The Best Group Games for Kids

Group games for kids are a wonderful way to blend FUN with education while fostering essential skills. Whether it's teamwork, social and communication skills, or problem-solving, games are a great alternative to formal lessons and undoubtedly keep learners engaged and entertained.

Whether you're looking for group game ideas, fun group games for kids, or small group games for kids, SimplyFun has a group game for all ages and stages. Within these group game ideas, children of all ages (including tweens and teens) can learn or practice how to collaborate, negotiate, and navigate all sorts of social dynamics in a fun, stress-free setting.

Get ready to turn off the screens and let interactive gameplay be the 'fun teacher' of essential social and collaboration skills.

Importance of Group Games for Kids

Some of the important reasons for participating in kids group games is that it builds and fosters social skills, which are an essential part of a child's development. Social skills are vital because they help a child communicate, cooperate, and interact with others effectively. Kids with strong social skills are better equipped to handle a variety of different social situations, build positive and meaningful relationships, and manage the complexities of the world around them. On another level, participating in group activities for kids develops empathy, makes them more adaptable, and fosters conflict-resolution skills. These face-to-face interactions are a great way to practice these skills in a fun and supportive environment.

Benefits of Group Games for Kids

There are many benefits to both small group games for kids and large group games for kids. Regardless of the group size, kids will learn how to collaborate and play cooperatively, teamwork, listen, express ideas and emotions effectively, and practice problem-solving and decision-making. Even better, when kids participate in games for groups of kids they are promoting belonging, inclusivity, respect, fairness, and more. These are not only wonderful traits to practice, but they can lead to higher self-esteem and confidence in kids. Win-win!

Group Games for Preschoolers

It's no surprise to hear that preschoolers love to play games! It's one of the most significant ways they build skills and learn. It stimulates their imagination, often gets them physically moving (which they need a lot of), and encourages active participation. Here are some of our favorite group game ideas for preschool-age children.

1. Animal Snacks: In Animal Snacks, players practice their matching skills as they match the colors and patterns on the die to one of the animals or snacks. They’ll also practice taking turns by waiting patiently as the other players roll the die and move animals from player to player until they roll a purple. Now, it's snack time, and everyone feeds their animals! The first player to feed all their snacks to the animals wins the game. 2-5 players • Ages 3 & up.

2. Buddy Hop: Get your preschoolers' body moving as they hop through two games in one! Game one concentrates on building memory and sequencing skills; game two concentrates on building quick visual association skills.Keeping kids active is an important part of building gross motor skills. And the memory components of Buddy Hop help little ones learn to 'think’ while they move! 2-5 players • Ages 4 & up.

3. Watch My Wings: Can you find the butterflies with the matching wings? Players spin the spinner to see what match to make, and then search for a butterfly that matches that color, shape, or both. Everyone at the same time searches the butterfly field to collect as many matching butterflies as they can, enabling skills like focus and self-control. 2-5 players • Ages 4 & up.

4. Wake Up Stars: Find out what makes your friends happy or sad. Players aged 3 & up collect stars and share stories about what makes them feel the emotions found on the faces of the stars. Wake Up Stars is great for developing group storytelling skills and helps foster social relationships; players practice empathy by talking about how someone else might feel based on the expression on the star they have chosen. 2-4 players • Ages 3 & up.

Group Games for Elementary School Kids

Elementary-age kids are still in the game-loving era of their lives and are often eager to explore new challenges and expand their social circles. Participating in group games and activities at this age encourages cooperation and creativity and can lead to the discovery of individual strengths. Here are some of our favorite group game ideas for elementary-age children.

1. ARTributes: A game where players guess what you have drawn based on the descriptive words shown on the chosen cards. ARTributes is good for increasing vocabulary as players learn and use a fun range of adjectives. It also helps encourage imagination and creativity as players choose descriptive words and then draw an image related to those words. 3-6 players • Ages 7 & up.

2. Asymbol: Flex your creativity and imagination with Asymbol! In this hilarious and interactive group game for kids, players take turns drawing category cards and creating the subject using any number of the 47 pieces in the game. Be the resourceful builder and correct guesser to score points and win! 3-6 players • Ages 8 & up.

3. Pickles' Pig Tales: Join Pickles the Pig on a journey of fun and adventure in this engaging storytelling game. Weave fantastic and whimsical tales as you help Pickles reach the castle by working together to create the story one sentence at a time. Each player takes turns reciting the story and adding another sentence around the image on the card drawn. 2-5 players • Ages 6 & up.

4. The Reel Script: Let's play The Reel Script, where you’ll create your own screenplay by bidding on “lines” for a movie, forming them into scripts, and then pitching them to other players in hopes of being voted the best! Players will develop imaginative storylines across six different categories such as adventure, drama, and action. Building the storyline allows players to access their creative spirit while bidding for story elements draws on critical thinking and probability assessment skills. 3-5 players • 8 & up.

Group Games for Middle School Kids & Beyond

The complexities of this age group are beyond a doubt. Tweens and teens are often seeking opportunities for self-expression and social interaction while also engaging in critical thinking and problem-solving. Here are some of our favorite group game ideas for middle-school-age children and beyond.

1. Amalgam: Fill your cauldrons with an amalgam of ingredients to create the most potent potions. Use your memory to gather and collect as many of the same type of ingredients as you can for the strongest result. 2-6 players • Ages 12 & up.

2. High Tail It!: Run and jump your way to the finish line in this energizing game of animal athletics. High Tail It! is an exciting game of kangaroo racing in which players jump over one another to advance around the game board. Plan out the best paths and make the most of every turn to be the first player to get all five kangaroos across the river. High Tail It! helps sharpen problem-solving skills and encourages players to look at the board from all possible perspectives. 2-4 players • Ages 10 & up.

3. Qualities: Get to know your friends better with this fun group guessing game! Players vote and try to predict how others will rank certain activities, values, or qualities. If you guess correctly, you get the Quality card — collect two sets of these to win! This game promotes self-awareness and social-emotional learning and is a fun and engaging way to develop communication skills. You may even discover some truths about yourself along the way. 2-7 players • Ages 12 & up.

4. Zone to Zone: Players roll the dice to strategically move across the gameboard while also blocking the movements of their opponents. The first player to move more than half their pieces to the starting positions in the opposite zone wins. 2-6 players • Playtime: 30 minutes • Ages 12 & up.

Tips for Organizing Group Games for Kids

1. Understand the age group and tailor select games that cater to the age group's interests, attention spans, and physical abilities.

2. Promote inclusivity by creating an environment where all children feel welcome.

3. Ensure children understand the rules, objectives, and expectations of the game. Remain nearby to provide further instructions and/or to clarify the game mechanics.

4. Encourage collaboration by creating opportunities for children to work together and share ideas.

5. Acknowledge and appreciate every child's efforts and celebrate their participation and positive attitude.

From preschoolers to pre-teens, every child can benefit from participating in many different types of games for groups of kids. By providing a supportive environment and adapting games to children's needs, parents, teachers, and caretakers can encourage fundamental learning, inclusivity, and social, emotional, and cognitive development.

So, gather a group - large or small - and get ready to create lasting memories as you witness children laugh and learn through interactive and educational playtime.

Game on!

Want even more great game recommendations? Check out:

Essential Brain Training Games for Kids

Ultimate Wooden Board Game Guide

This blog was originally published on November 14, 2023. It was updated on July 15, 2024.