If you’re thinking of ways to entertain the kids during the school holidays, playing board games can boost their brainpower, strengthen family bonds, and help them have lots of fun. This article looks at a variety of board games that are great for keeping your kids entertained during the school summer holidays.
Dobble
Dobble is a fast-paced game of observation and lightning reflexes. Each card features a variety of vibrant symbols, but only one symbol appears on exactly two cards, players race to spot the matching symbol and shout it out first. With multiple ways to play, Dobble is a compact and portable game that’s perfect for short bursts of fun wherever you are this summer.
Aside from the original Dobble, you can find Dobble Kids and Dobble Junior which offer simplified versions with fewer images per card, perfect for younger players. There are even themed versions of the game, from Dobble Paw Patrol to Dobble Pixar. Finally, if you're off to the beach over the summer, there's even Dobble Waterproof which is water and sand resistant!
Rory’s Story cubes
Unleash your child’s inner storyteller with Rory's Story Cubes. Roll the nine dice and use the different symbols that are visible to guide your story. You could see a house, a turtle, a wand, a clock and more. Story Cubes encourage creativity, imagination, vocabulary development, and collaborative storytelling.
As well as the original story cubes, you can mix up your storytelling with themed versions such as Mystery, Voyages, or Action. There are also licensed versions for any fans of Paw Patrol, Harry Potter, or Star Wars.
Ticket to Ride
Ticket to Ride is an award-winning board game which takes you on a cross-country train adventure across famous cities. In the original game, players travel across North America in the year 1900 by building train routes to earn points. Since the popularity of the first game, you can take your journey now across a wide range of countries with Ticket to Ride Europe, London, San Francisco and more.
For younger kids during the school holidays, Ticket To Ride: First Journey (Europe) is a simplified version of the classic game, making it perfect for younger players. The game is simple enough for kids to understand and fun enough to keep them engaged in the hopes of winning the golden ticket.
Bananagrams
Bananagrams is a fantastic fast-paced spelling game that is both fun and educational. Players race to build their own crosswords using letter tiles and the first player to use all their tiles shouts "Bananas!" to win the round. The game is a great way to help teach children how to spell and is a crowd-pleaser for both kids and adults alike.
For younger players, My First Bananagrams offers a more simplified version that can be enjoyed by players as young as four. The game uses lowercase letters and double letters to support your child in forming words.
The Sock Game
30 unusual objects are hidden inside a giant sock, can you be the first player to retrieve the right item by feeling around? The Sock Game is a hilarious dexterity game that’s fast-paced and interactive. This game offers quick and fun family time during the summer holidays.
The Sock Game Junior is designed for ages 5 and over and simplifies the original game by only having 10 interesting items in each sock and smaller socks so little hands can easily reach in.
My First Castle Panic
My First Castle Panic encourages teamwork and problem-solving in a fun way with its cooperative nature. Players work together to defend their castle from monsters coming to smash it up. Show your cards to each other and determine the best way to catch all of the monsters. For kids in the summer holidays, this game helps to develop core skills like turn-taking and identifying colours and shapes.
My First RPG
Solve the mystery of the ghost of Olden Castle with My Junior Role-Playing Game in your little one’s first role-playing adventure. In this immersive game, players take on the roles of four friends at summer camp who must work cooperatively to explore the castle and solve the mystery. An adult can lead the game and get involved with the family fun.
Kids games at Asmodee
At Asmodee, we stock board games for all ages and personalities so you can find options that the whole family will enjoy. If you’re looking for more educational games for your kids during the summer holidays, explore our Brain Training games page.