The 23 Best Board Games for 4-Year-Olds

The best board games for 4-year-olds provide fun ways to learn teamwork or competition at the right level for their tender age. Most toddler games focus on skills preschoolers need to cultivate such as memory, numbers, or colors. It’s all about drilling the basics into the kid’s head at this age and we found the best games to help your child improve basic skills with a lot of laughter and fun. 

Best Board Games for 4-Year-Olds

For great classic games, Chutes and Ladders and Don’t Break the Ice are fun and have short playtimes. Enjoy The Santa Claus Game during the Christmas season or the Enchanted Cupcake Game with your 4-year-old girl. 

The Santa Claus Game

Santa doesn’t need to just be for Christmas, he can live inside your home and entertain your children for hours with the The Santa Claus Game. This game allows Christmas to continue year-round for little kids excited to make it onto the nice list. Though the game is perfect for all ages, it’s best for kids over the ages of three and for 2-4 players for a 15-20 minute gameplay. 

The easy-to-learn game relies mostly on luck to win the game. Kids pick a sleigh to load up with presents as they make their way through a winter wonderland. There are a few exciting twists along the way as children call out fun phrases. This is a fun game to encourage a giving spirit and healthy competition. 

Feed The Woozle 

 The Feed The Woozle is so popular with preschoolers it’s often out of stock! Kids love the colorful hungry monster who wants to eat everything in sight. As a matter of fact, he even holds a feed me sign to help kids know where to scoop in his snacks with a spoon. Gameplay takes about 15 minutes for 2 to 5 players. 

Woozles want silly snacks like fuzzy donuts or hairy pickles and need your kids to help for their next meal. It has three exciting levels. Kids don’t have to read to play the game and even little kids can enjoy the fun as they learn dexterity, motor skills, counting, and more. Cooperative play fosters teamwork and self-esteem without stress. Though mom will probably stress over cleaning up the game!

Disney Enchanted Cupcake Game

Most little girls love princesses and cupcakes which is why Wonder Forge created the Disney Enchanted Cupcake Game to teach several skills with some delicious-looking cupcakes. Girls already know the main characters including Jasmine, Ariel, Rapunzel, and other beloved Disney ladies. With the help of the princesses, the girls take turns building cupcakes with frosting and decorations. 

Now you can turn each game into a party, filled with dynamic conversations and laughter as players work on team-building skills. Each princess gets a uniquely designed cupcake or girls can use their imagination to create their own designs. An excellent way to help girls enjoy team activities with girly flair while learning to follow a recipe. 

Orangutwang Kids Game

Your little monkeys can now play the Orangutwang Kids Game which offers a unique game board and tons of laughter. The game includes a board of two trees with a line connecting them for the orangutan to hang on as kids then pile fruit and other items on the monkey’s arms and legs to see how much he can hold. Keep your kids in suspense with this outrageous game. 

Kids will go wild as they beat out the other players when they can get the orangutan to hold more fruit than the other players. Younger kids enjoy the game as they don’t have to work on reading skills but this game does still teach fine motor skills and concentration. Also, this imaginative game is a hoot for kids up to 10 years old. 

Chutes and Ladders 

Another great game for four-year-olds is the Chutes and Ladders as it allows little kids to enjoy a classic game most kids love. Try this game out if you have a house full of little boys & girls who love bright colors and carnival chaos. 

The game can teach color recognition, basic game mechanics, turn-taking, and so much more. Moreover, extra-large blocks on the board help the game move quickly for short attention spans. The adorable spinner helps children to understand the basics for a long life of gameplay. Don’t worry, in a few years, you will have someone to play Catan with you.

Don’t Break the Ice 

With Don’t Break the Ice your four year old can play with three friends to keep a penguin from falling. Players need to tap the ice without allowing the penguin to fall out. The person who drops the penguin loses. 

It’s like Jenga but with a penguin. The set includes two mallets, an ice tray frame, four legs, 1 large ice block, 32 smaller ice blocks, and of course a penguin named Phillip. Add in the instructions that your kids will ignore and you are ready to play. 

Parents won’t mind playing this fun game with their kids. It’s a great option for little kids who do not read or even attempt reading as it’s simply fun with no agenda. Before long, kids will start adding other items to the ice like race cars, dolls, and more to see how much they can keep on the ice. 

Diggin’ Doggies Board Game

Dog lovers will enjoy the Diggin’ Doggies Board Game with cute and colorful drawings while hunting for a bone. Each kid helps a dog to find its bones and helps them get them back to the doghouse. The easy-to-learn game appeals to little kids’ desire to play without a lot of downtimes spent learning the rules. 

The circular game board helps kids play without getting too lost going off track. Also, preschoolers can learn color recognition, counting, and direction while enjoying a new family favorite game. Your kid can learn empathy too as they help the dogs meet their needs.

Best Educational Games for 4-Year-Olds

The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game is one of the best highly-rated games for children. Orchard Toys Shopping List and the Disney Matching Game are the best memory games whereas Alphabet Bingo! and Boggle Junior are the best games for teaching letters, reading, and spelling. Finally, Busytown is the most popular “Eye Found It” game on this list.

The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game

The The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game works great for little kids as they don’t need to read to play the game. Parents will need to read the instructions and teach about gameplay and from there you just play with little acorns, a spinning wheel, and a squirrel. A perfect game for teaching colors and teamwork with an easy setup.

Help your preschooler with colors, matching skills, fine motor skills, and hand-eye coordination as they spin the wheel to win acorns. The first person to collect 5 acorns wins, as they place the little nuts in their wooden plate with tweezers. This award-winning toy gets kids excited about learning and even helps them to understand how animals hibernate and stock up food supplies. 

Hi Ho! Cherry-O

Though many new games have come out, the classics are classics for a reason like the Hi Ho! Cherry-O. Remember though, this game has tiny pieces not suitable for children under three, so keep the game out of reach of younger siblings. The game can help preschoolers learn to count as they pick pretend fruit from trees to fill their buckets. 

To win the game, kids need to fill their baskets first, with no reading involved. Without even realizing it, they learn basic math skills like counting, addition, and subtraction as they follow the spinner’s instructions. The game helps with hand-eye coordination and dexterity too as children place the fruit in the right places. 

Pete the Cat Memory Game

Pete the Cat Memory Game helps kids to understand luck, memory, and group cooperation as they enjoy a funny cat. This game is like a birthday party in a box with cards, cupcakes, and game pieces. It’s perfect for children over three to help learn word association, color recognition, number recognition, and a few other fun skills. 

Kids can express themselves as they learn fun imagination and social skills while hunting for missing cupcakes stolen by Grumpy Toad. Kids get to sing, exercise, and more while playing with a few of their favorite characters. A good game for your four-year-old to play with younger siblings thanks to the easy-to-follow rules. 

Hoot Owl Hoot

Hoot Owl Hoot teaches young minds color coordination and matching skills as they help owls home before sunrise. Don’t worry, owls are nocturnal but not vampires, so there are no creepy elements to the game at all. As this is a cooperative game, everyone wins if the owls make it back to their nest, which is a great way to foster teamwork. 

Kids can learn several skills from this two-level game including strategy, following instructions, and taking turns. It works great for siblings of multiple ages too. This uplifting and positive game leaves everyone satisfied and stress-free during gameplay with vibrant drawings and tons of fun. The game allows for 2-4 players between the ages of 4 and 8 years old. 

Disney Matching Game

Another classic game is the Disney Matching Game and this one comes with fun Disney characters sure to appeal to both boys and girls. Kids can hunt for the right match as they improve their memory and recognition skills. Customize the game to your child’s level as needed too. 

Place several matches on the floor or table all lined up in rows upside down then take turns trying to find matches. The game is that simple but so valuable in helping children remember where to find their favorite characters. Now if only they could remember where they put the left shoe and most of their socks!

Boggle Junior

If your preschooler loves words and is excited to read, gift him Boggle Junior for his next birthday or holiday. This classic adult game has been adapted to meet the needs of preschoolers, to help them with sight words and work on alphabet memorization. The game comes with letter dice, word cards, and a board for holding the other pieces. 

Preschoolers need to match letters to the pictures in two different levels of the game. The game works best for 1-2 players as they hone in on letter and word recognition, matching, spelling, and more importantly, memory. A fun game to play with your child to help with pronunciation and the correct placement for letters. 

Alphabet Bingo! 

Almost everyone has played some version of bingo during their life and the Alphabet Bingo! now brings the game to your preschooler’s attention. Kids reach into a bag and pull out a letter to find a match on their bingo card. The game provides healthy competition as kids work on their alphabet skills with up to 6 different friends. 

Alphabet bingo would be the perfect game for a kids’ party for kids to compete for fun prizes and help their reading skills grow. Each letter has an associated image too to improve word association. Try this game out with all of your kids over the age of 3 to teach the alphabet and get tons of squeals of excitement when your kids get a Bingo!

The Ladybug Game

The coolest feature of The Ladybug Game is that it was invented by a six-year-old kid in first grade! What a wonderful game to encourage your child to keep trying and be creative because they could invent something similar! It’s the perfect first board game to teach reading and counting, which are two important skills kids need to learn at a young age. 

One game takes about 20 minutes, the average preschooler’s attention span! They enter the garden game board with their ladybug and race to the finish line with adventures and challenges while fending off praying mantises and ants. Try out this game for siblings or a fun game when friends come over to play. 

Richard Scarry’s Busytown

If you have older children you can get the Richard Scarry’s Busytown Eye Found It game for kids. This of this as a “Where’s Waldo” game for kids but without Waldo! Kids work to solve mysteries while learning to improve their searching skills. That’s something most kids definitely need practice on as they can’t find a shoe that is right in front of their faces. 

Two to four plays race across the extra-long Busytown game board as a team to find items and win the game. The game reinforces object identification, attention to detail, and matching skills. Kids can play this game for years and still not find everything or solve every mystery!

Little Detective Memory Game

The Little Detective Memory Game is a great addition to family game night as parents and kids become detectives in this interactive game. Flip over clue cards and find the same pattern somewhere on the gigantic round board. Search for items like figures, letters, animals, or characters to win the game. 

This game is great for children of all ages to improve fine motor skills, concentration, hand-eye coordination, improve memory, and so much more. Kids will probably love the detective rings and the hourglass the most as they race against the clock to find more matches than their opponents. 

Noah’s Animal Rescue! Matching Game

Get your kids to help Noah load all the animals on the ark with the Noah’s Animal Rescue! Matching Game. The cooperative game helps children four and up to rescue all the animals before the rain starts. A fun game for Christian families or animal-loving kids to play and learn about wild creatures, rain, and a classic Bible story. 

Kids play together to win as a team instead of in a competition as they learn to share ideas and strategies for a stress-free game. The game also teaches communication, sharing,  sportsmanship, and confidence with simple-to-follow instructions. Even better, you can take this game to church for Sunday school too for an added bonus.  

Blue Orange Games Pengoloo

Want a game that will last? The Blue Orange Games Pengoloo game is made of wood to last for decades or longer so you don’t have to buy a replacement and your kids can’t break or rip the pieces. Your kids can still lose the pieces and this is bound to happen at four years old. Help your kids to develop memory, visualization, and strategic thinking as they place wooden penguins in numerical order. 

Children go on a South Pole egg-spedition with the lovable Pengoloo game that teaches children memory, numbers, colors, and more to kids 4 years or older and up to 4 players at a time. The kids roll the dice and lift penguins in search of colored eggs to match the rolled numbers. Whoever collects six penguins first wins the game!

Super WHY ABC Game

Continue teaching your 4-year-0ld reading skills with the Super WHY ABC Game based on the popular TV series on PBS. Your kid already knows the characters and now he can grab a mask from the dress-up bin and help solve mysteries too. 

Next, the game board looks like a computer with the alphabet on it and all the characters framing the computer. What’s unique is the game ends when all the players reach the finish then, the players count up points to find the winner. Kids can learn social skills, imagination, and practice reading to help them in preschool and beyond. 

Snug as a Bug in a Rug

The Peaceable Kingdom brand makes tons of games for kids that appeal to their youthful excitement which is why four of their games appear on this list. Their Snug as a Bug in a Rug game is another cooperative favorite for preschoolers. It’s ready to cultivate emotional development, group decision making, self-esteem, creative problem solving, and much more without stress. 

Next, the game helps kids to learn colors, numbers, shapes, counting, matching, and even the concept of big and little. Kids don’t take turns but play at the same time which definitely appeals to this age as they spin and stack before the smasher arrives on the scene. The game challenges kids and helps them to giggle while they learn. 

Raccoon Rumpus Game

Add a bit of woodland creature whimsy to your child’s day with the Raccoon Rumpus Game. This matching game focuses on raccoons raiding your closet and getting ready for a party. No joke, this game has raccoons dressing up in ridiculous costumes and your kids get to choose the outfits. 

No wonder this game has won multiple awards! It is so funny even adults won’t mind playing this hilarious game. As kids dress up raccoons they can learn math, matching, fine-motor skills, and color recognition. Also, the game comes with multiple ways to play to increase the fun and imaginative ways to re-dress the animals. 

Orchard Toys Shopping List

Preschoolers want to go shopping but sadly often end up in the cart to avoid little fingers latching on to unnecessary items. With Orchard Toys Shopping List kids can go shopping and learn a few skills too. Children get either a shopping car or a shopping basket as they shop for food on their list. A fun game for children between the ages of 3 and 7 years old. 

This popular UK memory game will grab your kids’ attention too as you can add in other packs to expand the game for more fun. Furthermore, the game encourages memory and matching learning for 2 to 4 children unless you expand, and then more kids can play. Kids can learn how to plan a grocery list, at least on a basic level, and shop for what they need, so maybe they can help the next time you go to the store. 

Comparing the Best Board Games for 4-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.

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Board Games for Kids of Other Ages

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FAQs – Board Games for 4-Year-Olds

Is my 4-year-old old enough to play a board game alone with friends?

Not really. There may be the rare group of four-year-olds capable of playing a board game correctly, or at least quietly, without hysterics, he said she said’s, and a bunch of name-callings. Four-year-olds need more monitoring than their older counterparts.

Your best bet is to teach the children the rules of the game.  After teaching the game to the children, play a round or two or even the first game with them before attempting to leave them on their own.

Then, because they are children, do not stray far away as arguments tend to happen often in a well-developed mind let alone undeveloped minds. More than likely, you will need to intervene in a heated discussion about who stole who’s game piece. 

Can my child learn from playing board games?

Oh yes! Board games teach so many important skills beyond even the intended skills. Many games for this age level teach memory, color recognition, shape recognition, and basic gameplay. More importantly, games for this age level teach the basic mechanics of gameplay, a necessary skill for years to come, and along with cooperative play or healthy competition depending on the game. 

Other valuable skills for this age are hand-eye coordination, beginning reading skills, taking turns, and many more skills little kids need to learn before they become big kids. Each game offers a new opportunity to learn unique information. Some games can teach about animals while others can teach about shopping; the options are endless for learning from board games. 

How can I help my child to be a good loser?

Many of the games for this age are cooperative play because most 4-year-olds are not ready for games with one winner. If your child tends toward theatrics when losing, then avoid competitive games until they are more mature and capable of handling a loss. 

Do not make threats or demands on your child for poor behavior; instead, talk calmly and explain that it’s just a game and no one can win every time. This can prep them to be better losers in future games. Switching to a cooperative play game will help to improve their game playing basics as they work toward a competitive game. 

Should I let my child win all the time?

No. Do let them win occasionally but overall, learning to lose is an immensely important skill. No one always gets their way all the time which is why games are invaluable to teach healthy competition. The best way to play is to put yourself on a closer level as your child or allow them instead to play with peers for more even gameplay. 

If you do play with your child, try to make the game close instead of winning by a landslide. This will foster hope that your child has the potential to win at the game in the future. Using this method allows your child to improve gradually and you can improve gradually with them.