A lot of parents and caregivers know that playing board games with kids can come with a lot of benefits. In addition to providing more family time, board games teach kids so much about making decisions and critically analyzing a situation.
Board games are also just flat-out fun! Ellie Dix, who runs her own board game company called The Dark Imp, explained what board games can do for kids and families to The Irish News: "Board games bring people together and help parents to reclaim family time. Through games, parents can create an irresistible offline world that will restore balance, deepen relationships, develop transferable skills and create shared, long-lasting memories."
While it's easy enough to go out to the nearest big box story and pick up a new game for the family, you might also want to check out Kickstarter and Etsy for board games. You can find games that are totally unique. Here are 14 options that your family might fall in love with!
Board Games Like Dungeons and Dragons
$60
from
Broken Anvil Miniatures
My kid has gotten really into Dungeons and Dragons over the last year or two, so I'm always on the lookout for games that offer a similar player experience. It's not a surprise that there are tons of them!
- Coils of Chaos (Kickstarter, funded)
- The Do-It-Yourself Dungeon Builders Toolkit (Kickstarter, funded)
- Adventurer's Curated Dice Collection (Kickstarter, funded)
- Paper Apps Dungeons (Kickstarter, funded)
Board Games About Black American History
$32.99
from
Shapes Design Company
There are also lots of board games out there about Black history — or that find a way to examine privilege and social justice while playing a game.
- Blackology Game: A board game that teaches Black history and African American culture (Kickstarter, not fully funded)
- Blacks & Whites 50th Anniversary Edition: A tabletop game about privilege and racial inequity in real estate and American society (Kickstarter, funded)
Wooden Board Games
$44.99
from
Minnesota Makerspace
Some people really prefer wooden board games, which I get. The texture can be really satisfying, and the games are super fun. Here are a few options:
- Custom horse racing game (Etsy, $165)
- Hnefatafl board game (Etsy, $30)
- Irish board game Brandubh (Etsy, $79)
- Fast Track game board (Etsy, $85)
- Old-school wooden baseball game (Etsy, $32)
*Psst: If you choose to purchase an item on this list, LittleThings may receive a small cut. Each item and price is up to date at the time of publication; however, an item may be sold out or the price may be different at a later date.
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