Hi everyone, 

I haven't written in a while, though I've been churning out a lot of video content, on Insta and on my IGTV - including parenting tips, activities for kids, dental hygiene etc etc - everything you can think of, is now on there. 

However, as you guys know, I love to write and communicate this way - more than anything, so I do have a few posts lined up and primarily based around questions I keep getting. One of them is - our favourite board games. We play a lot of different games and our favourites are many of the classics, but here's a list below. Because of the live stream discount market place I host on my Instagram @mommydiaries, I get to try a lot of new games, and these are some of the ones we come back to again and again. 

(Please note, none of these are sponsored or have any associations with the brand. I am an amazon affiliate though and have included the amazon.in and amazon.com links for each product.)

We play a lot of board games and they are great for conceptual understanding, thinking, logic, even mathematics practice, and also - they are just so much fun! My kids are 6.5 and 4 - just for context, but I have included appropriate ages for each game.

15 must have board games:

(in no particular order)

1.  Battleship:

Yes, the age old game! It's fabulous for teaching them grids, maths, and an intro to statistics. My 6 and a half year old is able to play this well, though assisted (in teams), he has been playing for atleast a year.

Click to shop Battleship - Amazon.in or amazon.com

2. Monopoly:

How great is this game for teaching the little one math! 

We started with Monopoly deal, and then built up to junior monopoly. My 6 year old can now play the actual full game though, as long as it takes. 

It's fabulous for teaching them to practice mental math, about commodities, and about finances. Very few games (or even schools), teach these to our kids but these are important life skills. 

Monopoly deal (cards): Amazon.in or amazon.com

Junior monopoly: Amazon.in or amazon.com

Monopoly: Amazon.in or amazon.com

3. Mousetrap

Such a fun game, and for all ages! This is a STEM game, which explains concepts to them, while they build the board and put it together, and is a game for complete family fun. Kiara can play it unassisted, so I would say 3 plus is the ideal age! 

It's the first thing we do every Sunday morning, and has been for a while!

Mousetrap on Amazon.in or on Amazon.com.

4. Sudoku family

This game is ideal for 4 years and up, as per the box, but I think while the concept can be introduced at 4, they get more confident with it around 5. 

It's an intro to sudoku game, which has several different cards and levels and they have to put in the missing cards. Each family has to be complete, hence "family" sudoku.

The link to

amazon.com is here (they ship worldwide). It is occasionally available on amazon.in too, but currently is not. (Try with this one, if you want something local in India). 

5. Tension

This is a general knowledge game, where even my husband and I are learning answers to things we didn't previously know. However, even Kiara is able to answer questions, and learn from it. I would say 5 plus is the ideal age, it's a fun family game.

It's actually a naming game. Like name 10 things in the category of.... and each time or person gets points accordingly.

It's on amazon.in, is imported by jesters chest (so click here for jesters as amazon is not always available), and is also on amazon.com.

6. Scrabble

This age old game, is to English what monopoly is to math. Plus, the full edition comes with a little dictionary that Riaan keeps beside him to help him look up words. He has recently started playing the full edition, but they do have quick cards and a junior version too. 

The junior version is perfect once they are recognising letters, and the full version, once they are starting to spell (the cards too). 

Scrabble Dash/ Slam cards on amazon.in or amazon.com

Scrabble Junior on Amazon.in or amazon.com

Scrabble on amazon.in or amazon.com

7. Zingo 

This is a super fun game to work on sight word recognition with pre readers, and even early readers. Ideal for ages 4 and up. 

It's like bingo in a way, everyone has their own cards and has to match the words to the words on their cards. The first one with a full house wins. 

My kids can play this again and again. I would say 3 plus is the ideal age, as Kiara has been playing it for a year even though she can't read, she manages with the images. 

Zingo on amazon.in or amazon.com

8. Animals N' Transport

This is by the lovely The Story Merchants. You have to put together a puzzle and use it as a board to move forward in the same. Each person also has a vehicle card that they have to fill with their animal passengers, and the person who gets all their animal cards fill in first, wins. 

This is ideal for ages 3 to 7, and works on their mathematical skills too.

Shop Animals N Transport on amazon.in. 

9. Monkey Bingo

This is the last Bingo format board game I'm showing you - but we clearly love this. The 3 I've spoken about are all for different ages and solve different purposes/ hone in on different skills. What I love most about games in this format is that the kids can play it with minimal supervision from me!! Specially monkey bingo, my son can supervise this well enough for both of them and I don't have to be involved at all.

They literally have to just match the animal card to the animals on their cards and put a token on it. 

For monkey bingo on amazon.in click here, and for amazon.com click here. 

10. Skola word wheel

This isn't exactly a board game, but was super useful when my son started to spell, and is still a great way to practice phonics words, and 3 to 5 letter spellings with him. 

The picture explains it all, and it comes with a book full of words you can spell with the wheel. 

See the Skola Toys Word Wheel on amazon.in or on amazon.com.

11. Zoo Zone

Zoo zone is a game I was sent by a new brand to test, and the kids love it so much it has become a regular feature in our playtime. 

It's basically a game where each person goes to different territories and has to make food chains. So in each territory you have to have a carnivore, a herbivore, and a plant. Whoever makes 2 food chains first, wins. Each territory has its own currency, with which you can buy a card and try your luck to make your chains. 

It's ideal for 6 plus, though Kiara is able to play along too (with help of course). 

Click here for the amazon.in link.

12. Terra Loop

There are a stack of board games that I got to try from a brand called My Luma World. I'd love to talk to you about all because each game was unique and taught different mathematical skills, academic skills and moral lessons. However, I've picked my two favourites age wise and skill wise.

Terra Loop is fun, and is a game that teaches kids the concept of saving money. In addition to multiplication, addition and basic math. It also teaches them patience, and about winning and losing. It takes about 30 minutes to play and is really fun. We have played it several times and it's a new favourite. Its ideal for 7 and up!

Terra Loop on Amazon.in.

13. Galaxy Raider

Another fabulous game from My Luma world! This one is great for mathematical skills. 

You and your opponent have to use the cards you have been dealt, and the mathematical operation that comes up on the dice to take over moons and eventually planets. It's really fun, and ideal for kids who have learned or need to practice multiplication, addition, division and subtraction. Teaches mathematical concepts and about the solar system. It also teaches patience, and is a fun card game too! 

Get Galaxy Raider from amazon.in.

 14. Katamino

We love IQ games! There are several different types, and for a smaller travel kind we love IQ XOXO. But for a larger sized game that can even be played with 2 players, don't miss Katamino.

It's an IQ game where the challenges keep changing, and the player has to solve it.

Find it on amazon.in or amazon.com.

15. Ludo/ Snakes and Ladders combo

Have to end with a classic of course! And that's Ludo  because of the strategy and cognitive thinking it teaches our kids. Ideal is to get a reversible set that has snakes and ladders too (this is the best intro board game for any kid, as it teaches them to recognise numbers, teaches patience and also teaches them to accept failure, in small harmless doses).

Found a magnetic dual set on amazon.in  and on amazon.com!

It's not an easy choice! Short listing 15 games, from so many options. There are tons of smaller brands that have great games too but sell primarily through exhibitions etc at this point - so stay tuned to The bazaar hour every few weeks on my page. The schedule for rest of 2020, as of now is 

- October 24th, at 6PM

- November 8th, November 29th, December 6th and December 13th! It's a discount market place so our deals are limited in quantity and number, and on my Instagram @mommydiaries. 

Also, for more of our faves including card games and educational toys - don't miss our amazon recommendations page! 

Hope you enjoyed this! It's a question I get often, feel free to reach out with more questions!!

More to come!

TKV

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The images on this particular article have been taken from Amazon, as part of the Amazon Influencer Program, and the associated links have been used.