The best board games for kids of all ages

Once you have played a full game of "Settlers," you will understand why it became a global phenomenon that has seen so many variations since the original came out, including expansion packs, card games, and even a "Game of Thrones" edition. This version, the family edition, is slightly simpler than a standard "Settlers" game, but still requires plenty of planning, strategy, and a good dose of luck. Gameplay can last well over an hour, so get the snacks ready before you start and then dive into the mystical world of "Catan," forgetting about the virus-infested real world for a while.

Recommended ages: 10 years old and up

I have fond memories of playing this classic game with my dad back in the 1980s and '90s and can't wait to play it with my son in the next year or so. People have been squaring off over the "Stratego" board for more than half a century now, with the early versions of the game dating back to the middle of the 20th century. It's not too difficult to learn the rules of this game: Game pieces with lower numbers defeat those with higher numbers, and watch out for bombs as you try to capture the flag. But mastering the strategy can take many rounds of enjoyable, engaging play.

Recommended ages: 8 years old and up

This game is quite similar to "Smart Farmer" in that it's fun to play collaboratively yet was designed for a single player, and in that gameplay involves figuring out how to overcome pre-established challenges. "Cow Snatchers" is a bit more of a challenge than "Smart Farmer" largely because there are moving pieces involved in each solution, making it suitable for slightly older kids. Like its counterpart, at higher levels this game is truly challenging and quite engaging even for older kids or adults.

Recommended ages: 6 years old and up

The original adult version of "Ticket to Ride" has long been a favorite of me and my wife, so it was no surprise that our kindergartner also loved vaunted game designer Alan R. Moon's junior version of the game. This is a genuine strategy game requiring critical thinking, long-term planning, and careful monitoring of both your progress and that of your opponent. Gameplay usually lasts about half an hour, making this game perfect for the elementary school-aged child whose brain is well-developed but who still might not have the patience for, say, "Risk."

Recommended ages: 6 years old and up

I love tackling "Smart Farmer" challenges with my son, and to be honest, some of the more advanced arrangements are indeed a challenge, taking us many different attempts to solve. But the best thing about this game is that it can be a 100% solo activity. Play involves using several pieces like cows, horses, sheep, pigs, and water troughs must be separated by species using three different pieces of fencing. An included booklet has dozens of different arrangements of the animals and troughs, and believe me, there have been many times I thought the folks at Smart Games had messed up and included an unsolvable layout. But no, we just had to stick with it.

Recommended ages: 5 years old and up

The best thing about this children's take on the age-old classic is that there's basically no way to make a bad move. What kids won't realize is that there's actually very little choice and quite a bit of luck involved in the gameplay. For example, you have to buy any available property on which you land, so there are no considerations to make there. There are no houses or hotels, so once a property is owned, that's that (when you own both of two paired properties, rent values double, but again you have no choice whether or not to buy). In fact, the only choice comes when you get a chance card giving you the option to move to a property in one of two different colors. My son is 6 and, if you don't mind me saying so, quite sharp, yet he still doesn't seem to have noticed or be bothered by the fact that this game is 90% luck, not skill. This also levels the playing field for parents, who otherwise might just have a leg up.

Recommended ages: 5 years old and up

On its face, as it were, "I Never Forget a Face" is just a matching game: You try to find matching pairs during your turn, and once all pairs are matched, the player with the most pairs wins. Simple enough, right? In fact, gameplay involves keen focus and memory, and in the process of playing, kids learn about different countries all over the world. We try to be as worldly as we can in our home, but I admit I doubt our kids would yet have heard of Myanmar without this game, for example. The game is ideal for slightly older kids, but can easily be tailored for enjoyment by little ones: Just remove a number of game tiles to reduce the challenge level.

Recommended ages: 5 years old and up

An absolute favorite in our house, this is a game we'll have to replace eventually as our SUSPECT cards are so worn and creased, and I think we're missing a clue marker or two. This is a collaborative game, with everyone working together to reveal which thieving fox stole Mrs. Plumpert's prized potpie by moving around the board to reveal clues and narrow down the pool of suspects. Because you're all on the same team, there's little chance for board game drama to become a real-world kerfuffle.

Recommended ages: 5 years old and up

"Zingo!" is one of those rare games that entertain across generations. My son loved this game when he was 4, still enjoys it at age 6, and my wife and I genuinely enjoy playing it despite being in our 30s. It's a twist on classic Bingo in that you need to be on your toes, watching as tiles adorned with various captioned images (such as a shoe or a clock) pop out of the bottom of the "Zinger." When you see a tile that matches a spot on your board, you have to be the first to call it. The first player with a full board wins. Because the game uses both images and words on each tile, it's suitable for pre-readers but ideal for kids in the process of learning to read.

Recommended ages: 4 years old and up

Hasbro's "Candy Land" proves that things are termed classics for a reason: They're still worthwhile even years after they were released. This game is simple enough for a group of preschoolers to play without caregiver interference, yet it's still enjoyable for adults to play with kids. (Not like most-fun-you've-ever-had enjoyable, but certainly a pleasant way to while the time.) Sure, it's mostly luck, but playing also helps kids learn colors and deal with setbacks.

Recommended ages: 3 years old and up

Looking for one more activity before it's time to get the kids to bed? Then "Friends of a Feather" will be perfect. Games usually last only 10 or 15 minutes, and it can be played using a variety of different rules depending on the age of the players. We usually make it essentially a simple color matching game, though more advanced play for older kids can involve trading and a point scoring system. The large feather cardholders make it easy for kids who are developing fine motor control to enjoy the game, which can be played by four people simultaneously.

Recommended ages: 3 years old and up

This is a great game for families with kids of mixed ages, especially for a larger gang of kids, as up to five players can play at once. Easy to learn, the game involves matching a head and body tiles of an animal together. But it's the mismatches where the fun begins: If you get, say, a chicken head paired with a frog body, every player has to jump up and cluck like a chicken while hopping like a frog. Heads talk, tails walk, see? The game encourages movement and imagination and invariably leads to laughter.

Recommended ages: 3 years old and up

According to its maker, Educational Insights, this game is for kids ages 3 and up, but our daughter enjoyed playing it with minimal prompts before she was 2 years old. Gameplay involves color matching, turn-taking, and even builds fine motor control and hand-eye coordination thanks to use of the little squirrel grabber (which is known as "Sneaky," in case you were wondering). The rules couldn't be much simpler: Spin to get a color, get acorns of all five colors to win, and put one back if your spin lands on a "robber." Yet gameplay still feels exciting and with just the right level of competition for smaller kids.

Recommended ages: 3 years old and up

This is a great game for toddlers and preschoolers because it involves absolutely no reading and can be played at three different levels of difficulty. Kids will love the three-dimensional design of the game's "board," which is a little house with doors behind which three pairs of matching bears hide. At the easiest level, when you find a match, you win the game. A spinner can be introduced to add new challenges as kids get older. This is a great game for two players, especially when one of them is a parent or caregiver.

Recommended ages: 2 years old and up

In this charming game, kids use "recipe cards" to create a squirrel's favorite soups, in the process working on matching and identification skills, counting and one-to-one correspondence, and fine motor prowess. It's a perfect game for a caregiver or parent to play with a young toddler, as my wife and daughter have done many times, while slightly older kids can play it as a solo activity. The wooden spoon and play foods can also be used in other imaginative activities, like in a play kitchen — just don't lose them, or the squirrel will go hungry.

Recommended ages: 2 years old and up