Best Back to School Board Games

It’s that time of year again. Time to go back to school!

Parents are celebrating, kids are either excited or dreading the idea of homework. Either way, it’s a lively time of year in the autumn and means big changes for your little ones. Starting a new grade, making new friends, learning new things — it can be a lot of fun (and a bit stressful too).

Playing board games can be a great way to get your kids back into the swing of things after a long, lazy summer. So get ready to learn with our best back-to-school board games!

🏆 Our Top Picks for the Best Back to School Board Games

In a hurry? Take a quick peek before you go.

09/20/2023 04:30 pm GMT

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More Back-to-School Board Games

Board games are a great way to get kids ready for the upcoming school year. Not only are they a lot of fun, but they also teach important skills such as problem-solving, strategic thinking, and cooperation.

Some of the best back-to-school options are games like Catan, which helps foster strategic planning and resource management, or Apples to Apples, which is great for working on language and communication skills. Kids can have a great time playing these games and still learn something from them!

Here are some more of our favorites!

Catan

Players: 3-4
Playing time: 60-120 minutes
Ages: 10 +
Complexity: 2/5

Catan introduces kids to the basic concepts of economics. It teaches them how to determine (and boost) the value of their resources, as well as exchange and trade them with other players to strengthen their own settlements.

The game encourages trading cards and cooperating with other players, which is a great skill that kids can take into the school year.

Apples to Apples

Players: 4-10
Playing time: 30 Minutes
Ages: 10 +
Complexity: 1/5

Apples to Apples is a great card game for kids. It’s an easy game to understand, but also provides hours of creative and silly fun for everyone.

The rules are simple – each player is dealt seven red cards, each with a word or phrase on it, and then the judge draws a green card. The judging player reads the green card out loud and each other player chooses which red card best matches the prompt.

It’s a great way for kids to develop their creativity and language skills, as well as have a good time playing with friends or family.

Blokus

Players: 2-4
Playing time: 20 minutes
Ages: 7 +
Complexity: 1.75/5

Blokus is a great game for kids of all ages to help them get ready for the school year. It has simple rules and helps kids practice problem-solving, think strategically, and brush up on their geometry.

Players get different colored pieces of every size and shape and then have to figure out how to fit them onto the board. Kids get to practice measuring angles, placing pieces in a sequence, constructing shapes, and trying different solutions until they find the best one.

All of this will give kids a fantastic start on their school math and geometry!

Ecosystem

Players: 2-6
Playing time: 15-20 minutes
Ages: 10 +
Complexity: 1.5/5

Ecosystem is the perfect game to introduce young children to the interdependence of the planet’s ecosystems.

Through exciting gameplay, attractive visuals, and easy-to-follow rules, this board game teaches kids about food chains, environmental impact, and the fragility of the Earth’s systems – all while having fun!

Parents can be reassured that their children are not only learning but also gaining important socio-emotional skills such as collaboration and a sense of responsibility for the planet.

Trekking the World

Players: 2-5
Playing time: 30-60 minutes
Ages: 10 +
Complexity: 2/5

Boost your child’s critical thinking and problem-solving skills while exploring the cultures, languages, and countries of the world with Trekking the World.

This innovative board game helps kids prepare for school and get back into a learning mindset by customizing a thrilling journey of discovery. Players can tackle puzzles and challenges as they progress across the map, gaining points and advancing further with each victory.

Along the way, kids will develop an appreciation for the world around them, gaining insight into the people, places, and cultures that make up our planet. Trekking the World is the perfect back-to-school activity that can equip your child with the knowledge and skills necessary for a successful new academic year.

Wrap-Up

Back to school shouldn’t have to mean getting back to a boring routine. Through the use of board games, parents can make their children’s back-to-school transition easier and more enjoyable by teaching them important skills while still having fun. From strategy games to storytelling games to memory games, the options are endless.

Board games have the power to create lasting memories and make us smarter along the way. So as the school year starts, let’s challenge our children (and ourselves) to shake things up and have more fun with board games.

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We hope you enjoyed our list of the best back-to-school board games! Get your kids back in the spirit of learning with these fun board games. Have you tried any of the games on this list? Did we miss any of your kid’s favorites? Drop a comment below and let us know what you think! We’d love to hear from you.