While board games are generally geared to the enjoyment of players of all ages, there does remain a special market specifically designed for young children. There are a number of board games made solely for the benefit of children and because of the popularity of these board games with this age group, many of these games have become long standing classics. When these children grow up, they fondly remember the board games of their youth and when introducing games to their new children, it is often these time-tested classics that make the cut. Many of the classic children's board games have been around for a very long time and it would probably be safe to assume that this isn't a fact that is about to soon change.



Uncle Wiggily is one of these classic board games, having first been produced in 1916. It is based on a character from a series of children's books that aren't entirely familiar to the general public today. However, the game is still considered to be one of the classic board games for children. The object of this game is to move the iconic rabbit, Uncle Wiggily, along the path from his bungalow to the Dr. Possum's house. The game follows a single track that players race around by drawing cards, some which move the player farther along and some of which even instruct the player to move backwards. The game doesn't require heavy thinking and it allows younger players a great chance to enjoy a game without feeling out of the league.

Candy Land is another heavily popular game that is well suited for even younger ages than Uncle Wiggily. In this game, players race around a track through the magical Candy Land, passing many different locations and characters in their search for the missing King Kandy. Through the race, they will pass through the Candy Cane Forest and Gumdrop Mountains, as well as encounter characters such as Mr. Mint, Jolly, Gramma Nutt, Lord Licorice, and Princess Frostine. Movement is determined by drawing cards which show a certain color on it. When that color is drawn, players move forward to the next space with that color on it. Some cards, instead of showing a color, show a picture of a character on it. When one of these cards is drawn, the player must immediately move to wherever that character is located on the board. Because of this, Candy Land can end up being a high stakes race without a sure outcome. It is well suited to young children and the classic game should be popular with them.

Many other games are popular with pre-school aged children, such as Cootie, where players race to build a bug out of different parts. Don't Break the Ice teaches players how to analyze a situation, by having them slowly tap "ice cubes" out of a tray. If the player taps the wrong ice cube, the entire structure tumbles down. There are many games suited to helping children start to build basic skills, all packaged within an environment of great fun. When it comes to pre-school children, there are a great number of games available to help them both learn and have fun while doing it!