Board Games for 5 y/o boys

[Brooke3]

Is there a board game your little guy wants to play over and over again? I'm still searching for one more gift for him.

Anything that doesn't require batteries!;)

[valchemist]

mousetrap is fun. I think it is for 6 and up, but my 5 yo likes it.

or, if he has watched the movie ratatouille, they have a ratatouille version of mousetrap.

http://www.amazon.com/DISNEY-PIXAR-RATATOUILLE-KITCHEN-QUAKE/dp/B000NIGS9Q/ref=tag_dpp_lp_edpp_ttl_in?ie=UTF8&qid=1197984074&sr=8-1

[Chefzhat]

Operation
Trouble
Connect Four
Memory
Perfection (huge favorite here!)
Jenga

[Lrimerman]

My son loves the game Zingo. It is also good for learning.

Lisa

[Chefzhat]

Oops - sorry! Operation and Perfection use batteries. But they're worth the battery power. Tons of fun!

[Brooke3]

Oops - sorry! Operation and Perfection use batteries. But they're worth the battery power. Tons of fun!

That's okay....:) This is for my grandson. I always remember my dds loving Operation too.

I saw Zingo at the store yesterday but wasn't familiar with that one.

[slknight]

My son loves the game Zingo. It is also good for learning.

Lisa

Another vote for Zingo!

You can't go wrong with any of the HABA games either. Monza is a good one.

[leebee]

That's okay....:) This is for my grandson. I always remember my dds loving Operation too.

I saw Zingo at the store yesterday but wasn't familiar with that one.

We bought our son a dinosaur version of Operation last year that he loves. It's from National Geographic & we got it at Target. I think it's called Dino Xcavator...anyway, loads of fun. When we get it out, he plays it over & over again.

[leightx]

If you're looking for games that adults who play games with 5 year olds actually enjoy, I can recommend the following! ;) :D

Rat A Tat Cat - kind of like gin (you're trying for the lowest hand when you knock). You lay down 4 cards in front of you, face down, and can only look at the 2 outside ones. You keep drawing and trading for cards - you have to take a chance on the inside cards unless you draw a Peek card (so you can take a peek at one of them). You can also swap cards with someone else if you draw a Swap card (but you have to pay attention to figure out which cards might be the lowest). We're still playing this and the kids are 7 and 8. Our version is some kind of special version (deluxe??) with "Super Peek" cards that let you put on those red film paper goggles to see what everyone else has (it's on the back of the cards). The kids looooove that.

Dancing Eggs (Haba)- this is one that even preschoolers can do - It comes with 9 rubber eggs, 1 wooden one, and 2 dice (in a cute egg carton). You roll a die that tells you what to do (bounce an egg - the first person to catch it keeps it, yell Cluck cluck cluck first, etc), then if you get the egg, you roll the 2nd die that tell you where you have to put your egg - in the crook of your elbow or neck, between your knees, etc. Then you have to keep it there for the rest of the game - when someone drops an egg, then game ends and you count up your eggs to see who won. The games only last a minute or 2, but they are a blast.

Goblet (don't bother with the Jr. version) - this is kind of like Connect 4, but the kids can actually win without you letting them, so it's more fun for adults. The pieces are nesting wooden cups, and you can "gobble" up your opponents pieces with your larger one.

We didn't have any luck with Operation (too frustrating for little hands), but I remember enjoying it as a kid. I wonder if I was older??

They also loved the Cranium game Hullabaloo (and other Cranium games) at that age, but IMO those aren't as fun for parents.

[Laura]

When my kids were little they played Guess Who and Connect Four a lot.

[beacooker]

My 5 year old loves Clue Jr.

[Brooke3]

Thanks for all the fabulous suggestions....both with adults and without.

I know he has some of these but not all. I've written down the names you've given to take with me to the store.

Not a board game, but I got so tickled when we pulled out our rather tattered deck of Old Maid cards recently from days gone by. Of course it was obvious to my husband and I which one was the Old Maid as it was bent and crumbled slightly. Our grandson loved playing this. It was so funny to see the look on his face when he had the Old Maid.

This did require adults to help hold the cards...they were rather large.

[Beth]

Depending on their reading level and ability to hold cards, Apples to Apples, Jr. My boys loved the regular version of it adn we gave the jr to my nephew. Might be a year or two for kids at average levels, ut a lot of fun to play.

This thread is making me feel very old. My youngest is 11 and I haven't heard of most of these. Operation, yes -- I played htat as a kid at my friend's house, but my guys were never interested. I love the idea of the dinosaur version.

I think I should take my sick and old and feeble body back to bed now. You youngin's keep on.... :D

[gobluem82]

One fun game that doesn't require reading and that is appropriate for all ages is the I Spy matching game. My kids almost always won, even at a young age, which delighted them immensely (and frustrated us adults)!

[suebear37]

When my kids were little they played Guess Who and Connect Four a lot.

My 21-year-old son still loves to play Guess Who... how's that for staying power??? :)

[TKay]

My ds (now 6) loves to play Sorry. He is also VERY big into the card games like Go Fish, Old Maid and Crazy 8s.
Good luck.

[tidee]

oh! you are evil! but my grandchildren will love you! thank you for the good game ideas. i have been out of the loop for years now.

[leightx]

Oooh - just remembered that Target had great card holders in their games / cards section (they were on an endcap with the Old Maid type card games, down at the bottom). Our kids had these when they were smaller, and it really helps! One of those with a fun card game would make a great gift!

[MrsReber]

My kids like Monopoly Jr. and Yhatzee (the adult one is easy enough for anyone to play).

We also have Junkyard Jalopy, which is like operation, only with car parts.

I bought the I Spy game as a gift for them this year.