Board Games for Family Game Night (Ages 6-10) | Good Gifts
A good family game earns its place in a way almost no other gift does. It comes out on rainy Sundays and the last day of the holidays, it pulls everyone away from a screen without anyone quite noticing, and the best of them get better as the child grows into them. Somewhere between six and ten a child becomes a proper opponent: old enough for a little strategy and the sting of losing, young enough that a silly game still makes them shriek with laughter. The games below cover both ends of that, from quick card games you can teach in two minutes to co-operative games where everyone wins or loses together. They are the ones we would reach for first, and several are the kind of thing a grandparent or godparent can give and then sit down and play, which is rather the point. Here is where we would start.
Qwirkle Travel
Beautifully simple, quietly strategic, and no reading required.
Qwirkle is one of the most elegantly designed games there is: players build lines of tiles that share a colour or a shape, scoring more the longer the line, with a bonus for completing a full set of six. There is no reading involved, the rules take minutes to learn, and yet the play is genuinely strategic and rewards spatial thinking, which is why adults stay properly engaged. This travel version is compact and comes in a pouch, making it one of the best games for holidays, restaurants and long journeys, and it plays brilliantly across generations. Ages 6+ · 2–4 players · around 45 minutes · travel pouch included.
UNO Card Game
Fifty years old and still a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
The classic card game that almost every family already knows: match by colour or number, race to empty your hand, and keep everyone on their toes with Draw Two, Reverse, Skip and Wild cards. The rules take two minutes to learn and a round takes about thirty, which makes it endlessly replayable and perfect for a mixed group of ages. It is simple enough for the youngest at the table and chaotic enough to keep the adults competitive, and the customisable Wild cards let a family add their own house rules. One of the most reliable, affordable gifts in the games world. Ages 7+ · 2–10 players · 30 minutes · the original UNO.
Pass the Pigs
Two little rubber pigs and a surprising amount of tension.
Two small rubber pigs replace the dice in this brilliant push-your-luck game. You toss the pigs and score depending on how they land, from a modest point for a pig on its side to a big score for rare positions like the Double Trotter, but roll a Pig Out and you lose your turn's points. After every throw players decide whether to bank what they have or risk one more toss, which teaches a genuine sense of risk without anyone realising they are learning anything. The ridiculous positions the pigs land in produce real laughter every time, and it fits in a pocket for holidays. Ages 7+ · 2+ players · 20 minutes · travel-friendly.
Peaceable Kingdom Gnomes at Night
A co-operative game where everyone wins or loses together.
A co-operative board game where players work together against the game rather than against each other, moving through a maze to recover treasures before time runs out. The win-together, lose-together format is genuinely valuable for younger children, because it takes the sting out of losing and turns the whole thing into a shared problem to solve, which is wonderful for siblings who might otherwise squabble. Screen-free, quick to set up and endlessly replayable, it is a lovely gift for a family that wants to play as a team. Ages 6+ · 2+ players · co-operative · encourages teamwork.
Djeco Pyramid Monkey Strategy Game
Quick to learn, full of tactical choices, and beautifully made.
A clever little strategy game from Djeco that is quick to learn but full of tactical decisions, so it grows with a child as they get sharper at planning ahead. It builds memory, planning and decision-making without ever feeling like a lesson, and the high replay value means it comes back to the table again and again. As you would expect from Djeco, it is beautifully produced, which makes it feel like a proper gift rather than a filler. A good choice for the child who has started to enjoy outthinking the grown-ups. Ages 6+ · strategy game · great for family game time or travel.
Shop the Pyramid Monkey Strategy Game →
Dog Man Board Game
Waterstones' Children's Game of the Season, and a gift for book fans.
A co-operative game based on the wildly popular Dog Man books, where players team up as Dog Man, Petey and friends to stop the villain's fleas taking over the city. Everyone plays on the same side, tackling flea-fighting challenges and coordinating their moves to win together, which makes it engaging and low-conflict for a mixed group. It is immediately appealing to anyone who loves the books, and genuinely good fun even for those who have never read them. Named Waterstones' Children's Game of the Season for Spring 2026. Ages 6–10 · 2–4 players · 30–45 minutes · co-operative.
Minecraft Explorers
The world they already love, off the screen and on the table.
A Minecraft-themed board game where players explore a world built from modular tiles, mine for resources and try to collect the most valuable haul before the game ends. New terrain is revealed as players move, so the board builds itself and no two games play the same, giving it real replayability. The familiar characters, mobs and resources give Minecraft fans an instantly recognisable way in, and it is a genuinely engaging exploration game that works beautifully as an alternative to screen time. Ages 7+ · 2–4 players · 30–45 minutes · modular board, by Ravensburger.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which of these is best for a family with children of different ages?
UNO and Qwirkle are the most forgiving across a wide age range, because both are quick to learn and work with a mixed table. The co-operative games, Gnomes at Night and the Dog Man Board Game, are also excellent here, because playing on the same team means a younger child isn't left behind by an older sibling.
What's a good game for a child who doesn't cope well with losing?
A co-operative game is the answer. In Gnomes at Night and the Dog Man Board Game everyone wins or loses together, which removes the sting of personal defeat and turns the game into a shared challenge. It is a lovely way to build a child's confidence around games before moving on to competitive ones.
Which of these travel well?
Qwirkle Travel and Pass the Pigs are the standouts, both designed to fit in a bag or pocket, so they are ideal for holidays, restaurants and long journeys. UNO is also very portable, being just a pack of cards, which makes it a reliable thing to keep in the car.
Found a few they'd love? You can save any of these to a shareable Good Gifts list, so a parent can pass it round the family before a birthday, or a gift-giver can keep it ready for the next occasion. Start a gift list here →