Best games for young children - part 1

Bigjigs Animal Shut the Box

A beautifully illustrated wooden game, based on Shut the Box.  Be the first to flip down all of your animals to be crowned the winner.

Race your opponent to spin and land on each animal character, flipping them up as you play.  No loose pieces make this a great game to take travelling too!

Gruffalo memory game 

This excellent memory game from the hugely popular Ravensburger jigsaw brand features all of your favourite Gruffalo characters in an infectiously simple matching game for children. There are 24 pairs of tiles featuring the adorable cast of The Gruffalo, including Mouse, Fox, Snake and the Gruffalo himself. This game is perfect for younger children aged three and over; adjust the difficulty by choosing the number of pairs. The brilliantly designed cards feature charming illustrations on sturdy laminated cards with a colour print on both sides.

KerPlunk

Test your skills and your nerves with the KerPlunk game! Is your hand steady enough to pull out the sticks without dislodging the marbles? If it isn't, they'll come rolling down the chute. Finish with the fewest marbles for the win. You can start with KerPlunked, the basic game and then move on to more challenging games like Golden Ball, Tricksy Trays and Hot Sticks.

Peter Rabbit wooden dominoes

This beautiful set of Peter Rabbit dominoes features 28 wooden pieces with images of Peter and his storybook friends. They will help children to recognise pictures, colours and to count. A perfect gift for children and Beatrix Potter fans.

Sloth in a Hurry

Enjoy every minute of this Sloth in a Hurry board game from eeBoo. Can you act who, what & how? take turns drawing a Who and a What card, then spin for the How! are you a Zombie roller skating on the moon? or perhaps a penguin walking a tightrope. This quick-action game gets everyone up, active and laughing. Easy to learn and play, this is a non-competitive, confident building game.

Junior Monopoly Peppa Pig

The classic game is the perfect introduction for younger players. Choose your favourite coloured token; the red, blue, yellow or green car, and go to Peppa Pig, George Pig or Suzy Sheep – will you owe money or reap the rewards?  Invest in wellies and trade your way to success.

Robot Face Race

Can you recognise the robot? Players will race to identify robot faces as they search for the coloured features depicted by the robot identification device. This colour and attribute game promotes colour recognition and attributes visual perception.

Disney Eye Found It 

Race against time in some of your favourite Disney realms with this magical Disney Eye Found It! Game from Ravensburger. There are 12 Disney realms to journey through from Radiator Springs featured in the animated movie Cars to Peter Pan's Never Land and Winnie the Pooh's Hundred Acre Wood. Join Mickey Mouse and friends searching for hidden treasures on your journey along this giant 6-foot board. There are over 1000 things to find to make each game different. But make sure you find what you need before the hands of the clock strike midnight at Cinderella's castle.

John Lewis Memory Game

Improve your child's observation and memory skills with the John Lewis Memory Game. This two-player game involves finding identical pairs. The player who finds the most matching pairs is the winner!

The Sneaky Snacky Squirrel

The Sneaky Snacky Squirrel Game from Educational Insights is an award-winning early skills game which provides a fun and engaging way for young children to develop colour recognition skills.

Players follow the instructions on the game spinner to pick, steal or lose an acorn, while aiming to be the first to fill their tree stump with the correct colours. Acorns are picked up and placed down with the unique Squirrel Squeezers, ideal for building hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.

What's Up?

Can you guess what's on your head? Pop an unseen card on the headband and ask questions to work out the answer; am I scary? Do I have stripes? A children's version of this classic parlour game with 4 categories - people, sport, transport and animals, graded for younger and older children. 

Bigjigs Snakes and Ladders

This classic wooden board game can be enjoyed by all the family. Roll the dice and climb the ladders as you advance from the sea, through a magical land and up to space, passing fishes, a pirate ship, a fairy tale castle, an aeroplane, a rocket, a UFO and planets as you go. Just remember to watch out for the slippery snakes along the way who will force you back down the board. Supplied complete with a dice and four coloured counters. Made from high quality, responsibly sourced materials.