5 Best Board Games for 8 Year Olds

Board games are a fun way to spend time with your family and friends. They provide hours of entertainment, laughter, and can strengthen relationships. When you’re looking for the best board game for 8-year olds, it’s important to consider what type of game they will enjoy playing most. 

Benefits of board games for 8-year-olds

While many board games do have educational benefits, there are also a lot of fun and entertaining games that don’t have any educational value. In fact, it’s even good to introduce your 8-year old child to some not-so educational board games at first since these kinds of games are the most likely to catch on with kids of this age group. This will provide them with entertainment while they wait for more challenging, yet still enjoyable games to come out in the future.

If you want your child to learn through playing a board game, then pick one that has educational benefits or teaches lessons such as sharing and taking turns. If he is already getting enough learning from school then don’t worry about how many games he plays outside of the classroom. Table games are more for fun and entertainment, rather than learning – although it does make kids smarter in some ways.

Many different types of board games on the market today cater to various age groups – a thoughtful guide is needed if you want to get the right one! Experts will answer common questions such as what are the benefits of playing board games and how you can choose a game that your 8-year-old child will enjoy.

Watch Ya’ Mouth Family Edition – the Editor’s choice!

Be ready for a family game night where the laughs will be non-stop. Watch Ya Mouth Family Edition is a highly interactive, laugh-out-loud board or card game that is appropriate for all ages and can be easily enjoyed with friends or family.

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It’s the best board game or card game if you’re looking to have fun with friends or family that has 3-10 players who wear cheek retractors/mouth pieces while speaking out funny phrases and teammates guess what they are saying.

Perfect for kids who are 8+, this controversial party card game includes 143 mouthpieces so players can say phrases such as “Warm beef meatballs”.

Watch Ya’ Mouth Family Edition is the perfect party game for medium groups. Imagine playing and laughing with your friends while wearing cheek retractors in Watch Ya’ Mouth family edition! It’s a great way to test your memory, think on your feet or improve accents – all while having an amazing time.

Latice Hawaii Strategy Board Game – the best for intelligent fun!

Play your Latice Hawaii Strategy Board Game quickly and efficiently with rules so easy to learn but a lifetime to master. For four players that means three minutes, 20 minutes of playtime, and an opportunity for all the variety you could want in a game with no downtime.

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The tiles on this board are like nothing else as they move by both sun squares and wind tiles – think chess meets family-friendly mahjong where pieces can be shifted if necessary! It’s easy to pick up but even easier to evolve your skills as you advance through each turn and get more comfortable utilizing every piece down at the bottom left square.

With Latice Hawaii Strategy Board Game, you’ll be challenged by an innovative system that is as thrilling as it is simple. You’ll find yourself swept away in 3 minutes while enjoying a 20-minute match!

Blue Orange Games BOG00430 Pixy Cubes Game – the best for developing memory skills!

If you haven’t played Pixy Cubes yet, what are you waiting for? It’s a game that anyone can play and enjoy, no matter their age or experience. All you need is a little patience, creativity, storage space (affordably priced) and some fun.

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In every round of the game, players compete to create patterns on their cubes based on some set rule. The first player to recreate the pattern is declared the winner! These games have been so popular with friends and family that they’re perfect for parties, get-togethers, campsites and anywhere it’s fun to sit around and chat while playing.

With the Pixy Cubes Game, as your child practices their agility and visual perception, they’ll also develop their memory and creativity. This challenging game for 8-year-old kids is perfect for group play with families or friends.

Learning Resources iTrax Critical Thinking Game – the best for developing critical thinking!

Built with multiple skill-building exercises, this iTrax Critical Thinking game promotes problem-solving and critical thinking. Brainteaser meets speed challenge in this strategy board game of intelligence and personality.

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The goal of the game is to use strategy and logic to find a path connecting 2 blocks on the board; then recreate that same path as quickly as possible by moving your own pieces in the correct order. Because this game has an activity guide with 3 levels of play, you can tailor it for any level of challenge!

This game encourages problem-solving, critical understanding, logical reasoning, coordination skills, and strategy while building both self-confidence and fundamental cognitive skills.

Kluster Fun Table Top Magnet Game – the best for all family members!

Kluster is the perfect size to bring with you on your next road trip. Kluster is easy to learn and can be played by people of all ages. The magnets are nontoxic, durable, and non-removable so you won’t lose these little stones in pockets or purses like regular jacks would do.

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This MAGNIFICENT game allows you to eradicate any of your magnetic stones so grab them if they’re in the Kluster! A single round can be played quickly and it’s fun for all ages. This portable game is a great way to entertain yourself during long trips, waiting rooms – pretty much anywhere!

It’s perfect for families looking for an easy-to-learn tabletop activity where children can play their favorite round without the risk of losing or scratching magnets.

Kluster is a fun, fast-paced magnet game that combines strategy and luck. Use your magnetic stones to eliminate all of your pieces as quickly as possible!

The Buyer’s Guide

What Things Do 8-Year-Olds Like in Board Games?

Unlike what was popular 20 years ago, children’s board games these days are a lot better and more technologically advanced. Today’s board games combine classic board game concepts with the very best in modern technology. Many of them have an educational purpose for young players while offering some form of trivia or challenge that older kids will love as well. 

A few examples of popular board games suitable for 8-year-olds:

1. Quelf. A great game for 8-year-old kids who love to laugh and have fun with friends. With this game, the children will have to answer silly questions and perform wacky dares that their teammates give them in order to win the game. This helps build self-esteem as well as learning how to get along with others while having lots of fun at the same time! It’s an award winning party game that is perfect for kids ages 8+;
2. Hoopla. This is a card game that has been called “the perfect family game”. With this fast paced party game, the children need to think and act quickly or else they will miss out on collecting their cards or winning their round of play. It’s the ultimate test for one’s memory skills while having lots of fun at the same time! This award winning family card game is great for all kids ages 8+;
3. Pop Pad. With this science based trivia game, players will get an opportunity to compete against one another in answering questions about pop culture as well as scientific facts and concepts that are taught in school in order to win the most amount of poppers during gameplay. Children who love sports, movies, and music will have a blast with this game that’s been called the perfect “brain break” activity for kids! Children aged 8+ and older who are into pop culture or science facts will love this educational board game;
4. Blurt. A great award winning party game that is perfect for children ages 8 years and up who like to play games with friends and family. This fast-paced card game is all about speed reading words on cards in order to be the first one to call out what word you read. There is no time for thinking about your answer, as everyone needs to speak at once, which makes it quite fun while also helping improve spelling skills along the way! It’s a must have party game for any kid who loves to have fun;
5. Roll For It! A great game for children who are 8 years old and older, this board game combines the excitement of Bingo with the strategy of Chess as players will need to match the color on their dice with cards on game play. The first player to collect all of their cards in a row wins the game while having a blast in doing so. This racing style board is perfect for kids who love to roll dice while also being educational at the same time;

What Do 8-Year-Olds Do For Fun?

The average 8-year-old is a little older than most people think, although it is hard to pinpoint an exact age for this age group. They are not toddlers and they are definitely not teenagers, but they have also moved beyond the preschool years. Their interests can vary widely, from playing with friends outside to watching movies on their parent’s phone in bed. The best 8-year-olds love spending time with family members as well as trying new foods and games. 

Some of their favorite things include:

• Soccer. Soccer is one of the most popular sports among children around the world, and eight-year-olds are no exception! Playing soccer can teach discipline, encourage exercise, and help kids make friends;
• Lego. 8-year-olds are at the perfect age to experiment with building things. Legos can come in all shapes, sizes, and colors for endless fun!  Kids love creating their own structures and playing with them afterwards. Unfortunately, this type of play is best left to children without pets or siblings who value their belongings;
• Board games. Board games can be played alone or with others. They offer a safe way for kids to challenge themselves and take risks at the same time. Kids that have mastered basic skills like reading can even play classic board games independently;
• Nerf guns. In general, Nerf guns are an excellent way for children to work on their hand-eye coordination. They also love the challenge of trying to outwit their opponents. In a way, Nerf guns are an invitation to make up your own games;
• Superheroes. Many children love pretending they can fly and be just like their favorite superheroes. Superhero stories teach kids that anything is possible if you work hard enough at it. Some great books for 8 year olds include Superman and Wonder Woman;
• Video games. The stereotypical choice, but still popular among today’s 8-year-olds! Playing video games offers hours of entertainment and lots of screen time with other kids, making them even more fun. Just remember to participate yourself so that you can monitor how much violence your child sees;

Things to consider when buying a board game for an 8-year-old:

1. Number of people playing

If there are more than 4 then there will be chaos and not enough mistakes to go around.  If less than 4, you may as well just play Uno or something. This is especially important if any players are younger kids. Not everyone has friends or family who play games but some people do and those people deserve to be mocked until they stop inviting themselves over for board game night. This is crucial if your kid is going to use this game as a way of saying “I’m not an introvert” later in life since school is basically just one big popularity contest and you don’t want your 8-year-old thinking they’ve already lost.

2. Number of pieces

The box should have many pieces because it’s a board game so getting rid of all the pieces during cleanup is always fun.

3. Skill required

Many board games require counting which is difficult for an 8-year-old. Simple math problems like 2+2 can easily be done in their head but this can get complicated with other numbers that require lots of addition/subtraction/multiplication/division/takeaway (whatever). If there is too much math involved they’ll either still lose by making simple math mistakes or win by doing the math in their head without actually understanding any of it.

4. Time to play

If there are lots of pieces/cards, set-up is important because no one wants to spend half an hour looking for all the numbers on those cards before every single player has memorized them and realized you’re using some sort of complicated point system that will make your 8-year-old wonder why you’re not just letting them win.

5. Expandability

Don’t buy a game that has expansions because that means there are more pieces to lose and your 8-year-old will want to know what those expansions actually add but you won’t have time to explain because you’ll be too busy looking for all the pieces they lost last time.

6. Instructions

The instructions should look like something you can understand after just 5 minutes without any outside help. If it looks complicated, put it back on the shelf and get a second opinion from someone who’s never seen this game before in their life because they’re less likely to let self-doubt creep into their mind when trying new things like board games so it won’t poison their ability to have fun.

7. Time spent playing  

Is this a super quick filler game that you can bust out while waiting in line at the grocery store?  Are they going to marathon a 4-hour epic the first time they see it? Decide before buying a board game! 

8. Who’s playing?

How many adults do you need to run things?  How experienced are they with games?  Are the older kids over 12 or is this for a family game night? In addition, important questions that you need to ask yourselves before choosing a board game for a child. 

9. What makes it different from Monopoly?

You should probably have something that represents your kid’s interests.  If he or she hates baseball, don’t get him Baseball Highlights 2045. He or she will not enjoy it and you will be sad about how much money you wasted on that game. Buy a game he will want to play even if it isn’t his or her favorite thing ever because in all likelihood there won’t be any time for an epic 10 hour long gaming session for a while.  

10. Replayability

You want something that has some staying power if possible so that the kid doesn’t get tired of it after playing 3 times in one week. It’s a big commitment to get them something and then have it sit on the shelf for 6 months.

FAQ

What can 8-year-olds do when they’re bored?

If a child is bored it might mean that he (or she) needs your attention, more freedom, knowledge about practical things or maybe just to be heard. 8-year-old kids are interested in new technologies, communication, peacekeeping, animals and dinosaurs. But how can you make your child busy without any computer games:

• Bake cookies;
• Organize a swing in a backyard (for two or for more kids);
• The best fun is to work with parents together: rake leaves in a lawn, clear snow in winter from city paths or clean garage;
• Be busy doing arts and crafts;
• Make a big house out of Lego blocks, or some other building set;
• Do some woodwork together;
• The best way to spend time with kids is a trip somewhere;
• Draw on paper together or paint on canvas;
• If you have one, take out the bike;
• Don’t forget to call your child’s friends over;
• Teach him or her something new;
• Play cards! Kids love card games like UNO and Skip-Bo;

How many mouthpieces come with Watch Ya Mouth?

There are 10 mouthpieces in each box of Watch Ya’ Mouth. If you order a second box, it will come with an additional 10 mouthpieces. Replacement mouthpieces can be purchased online. 

Who invented the Watch Ya Mouth?

Watch Ya Mouth was designed in 2016 by Allison and Peter Denbigh in Staunton, Virginia. Users who wear cheek retractor mouthpieces and attempt to utter funny phrases on the game cards are referred to as “watchers”. 

How do you play Latice Hawaii?

Latice is a turn-based tile matching game that can be played against one other person or against an online computer opponent. The goal of the game is to create 4+ cardinal lines of your color. You get one line for each four tiles placed in a row. Each card turned over adds another tile to play.

How do you play ITrax?

ITrax is a futuristic chess game for two players. Circles and triangles represent the pieces. Before the game starts, you can choose any color as your player colors by clicking on the appropriate button in the top right corner of your screen (left player turns blue, right player turns red). The basic movement rules stay the same for both pieces: if there is another piece of either one’s type directly adjacent to it, it may jump over that piece to capture it with a new leap (even horizontally or diagonally), but only if there are no obstacles between them. 

Capturing is mandatory when possible, but multiple captures in a single turn are not allowed (i.e., jumping more than once isn’t allowed). To deselect a piece, left-click it twice. To select all pieces of the same type on screen (except for Kings) click the corresponding button in the top right corner of your screen. The game is won by capturing your opponent’s King or checkmating him.

How to play the Kluster game?

The basic idea is to win the board game by beating the Kluster monster. To do so, you will have to beat all other monsters first. The board consists of a grid with 25 fields per side as shown in the picture below. On your turn, you can roll the dice and move that many fields. The following figure shows an example where none of both players won yet. It only displays two fields, but it’s not important to understand what follows if you’re not familiar with this kind of board games already:

During your turn, you may encounter empty or occupied fields. If there is another player on that field, you must fight them. You do this by rolling again, if you have the same number again, then you win and the other player is knocked out. You collect the other player’s hit points as a reward – that means, you increase your total hitpoints by the amount of the knocked out monster’s. 

Can an 8-year-old play Monopoly?

Yes. Monopoly is designed for ages 8+. Hasbro recommends it for 8-years-olds and up because of the reading level required to play. If the child can read, he or she can learn as he or she goes along with the help of an adult player. Younger children may need to be coached through every move until they understand how to play completely. Hasbro suggests that any game involving money should either be played by kids mature enough to understand the real value of it, or with fake pretend money.

What are some fun indoor games?

Many of the games that you can easily play indoors are designed to be played in a small group, like many classic board games. 

While there is no single definitive list for indoor fun, there are great suggestions below:

• Board games. With options ranging from strategy and role playing type of game boards to word building cards, there’s an option out there for your child’s need. Some traditional favorites include Monopoly (which has plenty of spinoffs), Clue (mystery solving), or even classic card game War. Kids will also love matching skills with Scrabble Junior that uses kid-friendly words so children can still enjoy this timeless favorite while being challenged at their own level. There’s tons of options out there, so make sure you read through this article to find the best game for your child;
• Card games. Kids can learn simple card games like Go Fish, Memory, Crazy 8s, and Snap, or they can team up with a friend to play War. If you’re looking for some adventure, you could also consider Junior Rummy 500, which lets students explore different types of cards (face cards, 10s through Kings), the color spectrum, or even create their own rules;
• Charades. Not only is this one great as a family game night staple, but it’s easy to play with just two people (perfect for siblings). Once your children are familiar with some of the descriptive categories, like animal sounds, action words, or phrases from books and movies they’ve seen recently, they can even make their own set of rules to play charades by;
• Dance/Exercise. While most kids may not be up for a little aerobic activity during school hours (the teacher’s job market is already tough enough without getting on your kid’s case about being out sick), it’s a great idea if you have access to a gym or open space where students can dance around in between classes. Not only will this get your kids moving at home after sitting through long classes all day, but it can also help them develop coordination and social skills;

What is a good family game for all ages?

Many good games out there have varying levels of difficulty. Some of them can be too simple for older children, but great for younger children (like Candyland or Chutes and Ladders). Other games can be challenging enough for adults to play with their young children. For example, you may want something more like a traditional family board game (Monopoly or Clue) where the whole family can enjoy playing together regardless of age/skill level.

8 years is an interesting age when a child can already learn new things but still loves to play active games. Being a parent myself, I made sure to prohibit my kids to play only videogames or VR titles because sometimes only board games can deliver a certain kind of experience. Don’t get me wrong – it is nothing wrong about digital games of any kind. Only board games can deliver the joy of playing with family and friends in the real world with actual physical objects.

How can kids benefit from playing board games?

When playing any board games, you get an opportunity to touch the game chips, peek out into the cards of others with the corner of our eyes, finally blow on the dice to stagger and laugh together with friends when the Jenga tower falls apart, rolling out the pieces all over the room. All board games have a certain rating by age – you can find the titles for 8-year-olds and they will surely like them.

Board games for children must necessarily correspond to the age recommendations and interests of your children. At the age of 8 years, children need to build and develop erudition, dexterity, visual memory and thinking. Certain board games can deliver fun and education at the same time!

My tips for choosing the board games for kids are based on such criteria:

• Age recommendations for the game must be for 8-year-olds or older kids;
• The title must include activities to make the kid entertained;
• The game should educate at some point;

Top 5 best board games for 8-year-olds

Due to such recommendations and according to the favorite games picked by my kids, I’ve chosen such games for 8-year-olds:

1. Watch Ya Mouth Original is good for kids aged over 3 years, though, I think it is better for older kids. 2-10 participants can play the game. The title has 143 family-safe phrases to entertain and educate;
2. Latice Hawaii is a bright and funny game for 2-4 players, aged from 6 years old. Each gaming session is 2-40 minutes, so your kid won’t get bored or tired;
3. Pixy Cubes is good to play solo or with 3 more friends, it perfectly develops memory;
4. iTrax Thinking Game is promoted as the game of tactical tracking, for 2-4 players aged over 6 years;
5. Kluster is actually fun for any age, it is awesome for long car travels or camping;

Video Tutorial: Pixy Cubes Gameplay

In addition to my choice of the best board games for 8-year-olds, I’ve attached the video tutorial about playing Pixy Cubes. Though, all of the above-mentioned titles include detailed instructions. I would also like to hear about your choice of board games for family nights. What games do you choose for kids of this age and why? Thanks for leaving your feedback and reading my reviews on Jenga-Game.com!

Final thoughts 

As you can see from the guide, experts have provided above, there is an enormous variety of board games available on the market today for 8-year-old kids. If you have questions about how to choose a game that will be appropriate for an 8-year-old child or want more information about any other benefits of playing these types of games, please leave us a comment!