The 10 Best Educational Board Games

Board games are a great way to spend quality time together as a family, but did you know that they can also be educational? Yes, many fun board games can actually give your children an educational opportunity that acts as a supplement to their learning. 

There’s a bit of a misconception that all home learning must come from a computer, tablet or phone. As a parent, you might already be worried about the number of hours your kids are sitting glaring in front of a screen. Board games offer an alternative.  

In fact, there are hundreds of board games and puzzles out there that not only give you hours of family fun but also educate and help develop your children’s skills too. That’s why at Gibsons, we’ve whittled down the contenders to create a list of the 10 best educational board games available.

Take a look below!

Here are 10 of the best educational board games

1. Pass The Bomb: The Big One

You might not think that a board game similar to the classic school game of hot potato could be educational. Well, think again! Pass The Bomb is a fun family-friendly game that challenges players to complete five different educational tasks, three of which contribute towards their vocabulary improvement.

Rhyme Artist tests children’s rhyming abilities; Word Acrobat forces them to think of words containing all three of the letters on the cards; Category Captain challenges them to think of things that are ‘smaller than a mouse’ or ‘larger than an elephant:’ Puzzle Pro tests their puzzling skills and Bounce Boss pushes your children’s dexterity to the limit. At the same time, the ticking time bomb piles on the pressure!

2. Superhero City Memory Game

A classic staple in traditional card and board games, memory games like Superhero City are not only fun, but they can help develop important memory and observation skills in young children. But it’s not just kids who can benefit; it’s always good for adults to refresh their memory skills every so often! In the Superhero City game, players test their memory by matching the pairs of 36 tiles which include superhero characters.

3. Rockpool Game

Rockpool is the perfect mix of easy-to-play but hard-to-master kid’s board game. Players are tasked with collecting the most shells and cleaning up rubbish from the beach before the tide comes in. Although Rockpool offers hours of fun for your children, it’s also educational in teaching them about the impact of littering on beaches, as well as the destructive effect of plastic waste in our oceans. A message we can all get on board with, not just children! 

4. Chicken Out

This egg-citing board game is great for improving mental arithmetic in children. In Chicken Out, players must take turns to play cards from their hand with the aim of reaching 21. The game also throws in the added twist along the way if your children encounter one of the 10 cheeky foxes. These fox cards are hidden among the flock and will either help or hinder the player’s chances of winning. If your children need to improve their counting skills, then Chicken Out can give them an entertaining helping hand.

5. Rebel Girls Card Game

By playing the Rebel Girls Card Game, your kids can build their own team of female leaders, pioneers, warriors, creators and champions from throughout history. The aim of the game is to collect and complete sets of character cards to score as many Rebel Reward points as possible.

This empowering card game is perfect for helping your kids to learn about some of the inspirational women from throughout human history, as well as encouraging them to be bold, work hard and remember to be proud of everything they have achieved. Don’t be surprised if you even feel motivated after playing this game!

6. Hare & Tortoise

Hare & Tortoise is a board game of skill and wisdom that’s bundles of fun for kids and parents alike! Both your and your children’s counting skills will be put to the test, as this game is a cunningly designed race to the finish. Your fuel (carrots) must practically run out (all but 10 carrots or fewer) at the moment you hit the finish line. It's a very clever exercise in arithmetic for your children, that’ll get them to love maths. 

7. Mind the Gap

Whether you live in London or not, Mind the Gap is a great game that teaches kids all about the lines and stations of the famous London Underground. This Official Transport for London branded card game will help your children brush up on their knowledge of the world’s most popular subway, whilst having fun along the way.

8. Three Frogs More

Three Frogs more is a simple but educational tile-laying game for younger children aged 5 or over. Players score points by making lines of three or more frogs of the same colour - just like it says on the tin! This game not only promotes family fun, but it improves your children’s maths skills and encourages colour recognition and matching. 

9. Race the Rails

Like Mind the Gap, Race the Rails is another Official Transport for London game that educates and challenges children’s knowledge and skills. Players compete with each other to find the correct stations along their route with the aim of being the first passenger to arrive home, encouraging their observation skills and reaction times. Race the Rails is a fun game for children of all ages that’s useful in boosting both their memory skills and independence.

10. Jigsaws

There’s no denying that jigsaw puzzles are something that everyone can enjoy, whether you’re 5 or 50! But did you know that there’s a range of skills that children can develop whilst completing a jigsaw? Not only do they have an impact on their physical motor skills, but they also have a lot of cognitive and development benefits too. So dust off that old family jigsaw puzzle stored in your cupboard and get your children around the table for some educational fun!

Educational learning with Gibsons

At Gibsons, we produce games and puzzles that help with your child’s learning and development. If you’re interested in having the perfect night of fun with your children, then we have a large selection of award-winning educational board games for you to choose from.

Got a question about one of our games or puzzles? Feel free to get in touch, a member of our team will be more than happy to help you.