Best First Board Game?

Candy land or Hi Ho Cherry-O.

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Candyland and Chutes and Ladders were two of the first games my son played. He also (weirdly) like Payday even though the age rec is higher--he still loves Payday!

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Candy Land for sure!!!! We tried Chutes and Ladders, but the board is way too cluttered and the back and forth motion is confusing for my 3 year old. She's a total Candy Land pro though. She knew her colors before we started playing so she can play it all by herself. She got her first Candy Land game in October and it's been played so much I had to get her a new one! Hi Ho Cherry O is much more complicated. We like it, but don't get to play it very often since I have a very active 8 month old that puts everything in her mouth.
Don't Spill The Beans is really easy and fun too. So is Don't Break The Ice. They're not board games, but they will teach turn taking. You don't have to know colors or numbers to play either of them.

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Oh, you have to get this game!! It's called Max - a cooperative game. It is the cutest game ever, it was one of our most-played games, and the kids even liked to play it long after they had grown out of it age-wise.

You all help each other to get the animals away from Max the cat. Google it - I just found it for $11.99 on Funagain Games website. Buy it - you will be so happy you did!

One of the good things about Max is that it's really short -- shorter than Candyland. Yes, I agree with Candyland, so buy both of them as a good start. Also, another plus for Max, is that it's cooperative vs. competitive.

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candy land! We have the winnie the pooh one and it is fun to play. Also, operation! I think the boys just like the sounds it makes, but whatever. They like it.

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if he knows how to count to 10 hi-ho cherry-o it think is what it's called. also memory is alot of fun.

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The first game my daughter ever played was Life, when she was two years old, we did not have kid games yet. Shortly after that we got Candyland and Chutes and Ladders whice were my daughter's first kids games (got them when she was two and a half). Also there are various matching games... we just got her Guess Who? (2 players, try to figure out who the person has) it says 6+ but my daughter loves games and understands quickly how a game is to be played.

It was so much fun going to Toys R US and looking through all the board games and we talked with my daughter on what she thought was intresting and explained the games she picked and then bought one that she liked and we thought she could understand.

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I agree with all of your suggestions, but Zingo was also one of the first games we played with our boys around the ages of 2-3 and they LOVED it!

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Games by "Think Fun", which you can get from Barnes & Noble are REAL REAL fun.
My son, & daughter has been playing them since they were 2 years old.

ALSO great, are "Tangrams" for kids. Which you can find kid versions from Amazon.
REAL great.
I highly recommend these.

Candyland and chutes and ladders, the game Buckaroo.....
the main thing is not necessarily "board" games...but just games that take turns.
At this age also.... you don't have to follow the game instructions EXACTLY... just make it easy to follow and fun... if you nit pick about the child not following the printed instructions... they will get frustrated. The main thing is they get the basic idea. Then as they get older... they will know the "exact" instructions.

My son is now 3.5, and he will even "explain" to me about "how" to play a game.... in his own version. So that's fine and it lets him build his creativity too and problem solving etc.

all the best,
Susan

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We loved Candyland as the very first then, The memory game.

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My suggestion is Candy Land Castle. My kids never took to the regular Candy Land (they are now 4.5 and 5.5), but loved Candy Land Castle. It is a quick game (in terms of waiting for you turn as well as start to finish) and very easy to learn (match colors and shapes, take turns, pull a lever). My kids thoroughly enjoyed this game.

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Candyland is our typical "first", since it's FAST... there is no reading involved... easy rules... and it's simple and silly.

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I agree with everyones post so far... b/c our kids were the same. But wanted to also suggest Cranium Counting and ABC. I found them at Christmas time for about $5 a game and it REALLY helped our 3 and 4 year old with counting and their ABC's and they have a blast playing it. The counting one is 2 mommy ducks going around a pond picking up their 3 babies and the ABC board is a polar bear fishing out magnetic lettters to spell out words on their board piece. They have soo much fun playing both.

Good luck!

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Memory! He will probably win, too!

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Candy Land!!! We also like Ants in Your Pants and Break The Ice. Now that my kids can count, we are playing LOTS of Uno and Yatzee :)

Good Luck!
E.

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Can he handle small pieces?
hi-ho cherry-o, don't spill the beans, cootie, hungry hungry hippos, a memory card game, kerplunk, & operation are good beginner games.

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I agree with Candyland, Chutes and ladders, Hi Ho cherry-O, Memory, Zingo, Don't Break the Ice, Cootie, but would also like to add Hullabaloo to the list. Its a fun game with vinyl shapes with pictures on them that you scatter on the floor, and then a little electronic device tells you what to do (jump to an animal, etc). Also I think its called Honey Bee tree, you can get it at Target. Its a little "tree" that you put all these sticks that look like leaves in to form like a grid, then put a bunch of bees on top. You take turns pulling out the leaves one by one, trying not to make the bees fall. Although, set up is kind of labor intensive for the parent! but the game is sure fun. have fun!

my favorite for my kids when they turned 3 was Cranium Cariboo... it works on counting, colors,shapes,and letters. it even has an advanced side for when the kids get older. LOVE it!!!!!