2026 has proven an amazing, life changing year for me.
I got to vie for power in the Old Kings Crown for the first time, I started my journey through the wilderness in Earthborne Rangers, and I explored the wonderful, mysterious world of Vantage!
Oh, and also found out I was going to be a Dad for the first time. Probably should have lead with that.
Yes, this tabletop hobbyist is going to have find room for things other than board games in his home, with nappies, prams and cots taking precedence over the newest Kickstarter that catches my eye or adding another Unmatched expansion to my collection.
So while I am filled with nerves and buzzing with excitement about the future for me and my family, I also got thinking of course, about board games, and all the incredible gaming experiences my little one will hopefully get to enjoy with me and her Mum over the coming years.
I was reminiscing about all the games that shaped my experience when I was young and how board gaming essentially became my identity, and now which ones I could show my own child. From the classics that can be found in every house in England to newer titles that can perhaps become household favourites in the years to come, these are just some of the games I can’t wait to show my child, in the faint hope that perhaps I can raise another board gamer who can join our silly little hobby!
Ages 3-6 (You can’t beat the classics!)
As this is my first child I have to say I am not fully au fait with any modern games that are perfect for little children these days, something I am hoping to learn over the next couple of years. I’m always open to suggestions!
Because of this, from ages 3-6 the games I can’t wait to get for my little angel are the ones I distinctly remember as a kid. After all, who doesn’t love forcing their own nostalgia onto their children! (You will sit there and watch Pokemon, I don’t care who this Bluey is!).
I have great memories playing Pop-Up Pirate and Buckaroo when I was young, and whether it’s an either/or situation with those two games, it’s definitely something my child will find under the Christmas tree one year!
The silly tension you get as you put more items onto the bucking buckaroo or as you put those plastic swords into the pirates barrel always brought on roars of laughter with me and my brothers, and I want that experience for my own little one. Teaching them an early core game mechanic as well, push your luck, will start their little feet onto the path of becoming a fully-fledged board gamer!
I randomly asked a colleague to bring in their Pop Up Pirate they have for their children the other day for one boring lunch time at work, and I still somehow felt nervous each time it was my go! A super basic game but with enough there that even the adult showing the child can have fun.
You of course have the roll and move classics Ludo and Snakes & Ladders as well, which while super basic is the perfect first board game for any youngster, one which I played with my niece many times when they were younger and got a lot of joy out of them just rolling dice and seeing where it landed. Along with the sheer terror of when you hit that nasty snake at the end, sending you tumbling back to the start!
Snakes and Ladders in particular is quick and easy enough to go again as well, so it teaches them about winning and losing, and how to handle either of them. A lesson that many family members would argue, I still haven’t fully learned.
Ages 7-10 (The Pivotal Years)
I found in my own journey with the tabletop hobby, that it was between 7 & 10 when I fully realised I was someone who loved a board game.
It was why I was always so excited for Christmas. I wasn’t a child who fully bought into Santa Clause or even the idea of the magic of Christmas. (I sound like a very boring kid now).
No for me Christmas was about family, food, films, but best of all, board games.
It’s why when I think about what board games I am most excited to show my child, it’s when they hit this age range where I think I could either turn them into a lover of the hobby, or someone who dreads it, so I have to tread carefully.
Let’s start with the obvious elephant in the room first (or should it be Scottie Dog), Monopoly.
Yes the one board game that sends shivers down the spine of many a board gamer as they think about hours upon hours of rolling that dice, getting stuck in jail, landing on hotels and Grandma proving she would make one hard-nosed landlord. Yet still, if I say it quietly, I can admit one thing… I don’t mind a game of Monopoly.
And I think while there are now vastly better options to show my child, some of which we will discuss shortly, I don’t think any fledgling board gamer can call themselves one if they haven’t put in the hard graft of a game of Monopoly or two. And who knows like me, they might find actual enjoyment in there. Somewhere.
If I am not traumatising them with Monopoly then I think games like Operation and Guess Who are stalwarts for a reason. Again rules light with quick turns and engaging hooks to keep younger players having fun, I loved these in my childhood to the point where they got worn and broken, and I envisage the same for my little one.
When I think of more modern board games that could be great newer options, then my mind went immediately to Magical Athlete.
This is like a gamers version of Snakes & Ladders, it’s roll a move but with a draft followed by nonsense every turn. Super fun with a race mechanic that will keep any child engaged in its wackiness as their characters get warped back to the start, tripped over by a banana or crushed by a big baby.
While some of the characters have rules that might be a bit on the complicated side for someone as young as 7, I think they could either be tactically left out or tweaked as you see fit, and hopefully they will start to understand the sheer joy that great modern board games can bring to the family table.
Thinking back to my Christmases, Magical Athlete would have been such a favourite, and I hope that it can be a game my child looks back fondly on in years to come.
Ages 11-14 (A Journey Through Board Games)
If by the time they are 11 I haven’t totally put them off all things board games, I really can’t wait to show my child some of the amazing experiences modern board games can offer, and start getting them used to some more complicated rules and concepts within the hobby.
Excellent games like Codenames, Flip 7 and 6 Nimmt would be perfect presents for children at this age on their birthday or at Christmas, great party games that they can love playing with their family or perhaps even show their friends if they are around for a sleepover or a party.
Flip 7 has that brilliant push your luck element that we’ve already harboured with their games of Operation, with really fun gameplay and snappy turns to keep things moving along. But within those quick turns, Flip 7 allows them to start to properly thinking about tactics and ways to play the game.
A game like Camel Up might even go down well at this age. While it does feature a bit more rules than we’ve had before, which you might struggle to keep a child’s concentration for, the fun mechanic of seeing these camels race ahead, get pulled backwards, jump on other camels, should all keep any kid entertained. Just make sure they don’t get too excited by the prospects of gambling!
If I can get them to love Disney as much as me as well, then something like Disney Villainous: Introduction to Evil, a slimmed down, simpler version of the amazing Disney Villainous could be a really good shout.
Again you’d have to be careful how you introduce it and teach the rules, but what is excellent about Introduction to Evil is it makes Villainous simple enough for children to understand, without losing any of that tactical gameplay and nefarious fun the original offers in abundance.
But my biggest hope for this age, and the one my wife and my wallet probably most fear, would be to dip their toes into a TCG.
I adored Pokemon when I was younger, and have begun slowly collecting them again recently. But it was on Yu-Gi-Oh cards where all my pocket money was spent and which filled up all my Christmas lists.
The thrill and excitement of opening new packs and learning the game is unbeatable, that tactile feeling of ripping open the pack to see if you have the card you need inside. While it has it’s downsides and more nastier elements, I do think if they are open to it, getting into a TCG can be a really rewarding experience and a fun little bonding session between father and child. And of course a good excuse to build my own collection.
Whether it’s modern TCGs like Lorcana and Star Wars Unlimited or if they follow in their father’s footsteps with Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh, a TCG would be something I would be so excited to show my child.
Ages 14+ (A fully fledged board gamer)
By the time they hit 14, I think they will be finally ready to see all that board gaming can offer.
While I do have my selfish reasons for wanting them to get into board gaming, (we all know the greatest difficulty of the hobby is finding people who like it as much as you do!), ultimately I hope they become board gamers simply because it’s such a fun, creative, exciting thing to do with so many different experiences on offer.
Games like Quacks of Quedlinburg where they can brew potions and continue their evolution into push your luck with a really fun bit of bag building in there as well is a perfect gateway game for children of this age. That surprise and wonder of what they are going to pull from their bag will hopefully keep them hooked on the game, and not reaching for the nearest tablet!
Critter Kitchen has that wholesome, cozy quality packaged within an excellent game where their perhaps animal loving side can enjoy sending their critters to different places to build a lovely meal for the fox critic waiting for their five star course, with a child friendly theme that should appeal to the more sensitive natured among them.
Or if they’re into their darker worlds and maybe even a bit of horror, games like Horrified are perfect for young scary loving board gamers, also showcasing how co-operative games can be some of the best experiences out there as you try to beat the game with your siblings or parents.
And if by that point The Traitors is still the phenomenon that it is, perhaps I can show them some early examples of social deduction and bluffing mechanics with great games like Skull and Coup, because what child wouldn’t love a bit of game sanctioned lying to their parents!
My final, ultimate goal though, is of course having someone always around to play that most treasured of games and experiences with me, the legacy game. The genre that can never be completed might just be that much easier if you have basically a lodger in your house ready whenever you are to play a game!
I’m not talking Pandemic Legacy or Jaws of the Lion… Yet. No games like Cozy Stickerville and My Island would be great starting points for a Legacy game with my child, before we move them onto the stronger stuff! They are both super simple games which feature all the best elements of a legacy game while keeping it rules light and perfect for young children getting into the hobby. Even if it’s simply because they like getting to use stickers!
All joking aside I am so excited to become a father, and can’t wait to see what my little baby will grow up to be. I know from my own experiences board games were often the most fun, most surprising and most laughter inducing moments of my childhood, and if, perhaps, one day my child perches over my shoulder while I am playing a little board game with their mother and asks what we’re doing and if they can have a turn, I can invite them into a whole world of amazing board games for them to cherish as much as I do to this day.
