Forbidden Island and Forbidden Desert are also good cooperative games that kids can get into. Island is significantly easier than desert (seriously, can you beat that game without the water carrier?). But both are fun and have gameplay simple enough for even young kids.

Don’t underestimate the kinds of games kids can learn. I play Ghost Fighting Treasure Hunters, Sushi Go, Ticket To Ride, and Santorini with my 5 year old and they are all meant for slightly older age groups.

Modern board games can be so much better than this selection of Target / Walmart games. Go lookup your local specialty toy or game store for 100 better ideas.

Step out of the safety zone of the tried and true old school stuff. For Early elementary, try “Sushi Go”. Adorable art, an easy to learn game mechanic, multiple strategies, can also help with simple mathematics. For late elementary/middle school, perhaps try “King of Tokyo”, “Ticket to Ride” or “Settlers of Catan”,…

Needs more Haba games: