Rain or shine, board games offer an excellent opportunity for families to have fun together. Every family benefits from quality time together, though one surefire way to make it count is by choosing a board game.

Choose one of these seven board games to help encourage a love of board games that challenge the mind and are fun all at once with your children. You’ll always have something to do while passing the time!

1. Candy Land

Let’s start with an obvious board game that appeals to little ones. Colorful Candy Land has dramatically changed since we were kids, but it’s still great fun. Designed for four players, you’ll spin the wheel for colors that correspond with spaces. If you’re fortunate, you’ll spin a treat that lands you further along the journey to the candy castle. 

2. Hi Ho! Cherry-O

Another blast-from-your-past board game to give your kids is Hi Ho! Cherry-O. It’s great for counting and sorting colors, something that’s easy enough for a 2-year-old to do yet fun enough for elementary-aged children. 

3. Mouse Trap 

Little kids will need your help with this one, but if you have preschool and elementary-aged kids, you can pair up for the ultimate teamwork game. Everyone in the family will love the trial and error of making this game work. You’ll have more fun laughing together than anything else, even if you can’t get your mousetrap to work in the end.

4. Chutes and Ladders 

Preschool children love the fun of Chutes and Ladders. It teaches logic and counting while letting kids experience disappointment when sliding down the chutes. With loads of ups and downs, kids will enjoy playing this simple yet fun classic board game.  

5. Richard Scarry’s Busytown Eye Found It

This puzzle game spans 6 feet, so find a good place to set up. It’s fun even for toddlers that have little attention span. They’ll beg you to play, and you’ll love joining in to race across Busytown. Each time you do, the experience is different, and your toddler will learn teamwork and attention to detail excitingly. 

6. Yeti in My Spaghetti

This fun game is about helping fine-tune executive skills for little kids, though you’ll have fun, too. Lay the spaghetti pieces across the bowl and set the yeti on top. Then, everyone has a chance to pull out a piece of spaghetti, trying to avoid making the yeti fall in. It’s silly and perfect when you have little time to get involved in a game. 

7. Outfoxed!

And finally, if you love Clue but your kids aren’t quite ready for that just yet, Outfoxed! is for your family. While it’s best for ages four and up, a 3-year-old can play with your help. The premise is that a fox stole a pot pie, and you have to find out which of the foxes did it before they get away. It’s the best fun your kids will have, building new logic and deductive reasoning skills. 

With these seven games, you can stock your game closet and find something everyone in the family can play together anytime!