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14 games

Games from age 4: board games for children aged 4 to 6

At four, many children want to join in with real games: rolling the dice, turning over cards, moving playing pieces. Most of them already enjoy games with rules from around the age of three, but they only learn little by little to understand and follow the rules. This is exactly why board games are valuable at this age. They offer opportunities to practise the executive functions, which develop rapidly between the ages of three and five: impulse control (inhibition), working memory and cognitive flexibility. Children who may only react when two matching pictures appear practise holding back their first impulse. In Spooky Stairs, players have to remember which figure is hiding under which ghost. Switching between rules is still hard: in tests, most children do not manage to swap a sorting rule they have just learned for a new one until they are four and a half to five.

The selection mixes several types of game: fast search and reaction games, stacking and dexterity games such as Animal Upon Animal, memory games and logic puzzles to solve alone such as Camelot Jr. With Orchard, there is also a cooperative game in which everyone wins or loses together.

When choosing, three things are worth looking at: few rules, short games (most games here take 10 to 20 minutes) and a task that challenges without overwhelming. At first, an adult usually needs to be at the table to explain and to help the child through runs of bad luck.

Our recommendations

★ 4.2

Editors' pick

Camelot Jr.

Ages 4+ · 1 (solo) · flexible

Bring the knight and the princess together: a solo logic game with challenges of increasing difficulty.

★ 4.2

Editors' pick

Foto Fish

Ages 4+ · 2–4 players · approx. 15 min

Find the fish shown on the dice in your own aquarium and “photograph” them as quickly as possible: a search-and-speed game for children.

★ 4.2

Editors' pick

Taco Kitten Pizza

Ages 4+ · 2–6 players · approx. 5 min

Guessing taco, kitten or pizza and turning over the card: when a Candy card appears, everyone slaps the middle. A reaction game for children.

The selection

Animal Upon Animal

HABA · 2–4 players · approx. 15 min

Crocodile carries sheep carries penguin: the classic stacking game for steady hands and a good eye.

Fine motor skillsLogic and planning

Camelot Jr.

SmartGames · 1 (solo) · flexible

Bring the knight and the princess together: a solo logic game with challenges of increasing difficulty.

Logic and planning

Foto Fish

LOGIS · 2–4 players · approx. 15 min

Find the fish shown on the dice in your own aquarium and “photograph” them as quickly as possible: a search-and-speed game for children.

Perception and speed

Katamino Family

Gigamic · 1–2 players · approx. 15 min

Fit wooden blocks into the given area without leaving gaps: a versatile spatial puzzle game that grows with the player's skills.

Fine motor skillsLogic and planning

Lucky Sock Dip

HABA · 2–6 players · approx. 10 min

Everyone rummages through a wild heap of socks at the same time, looking for pairs: searching fun at high speed.

Perception and speedImpulse control

My First BrainBox

The Green Board Game Co. · 1+ players · approx. 10 min

Memorise a picture for ten seconds, then answer questions about it: a memory game in a pocket-sized box.

MemoryPerception and speed

Taco Kitten Pizza

Blue Orange Games · 2–6 players · approx. 5 min

Guessing taco, kitten or pizza and turning over the card: when a Candy card appears, everyone slaps the middle. A reaction game for children.

Impulse controlPerception and speed

Clack!

AMIGO · 2–6 players · approx. 10 min

After the dice are rolled, quickly collect the matching colour and symbol discs, which stick to each other: a fast perception game.

Perception and speed

Dobble Kids

Zygomatic · 2–5 players · approx. 10 min

The simpler animal version of the classic symbol game: spotting the same animal on two cards. An ideal first quick-recognition game from age 4.

Perception and speed

Grabolo

John Adams · 2–4 players · approx. 10–15 min

Roll the dice, then race to grab the piece in the colour and shape shown: a fast-paced perception and reaction game.

Perception and speedMemory

Little Red Riding Hood Deluxe

SmartGames · 1 (solo) · flexible

Lay path pieces so that Little Red Riding Hood reaches her grandmother safely: a charming solo logic game with progressively harder challenges.

Logic and planning

Mikado

various · 1–6 players · approx. 15 min

Pull sticks out of the pile one at a time without moving any of the others: steady hands and patience in a timeless game of dexterity.

Fine motor skillsImpulse control

Orchard

HABA · 1–8 players · approx. 10 min

The cooperative classic for preschool children: harvest all the fruit together before the raven puzzle is complete.

Fine motor skillsCooperation

Spooky Stairs

Drei Magier · 2–4 players · approx. 15 min

Climb the haunted stairs with your figures, but remember who is who under the ghost hats: a classic memory game for children.

How we made this selection

This page is based on the publishers' recommended ages. It lists all the games in our selection that are recommended from age three or four, most of them from age 4 and one or two already for younger children. Each game has its own review on our website, with a description of how it plays and a skills profile. The recommended age remains a guide: whether a game suits your child also depends on their patience, interests and experience of playing games.

Frequently asked questions

From what age can children play games with rules?

Most children enjoy games with rules from around the age of three. But they only gradually learn to understand and follow the rules. If a four-year-old makes up their own rules, they are usually not trying to cheat: they simply have not fully understood the game yet. Games with a few clearly visible rules help, as does an adult who plays along and gives reminders. As the child gains experience, this support can be reduced step by step.

How long should a game for four-year-olds last?

There is no fixed number of minutes; what matters is how long your child enjoys taking part. Most games in this selection take 10 to 20 minutes, Taco Kitten Pizza only 5, and logic puzzles such as Camelot Jr. can be interrupted at any time. Stop while it is still fun and play more often instead: with executive functions such as impulse control, repeated practice is what counts.

My child cannot cope with losing: is that normal?

Yes. At this age, children do not yet need to know how to lose; they only learn that over time. In games with winners and losers, they sometimes also find it harder to stick to the rules. It helps if an adult plays along and supports them through runs of bad luck. Cooperative games such as Orchard, in which everyone plays together against the raven, are a good complement, as are short games after which the next chance comes straight away.

What are executive functions?

This is what developmental psychology calls the mental abilities we use to control our thinking and actions. Three are considered core: inhibition or impulse control (holding back a first impulse), working memory (keeping information in mind and working with it) and cognitive flexibility (adapting your thinking when something changes). They develop rapidly between the ages of three and five. Matching and sorting games with changing rules, as well as jigsaw puzzles, are considered good practice, provided they challenge without overwhelming.

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