Board Game Gift Ideas for Kids
Cranium Bloom, Blokus Trigon and Battleship Among Choices
Dec 9, 2008
Christmas gifts for kids are easy to come by. Much of the marketing for the holiday season is directed at children and their parents. Games are a great alternative to yet another plastic toy, and most don’t require batteries -- just brain power.
A few things to keep in mind when purchasing the right board game are:
- Age appropriateness: If the game is too advanced for the child, he or she may get too frustrated and won’t want to play it.
- Number of Players: When buying a game for a larger family, it would be good to get one that accommodates multiple players.
- Buy with Adults in Mind: Playing games together is great activity. It encourages younger children to take turns and teaches them basic skills like counting. As a whole, it’s a way to bond with the group.
Here are some suggestions:
Ages 3 and Up
Cranium Bloom, Hasbro, 1 player, $34.99 and up
There are versions of this popular game now directed for the younger set. Let’s Play Count and Cook and Let’s Play Neighborhood Memory Game are two examples that promote matching, counting and pretend play.
Go Away Monster, Gamewright, 1-4 players, $11.99
A simple game with an empowering message. Players take turns reaching into a puzzle bag and match pieces on their bedroom boards. When the child draws a monster piece, he or she is encouraged to yell, “Go Away, Monster!”
Ages 5 and Up
Blokus Trigon, Educational Insights, 1-4 players, $21.99
This tricky game is good to play with a mixed age group. The object is for each player to fit as many of his or her assigned 22 color pieces on the board as possible. When a player puts a tile down, it must touch at least one other piece of the same color without contact between two sides. Variations on the game can make it easier or more difficult. There are also ways to play solo.
I Spy Bingo, Briar Patch, 2-4 players, $14.99
A great game for kids who are mastering letters. Each player takes turns drawing from a deck of cards that shows pictures of several objects. Without looking at the his or her own bingo card, the player calls out one object. When a matching object is found on bingo cards, players puts down chips. The rest is like the standard Bingo. Two levels of play are available.
Peanuts A Charlie Brown Christmas Game, Sababa Toys, 1-4 players, $19.99
Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy and Snoopy take a stroll around the board in this entertaining game. Each player must give three gifts, decorate the tree and collect enough candy canes in order to head back to the Season’s Greetings Patch. Obstacles such as paying candy canes to Doctor Lucy and going to Snoopy’s dog house may add delays. The winner has the honor of lighting Charlie Brown’s Christmas Tree.
Pictureka, Hasbro, 2 or more players, $19.99
A fast-paced visual hide and seek game where players compete to collect the most mission cards. Another game using the I Spy concept.
Smart Games Maze Ways Cat & Mouse Game, 1 player, Educational Insights, $19.99
A fun and challenging game for kids who enjoy puzzles. Choose from 48 multi-level challenges to help animals find their way through a mazes.
Ages 7 and Up
Battleship, Hasbro, 2 players, $14.99
Here’s one that never seems to go out of style. A player looks for opponent’s fleet by calling out squares on a grid. The first one to sink all the other’s ships is the winner. Good one for a long car ride.
Flinch, Winning Moves, 1-8 players, $11.95
A game that has been around since 1905 has a simple object. A player needs to get rid of 10 cards a stockpile in numerical order. Sounds easier than it is.
The Scrambled States of America, 2-4 players, Henry Holt & Co., $14.99
A great way to learn or brush up on the United States. Players collect state cards by matching them to a scramble card. Whoever scrambles and collects the most cards wins. A good one to play just before a geography test.
Stare, 2-10 players, Game Development Group, $29.99
May be played individually or in teams. Each player or team stares at a card for 30 seconds. When the time is up, the player or team answers a series of questions to see how much is remembers about the card. This is where it pays to stare.
This is only a small sampling of the vast amount of games available. Keep the buying tips in mind: age appropriateness, number of players and buying with adults in mind. The right game can be found for the right kid. The best part of giving a board game for Christmas is playing it with the recipients. Happy holidays.
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