The only thing better than receiving your favorite candy in your stocking is a great new board game to play with the family during the holidays! I organized this list of our favorite stocking stuffer board games for kids, let me know if I missed any of your favorites! These games should fit most stockings (unless otherwise mentioned all these games are about 4″ wide or smaller). Here’s a list of games (by age) that work as great stocking stuffers, to add on to our Board Gaming Family Gift Guide.
[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 stocking stuffer board games with this photo or link!
16+ best stocking stuffer 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, Older Kids
Stocking Stuffer Board Games for Toddlers
Cat in the Hat Card Game by Wonder Forge
This game is geared toward toddlers but fun for the whole family. Game play is quick and active, great for kids who are new to board games. Toddlers will learn communication skills, dexterity and creativity while having fun playing this game with the whole family.
- Number of Players: 2+
- Manufacturer Suggested Age Range: 3+
- Prerequisite Skills: N/A
Matching game by Wood Contour Canada
This is a great first matching game for your toddlers, made with all wooden pieces, it’s great for toddlers who aren’t quite ready to handle more delicate cardboard or paper cards. There are multiple version to play (I recommend the wildlife ones as the most entertaining for toddlers). This is great game for toddlers to learn memory skills and identifying animals.
- Number of Players: 2+
- Manufacturer Suggested Age Range: 3+
- Prerequisite Skills: N/A
Check out our list of best board games for toddlers if you’re looking for games to put under the tree!
Preschooler Board Game Stocking Stuffers
Create and Tell Me a Story Cards by eeBoo
This isn’t a game in the sense of competing, but more just a fun card games for being creative together. The best part about this game is there are lots of different versions depending on your child’s interests (animals, robots, and fairy tales to name a few). Players take turns drawing cards and telling their portion of the story. Since the cards are random the story always changes into something new, fun, and silly.
- Number of Players: 1+
- Manufacturer Suggested Age Range: 3+
- Prerequisite Skills: Ability to create sentences
Spot it! Alphabet by Blue Orange
This is a great game for keeping energetic preschoolers engaged since the game is all about speed and not turn based. Players compete to see who can spot a matching letter or shape as fast as possible. Helps kids attention span, and teaches letters, shapes, and colors. Read the detailed Spot it! review.
- Number of Players: 2-6
- Manufacturer Suggested Age Range: 3+
- Prerequisite Skills: Ability to match shapes/letters between two cards (but kids don’t need to know them by name)
Hisss by Gamewright
Hiss is a colorful snake building game where players take turns drawing cards and adding to snakes, the person who completes the last piece of the snake get to put the snake in their nest. Great game for preschoolers to learn colors, attention to detail, and simple game strategy. This game is a ton of fun for the family. I’d call this borderline stocking stuffer board game size (about 4 1/2″ x 6″). If you want our full throughts on Hisss, read the full Hisss review!
- Number of Players: 2+
- Manufacturer Suggested Age Range: 4+
- Prerequisite Skills: Ability to match colors
Journey Through Time Card Game by Wonder Forge
If your preschooler likes seek and find games this is a great item for their stocking. Race against your opponents to find the target item and complete your card. The art on these cards is very detailed and engaging. Kids will learn attention to detail, operating under a time crunch, and expand their vocabulary. This is also a great game to pair with its larger version Journey Through Time, Eye Found It!
- Number of Players: 2+
- Manufacturer Suggested Age Range: 4+
- Prerequisite Skills: Ability to identify simple objects that match a category, with picture hints (i.e. shovels, buckets)
If you’re looking for bigger games that make perfect presents for this age range, check out the Best Board Games for Preschoolers.
Stocking Stuffer Board Games for Kindergartners
Slamwich by Gamewright
Slamwich is in essence a more complicated version of slap jack, where players flip cards looking for various combinations and being the first to slap the pile and claim the cards. Fast pace game play is great for this energetic age range. This game teaches pattern recognition and processing speed.
- Number of Players: 2+
- Manufacturer Suggested Age Range: 6+
- Prerequisite Skills: Ability to understand and recognize patterns
Sleeping Queens by Gamewright
This game is slightly bigger than the others (4 1/2″ x 6″) but I think it will fit most stockings and our five-year-old is OBSESSED with this game so I had to include it. This is a turn based game where players try to wake queens and score the most points. There are lots of ways to interfere with your opponents strategy (stealing queens or putting them back to sleep) which adds a very fun twist to this game. Kids learn number values, addition, and strategy as they play.
- Number of Players: 2-5
- Manufacturer Suggested Age Range: 8+ (but this was a good fit for us at the 5/6-year-old range)
- Prerequisite Skills: Counting and recognizing numbers in order
Rat-a-tat-Cat by Gamewright
Another game that’s just a little bigger but should fit most stockings (4 1/2″ x 6″). Players try to get the lowest total score by avoiding rat cards to win the round. Great game to show kids they need to pay attention to their cards and their opponents during card games and also teaches number recognition, addition, and strategy.
- Number of Players: 2-6
- Manufacturer Suggested Age Range: 6+
- Prerequisite Skills: Recognizing numbers and understanding number values (i.e. 3 is less than 6)
Animal Upon Animal (Pocket Sized) by Haba
Players take turns stacking animals, whoever can build the stack the highest wins. The odd piece shapes make this a great challenge for your preschoolers to work on their fine motor skills and spatial thinking. This game is slightly bigger than most of the others I’ve mentioned (measures about 5″ x 5″), but still a pretty small-sized game
- Number of Players: 1-2
- Manufacturer Suggested Age Range: 5+
- Prerequisite Skills: N/A
For ‘under the tree’ gifts for this age range, check out the list of Best Board Games for Kindergartners.
Older Kids Board Game Stocking Stuffers
Iota by Gamewright
This is a challenging grid building game, where players take turns adding cards to the grid where they fit with the existing pattern. Kids learn to think creatively and spatially while competing to score the most points.
- Number of Players: 2-4
- Manufacturer Suggested Age Range: 8+
- Prerequisite Skills: Pattern recognition and creation
Bananagrams
Players compete to be the first to use up all their letters tiles by building them into a crossword. Very interactive and fast paced game play teaches vocabulary, spelling, reading, creativity, and spatial thinking
- Number of Players: 1-8
- Manufacturer Suggested Age Range: 7+
- Prerequisite Skills: Reading and Spelling
Love Letter by AEG
Players compete to try and get their love letter to the person closest to the princess each round without getting caught by their opponents first. Each round goes quickly and play is very interactive. Bonus points because this game is still fun with only 2 players. Great game to teach kids basic statistics and how to be perceptive of other’s cards.
- Number of Players: 2-4
- Manufacturer Suggested Age Range: Not provided
- Prerequisite Skills: Reading
Rory’s Story Cubes by Gamewright
Roll the cubes and tell a story, very simple game concept, but tons of possibilities. While this game isn’t of the competitive variety, kids will have a blast being creative, silly, and imaginative as they use their dice roll to tell interesting stories.
- Number of Players: 1+
- Manufacturer Suggested Age Range: 8+
- Prerequisite Skills: Combining thoughts and creating a story
Saboteur by Mayfair Games
A cooperative game with one or more saboteur. Players are dwarves working together and trying to find the gold in a mountain and avoid being tricked by the saboteur. A great twist on the standard cooperative game with lots of good team work and communication. Note: This game requires a minimum of three players. There is a two person version that we haven’t had the opportunity to try yet, so if you do, please let me know what you think!
- Number of Players: 3-10
- Manufacturer Suggested Age Range: 8+
- Prerequisite Skills: Reading, secret keeping
If you’re interested in holiday presents for older kids check our lists of Best Board Games for 7 & 8 Year Olds and Best Board Games for Older Kids.
Honorable Mentions:
- Left Center Right (ages 5+; 3+ players)
- Happy Salmon (ages 6+; 3-6 player)
- Tenzi (ages 7+; 2-4 players)
- Pit (ages 7+; 3-8 players)
- Cover Your Assets (ages 8+; 2-4 players)
- No Thanks (ages 8+; 3-7 players)
- Fluxx (ages 8+; 2-5 players)
- Pass the Pigs (ages 8+; 2-4 players)
- Brave Rats (ages 8+; 2 players)
- Roll for It (ages 8+; 2-4 players)
- Monopoly Deal (ages 8+; 2-5 players)
- Pocket Farkel (ages 8+; 2+ players)
- Pack-O-Game Dig (ages 10+; 2-4 players)
- Dino Hunt Dice (ages 10+; 2+ players)
What games have you given as stocking stuffer board games? Comment below!
If you’re looking for other ways to increase your Christmas board games, check out our favorite board game Christmas tradition!
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