Best games to play with young children that don't drive parents crazy!

My two girls are reaching an age where it is possible to play games with them (4 and 2.5 years old). However, a quick perusal of the toy shop reveals a very limited range of children's board games marketed for 3 years and up. It seems that most of them are variants on memory games, prettied up with Disney princesses, Dora, or some other mass marketed TV or movie tie in. Now I do think that developing memory and matching skills is valuable. However, it is also extremely boring after a while. Very young children can't play structured games by themselves very well. They need assistance to work out taking turns, following rules and so on. So parents, we get to play.

Playing games with children can and should be fun. Our enthusiasm is contagious - our attitude when playing with young children has a big impact on their enjoyment of it. I can only get so excited about making pairs or playing "go fish" with mermaids and princesses. I have spent considerable time online researching children's games that children love, and that adults likewise enjoy. Nowadays I wouldn't buy a game without first checking here, to read about the experiences of others.

The first game I bought my daughters was Build a Village (by Wonderworld). I bought this one from a lovely old fashioned toy shop. The game is rated for 3 years old and up, and I first introduced it to my eldest daughter when she was 2.5 years old. The components are beautiful - little wooden houses, cars and trees, and durable boards to accommodate the village pieces. This is not a challenging game for adults, or probably anyone over 5 years of age, but it is a perfect introduction to taking turns, using a dice, and builds colour recognition. My daughter learned to play quickly, and games last on average about seven minutes. The perfect length of time for very short attention spans. The basic game play is about rolling a dice and collecting pieces to complete the village. A nice little twist is that if you roll a colour that you have already collected, you need to select an opponent and give the piece to them. My eldest is now four, and she fully understands and delights in choosing who to "help". The components in this game will long outlast its playability in my house. However, I do not regret getting it. The children also enjoy free play with the pieces.

I did much more research before purchasing my next game - "Tier auf Tier" or Animal upon Animal. I personally prefer the German name as the English translation has a clumsy mouthfeel! Tier auf Tier is released by HABA, who have a fantastic array of games on offer, with ingenious game play that makes your average kids game look rather monotonous. This game is simple to play, but does require a degree of dexterity. On the box it recommends the game for four years old and up. I bought it for my daughter around her third birthday. Initially all she wanted to do was sort the animals and make them talk to each other. She was rather frustrated at times that her variant of the game did not capture my interest to the same degree. Within six months she was deriving great enjoyment from stacking the animals, and now is ready to play according to the rules. I would say that the age rating is correct, but it can be played with in different ways. The game is dice based, with each player rolling the dice to determine how many animals to stack onto the crocodile. The dice also give the opportunity for the roller to pass an animal onto someone else to place, or for the rest of the players to choose the roller's next turn. This game is great fun. It is also enjoyable for adults, even without the children! The components are colourful and like most HABA games, made of wood. This game is built to last.

More children's game reviews to come. You can read my hub about the "Kids of Carcassonne" here, and Kinder Bunnies here.