Zingo

Zingo was one of the first board games we ever bought our daughter. This is a simple game of bingo that kids ages 4+ can play. They do not need to know how to read, but are exposed to words as they play the game. The one we purchased is the original Zingo game with a picture and the word written below it. They have a lot of variations available (word builder, math, sight words and much more!). We got Zingo because my husband and I wanted to find an educational game that our family could play together. It was such a hit from the start!

Dani loved it because of its simple nature. Very easy for her to understand. It is a competitive game that requires speed. Before playing this game, we only purchased one cooperative game that did not involve winners and losers. At first Dani got upset when she lost, but over time we were able to teach her that some games have winners. She learned to be competitive but also happy for the winner if she lost. Once she understood that, it was so fun to play this game as a family. I remember we took it out almost every night at one point. Let me just say that multiple Zingo board ended up being torn because we played it often. We purchased other variations of Zingo, but the original version ultimately became one of our favorites.

Exposing kids to board games at an early age is very beneficial. Builds knowledge and understanding of how competition works and also allows children to practice learning something new in a safe space. Dani built confidence with this game and it made her want to try more boards games in the end. Most of all, I love that board games allow interactive family time. I know that after a long day of work and other obligations, thinking about playing a board game might seems like a drag. But children's games do not take long to complete, so it is such a great option in spending time with your kids. 10 mins of uninterrupted play time is better than trying to do something long and being distracted or tired. Once your child knows how to read, the sight word version of the game is also very fun and educational. I have a list of board games that our children enjoy playing...so look out for more recs!