10 Fun Games For Kids

Since I posted yesterday about Jonah's favorite game, Scrambled States of America, I wondered what other great games were out there...ones that would be fun for the kids, as well as educational. I usually look for games that share an interest for one of my boys. That way, I am more assured that they will want to play, hopefully together! Here are some of the games that I found on Amazon's Toys & Games page that I would buy (or already have). Again, I am not being paid or sponsored for any of these games or websites. I have no affiliate agreement with any of them. Just talking mom to mom here...

1. Rory's Story Cubes, by Gamewright: Players roll the dice, which has images on each side. By doing this, you can create stories, either playing by yourself or with others. This game encourages imagination, social skills and expand language skills. There's also Rory's Story Cubes - Actions which uses verbs to create a story. They can be used alone or with the original Story Cubes. I would think this would be great for Kindergarten-2nd grade to use for beginning sentences, to story writing. I will be seriously thinking about getting this game the next time we buy one. 
2.  Scrambled States of America, by Gamewright: This is the game that I wrote about yesterday... here. I give this game major thumbs up...playing it is about the only time that I'm NOT the worstest mommy! heehee!
3. Scrabble, by Hasbro: We also have this game and play it at least once a week. It's a classic, but still relevant. I have that it is a good way to learn spelling, especially for the ages of 7+, I would think. Young and old alike can play Scrabble for equal benefits....mainly, that it challenges your brain! We all need that from time to time!
4. Clue the Classic Edition, by Winning Brain: I remember this game and the Classic Edition is slightly updated from when I was a child. If you don't know, this is a great mystery game in which players need attention to detail in order to figure out "who done it." It also uses deductive reasoning which older children would really benefit from. I also found Clue The Library Edition, which is a set designed to sit on your bookshelf like a regular book. For Harry Potter fans, they have created Clue - World of Harry Potter where a student has disappeared in Harry Potter's world. 
5. Sequence, by Jax: This is a fun game with cards and chips where the player has to get 5 in a row - horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. The player uses their own strategy to decide which cards/chips to place when in order to get their 5 in a row.  There is a multitude of different versions; some that use numbers, some use numbers, some use letters, and some even use states! There is Sequence for Kids, which uses pictures for younger kids, ages 3-6. Deluxe Sequence is available for those who want a larger board; and also the Jax Jumbo Sequence Tube Game, where you can roll the playing board up and store in the tube. Sequence Dice uses just the dice and the chips for the board and is on a smaller board. Another version for the younger kids is Sequence Letters, for kids ages 4-7 who are learning letters and the sounds. For learning about States and Capitals, there is Jax Sequence States and Capitals...not as much fun as Scrambled States of America, but it's a different way to learn the Capitals and the States shapes.
6. For older kids, I found the Pocket Ungame - Teens Version , by TaliCor. It contains cards with thought-provoking questions, and has been endorsed by teachers, therapists, ministers that use this game to break the ice with teens and get them to talk. There is a Christian version, The Ungame - Christian Version, which can be used for kids 5 and up; and there is the original, Talicor The Ungame, which is also for ages 5 and up. This game has won several awards for being one of the best communication games out there. For games on the go, they also have made Pocket Ungame - All Ages Version, Pocket Ungame - Kids Version, Pocket Ungame - Families Version, and Pocket Ungame - Couples Version.
7. For kids who love Lego's, there is Lego Creationary Game, by Lego. We got this game last year for Christmas and didn't really know what to expect. But I was surprised at how creative my boys were. This game comes with a select number of lego's in different shapes and colors, and a Lego dice that has a different building category on each side: vehicles, building, nature and things. The player draws a card with varying levels of difficulty and then tries to build what is on the card and the other players try to guess what it is. The game is very good at expanding the creativity of lego's, especially with kids who only know how to build a certain thing or don't know what to do with lego's.
8. Younger kids, especially boys, might like Chutes and Ladders Super Hero Squad, by Hasbro. Very similar to the original Chutes and Ladders but includes the Super Hero Squad. Kids get the benefit of learning how to take turns, how to win or lose...but it has Super Hero's to keep fans interested.
9. A new twist on an old game for younger kids is Super Mario Memory, by USAopoly. Played just like the original Original Memory, cards are flipped over one by one as the player tries to find a match. There are many variations, oaccording to popular characters: Memory Toy Story 3, Pre-school Nature Memory Game, Melissa & Doug Flip to Win Memory Game, I Spy Memory Travel Game, and Memory Game - Disney Princess Edition just to name a few!
10. For kids that have special needs, Thoughts and Feelings: A Sentence Completion Card Game, by Bright Spots can be used as a therapeutic tool for teachers, parents, and mental health professionals. It helps children to identify, process and work through issues that they might have caused by trauma, stress, grief, anger, depression and anxiety. I know that I would definitely get this as the mother of a son with Autism. Using words for feelings, or to describe what is going on in his mind is always a struggle, so I welcome anything that can help with that. And the fact that it's fun makes it even better!

So, there are just 10 fun games that I found...some that I already have, some that I would be willing to add to our collection. Kids love to play board games, especially with their parents, as a way to spend time together. I can't count how many times Jonah has told me that he hasn't spent enough time with me. But since we've been playing a game almost every night before bed, I haven't heard that complaint. Most of these games do not take a long time...maybe 30-45 minutes. Since Jonah reads on his own now, this has become a substitute for our reading time. It's a great way for him to master new skills and fulfill his competitive need.

Do you have favorite games? Is there a game that you really want?