Simple first games or exciting dice games with action, these dice games for kids are real tips and bring everything but boredom. Here are my recommendations for the best dice games for kids from 3 years and primary school age.
What is the best dice game for kids? Trick question! There is no such thing, because the answer is completely different depending on the age of the child. So my list of recommendations is also divided into recommendations for dice games from 3 years and dice games for primary school age (from 8 years). I have based my recommendations on my own experience and on the manufacturer’s age recommendations. When buying a dice game, you should make sure that it is age-appropriate so that your child is not overwhelmed by it and loses the fun.
It is very important to remember that most of the dice games for kids are designed to be played together with at least two players, because playing together is simply the most fun. It is most fun for every child to play with the whole family. But there are also a few game tips that your child can play alone. There are dice games for kids on all kinds of topics. Especially for the very young, they usually use a dice with colours, symbols or numbers, and for the older ones, more dice are used.
The Best Dice Games For Kids From 3 Years (Up to 7 Years)
The selection of really good dice games for the very young is quite manageable and I have concentrated here on the games that are most popular with the kids and that they bring out again and again. At around 3 years of age, we can slowly start playing with children with their first rules and introduce them to them. Right at the front are absolute classics like Tempo kleine Schnecke and a few recommendations from the “erste Spiele” series by Ravensburger.
All recommended dice games for kids from 3 years score with super simple rules, you can start playing immediately and a game round does not take long. With most of them, you can even agree on the rules individually and adapt them to the age of the child or several rule variants are suggested in the instructions. Some games are dedicated to celebrities such as the mole or the mouse and are therefore particularly interesting for children who like them a lot anyway.
Tip: Especially if a game is still a bit difficult for your child, play with them as a team! This way, they can join in but are not overwhelmed and are introduced to the game.
1. Speed, Little Snail – Much-Loved Snail Race Classic
Ready, steady, go crawl! Tempo, kleine Schnecke is a very popular, timeless classic of dice games for kids from 3 years. Up to 6 players compete in a snail race with coloured wooden snails. The colour dice decides which snail may crawl forward. The first player to roll a snail across the finish line wins. A game round lasts a quick 10 minutes.
- Age: 3-7 years
- Game type: competitive game with dice luck
- Players: 2-6 players
- Playing time: 10-15 minutes
- Playing material: Wooden snails in 6 colours, 2 colour cubes, 1 game board
- Learning objective: dexterity, recognition of colours, concentration, first understanding of rules
2. Mousetrap – Dice Games for Kids With the Famous Mouse
In this simple dice game for children, the theme is the famous mouse from the “Sendung mit der Maus”. The dice are rolled in turn and the mouse figures are moved forward on the board until the first mouse reaches the cheese and wins. On the way, it is important to roll the dice to get out of the mouse holes, to take a diversion or shortcut and not to fall into the trap with the longed-for cheese right in front of your nose. More understanding of the rules is required than simply rolling the dice and moving forward.
According to the manufacturer, the mousetrap is recommended for ages 4 and up – but we were able to do it easily at age 3, you just have to help with the counting.
- Age: from 4 years
- Game type: betting game
- Players: 2-6 players
- Playing time: 15 minutes
- Playing material: mouse figures, game board
- Game objective: Skill, concentration, understanding of rules
3. The Mole and His Favourite Game – Race Game With the Famous Mole
This dice game is a real classic that is still one of the most popular games. In this game, we race the mole and his friends and roll the dice with a colourful symbol cube. Whoever reaches the finish line first wins. It is one of the dice games for kids that is well suited to teach children a first understanding of the rules. One round lasts 15-20 minutes.
- Age: 3-7 years
- Game type: competitive game with dice luck
- Players: 2-4 players
- Playing time: 15-20 minutes
- Playing material: Playing board with beautiful motif + wooden dice with symbols
- Learning objective: Combining, first understanding of rules
4. The Colourful Cube – Ludo With Symbol Cube
The colourful cube is, so to speak, a Ludo variant for small children. Instead of numbers, there are child-friendly symbols on the dice. In this simple dice game for kids, everyone tries to run around the course as quickly as possible with their game piece and to reach the target with the right throw. The first person to place their figure in the target field wins.
The colourful cube is recommended by the manufacturer for ages 4 and up, but we could easily do it at the age of 3.
- Age: from 4 years
- Game type: Mensch ärgere dich nicht for small children
- Players: 2-4 players
- Playing time: 20 minutes
- Playing material: Playing board, plastic playing pieces, wooden dice with coloured picture motifs to stick on
- Learning objective: Skill, logical thinking
5. Orchard – Cooperative, Beautiful Dice Game for Kids With Real Wooden Fruit and Bast Baskets
This classic game has been sold over a million times worldwide and is undisputedly one of the most beautiful simple dice games for ages 3 and up. The Orchard is a cooperative game in which we roll a colour die and quickly harvest wooden fruits from the trees and place them in our baskets before the cheeky raven Theo grabs them. If the dice shows Theo, a raven puzzle piece is placed on the game board. This creates an exciting duel between the orchardists and the raven to harvest the trees before the raven has completed the puzzle.
- Age: 3-6 years
- Game type: Cooperative colour dice game
- Players: 1-8 players
- Playing time: 15 minutes
- Playing materials: Playing board, colour dice, wooden fruit, woven raffia baskets, puzzle pieces
- Learning objective: Developing and experiencing a sense of togetherness, recognising colours and symbols, fine motor skills, first understanding of rules
The Best Dice Games for Kids From 8 Years
There is a good selection of dice games for kids from the age of 8 and all of my favourite games recommended here are super family games that will equally delight and captivate adults. Among them are two quick dice games without waiting times, of which the surprisingly tactical Ganz schön clever is particularly clever. All of these games have a high replay appeal and keep kids busy for hours – even though it’s most fun when playing together with the family (to win over the parents).
The fact is: some of the dice games presented here can easily be played by younger children. They are all quick games with simple rules without a complex game structure to start playing immediately. For me, all 5 dice games actually belong in every game cupboard, because everyone from 8 to 99 gets their money’s worth here and the replay appeal is very high with all the recommended games.
1. Dice Ligretto – Hectic, Fast and Absolutely Ingenious
When I was a kid myself, I loved the classic card game Ligretto so much that the game was completely tattered. The variant with dice of the cult game is in no way inferior to the card game in terms of chaos and hustle and bustle – fortunately! The aim is to roll the dice at the same time, place the dice on the matching squares and get rid of them. The first to get rid of all the dice wins. This dice game for kids aged 8 and over is quite loud – the dice are thrown loudly on the table and the kids also get quite loud when playing. Highly recommended as a travel game, souvenir or gift for families!
- Age: from 8 years
- Game type: Wild, fast, easy to explain dice game, skill game
- Players: 2-4 players
- Playing time: approx. 20 minutes
- Game material: Dice, dice cup, filing plan, bag
- Learning objective: Concentration, dexterity
- Game objective: Be the first to get rid of all your dice.
2. The Dice King – One of the Most Popular Dice Games for Kids From 8 Years
Simple rules, a super working game principle and an enormously high replay appeal: the King of Dice can captivate children so much that they play nothing else for hours. At least that’s how it was for us.
We are in a fantastic world with orcs, dragons, elves and rogues, and each player strives to win as many valuable citizens as possible for his kingdom. To do this, you have to use three dice to fulfil various tasks that are written on the cards. But it is not quite that simple, because the rogues and the dragon can thwart the ingenious tactical plans. The player who gathers the best citizens in his kingdom at the end is the winner.
Tip: In our experience, even younger children from around 5 years of age play along enthusiastically with this dice game for kids. Since the dice are quite large and 6 dice are quite a lot for small children’s hands, you can simply use a drinking cup to roll the dice!
- Age: from 8 years
- Game type: Fiddly puzzle game with dice
- Players: 2-5 players
- Playing time: 30 minutes
- Playing material: dice, playing cards (place cards, penalty cards, citizen cards) and game instructions
- Learning objective: Thinking skills, calculation
- Game objective: Win and win the best citizens for your own kingdom with tactics, dice luck and strategy.
3. Heckmeck Am Bratwurmeck – Absolutely Brilliant Battle for the Biggest Portion of Fried Worms on the Grill
In the basic game Heckmeck am Bratwurmeck, everything revolves around the most delicious new gourmet trend for all the chickens and roosters playing: fried worms! The greedy feathered fowl can’t get enough of the delicacy and try to get as many fried worms as possible and win. Nastily, however, a captured frying worm is not safe from the other players – because you can also snatch frying worms away from a fellow player!
The original dice game for kids aged 8 and over offers lots of variety, original, beautiful playing material that the children find cute and has a high replay appeal.
For whom is the Deluxe Edition worthwhile?
Clearly: for all those who do not yet own the basic version. In addition to the basic game, the deluxe edition includes the expansion and a baked apple as a bonus. Of course, you can also buy the basic game and the expansion separately.
The expansion includes more figures with abilities that, among other things, bring advantages for rolling even higher numbers. It allows for more tactics and strategy and does not make the rules more complicated. Absolutely worthwhile to keep the fun high.
- Age: from 8 years
- Game type: Humorous game of chance for smart birds
- Players: 2-7 players
- Playing time: 20-30 minutes
- Playing material: Tiles, dice, wooden figures chicken, worm, weasel, raven + baked apple and 7 roast worms in the deluxe version)
- Learning objective: Calculating, dexterity, thinking skills
- Game Objective: Capture the most fry worms and win as master catcher.
4. Qwixx – Quick, Simple Dice Game for Kids With Great Fun
All players play at the same time, there is no waiting time. Everyone may mark a number, but they don’t have to – only the person who rolled the dice has to mark a number. The dice are rolled in turn, non-stop additions are made and probabilities are considered. Accordingly, everyone places crosses on their paper in order to be the first to close two rows of questions and score as many points as possible.
Tactics (and probability calculation) are important alongside dice luck to win, because you always have to make the decision whether to bet a cross and try not to miss a number if possible.
Is Qwixx or Qwixx Deluxe more worthwhile?
A round of Qwixx is quickly played in 15 minutes and the scoring block included in the game is quickly used up. The game blocks can be bought later, but why buy Qwixx Deluxe?
Qwixx Deluxe is the luxury version, so to speak, which includes a felt dice pad, felt pens and, most importantly, wipeable tableaus instead of the scoring pad, which you can use for an unlimited number of games. That’s why I would always advise buying Qwixx Deluxe right away!
- Age: from 8 years
- Game type: Tactical, fast-paced dice game
- Players: 2-5 players
- Playing time: 15 minutes
- Game material: Dice, scoring pad, instructions
- Learning objective: Combining, thinking skills, calculating
- Game objective: Klug tactics and set as many crosses as possible in order to win with the most points.
5. Quite Clever – Tricky Dice Game With Tactical Depth
Quite clever surprises with the fact that it is a simple dice game and has tactical depth. All players play at the same time, so there is no waiting for your turn. You roll six different coloured dice in turn, choose a die, cross off a space or enter the number and roll the other dice 2 more times.
But beware, the dice that are lower than the chosen dice as well as the remaining dice land on the silver platter and the other players are allowed to choose one. In this way, you can enjoy every move your opponent makes. If you occupy entire rows or certain squares, you get a bonus and you can make chain moves that are decisive for victory in this tactical dice game for kids aged 8 and up. The winner is the player with the most points.
- Age: from 8 years
- Game type: Tactical dice game, connoisseur game
- Players: 1-4 players
- Playing time: 30 minutes
- Game material: Dice, scoring pad, felt pens
- Learning objective: Combining, concentration, tactics
- Game Objective: Clever cube selection and earn the most points to win.
Looking for more recommended dice games for kids? At Abenteuer Freundschaft there are many worthwhile board game tips even for lesser-known games and classics like Yahtzee, as well as lots of tips for activities with children, for families and with your partner.
If you don’t want to miss any of our tips and ideas from now on, follow us on Facebook and Instagram! 🙂
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