults and kids as well to level the playing field.
Some families found gameplay too slow, but some found ways to modify the rules to work better for them. A couple of the photos have a character or object that looks to be in blackface, but you could remove those cards.
Fast Facts
Players: 2-10
Skills: Observations, memory
Recommended ages: 6-12 up to adult
Squashed 3D Strategy Board Game
To encourage critical thinking in 3D, try Squashed 3D Strategy Board Game.
The game board is a large cube, about 7 inches on each side. Players roll a die to move their pawns around the cube. If you land on or pass over another player’s pawn, they get squashed off the board.
Landing near the king piece allows you to squash an entire side of the cube. The winner is the player with the last pawn on the board.
Parents say the games go fairly fast, and kids of varied ages will enjoy it. The pieces are tricky to get out since they have to stay in while the cube is flipped. The pieces all store in the cube for storage when you are done playing.
One final note: you also have to make sure you have a good place for your kids to flip the cube over so they don’t hurt your furniture smashing it down.
Fast Facts
Players: 2-4
Skills: Problem-solving, strategy, 3D thinking
Recommended ages: 6+
Pictionary Game
Another fun game for 9-year-olds is Pictionary Game (Full pack with markers).
In Pictionary, you play on two teams of as many people as you have. One player on a team picks a card with a clue they need to draw. The rest of their team needs to guess the clue from the drawing.
While having art skills would make this game easier, it is funny to play it with people who can’t draw well, too. Your guessing skills become more important!
This version has adult and junior level clue cards to make it easy to play with a mixed group. It also has small whiteboards and markers for drawing.
Fast Facts
Players: 4+ on two teams
Skills: Drawing, guessing
Recommended ages: 8+
5 Second Rule Junior
For a game that requires quick thinking, go with 5 Second Rule Junior.
In this family-friendly version, another player reads a category off of a card. You have to name three things in that category, like superheroes, ice cream flavors, or places cats hide.
It sounds easy, but you only have five seconds to answer. The game comes with a timer that you flip over when your turn starts.
If you succeed, you move your token on the game board. The first player to the end of the board wins.
This is a game my family has, and we enjoy it a lot. It’s fun seeing who chokes under the pressure of the timer (me) and who stays perfectly cool and answers correctly (my husband).
Fast Facts
Players: 3-6
Skills: Quick thinking
Recommended ages: 6+
Clue
Next is another classic game with just a bit of an update: Clue Game. The board, rooms, and weapons are the same as you remember, but there is a new character, Dr. Orchid.
This game’s premise is that a group of people were at a mansion for a party when their host is killed. Your job is to figure out who killed him, with what weapon, and in which room.
To start the game, three unknown cards featuring the suspect, weapon, and room, are placed under the other new addition: an opaque mirror that you can illuminate when you have figured out the mystery.
Each player has some cards that are not part of the answer. When you get to a room on the board, you can make a guess about what cards are the answer. If the player you ask has any of those cards, they must show you one. You make a note of the cards you can eliminate on your detective pad until you know all three cards.
In this version, you then push a button to have the mirror show you the 3 correct cards to see if your accusation is accurate. You do need batteries for the mirror to work, which is a bit of a bummer.
There is a more updated version of Clue with a two-sided board (Hasbro Clue Board Game – The Classic Mystery) and a card-game version (Clue Suspect Card Game).
Fast Facts
Players: 2-6
Skills: Deductive reasoning
Recommended ages: 8+
Mindware Qwirkle Board Game
The Mindware Qwirkle Board Game is simple to learn, but it offers plenty of challenges as kids think through complex patterns.
Players build lines of wooden tiles with colorful shapes, matching the color or shape of a tile already played. Points are earned for the tiles played; players get more points by placing a tile that touches more than one with a matching attribute.
When all the tiles are played, the player with the most points wins.
Because it is simple to get started, this is a great game for younger siblings as well. Your 9-year-old can stretch their minds as they plan out more complex strategies.
Some people report getting poorly manufactured versions of the game, but they almost all enjoy the game itself.
Fast Facts
Players: 2-4
Skills: Strategy, spacial recognition
Recommended ages: 6+
Game Of Life
Hasbro Gaming The Game of Life Board (Amazon Exclusive) is a little different than the version you might have played as a child, but it is still lots of fun for the family.
The game board takes players through lots of life decisions, like will you go to college or start a job right away? That decision determines the kind of job you can get and the salary you earn.
The spaces you land on and cards you draw might deliver a payday or add a baby to your family.
When all players reach retirement, the one with the most money wins. That could run counter to your family’s values and priorities in real life.
But I think having a chance to talk about the kinds of decisions your 9-year-old will face as a young (and not-so-young) adult makes up for that. The gameplay might not be fully realistic, but you can bring up real-life consequences in a fairly fun context as you go.
Fast Facts
Players: 2-4
Skills: Decision making, money math
Recommended ages: 8+
Spy Alley Family Strategy Board Game
For 9-year-olds who love mysteries, the Spy Alley Mensa Award Winning Family Strategy Board Game might be perfect.
Instead of everyone trying to solve a crime, Spy Alley makes each player a spy for a specific country. Players try to keep their identities a secret while figuring out other players’ identities.
During the game, you move a token around the board. You try to buy the items that your spy needs to collect without being too obvious about it.
The rules are simple to explain, and games take 30-45 minutes. Some people think it relies more on luck than true strategy, but most agree it is a good game for upper elementary to tween kids and their parents.
There is also a 90-day limited warranty from the manufacturer, so if something is missing or damaged on arrival, you can ask for replacement pieces.
Fast Facts
Players: 2-6
Skills: Logic, deductive reasoning, body language
Recommended ages: 8+
Blokus Trigon Game
For Tetrus fans, try Blokus Trigon Game [Amazon Exclusive].
In this variation on Blokus, players attempt to put all 22 of their color shapes on the hexagon-shaped board. Each piece is made of one or more triangles.
On your turn, you put down one of your pieces. It must touch the corner of another one of your pieces, but it may not share a straight edge.
When there are no more places for anyone to put down a piece, the game is done. The player with the most pieces on the board is the winner.
Parents say this is more challenging than the regular rectangular Blokus but in a good way. There are so many ways to place pieces, it will feel like a different game each time. Games take 20-40 minutes, which is a good length of time for 9-year-olds.
Fast Facts
Players: 2-4
Skills: Spatial reasoning, strategy
Recommended ages: 7+
Chess and Pachisi
Melissa & Doug Double-Sided Wooden Chess & Pachisi Board Game is a fun 2-in-1 combination game.
One side is a chessboard, and the other side is Pachisi (sometimes called Parcheesi). This set comes with all the pieces for both games. And it is available in two color schemes.
Chess is a great game to promote strategic thinking and planning. There is a lot to remember at first about how each piece can move, but even after you’ve mastered that, there are many levels of strategy to learn.
Pachisi is a centuries-old game from India. It involves rolling dice and moving your four tokens around the board.
Your goal is to move them all from the nest to the home space, which sounds a bit like Sorry. But there are special moves for rolling doubles, capturing opponents, and creating blockades.
I have always been happy with Melissa & Doug products, and this all-wood set gets high marks from parents. It’s attractive and sturdy, a great way to introduce two games that have really stood the test of time.
Another combination set including chess is a Pressman set: Checkers/Chess/Backgammon.
Fast Facts
Players: 2
Skills: Strategy
Recommended ages: 6+
Best Games for 9-Year-Old Boys
NFL Game Day requires some strategy and teaches 9-year-olds more about the game of football. On the other hand, Trouble: Star Wars Edition and Kerplunk! Raptors are slightly less strategic games.
Kerplunk Jurassic World Edition
![Kerplunk! Raptors Jurassic World [Amazon Exclusive]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61frpckHOvL._SL500_.jpg)
Any dinosaur fan will enjoy Kerplunk! Raptors Jurassic World [Amazon Exclusive].
In this raptor version of classic Kerplunk, you put plastic sticks through the raptor enclosure, then dump the little raptors inside to set up. (Classic Kerplunk has marbles you put on top of the crisscrossed sticks.)
Players roll a die to determine which color stick they need to pull from the raptor enclosure. You hope to pull the stick without letting any raptors fall out. The player with the fewest raptors at the end wins.
There is also another mode of play that uses Blue the raptor. In that mode, the goal is to be the player who gets her to drop first.
We have regular Kerplunk, but I think my dino lover would really enjoy this version. I like that it has two modes of play to challenge kids to think of various strategies.
Fast Facts
Players: 2-4
Skills: Strategy, spacial relations
Recommended ages: 5+
NFL Showdown
The NFL Showdown comes with signage for all 32 NFL teams, so your 9-year-old can represent their favorite team.
Outsmart your opponent by calling the play on both offense and defense. Choose the right play and get rewarded but you’ll also need a little luck. Roll the dice to see if that big gain will go for extra yardage or if a key play will result in a turnover. Each team comes with 2 specific “Big Play” cards that embody the core strengths of that team. Use each card only once per half to change the outcome of a play. Clock winding down? Line up for a field goal and take your chances at kicking the ball through the uprights.
Parents say that it does help to have knowledge of football to play this game, but you can play in Rookie Mode for a beginner football fan or the Pro Mode for more advanced play.
Fast Facts
Players: 2
Skills: Football plays
Recommended ages: 8+
Trouble Game: Star Wars Edition
Another game younger siblings can enjoy that will still keep your 9-year-old entertained is Hasbro Gaming Trouble Game: Star Wars Edition.
With its familiar Star Wars characters, this version of the classic game of Trouble will be a hit with many 9-year-olds. Playing as Rey, Finn, Kylo Ren, or Chewbacca, players attempt to get their four pawns from start to home.
The object is similar to Sorry, but instead of using cards, there is a Pop-a-Matic die to roll. You push on the plastic bubble with the die inside and it pops to roll. This is always a big hit with my kids, and I like it too. Even though it can be a bit loud, we aren’t rescuing the die from the floor after each roll.
Fast Facts
Players: 2-4
Skills: Strategy
Recommended ages: 5+
Best Game for 9-Year-Old Girls
Disney Eye Found It
While the Disney Eye Found It is suitable for kids as young as 4, many families report is it great for 9-year-olds as well, making it fun for the whole family.
The 6-foot-long game board features a variety of Disney characters in 12 different realms. You will need a long table to play or be ready to set up on the floor.
The gameplay is cooperative, rather than competitive. All players work together to get to Cinderella’s castle before midnight.
When you spin, you either get to move forward, move the clock ahead, or start a search for an item in the game board’s illustrations. Each item found moves each player forward a space.
While many families enjoy the game, some said it wasn’t as fun after multiple times. The pictures you are searching for are pretty small.
Fast Facts
Players: 1-6
Skills: Observation, memory, teamwork
Recommended ages: 4+
Best Two-Player Games for 9-Year-Olds
Connect 4 is the most popular two-player game and a classic for a reason. On the other hand, Rock Me Archimedes is an unique 2-player game requiring strategy and balance.
HedBanz Harry Potter Game
For fans of the books or movies, try HedBanz Harry Potter Party Game for Kids.
In this game, players draw a card that they wear on a headband. The rest of the players can see your card, but you can’t. Your goal is to guess what or who is on your card by asking yes or no questions. Sometimes the players need to act out, describe, or rhyme a clue for you.
When you guess correctly, you get a chocolate frog token. The first player to get five chocolate frogs wins.
Parents like that the game works for kids who have read the books or watched the movies. They say it is a good level of challenge.
If your child isn’t a Harry Potter fan, try these versions instead: HedBanz Disney, Guessing Game Featuring Disney Characters or Marvel Hedbanz Board Game.
Fast Facts
Players: 2-6
Skills: Trivia knowledge, rhyming
Recommended ages: 7+
Hasbro Connect 4 Game
The Hasbro Connect 4 Game is a simple strategy game that my whole family enjoys.
It is similar to tic tac toe, but two players face off to try to get four checkers in a row on a vertical board. In the main mode of play, you take turns dropping one checker in at a time into the bottom slot of your chosen column.
There are two other ways to play involving playing your pieces constantly instead of taking turns or allowing you to open the bottom to drop out pieces already played.
You have to plan ahead a little more than tic tac toe because you can’t fill the upper slots until the bottom ones have checkers in them. Look for connections vertically, horizontally, and diagonally.
We have the set my husband had as a kid, and our family loves it. Some recent buyers have said the newer sets are flimsy, though.
There are some smaller travel sets available as well: Connect 4 Grab and Go Game (Travel Size) or Hasbro Connect 4 Grab and Go Game.
Fast Facts
Players: 2
Skills: Strategy, spatial reasoning
Recommended ages: 6+
Marbles Rock Me Archimedes
The Marbles Rock Me Archimedes Balancing Board Game is a beautiful wooden game that you wouldn’t mind being out in your living room all the time.
In this game, two players attempt to move four of their marbles to one end of the board without upsetting the board’s balance. You roll a die to determine your moves.
Many people love this game, but some did not find it as challenging as advertised. The quality of the wooden board is definitely a plus when so many things are plastic and cardboard now.
Fast Facts
Players: 2
Skills: Visual perception, decision-making
Recommended ages: 8+
Word On The Street JR
If you want to make spelling practice fun, try Word On The Street Junior – The Wacky Tug of Words.
You can play on teams or as a two-player game. On each turn, there’s a category card turned over. Players write down or think up words in that category and then choose one as a team.
They find the letters from that word and move them closer to their side of the board. When letters reach their side of the board, the letters are taken off and the team gets a point for each.
Kids get to practice spelling and vocabulary in different categories. Then, once some letters have moved, it is helpful to choose words using those same letters to move them further across the board. So there is more strategic thinking as well.
Parents and teachers say this game is a hit for elementary schoolers. It’s so much fun it won’t even seem educational.
There is a version for 12 and up with very similar gameplay (Word On The Street), but parents say the categories in the Junior version are better for this age group.
Fast Facts
Players: 2 teams or players
Skills: Spelling, vocabulary, strategy
Recommended ages: 8+
Best Card Games for 9-Year-Olds
Sushi Go Party lets up to 8 players play at once making it the best card game for a group of people. Each of these games boast 5-star ratings.
Sushi Go Party
Gamewright Sushi Go Party! is an expanded version of the regular Sushi Go game.
Players use cards to make sushi combinations and earn points. There are more menu options to choose from in this version, and up to eight people can play. This makes it great for parties or large families.
We have the regular version of Sushi Go, and it is a little confusing to get started. But many people who love it say there was a learning curve, but it is worth pushing through a few games. They like the illustrations and how it stays fresh after many times playing.
Fast Facts
Players: 2-8
Skills: Strategy
Recommended ages: 8+
Dragonwood A Game of Dice & Daring Board Game
The Dragonwood A Game of Dice & Daring Board Game comes as a single pack by itself or you can get it with the game Sleeping Queens. They are both card games for ages eight and up.
In Dragonwood, you use cards and dice to defeat the magical foes. You collect adventurer cards, which allow you to earn the same number of dice. Then you roll the dice and see if you have a big enough number to defeat your monster opponent.
Parents say it is a great game for practicing math and probability in a way so fun, your 9-year-old won’t even realize it. The illustrations on the cards are very well done. You can play a game in about 20 minutes, and many people like to play a few games in a row.
Some people did find the instructions a bit tricky for kids at first, but if you help them get started (or find a YouTube tutorial), they should catch on quickly.
In Sleeping Queens, players attempt to wake up as many queens as possible by playing the correct cards. Addition and subtraction skills are called for, but you could adjust it to multiplication and division to challenge your 9-year-old.
Fast Facts
Players: 2-4 (Dragonwood), 2-5 (Sleeping Queens)
Skills: Probability, basic math
Recommended ages: 8+
Phase 10
![Phase 10 [Discontinued by Manufacturer] For 7 years and up](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51rdvfZ706L._SL500_.jpg)
Finally, The Offical Phase 10 is a rummy-like game.
There are cards of various numbers and colors, plus skip and wild cards. The goal is to find the cards needed to make each of the 10 phases, one specific phase per round. You might need to find a set of cards of the same number, then a run of numbers in a row, then get a certain number of cards the same color.
But if you don’t get the specified phase before the round is over, you have to try that one again the next round. The first player to get all 10 phases in the proper order wins.
This set comes in a nice tin to protect your cards. It might frustrate your child if they get a few phases behind the game’s leader. But the game is simple to learn and loved by many families.
Fast Facts
Players: 2-6
Skills: Strategy, counting
Recommended ages: 7+
Comparing Board Games for 9-Year-Olds
The table below compares only the recommended products on this page. A low or high Price means it is low or high compared to the other products listed. The Popularity Score reflects how often readers click on and buy the product. The Quality Score is our assessment of the overall performance and satisfaction with the product compared to others in the table.
| NFL Showdown | 9.0 | - | 89.98 |
| Kerplunk Jurassic World Edition | 7.8 | 9.2 | 44.94 |
| Ravensburger 3D Labyrinth | 3.9 | - | 44.00 |
| Word On The Street JR | 5.3 | 8.2 | 37.98 |
| Spy Alley Family Strategy Board Game | 9.8 | 9.4 | 31.99 |
| Trouble Game: Star Wars Edition | 8.1 | 9.0 | 29.99 |
| Marbles Rock Me Archimedes | 9.9 | 9.0 | 28.63 |
| Blokus Trigon Game | 9.6 | 9.6 | 28.17 |
| Stare Junior Board Game For Kids | 9.6 | 9.4 | 27.95 |
| Pictionary Game | 9.2 | 8.8 | 25.80 |
| Mindware Qwirkle Board Game | 9.9 | 9.6 | 24.95 |
| Chess and Pachisi | 8.0 | 9.4 | 23.99 |
| Sushi Go Party | 9.9 | 9.6 | 21.99 |
| Clue | 9.8 | 9.6 | 21.33 |
| Game Of Life | 9.9 | 9.4 | 20.37 |
| Squashed 3D Strategy Board Game | 7.7 | 8.8 | 19.99 |
| Dragonwood A Game of Dice & Daring Board Game | 9.8 | -0.2 | 19.60 |
| HedBanz Harry Potter Game | 9.9 | 9.4 | 18.59 |
| Disney Eye Found It | 9.9 | 9.4 | 16.99 |
| 5 Second Rule Junior | 9.9 | 9.4 | 13.80 |
| Hasbro Connect 4 Game | 9.9 | 9.6 | 11.89 |
| Phase 10 | 9.9 | 9.6 | 9.99 |
| Sorry | 9.9 | 9.6 | 9.97 |
| Yahtzee | 9.9 | 9.6 | 8.99 |
| NFL Game Day Board Game | 8.1 | 9.2 | - |
More Recommended Board Games
- Best HABA Board Games
- Best Board Games for 3-Year-Olds
- Best Board Games for 4-Year-Olds
- Best Board Games for 5-Year-Olds
- Best Board Games for 6-Year-Olds
- Best Board Games for 7-Year-Olds
- Best Board Games for 8-Year-Olds
- Best Board Games for 10-Year-Olds
- Best Board Games for Teens
How We Selected the Best Board Games For 9-Year-Olds
Fun for the Family
I gave priority to games that either parents or younger siblings (or both!) will enjoy playing with your 9-year-old. Fun, in-person interactions are important for your almost tween.
Building Skills
I chose a lot of games that will also help build educational or critical thinking skills in your child. Practicing math, planning, memory, and strategic thinking while having fun is a win-win.
Classic Board Games
Many of the great games I enjoyed in the 4th and 5th grades are still available. I think you will remember many of these games, making them a nostalgic option for you. While I haven’t played all of them with my own 9-year-old, I know I liked them at that age.
FAQs – Board Games for 9-Year-Olds
What are the best games for 9-year-olds?
The games I’ve listed above are great options. At this age, kids are able to get into the strategy and planning in games that younger kids don’t. So there are many more choices depending on what your 9-year-old’s interests are.
What is the best gift for a 9-year-old?
Many 9-year-olds will enjoy a board game. But if you aren’t sure if any of these options are just right for your child, check out our best gifts for 9-year-old girls and best gifts for 9-year-old boys.
Will a 9-year-old enjoy a board game?
Most of them will enjoy at least a few board games! If you haven’t played games regularly before, you might meet some resistance to the idea. Especially if you are trying to get them away from screen time.
But try one of the above options that match your child’s interests. You may need to try a few different games before you find one your child gets excited about. From there, they might be more receptive to other games. Then your family can enjoy interactions over a regular game night.
Read about why board games are good for kids.
