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9 of the Best Table Top Games For Your Kids This Holiday Season

Helaina Cappel is a grade 7 & 8 Math and STEM teacher in Toronto, and is also co-publisher of Kids Table Board Gaming

Let's face it ... our kids spend too much time in front of screens. It always seems like a struggle in my house to get my kids off of the iPad or away from the TV to do something more productive, except when I ask them to play a table top game. When we play, not only are we making time to enjoy each others' company, we are also making our time spent together educational. Take it from me, when your children play games, they are immersed in learning. Why? Because the learning happens without kids even realizing that they are learning. This makes the experience that much deeper and that much more important. Check out our 2017 Holiday List. There is so much learning to do!

Foodfighters

 

Publisher: Kids Table Board Gaming

Game play: 2 players

Ages: 6+

Play time: 20-30 Min.

 

Foodfighters is a classic kitchen duel where Meats battle Veggies. Command your fighting Food Factions to reign supreme in the kitchen. Roll dice to knock out one of your opponent’s factions.

 

Educational Value: 

Probability

Commerce

Emergent strategy

Buy Foodfighters online or at Toytown in Toronto!

Onitama

 

Publisher: Arcane Wonders

Game play: 2 Players

Ages: 12+

Play time: 10-15 Min.

 

An abstract strategy game where players take on the role of a Master, guiding their monk followers, attempting to defeat your opponent!

 

Educational Value:

Strategic thinking

Spatial awareness

Planning

Ice Cool

 

Publisher: AMIGO Speil

Game play: 2-4 Players

Ages: 6+

Play time: 20 Min.

 

A flicking game that plays in rounds. One of the players takes the role of the Hall Monitor, whose aim is to catch other penguins and get points.

 

Educational Value:

Dexterity

Hand/eye coordination

Geometry

Buy Onitama online at BoardGameBliss!

Buy Ice Cool online at BoardGameBliss!

Ghost Blitz 2

 

Publisher: Zoch Verlag

Game play: 2-8 Players

Ages: 8+

Play time: 20 Min.

 

The lightning fast shape and color recognition game that is sure to test the reflexes of kids, families and gamers alike. 

 

Educational Value:

Pattern recognition

Memory

Right brain-left brain processing

 

BuyGhost Blitz, Ghost Blitz 2, and Ghost Blitz 5 to Midnight at Toytown in Toronto!

Top Trumps

 

Publisher: Winning Moves

Game play: 2-6 Players

Ages: 4+

Play time: 10 Min.

 

Top Trumps consists of a number of cards, each of which features in-game characters based on related subject matter which are full of stats, pictures and educational and interesting facts. There are many, many versions of this game including: Space (pictured here), Predators, Superheroes, Greek Mythology, Cats ...

 

Educational Value:

Magnitude

Greater than/less than values

Place Value

Subject specific facts

BuyTop Trumps at Toytown in Toronto!

Splendor

 

Publisher: Space Cowboys

Game play: 2-4 Players

Ages: 8+

Play time: 30 Min.

 

Players are merchants of the Renaissance trying to buy gem mines, means of transportation, shops—all in order to acquire the most prestige points. 

 

Educational Value:

Trade

Commerce

Computation (addition/multiplication)

Buy Splendor online at BoardGameBliss!

Bomb Squad Academy

 

Publisher: TMG

Game play: 2-5 Players

Ages: 8+

Play time: 20 Min.

 

This is the final field exam of your bomb disposal training course. The instructor has rigged three training bombs for you and your team to defuse, but little do you know that there is no way to actually defuse them!

 

 

Educational Value:

Addition

Multiplication

Division

Rerouping numbers

BuyBomb Squad Academy

online at BoardGameBliss!

King of Tokyo

 

Publisher: Iello

Game play: 2-5 Players

Ages: 8+

Play time: 40 Min.

 

In King of Tokyo, you play mutant monsters, gigantic robots, and strange aliens—all of whom are destroying Tokyo and whacking each other in order to become the one and only King of Tokyo.

 

 

Educational Value:

Dice probability

Computation

 

 

BuyKing of Tokyo online at BoardGameBliss!

Junk Art

 

Publisher: Pretzel Games

Game play: 2-6 Players

Ages: 8+

Play time: 30 Min.

 

Junk Art contains more than ten game modes. Players are presented with junk for which they must create art by stacking wooden pieces of different shapes and colours.

 

 

Educational Value:

Hand/eye coordination

Building

Problem Solving

Engineering

Dexterity

 

 

Buy Junk Art online at BoardGameBliss!

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