Finding board games for 3 year olds that are both fun and challenging is a huge task. Luckily, I’ve done all the work for you! These games are simple to learn, fun for both you and your toddler, will teach practical skills, and will also help your toddler practice skills like matching, colors, shapes, and more!
This post is all about board games for 3 year olds that both you and your toddler will love!

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Board GAmes for 3 Year Olds
What makes good, appropriate board games for 3 year olds?
When looking for age appropriate board games for 3 year olds, here are some things to consider:
- Decide whether you want cooperative or competitive games- Some 3 year olds do well with competitive games and some aren’t quite there yet. You know your child best. I like to have a mix of both in my house so I can gauge what kind of day we are having before we decide what kind of game to play.
- Think about the practical skills involved– There are a few games in this list that will help your kids with practical life skills like reading recipes and reading shopping lists. These are awesome skills for kids this age to get extra practice with (without them even knowing!)
- Consider small pieces- If you still have a toddler that puts things in their mouth or they have a younger sibling at home, make sure to consider any small pieces when deciding what games to buy.
- Determine what skills they are actively working on– If you are working with your child on matching, fine motor skills, colors, counting, shapes, or whatever it might be, find a game that will help them develop those skills in a fun way.
- Consider your child’s attention span– Not all 3 year olds are created equal. Some can sit and stay focused for an hour and some may only have 15 minutes before they start to go crazy. Make sure you consider how long a game might take before purchasing.
1. Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel
To play the Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel, all the acorns get dumped into the tree shaped box and each player takes a stump. Each stump has a spot marked for each color acorn. Players then take turns spinning the wheel. If you land on a sneaky squirrel, you can steal another players acorn. If you land on a number 1 or 2, you can pick that many acorns (any color). However, the sad squirrel means you lose your turn and the cloud means all your acorns blow off and go back in the box. Whoever fills their stump first with every color acorn will win.
So that being said, this game does require your toddler to learn how to lose their turn, lose their acorns, and lose overall. While this can be challenging for kids this age, I found this game to be much easier for my 3 year old to handle and learn to be a good sport than other games we’ve played. It was super easy for my toddler to catch onto and it’s been great for practicing color names. Plus, it’s also got the added bonus of fine motor skill practice using the squirrel tweezers to pick up the acorns.
2. Acorn Soup
Acorn soup is a great cooperative game to play if you have multiple little kids. Plus, this is the age that my kids were always wanting to cook with me. So learning how to read a recipe is a super helpful and practical skill for them to learn.
And to top off all the perks of this game, all the pieces are wooden, so they won’t get destroyed in the highly aggressive stirring of a toddler.
3. Shopping List
There is honestly nothing better than a fun game that also serves a purpose. This is a great learning tool for toddlers because they won’t even know they are learning! Shopping List is played a little like a memory game with all the cards face down in the middle. Each player gets a large shopping list and a cart or basket (very easy to manipulate for little ones). Players then take turns flipping over one card and seeing if they can match to something they need from their shopping list. If it doesn’t match, they put that card back in the same spot it was in before.
So not only is this a great practical tool, it’s also great to increase their memory, matching skills, and even possibly learn some new words. You can also extend the game by creating your own grocery lists and playing the game with those too!
4. Bluey Scavenger Hunt Game
Despite our goals to limit screen time, when kiddos are sick or I need a second, Bluey is a go to in our house! It’s hard to not love Bluey! This Bluey board game is an especially good option if you want to get some energy out of your kids too. It’s filled with fun questions about Bluey, things to find in the house, and random tasks to complete.
5. Lucky Ducks
I played Lucky Ducks all the time as a kid and I absolutely love this game! So, I of course had to find it for my toddler! It’s a great game for kids learning and practicing shapes and matching. Each child is assigned a certain shape, which will be on the game board right in front of them. Then, while all the ducks go around on the moving “river,” players take turns picking up one duck and checking if the shape on the bottom matches their shape. The goal is to find all three of the ducks that have the same matching shape in front of them on the game board.
6. Yeti in My Spaghetti
Yeti in My Spaghetti is a sort of mixture of Kerplunk and Don’t Break the Ice. It’s a super simple game where the only goal is to take out one “noodle” on each turn without letting the little yeti fall into the bowl. It’s a great game for kids who are still learning how to take turns and learning the concept of game play in general. It also has the added benefit of no little pieces, which is great if you have younger ones crawling around while you are playing.
7. Honeybee Tree
I originally bought this game as a fun game for my daughters “First Bee Day Party,” but we have loved it ever since! It puts a fun spin on the old classic, Kerplunk. The whole thing looks like a bee hive, the sticks have leaves on the ends, and instead of marbles, this game has little bees. Each player pulls a stick out with each turn with the goal being to not let the bees fall. Players hold onto any bees that fall during their turns and the winner is whoever has less bees fall on all their turns combined.
8. Don't Break the Ice
This is another game I remember playing constantly as a kid and it’s also so easy for little ones to learn. Players simply take turns using the little hammers that come with it to knock out any ice block that they pick. The goal being to pick one that won’t make the penguin in the middle fall down. Whoever makes the penguin fall in loses.
9. Hi Ho Cherry-0
Hi Ho Cheery-o is an absolute classic that truly never gets old. It’s also insanely simple for kids to learn and great for counting practice. Players take turns spinning the wheel on their turn. Depending on what you land on you will either get to pick cherries and put them in your basket or you will lose them to the dog or bird. Whoever gets all 10 cherries off their tree and into their basket first wins.
10. Chutes and Ladders
I’m pretty sure every one of us has played chutes and ladders at one point or another. It’s an incredible game for kids of any age, making it great if you have a lot of kids of different ages. It’s simply a race to the top. Land on a ladder and speed up your climb or land on a slide and back track down the board.
The one negative of this game as a board game for 3 year olds is that it can be hard for them to tell which direction to move their piece. Since all the squares look the same, it may take them a few times playing it before they know when to move up/down or to the side.
11. Cootie
Cootie requires no reading since the spinner is made up of pictures. That combined with the sheer silliness of the game makes it one of the best board games for 3 year olds.
The game is very simple. Everyone picks a body and head for their bug at the beginning of the game and then takes turn spinning the spinner which has pictures of different “bug parts.” Whatever you land on, gets added to your bug.
12. Eric Carle Matching Game
Since this game comes with 36 matches, it’s super easy to add or take away pairs as your child gets the hang of it. Plus, if your kids love Eric Carle books as much as mine do, they will love seeing all the Eric Carle animals in this game.
13. Count Your Chickens
Count Your Chickens is one of the best beginner board games for 3 year olds because it is a cooperative board game. All the players work together to collect the baby chicks before the mama chicken returns home. This game is a good opportunity for your toddler to learn the ins and out of board games without the emotional component of winning or losing. This is also a good option if you are looking for montessori board games.
14. Candy Land
This is another one of those perfect board games for 3 year olds thanks to there being no reading required. Everyone chooses which color gingerbread man they want to be and moves through the board by picking cards on each turn. The cards either have colors or pictures to follow on the board so it is very easy for kids to pick up on quickly. It’s super silly and super fun for toddlers but also fun for older kids (and adults) too!
15. Jumbo Sized Picture Dominoes
These Jumbo Sized Picture Dominoes come in wildlife, dinosaur, or unicorn themes. Every domino has two sides, one having pictures and the other having numbered animal footprints that resemble a traditional domino. It’s a fun game to play with your kids or for them to play with on their own!
16. Whack a Frog
This is a great winter toy to let you toddler get some energy out and go a little wild. It’s also insanely durable too. I got this toy from my sister after her three boys grew out of it and now it’s still going strong for my 3 year old.
This game can be switched amongst multiple languages and between 1 and 2 player mode. I also love that it comes with a super soft hammer so kids won’t get hurt if a finger gets wacked or someone gets angry and the hammer leaves the board. But the very best feature…the sound can be turned off! A lovely gift to parents everywhere.
17. Toddler Scavenger Hunt
This is another great game to help your kids get some energy out on days your stuck inside. Each card has something to find and then an action to do with that item. For example, it may tell you to find a stuffed animal and give it a hug. And the good news is that if your kids really enjoy it, they also have an outdoor version too!
This post was all about the best board games for 3 year olds. We hope you love them as much as we do!
– Beautifully Busy Mom
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Meet the Author
This post was written by Monica, a mom of two and former teacher who loves both playing and learning alongside her kids. Toys, games, and activities that do that are some of her favorite things.