Learning about the world we live in is important to any kid’s education. I found these top 5 learning games for children that help to explain the world to your kids.

These games are targeted at older kids than I usually talk about, typically 8 years old and up. But there’s no harm in introducing some of the concepts found in them at an earlier age, depending on your child’s curiosity about the world. Rules in these games are typically quite simple. And let’s be honest: Rules are there to be bent 🙂 Why not adjust the rules a bit here and there so that you can enjoy these games even with much younger kids. Benni and I would usually leave out a few rules and just PLAY for the sake of it! Having fun together is all that matters. The education part happens naturally!

I’ve ranked the games on educational merit, fun factor and price range. We will start with my favorite.

#1 – All around the World

Players / Age: For 1 or more players age 8+

Publisher: This game is part of the BrainBox game series by MindWare.

Current Price: Click here to check

It’s a really fun and colorful way for kids to learn about world cultures, geography, famous landmarks and more. The people living in New Zealand are often called a name that is the same as a bird from the islands. Do you know what it is? Any idea where to find Machu Picchu?

The game’s objective is to carefully study one of the 71 beautifully illustrated game cards for just 10 seconds. When the time is up, the die is rolled and you have to answer a question based on the number on the die. Get the answer right and you get to keep the card. The winner is the person with the most cards at the end of the game.

This game is great for boosting memory and can be played alone or in a group. If playing alone, you use a different game mode play, called “Brain Challenge”. In this mode, the player or players carefully study the pictures and facts side of the card, again for just 10 seconds. They then flip the card over to see how many of the 6 questions they can answer correctly.

The game contains 71 cards, a die and a sand timer. It is made from a minimum of 70% recycled materials.

There are many other editions also available in the series, including:

• ABC for 4 years and up
• U.S. Presidents 8+
• Math 7 and up
• Science 7 to 11
• World History 8 to 12
• Inventions 8 +
• Animals 8 to 12
• Nature 8 to 12
• and more besides.

#2 – Mapominoes

Players / Age: For 2 to 5 players age 8 and upward

Publisher: This game is from a game series made by Wildcard Games.

Current Price: Click here to check

This is a fun-filled game that is educational, easy to learn and almost kind of addictive. The object of the game is to build up a grid like you do with traditional dominoes, only here it is with a series of maps. As each card is played, it builds up a map by connecting together the states or the countries that share common borders.

Tactical play allows you to remain one step ahead of your opponents by not playing the cards in your hand. As the number of cards gets less, the excitement builds. No two games are the same! There are currently 5 different versions of Mapominoes:

• U.S.A,
• Europe,
• UK,
• Africa and
• Asia and Australasia.

Each game contains one pack of colorful, informative picture cards. Games that are played for the continents have cards depicting the country name, flag and borders.

#3 – Trivial Pursuit Wildlife Edition

Players / Age: For 2 or more players age 8 and upward

Publisher: This game is made by Hasbro Games.

Current Price: Click here to check

Almost all of us must be familiar with the classic family favorite Trivial Pursuit, but in this “bite-size” edition there is no need for a big board. Instead, the game consists of a die with colored dots and a pack of question cards. Players simply take it in turns to roll the die and then answer a question on the card in that category color. If the question is answered correctly, the player gets to keep the card. The winner is the player at the end of the game with the most cards.

A perfect game for animal lovers (Which most of our kids are, right? Benni certainly is!), and to expand your knowledge of the animal world!

The game contains 600 questions all about mammals, reptiles, birds and other creatures. There are questions to suit everyone from animal expert to novice. Great for testing and expanding knowledge and memory.

There are other Trivial Pursuit full size and bite-size editions available on different subjects.

#4 – Who Knows Where

Players / Age: For 2 to 4 players age 12 and upward

Publisher: This game is made by Wildcard Games.

Current Price: Click here to check

This is a multi award-winning game that combines fun and education brilliantly, with various play methods that give it the flexibility to be easy or more challenging. The dual-sided board and a mix of easy and hard questions with adjustable accuracy levels really cater well for players of all levels. This adaptability makes it suitable for a broad range of ages and abilities.

The aim of the game is to race around the world while locating famous places. There are 5 categories on Capital cities, major cities and towns, famous tourist sites, events and facts and iconic landmarks.

To win the game, players require knowledge, tactics and luck. The perfect game to learn about the world containing over 1000 location cards, 4 clue cards, 8 players pieces, dice and rules.

#5 – Flags of the World

Players / Age: For 2 to 6 players age 8 and upward

Publisher: This game is made by Tactic Games.

Current Price: Click here to check

Another award-winning educational game to teach the family all about flags, countries, capital cities, geographical locations, mountains, rivers, natural resources and much more.

Also, it scores highest in my personal “nerd category”, as it constantly reminds me of Sheldon Cooper’s show “Fun With Flags” in the famous sitcom “Big Bang Theory” 🙂

This game has three different skill levels making it adaptable for all ages and abilities.

The game comes with 200 trivia cards and a detailed map of the world.

Bonus Game – Orchard

Players / Age: For 2 to 4 players age 3 and upward

Publisher: This game is made by HABA (a German company).

Current Price: Click here to check

This game is a little bit off topic, as it is not about countries and the world. It’s about having fun together, though, and it is certainly worth the money. And a recommendation, as Benni and I thoroughly enjoy playing it on a daily basis.

I don’t want to go too deep into the details, as I have already written quite a bit about it in my blog post about the Top 10 Toys For 3-Year-Olds And Their Dads.

Let me just say so much: This game is a real winner when your kid is still a bit younger and thus just learning the ins and outs of rule-based games. It’s a game you can play with the entire family! Benni loves it, and whenever his grandparents are around we all have to sit together and play at least one round of Orchard!

Definitely well worth the money, taking the quality of the game into account: The board itself is made of cardboard and everything else is made of wood and painted with high-quality color.

Conclusion

Board games are a perfectly fun way to learn cool facts and trivia about the world we live in. These games are especially useful if getting out into the great outdoors isn’t practical due to bad weather. I know that my own son, Benni, at just 3, is already showing an interest in the world around him. I can’t wait to start playing some of these games with him so he can learn more.

Playing board games with your kids is also a fun way of spending quality time with them. It doesn’t only teach them about the subject matter of the game but also about respecting others, adhering to a set of rules, playing fair and accepting defeat graciously. These things can all be difficult for some to master no matter what their age!

If today isn’t really the day for board games (maybe the sun is shining or so) and you’re looking for some other activities to pull off with your kid, you may also consider checking out my list of Top 5 Fun Activities To Spend Quality Time With Your Child.

Finally, if you have anything to add to the story, please let me know in the comments section below. You may also reach out via email at chris@ThatToyDad.com! What are your experiences with board games and kids? What is your favorite game? What age were your kids when you started to play rule-based games with them? Please let me know, I’m really curious!

Thanks for reading and have a great day,

Chris