Games for Children at Spotlight on Games

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Games for Children
Let's face it, we're getting older and whether we have our own or not, now there are more children in our lives. They're getting older and smarter all the time and there are so many reasons to share with them our wonderful hobby. But what are the games to use? I took a survey among several friends and here are the resulting suggestions on what has worked well for us.

These games are grouped by age. The nice thing is that in most cases the appeal of these games is not limited to the ages listed, but can be enjoyed by those older, even adults, as well.

See also New Games for Chilren in 2010

Aged 4+

Gulo Gulo
Dexterity game of removing a wooden egg from a bowl as gently as possible.
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Loopin' Louie
Action and dexterity game with players reacting to a circling plane.
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Aged 5+

Blokus
Abstract game of passing and blocking.
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1000 und ein Schatz
Players have found the cave of the 40 thieves; how much of their treasure can they pack onto their donkeys and get away before the thieves return?
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Aged 6+

Chateau Roquefort
Players are mice searching for cheese on a board with a false floor.
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Circus Flohcati
Press-your-luck card game set in a flea circus.
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Giro Galoppo
Great looking wooden horses race via cardplay.
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Hai Alarm!!!
"Shark Alarm" is a simple but fascinating card game of bluffing.
SHOP

Insel der Schmuggler
Smuggler's Island; move our boat trying not to get into the beam from the light house.
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Kakerlaken Poker
"Cockroach Poker" is a simple but fascinating card game of bluffing.
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Pitchcar/Carabande
Dexterity/race game of flicking round, wooden markers along a track.
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Villa Paletti
Dexterity game of building and un-building a poorly supported multi-story building.
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Aged 7+

Carrousel
Horse cards are arranged in a circle; if you can make one change so that their order matches a card in your hand you get a point.
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Himmelstürmer (Great Balloon Race)
Differently-colored hot air balloon race via dice, but who is backing which?
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Honeybears
Differently-colored bears race via card play.
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King's Breakfast
Card drafting game at the table of Louis XIV.
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Savannah Cafe
A race between a gazelle, a lion and a hippo.
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Aged 8+

Amazing Labyrinth
Wander a labyrinth collecting tiles and satisfying a secret goal.
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Bug Bluff
Players bluff to try to give away their cards, avoiding having four-of-a-kind.
SHOP

Cairo
Dexterity game of flicking items from a barge as it traverses the Nile.
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Carcassonne
Tile-placement game in the medieval French city.
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Cartagena
Game of pirate prisoners racing to escape to a waiting boat.
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Clue: the Card Game
Use your powers of deduction in a streamlined card game format.
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Dominion
Card game of building the best deck amid a wide variety of options.
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Elk Fest
Dexterity game for two of flicking wooden pieces.
SHOP

Eselsrennen
Multi-colored donkey reacing, but who is betting on which?
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Fluch der Mumie
Players are treasure hunters, but one is a mummy trying to catch them.
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SHOP Game of penguins competing to claim the most fish.
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Igel Ärgern
Racing game of hedgehogs who tend to get very rolled up with one another.
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Kupferkessel Co.
Game for two of collecting magical ingredients.
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Maestro
Players manage a group of musicians, trying to place them into concerts.
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Midnight Party
Game of partygoers fleeing the sudden appearance of a ghost.
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Mole in the Hole
A fierce competition between mole tames to dig and reach the golden shovel.
SHOP

Pick Picknick
Chickens competing for the most food while trying to avoid the attention of foxes.
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Survive!
Fleeing the exploding island of Atlantis.
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Tally Ho!
Move-and-capture game for two between bears and hunters in the woods.
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Telestrations
Hilarious party game like the old Telephone game, but with pictures.
SHOP

10 Days in Europe
By drawing and discarding country cards, be the first to create a complete ten-day tour of Europe. Similar games are available for Africa, Asia, the Americas and USA.
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TransAmerica
Game of track-laying across America.
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Who's the Ass?
In this climbing card game, don't get stuck with the ass.
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Wits and Wagers Family
Great party game in which it's not so much what you know, but how much you can determine what others know.
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Aged 9+

Duell
Two-player game of fencing, depending on cards.
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Olympia 2000 BC
Simultaneous card play game of ancient Greek Olympians.
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Aged 10+

Around the World in 80 Days
Try to be the first to traverse the world by train, boat and elephant.
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Café International
Players are maitre'd's trying to place international diners as well as possible.
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Emerald
Dwarves seeking gold and jewels in the dangerous cave of a hungry dragon.
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Expedition
Scientific expeditions traverse the globe.
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Flying Carpet
Racing game among the clouds and wind currents.
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Franks Zoo
Climbing card games in which various animals chase away others.
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Mamma Mia
Memory game of making pizzas.
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The Settlers of Catan
Establish and develop presence on a newly-settled island.
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Take it Easy
Tile placement game in which every player works on his own board.
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Wildlife Adventure
Zoological expeditions traverse the globe.
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