If you're looking to peel your children away from their screens, and encourage a bit of wholesome family time, an educational board game (while maybe initially met with groans) tends to work a treat. There are plenty of board games around with an educational focus, whether it's science, spelling, maths or history. We're usually just having too much fun to notice...
So to help you keep your children's minds whirring, and your guests entertained, we've gathered the best educational board games - just in time for all of your festive gatherings.
Whether your children are budding scientists, wordsmiths in the making or natural explorers, you're bound to find a board game in our round-up to suit your family's idea of a good (and informative) time.
For more Christmas Day activity ideas, browse the best science board games. Alternatively, see our round-up of the best tech gifts for teens if you're in need of some present inspiration.
Best educational board games for 2023
Articulate! For Kids (6+ years)
We couldn't put together a board game best list without the absolute classic that is Articulate. Of course the traditional version isn't best suited to younger players, so make sure you've got this kids' board game version in your cupboard for a more inclusive activity.
The fast-paced talking and description board game involves describing the word in front of you, without saying the actual word. Add in timers and competitors, and you've got yourself quite the shouty affair. With loads of categories and topics to choose from, it's an easy way for your little ones to pick up new vocab.
Play this junior version along with the original board game to create your own family version - perfect for large gatherings when your guests range from 7 to 70 years old.
Globe Runner (9+)
Test your family's geography knowledge with this educational board game. Be the first to travel the world, and answer questions on flags, capital cities and mountains en route. Globe Runner is ideal for groups of two to six players, so it's perhaps a nice rainy-day activity when you've got bored children cooped up inside over the holidays. Or why not gift to the map enthusiasts in your life?
Photosynthesis (8+)
One for the budding biologist, or any appreciator of beautiful board games really. Photosynthesisis a strategy game that allows you to plant trees and create forests on the board - but think carefully about where you plan to sow, as the revolving sun and location on the board can affect growth. As a two to four player game, with intricate tokens and tree models, it's the ideal choice for a chilled afternoon sat around the kitchen table.
Browse our book buyer's guides:
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Chemistry Fluxx (8+)
Looking for a fun way to help your children revise for their Chemistry exams? OK, so it may not be an exact match to the school's curriculum, but this educational board game is a great way to help children get to grips with elements and molecules.
The rules of this card game evolve as you play, so while you may start by drawing and playing a card, that's not how the game will continue. You'll only find cards in the box, so it's a nice choice to take away on a break as you won't have lots of fiddly pieces and counters to worry about, or lose.
Horrible Histories board game (8+)
Travel through history with this Horrible Histories board game and visit the Middle Ages, Tudors and Victorians all in one sitting. Roll the dice, and make your way through time, answering questions and picking up chance cards along the way. You can even enjoy a spot of charades with this board game for kids, so it's a super choice for the performers in your family.
Art Deco Scrabble (10+)
Fancy dusting off your 20-year-old Scrabble board and treating yourself to an upgrade? This Art Deco Scrabble board game features jazzy marble style tiles and the board itself has been given a UV geometric-shaped spruce up. Even the tin is pretty cool so it's an eye-catching board game to have presented on your shelf.
This educational board game is recommended for kids over the age of ten but you can easily adapt Scrabble to suit younger players, or even play in teams to help with spelling, so it's always a winner when you're choosing what to play.
- Buy now from WHSmith (£20.00)
Wordsearch board game (8+)
Here's another educational word game for the whole family to get stuck into, but Wordsearch is far more fast-paced. Rather than creating your own words like in Scrabble, the aim is to spot as many words on the board as you can. So it's essentially a large and competitive group word search. A lot more stressful than the lazy Sunday morning word searches you complete on your own, but way more fun.
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