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Young 6-year-old children are still very much in the phase of learning as they play. Having the right games in the house can not only entertain them but help them learn as well. Many will also be able to give you a little bit of peace and quiet and have a sit-down and a brew. There are plenty of games out there that your 6-year-old and the whole family can enjoy alone or together.
Here’s a roundup of the best games for 6-year-olds available in the UK. In this list, we’ve made sure to include a variety of classic games, board games and video games.
Best Games For 6 Year Olds
Contents
Guess Who? (Age 6+)
Guess Who is one of the most endearing UK board games ever made. It’s been around for donkey’s years and with good reason. Not only is a great battle of guessing and deduction for two players but it also helps your 6-year-old to pay attention to the little details and helps their memory. Children will also learn how to ask the right questions as well and respond to questions presented to them.
With so many characters, a game of Guess Who? could last for hours and they will become better and better at it and build a solid foundation on how to play other board games in the future. If they’re into football or WWE then there are different versions of the same game that they may like more than the classic.
An outstanding gift for young children and adults alike.
Peppa Pig Muddy Puddles Game (Age 4+)
For fans of Peppa Pig, there aren’t many better-branded board games than the muddy puddles game, in our opinion. It’s a simple game at hear where the objective is to simply get to the top of the hill with the use of booster cards and strategically choosing the most optimal route. This fantastic board game will help your child think critically as well as learn about actions and consequences… and of course what it means to be competitive.
But, we’re no fools, we completely understand that children love their favourite characters so the pull with this game will be the Peppa branding – but does that matter if the whole family gets to have fun?
Games last around 20 minutes and up to 4 people can play – perfect for rainy afternoons or even a playdate with a similarly aged friend.
Kerplunk
Kerplunk is a game of patience, fine motor skills, excitement and consequences and fantastic for children aged 6 years and up and the whole family. Kerplunk can help your child to think ahead and planning which is a major key skill in later life. They will understand that thinking and patience will help them achieve the desired outcome and great for winding things down despite the nerve-wracking nature of Kerplunk.
Kerplunk can even be played solo if they desired but more fun with the whole family. It can get messy and loud and its the sort of game which bits can easily go missing but there aren’t many better ‘action’ orientated board games than this. A UK family classic game.
Days of Wonder Ticket to Ride
The Ticket to Ride series of board games are among the best for kids of most ages, but they can firs get into this series at around the age of 5-6. It is a game which makes children have to collect cards and think about their actions in plans in advance. It’s beautifully presented and more than enough to keep the whole family entertained for 15-30 minutes at a time.
Kids who play Ticket to Ride will learn and have fun at the same time which is exactly what every parent wants – they’ll learn about route mapping, famous places and exercise their patience and strategy skills. Some board games may be boring for adults but Ticket to Ride has gained popularity because it is generally interesting for adults, too.
As it’s a series when they grow out of the entry-level sets they can move on to the next. The perfect board game for rainy days in for 2-4 people.
Monopoly Junior (Age 6+)
The well-loved Monopoly board game is also infant friendly through their junior version. Monopoly Junior is scaled-down and simplified for a younger audience but the premise is still the same as players go round the board, buying properties and trading money. Monopoly Junior is a unique board game as it introduces money management and a lot of counting to infants and a wonderful way to make maths fun for them.
Despite being watered down, the excitement of the dice roll is still there so adults can play along and have just as much fun as their kids. Naturally, the next step up is the proper Monopoly game and if they’ve played enough of the Junior board game there won’t need to be a crash course in how it works.
At the end of the day, which family home doesn’t have Monopoly?
Mouse Trap
Personally, Mouse Trap was one of my favourite games growing up because the complexity of the arrangement made me feel that the game was premium and luxurious. The way the trap is laid out and works fascinated me and kept me playing for hours and hours.
First of all, Mouse Trap can help children learn to build things together and keeping an eye on the little details – if it’s not done right it won’t work properly. This is a great learning experience for the future to not rush through things.
Secondly, once the board is set up it’s a good strategy game to trap the mouse and complete the objective.
Minecraft (6+)
Minecraft is one of the best selling and most popular video games of all time. It is a world-building game which enables users to create worlds beyond their wildest imagination. Although it has many hidden depths and complexities, 6 year olds can get plenty of enjoyment from the main world building element and the story versions. Minecraft really lets children explore and build which makes them push their imagination and think outside of the box.
It’s been out for years now and can be purchased quite cheaply on almost any device imaginable. You won’t need to invest in any expensive console to play it and most likely you will already have a device that’s capable of playing Minecraft.
However, Minecraft is something that you will likely need to show them how to play as they’re unlikely to simply get it the first time. But, this means that it can be a fun game to play together with your little ones.
As they get older, their worlds will be more complex and it could be a game they enjoy playing for years and years whereas many board games etc they may become bored of them after a certain age.
LEGO City
The LEGO company make blocks and sets to practically suit any age range from 1-2 all the way to an adult with their complex models. For 6-year-old boys or 6-year-old girls, we recommend the City range of LEGO sets. This is because it caters for their current development and is a perfect partnership between simplicity and complexity. Enough to test their fine motor skills and their brains.
If your child is already into LEGO then City would be the natural next step to keep their interest in the brand going – there are plenty of City sets available online so we have just picked the one our little boy has and seemed to like.
The drawbacks of LEGO is, however, the cost and the constant need to ‘get more’ and of course, missing pieces. But, there are very few children’s toys which are both fun and education with an end product to work for. Usually, with classic games or board games, the set can’t be changed and the rules are there to be followed but with LEGO there is some work to do to get the best out them which helps teach kids about strategy, patience and always looking at the small details.
Children’s Card Games
You can get a set of card games from more or less any shop, but the cards we’d recommend for young children 6 years of age are snap, matching pairs and happy families. These cards won’t keep them occupied for hours and hours but are really handy for every family to have in the house for a break from other games or TV and for car journeys and places where they need to wait such as the dentist or Doctors.
The beauty of card games is that they make the child think and look for the little details. Plus, they’re very cheap to buy so there’s virtually no disappointment if they don’t take to them. Naturally, card games such as these will inevitably make them more interested in more complicated card games in the future such as whist, poker, blackjack and so on.
Learning how to enjoy simple cards is a great skill to have, we think.
Jenga
Jenga is a classic game which emphasises fine motor skills and a chance for them to learn patience and control with games lasting between 5 minutes and 20 minutes. Kids like running around the place so sometimes teaching them that slowing things down and to take their time is a great skill to learn and master. You can get the official brand or the knock off as they are more or less the same thing with different price tags. If they are into the Fortnite brand there is even a version for that as well.
It’s a really simple and fun game with exciting consequences which will keep your kids coming back for more. As it’s a boxed game it’s easy to store when not in use but be sure to not lose any pieces as it can slowly ruin the game.
Hungry Hippos (Age 4+)
Who doesn’t love a quick game of Hungry Hippos? Hungry Hippos can provide a quick blast of entertainment for the family and kids. What we would probably say about Hungry Hippos vs another board game is that it isn’t very educational and can be a bit full-on. Sometimes, though, that might be just the tonic your kids might be after in a game.
Games for 6-year-olds buyer’s guide
So, you’re looking to buy games for your 6-year-old child or you’re a relative or a friend of the family who wants to get them something for Birthday or Christmas. Well, you’ve come to the right place at Best For Parents as our collection of UK based reviewers and parents have all experienced what you’re going through and have found the sweet spot of what kids of this age like.
Not all kids like the same thing so you’ll find a good variety of games in this list including the best board game, classic game and video game for kids at or around the age of 6.
What can a 6-year-old do?
By the age of 6, children can hold their attention for around 15 minutes uninterrupted and have much more advanced fine motor skills to play with small objects. Their brains are developed enough to understand the concept of puzzles and a high enough IQ to understand that they need to perform actions to solve them. Their imagination is much more mature now, enough to understand the basics of the world around them and with that, create their own worlds.
6-year-olds enjoy playing games and having fun, they thrive on new challenges and love to explore and build their own little world. With this in mind, board games and world-building games are probably the most age-appropriate for them, as they are short enough (15-20 minutes) to hold their attention at the optimal level. A microphone is another, louder, option.
What kind of games do 6 year olds like?
By the age of 6, kids have a defined personality and things they like and don’t like. Each child is an individual and may like one game and hate another – even between siblings, the difference can be significant. Parents will be able to read our recommended game list and know which one is likely to delight them and which would be a waste of money. However, you should still put some thought into what games for kids to invest in as some may just be purely fun and others can be educational. Here’s a list of game types infants are old enough to play and perhaps enjoy.
If you’re looking for something in the garden then we recommend a swing.
Board games
Board games are generally the most recommended kind of game for infants. The board itself is interactive and touchable and usually, the rules of the board game require kids to think and plan ahead. This is an important part of what makes a good kids game because they will be of school age and constantly learning – board games can often apply what they’ve been learning and make it fun.
At 6 years of age, they are still very much in ‘learn by playing’ mode so combining education with fun makes them not even realise that they’re learning. Also, board games typically last between 15 minutes and 30 minutes which is around their limit of uninterrupted attention.
Board games which have a graphical board can engage their imagination and help transport themselves into the game for heightened enjoyment, an example is Ticket to Ride. Imagination is a very, very important part of childhood and helps them tremendously in later life. If you are looking to get a couple of games in the house we highly recommend at least one board game which is made like an ‘adventure’.
The other type of board game is the action board game, such as Kerplunk and Jenga. Perhaps tabletop game would be a better word if it wasn’t used for the likes of Warhammer or Dungeons and Dragons. Anyway, these kind of games are more physical and there’s a little bit more exciting about them. These kind of games are more interactive with thing unfolding in front of them in real-time. They’re more of a traditional ‘fun game’ that add tension. They’re a bit messy but they can still help kids learn patience, taking turns and consequences.
Video games
Many parents may think 6 is too young for video games due to the stereotype they have because of the kind of violent video games out there but it really does depend on what video games you get them and how they play them. Perhaps visions of your little one wasting hours sat in front of a console terrifies you. We’ve recommended Minecraft as a great game to play because it’s all about using their imagination and creating worlds based on that but there are also plenty of educational and learning apps on popular websites such as Cbeebies and so on.
At the end of the day, technology is here to stay so getting them a head start on how to be comfortable with technology is a good thing and if they’re supervised and time-controlled while on it then all the better.
Card games
Card games, like a good board game, is a staple of British homes. Card games can be a quick fix on a rainy day or a long card journey and it will still help educate your kids of patience and spotting the little details in games like snap. Card games are cheap to buy and unless you lose a card then they could last a lifetime.
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