13+ Nature Board Games for Kids! It doesn’t matter if we’re playing in our forest backyard or on vacation visiting a national park, if we’re outside, chances are we are happy. Obviously, another activity we love is board games, so… what better than nature themed board games?! We’ve had a blast playing games that teach the kids about nature and then talking about what we learned while we are out exploring. Below is a list, by age, of the best nature board games for kids.
[Stephanie’s note: If the voice sounds different it’s because this post was written by Tyler, my husband, and originally published on Kidsloveboardgames.com which is now defunct!]
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Pin this round-up of family board games with this photo or link!
12+ nature themed board games for kids
When you’re shopping for games, consider looking on Facebook marketplace for secondhand, buying from your local, small board game shop/toy shop, searching on Ebay, or checking Kidizen for used games. These are linked to Amazon for convenience but we’d much prefer you shop secondhand and/or small when you’re able!
Jump to your kids age range? Click a link: Toddlers, Preschoolers, Kindergartners, 7 & 8 year olds, Older Kids
Toddlers
ONE TWO HOPAROO! BY HABA
If you’re starting out with board games at a very young age, One, Two Hoparoo is my number one recommendation for staring board games for toddlers. This game is VERY simple and easy for little ones to pick up, and each game goes very fast. The basic premise is 2 frogs racing to a pond. Each player rolls a simplified die to see how many spaces they can advance (1-3).
- Number of players: 2
- Manufacturer age recommendation: 2+
- What we like best: Very simple, fast game play, high quality wood pieces
- Prerequisite skills: Ability to learn and understand simple rules
- Kids will learn: Basic counting (1-3), understanding dice and board games, turn taking
THE SNEAKY, SNACKY SQUIRREL GAME BY EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS
Race against other players to see who can fill their log with colored nuts first! Take turns spinning the spinner to see what acorns your squirrel found and use the squirrel tongs to collect the acorns. This game is a perfect first spinner game for your toddler, the concept is very simple to pick up and have fun playing right away. Side note, the manufacturer’s age recommendation is for 3+, most likely due to the nuts being choking hazards, so please keep that in mind if your child has a tendency to put things in their mouth.
- Number of players: 2-4
- Manufacturer age recommendation: 3+
- What we like best: Squirrel tongs are fun and unique, pieces are well made, games are quick
- Prerequisite skills: Ability to spin a spinner and learn/understand simple rules
- Kids will learn: Using the squirrel tongs to pick up nuts is tremendous for fine motor skills, kids will also learn colors, and basic counting
Check out our list of best board games for toddlers.
Preschoolers
Camp by Education Outdoors
Camp is a traditional type of board game where players roll a die to advance their animal around the board and back to the campsite. However, there’s a twist, players have the opportunity to answer nature based trivia to extend their turns. Camp is very quick to learn, and there are 4 different difficulty levels on the trivia cards so the whole family can play together and everyone will learn something new! There is also entertaining animal fact cards that come into play as you work your way around the board. This game is all about the nature around us and makes for a great nature board game!
- Number of players: 2-4
- Manufacturer age recommendation: 4+
- What we like best: Easy to learn, countless trivia questions, wide age range of kids can play together
- Prerequisite skills: Ability to comprehend and answer age appropriate questions
- Kids will learn: Nature trivia, younger gamers will also learn counting, and reading when they are ready
Bird Bingo by Laurence King Publishing
Bird bingo (or Bug Bingo if you prefer) may be the prettiest bingo game you will ever play! This game has awesome board art, as well as descriptions of the birds, making it an ideal way for kids to learn about birds while playing the game. There are pictures on both the bingo board and the tokens so players don’t have to be able to read to play!
- Number of players: 2-4
- Manufacturer age recommendation: Not given
- What we like best: Detailed game art and quick gameplay
- Prerequisite skills: Ability to match two pictures
- Kids will learn: Bird facts and reading (once they are ready)
Wildcraft by LearningHerbs
Wildcraft is a cooperative game that teaches kids about wildcrafting (the harvesting of wild plants). Players venture into the wild to harvest plants for their grandmother. As they play through this game they will learn about 25 edible/medicinal plants!
- Number of players: 1-4
- Manufacturer age recommendation: 4+
- What we like best: Cooperative gameplay, subtle learning
- Prerequisite skills: Matching pictures to cards
- Kids will learn: How edible/medicinal herbs can be used, communication, cooperation
See also our list of best board games for preschoolers.
Kindergartners
Animal Tracks by The Young Scientists Club
By kindergarten, the typical matching/memory games can start to be less engaging for your kids, however Animal Tracks has a fun twist your child will love. Rather than just matching cards you match the animals to their tracks and learn about how to spot the tracks in nature. The cards also contain interesting information about the tracks.
- Number of players: 2+
- Manufacturer age recommendation: 5+
- What we like best: Life like card art
- Prerequisite skills: Understanding of basic matching games
- Kids will learn: About animal tracking, reading
Outdoor Nature Scavenger Hunt Card Game by gofindit
What better way to learn about nature than playing a game while you’re in nature?! This outdoor nature scavenger hunt is the perfect game to add to your next hike or outdoor adventure. The cards are well done and designed to make kids think about nature and be creative as they are hunting!
- Number of players: 1-6
- Manufacturer age recommendation: 3+
- What we like best: Outdoor game play
- Prerequisite skills: Reading would be required for true independent play, but this is a great game for a parent and child to team up
- Kids will learn: Creativity, observation skills, nature item classification
Into the Forest, Nature’s Food Chain Game by Ampersand Press
Into the Forest is a perfect game to learn about the food chain (and what kindergartner doesn’t like thinking about animals eating each other?). The game lays out multiple ways to play, so you can choose the mode that is right for your family and let the game grow with your kids.
- Number of players: 2-6
- Manufacturer age recommendation: 7+
- What we like best: Multiple version of gameplay
- Prerequisite skills: Reading for some versions of the game
- Kids will learn: What eats what in nature, strategy
For more games for kindergartners, check out the best board games for kindergartners.
7 & 8 Year Olds
Guess That Park by Jr. Rangerland
Guess that Park is a trivia game focused on the national parks. Players take turns reading clues while the other players try to guess which National Park the card refers to. Each card is filled with roughly 15 interesting facts about the specified national park, making this game a fun way to learn about the parks. Game length is quick and easy to adjust by changing the number of cards. Alternatively, you could just play with the cards for the parks you have visited!
- Number of players: 2+
- Manufacturer age recommendation: 8+
- What we like best: the number of park facts, ability to just play with parks your family is familiar with
- Prerequisite skills: Reading (could play with non readers if an adult is the ‘designated reader’)
- Kids will learn: Facts about national parks and geography
Cardline Animals by Asmodee
Players compete to place all their cards before competitors and win the game. Each card has the size, weight, and life expectancy for a specific animal (face down). Players then place one of their cards in the cardline based on the attribute of the current cardline. If the players are correct the card stays, if not it is discarded and they draw a new card. The first player to place all their cards wins.
- Number of players: 2-8
- Manufacturer age recommendation: 7+
- What we like best: 110 different animal cards, fast game play
- Prerequisite skills: Reading, understanding measurement values
- Kids will learn: All sorts of animal facts (size, weight, life expectancy, animal families, and abundance in the wild)
Hit the Habitat Trail by Jax
Hit the Habitat Trail is a trivia game where players race around the board and learn about various habitats. The game also includes wisdom cards with tips on protecting those habitats and living more greenly. While the game concept is straightforward, what makes this game shine is the extensive and interesting trivia and wisdom cards!
- Number of players: 2-6
- Manufacturer age recommendation: 8+
- What we like best: Extensive trivia decks for replayability
- Prerequisite skills: Reading, past experience with simple board games
- Kids will learn: All about habitats and living more environmentally friendly
For other great games for 7 & 8 year olds see the best board games for 7 & 8 year olds.
Older Kids
Trekking the National Parks by Underdog Games
Another game to learn about the national parks! If you like Ticket to Ride, you’ll really enjoy Trekking the National Parks. This is a good intro game for kids who have played the classic games but are looking for more of a challenge. Players race around the board to different national parks, collecting points for getting to the parks first and seeing the sights. The game comes with an awesome booklet that is full of history about the parks, as well as details on the most popular park activities (and sweet pictures).
- Number of players: 2-5
- Manufacturer age recommendation: 10+
- What we like best: High quality pieces, tons of information about the parks included
- Prerequisite skills: Reading, simple math
- Kids will learn: History and information about the national parks, United States Geography
Evolution by North Star Games
In Evolution, players compete to evolve and feed as many species as possible. Players can add various traits to give their species a competitive advantage (i.e. long necks for access to more food). They can also turn their species into carnivores so they can eat other species instead of from the watering hole or add traits to help defend against carnivores. This game does a great job demonstrating how natural selection and evolution relates to population growth and the ability to get food. There is also a simpler version (Evolution: the Beginning) which is recommended for ages 8+ which teaches the same content.
- Number of players: 2-6
- Manufacturer age recommendation: 12+
- What we like best: Lots of viable strategies to win, beautiful game art, tons of player interaction
- Prerequisite skills: Reading, past experience with board games with multiple strategies
- Kids will learn: Evolution, natural selection, resource management, species life cycles
Ecologies by Montrose Biology
Ecologies is a deck-building, competitive card game where players work to build healthy, complete food webs by drawing, trading, and purchasing different cards. Designed by a teacher, this is the rare game that teaches facts but would also be fun by itself to play! There are multiple ways to determine a winner; with simple methods to make the game shorter or longer. There is a nice balance of luck and skill and the illustrations are beautiful.
- Number of players: 1-6
- Manufacturer age recommendation: 12+, 8+ with modified rules
- What we like best: Lots of viable strategies to win, beautiful game art, tons of player interaction
- Prerequisite skills: Reading, past experience with board games with multiple strategies, math.
- Kids will learn: Animal facts, biome facts, how food webs work
Looking for other games for older kids?
What Nature Board Games do you Love?
That’s our list of the best nature board games for kids, what are your favorites? Any others we should check out? Comment below!
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