Best -and most fun!- Educational Board Games for Elementary Students
Children love learning when we can make it fun and exciting, and one of the best ways parents can do that is by choosing education board games to play with your children. Board games are excellent learning tools because they are interactive and encourage children to see learning as something they can look forward to.
When searching for educational board games online you’re going to find dozens upon dozens of games relating to all sorts of educational topics. Check out our favorite games in a few different educational subjects! This post includes affiliate links to related products; Bounceback Parenting receives a referral commission if you purchase through these links.
Best Math Game: Math for Love Prime Climb
- Age Range: 10+
- Teaches: adding, subtraction, multiplication, division, strategy
- Players: 2-4
Prime Climb is our favorite math board game for elementary students because it combines adding, subtraction, multiplication, and division to get to the center of the board and win the game. The award-winning game is great for kids age ten and up and can be played by two to four people. The color-coded gameboard helps reinforce math skills to figure out multiplication and division problems. The Math for Love company that designs the game also offers a quality guarantee so that if anything ever goes wrong with the game, you can contact the company and get a brand-new game!
Check out these other math games for elementary students that we love HERE.
Best Social Skills Game: Outfoxed! A Cooperative Whodunit Game
- Age Range: 5-8
- Teaches: Deductive reasoning, strategizing, logic, cooperation
- Players: 2-4
Outfoxed! Is similar to the classic murder mystery game, Clue, but features child-friendly storyline and characters suitable for ages five to eight. This game combines cooperation with deductive reasoning in a non-competitive way so that kids can have stress-free fun while honing their executive functioning skills. Players will work together to capture the sly fox who stole the potpie from the window and also learn a bit about estimation and probability along the way. Outfoxed! usually takes less than an hour to play.
Check out some of our other favorite educational games that develop social skills HERE.
Best Reading Game: Zingo Sight Words
- Age Range: 3-7
- Teaches: sight words, vocabulary, reading
- Players: 2-6
Practicing sight words are a great way to build reading comprehension and will also help reinforce what your Prek-K-1st-grade child is learning in the classroom. Zingo Sight Words is developed by ThinkFun, one of the most famous creators of educational games world-wide and was the winner of the ASTRA Best Toys for Kids Award as well as the 2013 Toy of the Year finalist. Zingo is a bingo game with easy to follow the rules and gameplay. This game is best for emerging readers who are working on increasing their reading speed and recognizing sight words. Once your child masters this game, they can upgrade to the Zingo Word Builder and start practicing spelling.
If you’re interested in seeing some of our other recommended reading games for elementary schools, kids click HERE.
Best Science Game: The Magic School Bus: Science Explosion
- Age Range: 5+
- Teaches: STEM Learning
- Players: 2-4
The Magic School Bus: Science Explosion is a great science board game that encourages hands-on learning through STEM activities through the familiar character of Ms. Frizzle and The Magic School Bus. The goal of this game is to cause a volcanic eruption, which builds excitement throughout the game to see who can make it happen! We also love this game because Harvard Scientists and educators developed the game and put it to the test at science camps before ever the game hit the shelves. The attention to high quality makes this game perfect for STEM learning and family fun.
To see more of our other recommended science games, click HERE.
Best Executive Function Game: Catan Junior
- Age Range: 5+
- Teaches: critical thinking, planning, working memory, turn-taking, prioritizing, and planning, strategizing, cognitive flexibility
- Players: 2-4
This junior version of the classic Catan board game teaches executive functioning through planning, strategy, and problem-solving. This adventurous game is designed for kids as young as five and transports players to a land of pirates, islands, and ghosts. You’ll have to find and compile resources to build hideouts and ships, find help, and avoid the Ghost Captain. This game has a lot of pieces and is best for older children who won’t lose the pieces or put them in their mouths. A rule book is also included, but the gameplay is simple, and the perfect introduction to skills you need to play games like Risk, Catan, and other roleplaying strategy-based games.
If your child loves strategizing and critical thinking, click HERE to read about some of our other favorite board games for executive function.
Best Imaginative Play Game: Cranium Disney Family Edition Board Game
- Age Range: 8+
- Teaches: puzzle and problem solving, music, wordplay, sculpting, sketching, charades
- Players: 4+
One vital part of STEM learning is the ability to use our imaginations and think outside of the box. Playing games that develop artistic skills, help with self-expression, and combine critical thinking is ideal for creative development in the brain. Cranium Jr. combines many different forms of artistic and creative expression with cooperative team-building skills to also work on executive function, social skills, and even self-esteem and confidence. We love the family edition of Cranium because it is fun for kids and adults and the Disney edition is near and dear to our hearts. If your family isn’t interested in Disney, there are plenty of other editions of Cranium, such as the turbo edition for faster gameplay, or the Bible Edition.
Educational board games for elementary school kids are on the shelves of every department store in your town, and you can find hundreds online. Any game that combines learning with family fun is an excellent addition to your home game collection.
Alissa Zorn is an author, and founder of the website Overthought This. She's a coach and cartoonist passionate about helping people overcome perfectionism and shame to build authentic, joyful lives. Alissa is certified through the International Coach Federation and got her Trauma-Informed Coaching certification from Moving the Human Spirit. She wrote Bounceback Parenting: A Field Guide for Creating Connection, Not Perfection, and is always following curiosity to find her next creative endeavor.