board games for 3-year-old

[samstress]

looking for ideas for dd. the grandparents are already asking for holiday gift ideas and i thought some board games would be fun.

dd is 3 1/2, but i usually get games for a slightly older child, so she has something to grow into.

what are your little ones' faves?

[Faliciagayle]

we just got Chutes and Ladders, and recently ordered Candyland. I'm going to suggest Hungry Hungry Hippo, Hi Ho Cherry O, and Cooties.

We received the Melissa and Doug versions of Old Maid, Go Fish, and Animal (gin) Rummy this summer which are a huge hit. We're also enjoying Jenga.

Bear in mind we don't play like the rules suggest but we have a lot of fun none the less.

[LiLStar]

We started getting lots of games for dd when she was about 3! One of the first was Tumblin' Monkeys. Fun, and very easy for a little one. Its like that game kerplunk.. its a cylinder ("tree") with holes in it and you poke these colored sticks through the holes, then put the monkeys in the top. The sticks hold them up. Roll the dice, and remove a stick that matches the color you rolled. The "goal" is to NOT let monkey's fall, whoever ends up with the least monkeys, wins. But dd just loves when she gets monkeys, so we just play for fun and don't keep track or have anyone "win". if dh and I play with her, dh and I get kinda competitive with eachother to try and get the least. Its kinda fun for us too!

Zingo- like Bingo, kinda. The cards come out of the..thing, and you have to be first to snatch it up to put it on your board.

cranium hullabaloo

cranium balloon lagoon

[ledzepplon]

I second Cranium Hullabaloo. It's got a battery operated gizmo, which I normally hate, but this game is just so fun for little kids. Even my two year old likes to play along (he doesn't really "get" it, but he hops along with the other kids).

[nathansmum]

We got Harvest Time from Family Pastimes (cooperative games) that was enjoyed at that age, and still is by my 5yr old (7yr old has pretty much outgrown it now). Not sure if they still make that one, but I think they also have other 3yr+ coop games.

[Noah's mommy]

We love Orchard by Haba Toys.  It is a whole family favorite for sure!

[EdnaMarie]

My daughter has orchard at her pre-school and loves it.

I'm afraid to buy Candyland as I don't need to hear more about candy in my life, LOL, but I think they love it... any alternative versions???

[sewaneecook]

The current favorites in our house are Memory, Hi-Ho Cherrio, and Ants in the Pants (we just make the ants jump, we don't play the actual game).

[JudiAU]

We like Orchard, Animal Upon Animal (stacking game from Haba), and Eeboo's Slips and Ladders games. Also dominos and matching games.

Eeboo makes more attractive, recylced content games at a really resonable price. No plastic. And no characters which are surprising hard to avoid with games. We have a couple that are on the Christmas list. Also, Harvest Time.

I think he could manage Connect Four but I am waiting for Christmas to get a nice wood version from Rosie Hippo.

[pastelsummer]

i agree at memory and plan to get candyland and chutes and ladders. matching games are the best for that age. and will last for quite a few years (i still enjoy playing those games and i am 27)

[carmel23]

ravenburger games, like roads river and rails-- all of my kids boys and girl love this game. Ravensburger Mystery Garden

as well... and enchanted forest our entire family plays. 

[Artichokie]

my dd enjoys this: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2331528

[Holiztic]

We LOVE the eeBoo games! We only have the Picnic Game, but I want more!!

[greenemami]

We have really been enjoying card games like go fish and old maid.  We bought a pack of them made by eboo and they are really cute-dd only got the go fish one so far and will get the rest for christmas.  We also bought dd a card holder thingie to put the cards in and it really helped-let me find a link: http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&rlz=1T4ADRA_enUS375US375&q=playing+card+holder&wrapid=tlif12895686650681&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=15823871534087606880&ei=mUHdTKXNEIKBlAfrnNysDQ&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCUQ8wIwAA#

[The4OfUs]

My kids both loved Don't Break The Ice at that age....and actually still do at 4-1/2 and almost 7.  It's such a pain to set up, but it is a cool game.  We also liked Cootie, and will Nth the recommendation for Hullabaloo, that's a really good one.   We also had Elefun, which is another battery operated one (which I normally also am not a fan of, someone else bought both of those games for us and they turned out great so I'm a changed person regarding it!  )  where there's an elephant trunk made of some kind of plastic, and you put these nylon butterflies in the base of it, turn it on, and the trunk inflates and shoots the butterflies out of its trunk, and as they flutter down you try to catch as many as you can. 

Shortly after 4 something clicked with both my kids and now we're loving playing things like Monopoly Jr, Sequence, Clue Jr, and Sorry.  I'm loving it, because I love board games.  I just broke out the Twister a couple months ago and the kids are having a BALL with it.

[california_mom]

We have Candyland and Chutes & Ladders, and my ds, who will be three in January, is learning how to play by the rules and take turns. It's pretty neat!.  One game I already owned, which isn't really for a toddler/preschooler but ds LOVES it, is Mousetrap. We set it up together and he watches the cause and effect of the turning of the crank, the shoe hitting the basket, the ball rolling, etc. (And I love it too!)

[taramoon13]

our ds loves the richard scarry books and we recently discovered that there is a board game. i highly recommend it! http://www.toysrus.com/product/ind

[hibiscus mum]

We have a cute one called Life on Earth BINGO.  DD also loves Hungry Hungry Hippos, CandyLand, and Hi Ho Cherry-O.