Having fun games for kids at the ready is a must for parents and caregivers. So, when an impromptu “I’m boooored” or “there’s nothing to do” is thrown your way, or you’ve reached the ceremonial grumpy portion of a road trip, you’re ready to offer suggestions.
Move over “I Spy” and “Go, Fish.” Here are 31 fun games for kids of a variety of ages, both with and without supplies.
Fun games for kids in preschool through 2nd grade
These games, best for kids between the ages of around 3 to 8, run the gamut. In addition to classic road trip games (that are also great when you’re waiting for your food to arrive in a restaurant), we also have suggestions for active games, board games and classic card games. Bored no more!
1. Grandma’s suitcase
Also known as “I Pack My Suitcase,” this game, suggested by Joanna Goddard, founder and editor of Cup of Jo, simply requires players to remember everything that grandma has packed in her suitcase, per everyone playing. For instance, player one may say: “Grandma is going on a trip and in her suitcase she packed an apple.” Then, player two piggybacks on that, adding their own — i.e. “Grandma is going on a trip and in her suitcase she packed an apple and a baseball…”
The game progresses like this, and yes, Grandma’s items will keep getting nuttier.
2. DIY Dance Dance Revolution
While there’s a screen involved in this DIY Dance Dance Revolution game, it’ll keep kids super active and engaged, and it’s pretty lo-fi. All you need to do is tape some construction paper to the floor and play this video on YouTube — voila! Your own DDR!
3. Once Upon a Time
Another slam-dunk boredom buster for kids when “there’s nothing to do”: Once Upon a Time. Have the youngest person start a story with one sentence, such as “Once upon a time, there was a dog who left his house to go on an adventure…” Then, the next person tacks onto the story with their sentence and so on. Again, wackiness is pretty much guaranteed.
4. “I Wonder”
Perfect for road trips, all you need to do is say, “I wonder…” when driving by a building, a tree, a store, etc. and then fill in the rest. For instance, if you’re driving by an old house, you can say: “I wonder who the first person was to live there,” and see what your kids come up with. Great in a pinch!
5. Sardines
Sardines is basically Hide and Seek’s younger cousin. To play, one person hides while others look. Once a seeker finds the person who’s hiding, they join them, ultimately resulting in a group of people squeezing into a small space (like sardines) with one seeker.
6. Monkey Preschool Lunchbox
Monkey Preschool Lunchbox is an app geared towards the younger set. In the game, players help the monkey pack his lunch through a series of educational puzzles.
7. Math Blaster
Also a game for younger kids, Math Blaster teaches basic math skills in the form of five different types of puzzles, breaking down math by addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and fractions/decimals/percents.
8. Red Light, Green Light
A classic game for a reason — and great for keeping groups of kids occupied! Have one child play the “stop light,” and the rest of the children line up about 15 feet away. When the stoplight says “green light,” the other kids are allowed to move forward. If any of them move after they hear “red light,” they’re out. The first one to touch the stop light wins!
9. Candy Land
Great for little ones and rainy days, Candy Land is a super simple board game that helps kids with counting — and frustration! And parents and caregivers will love the colorful and sweet trip down memory lane.
10. War
War is truly the most simple card game out there, where the player with the most high-numbered cards wins. It’s great for helping little kids familiarize themselves with numbers.
11. Witch’s Brew
Gather everyone into a circle, have them sit and deem one person the “witch.” The witch then calls out a type of food — pasta, tomatoes, avocados, anything! And anyone whose name starts with the same letter as the food has to quickly change seats, with the witch trying to steal a seat while the others are moving.
12. Codenames: Pictures (Kids Edition)
A kid-friendly version of Codenames, which is a word-centric game, Codenames: Pictures uses pictures instead, making it ideal for the younger set. And even better: Teamwork is encouraged throughout the game, boosting social skills.
Where to buy: Codenames: Pictures ($20, Tabletop Games and More)
Fun games for kids in grades 3-5
While some of these games work for younger or older kids, most of these games involve a decent grasp of language, numbers or the ability to run pretty fast so you don’t get tagged — or hit with a ball.
13. Spud
A game of many parents’ and caregivers’ youth, Spud has everyone stand in a circle while one person throws a ball in the air and calls someone’s name (or numbers, if given). The person whose name has been called has to catch the ball and yell “Spud!” Once they have the ball, they have to try to tag others.
14. Sharks and Minnows
To play this game, you’ll need physical boundaries (i.e. the fence in a backyard). To play, one person (the “shark”) stands in the center, while the others (the “minnows”) try to make it from one side to the other without being tagged. Once a minnow is tagged, they become a shark, too, making the game more difficult as time goes on.
15. Poison ball
The name is much scarier than the actual game. To play Poison Ball, one person throws a rubber ball into the air while others try to dodge it. Once a person gets hit by the ball — a.k.a. “the poison,” they’re out. This game is best for older kids.
16. Four Corners
Number the four corners of a room, park or other outdoor area and choose one person to be the caller. Everyone else starts off in one corner and when the caller yells, “Go!” everyone runs to a different corner. Once there, the caller chooses a number from one to four, and the people in that corner are out.
17. Tapple
Tapple is a fast–paced game that has players rushing to name things in a specific category (given on cards) and push the letter they used down on the “board.” There’s a time limit on Tapple, making the game exciting — and a little nerve-wracking.
Where to buy: Tapple ($31, MindWare)
18. Exploding Kittens
Kids will love Exploding Kittens, based on the title alone! To play, players take turns drawing cute cards, with the goal of avoiding an exploding kitten, which will knock you out of the game.
19. Sorry
No one is as cutthroat as they are when playing Sorry. In the classic board game, players race to be the first to have all their board pieces into the safe zone, while pushing other players back to Start along the way.
20. Zombie Kidz Evolution
A great board game for working together! In Zombie Kidz Evolution, players band together to protect their school from zombies. And as the game goes on, it changes with new rules, making it fun and fresh each time.
21. Super Mario Odyssey
Follow adventurous Mario on a journey around the globe to rescue his beloved Princess Peach. Super Mario Odyssey is super colorful and has engaging puzzles, making it great for the younger set.
22. Slime Rancher
Slime Rancher is a color-rich farming simulator game, where players can catch and raise cute slimes while exploring an alien world. A nice game when kids just need to chill.
23. Pig
In Pig, players take turns drawing cards, all while trying to be the first to get to four of a kind. When someone gets it, they inconspicuously touch their nose. The first person to notice and yell “Pig!” wins.
24. Snap
To play Snap, players take turns placing cards in one central pile. If two cards in a row match, the first person to shout “Snap!” wins the cards.
Fun games for kids in middle school
Got a gaggle of tweens or teens over for a party or group hang? Consider some of these games, which are sure to bring on the laughs or get them moving. And the good thing about playing some of these competitive games with older kids is that there (likely) won’t be pouting or crying when someone loses.
25. Backwards kickball
For this game, you’ll need enough kids for two teams. Backwards kickball is played the same way as regular kickball with the twist of — you guessed it — having to run bases backwards.
26. 20 questions (with a twist)
Most people know how to play 20 Questions, but you can add a personal twist to the game by using people you know, like neighbors, cousins and classmates, instead of celebrities. (Why does this make the game more engaging? Not sure. But it definitely does!)
27. Hot Seat
Best for older elementary and middle school kids, this game gives everyone a turn in the hot seat. When you’re in the hot seat, other players can ask you a total of five questions on anything (math, personal, history, pop culture) and you can only refuse to answer one. In the end, the player with the most answers/right answers wins.
28. Circle Race
To play Circle Race, you need two sticks and four circles (made out of anything). Players need to win the race without ever leaving their circles. So smart!
29. Qwirkle
Skill and tactical maneuvering are required in Qwirkle and competition is sure to get fierce as players think their way to patterns via colored tiles. Note: Qwirkle is a Mensa Select Award Winner and German Game of the Year Nominee.
30. Rummy
Players try to create three or more sets of the same rank or runs (three or more consecutive cards of the same suit) in Rummy. The first player to get rid of all their cards by forming sets or runs wins.
31. Spoons
In addition to a deck of cards, you’ll need a few spoons for this game, as well (and at least three players). The object of the game is to collect four of a kind; the first player to do so will quietly grab a spoon from the center of the table. Once they do, the rest of the players need to grab a spoon, as well. The person without a spoon is knocked out of the next round. Great for parties!
