Family game a 3 year old can play

[Thomo0111]

Someone at work mentioned that they have a tradition that I really like the sound of and as a family with a soon to be 3 year old and 1 year old I am looking for some traditions we can start as a family.

Their tradition is that the elf brings them a family game to play on Christmas Eve. They do all the usual getting bathed and in to pjs etc then play the game and eat festive snacks before the usual getting santas cookies or mince pies etc ready.

I know 3 is quite young but does anybody have any suggestions for games that may work in this situations for his age please?

Also any other cute traditions ideas are welcomed.

Thanks in advance :-)

Look at some of the Peaceable Kingdom games. He might enjoy Snug as a Bug. They’re all cooperative games so good for when siblings are old enough to play together!
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The Shopping List game is always good too.

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Orchard games, Cars Monopoly maybe (just turned 3 and nearly 4 are obviously very different, and each kid is an individual), Memory, Ludo, Snakes and Ladders, Santa's sack or you could make a simplified version of it.

Try My First Orchard or Unicorn Cloud Stacking from HABA games, or if you're looking for something more budget friendly look at Orchard games. 3 yos are often very good at matching pairs games.

The what's up chicken butt game

There's a lovely orchard game called Tummy Ache, which was a great favourite in our house at that age.

Orchard toys shopping list game - all three of mine loved it at that age

Ants in your pants, I think it’s an orchard game. We still play it now.

Orchard games are good and I’m sure you’ll find something.
Tiddly winks?
Hungry Hippos (be careful with marbles)?

Definitely orchard games, mine are 7&5 now and they're still played on a weekly basis. We liked smelly wellies, llamas in pyjamas, shopping list and bingo at that age. Also matching games are great like tractor match. Rocket game and penalty shoot out more popular now.

V hungry caterpillar game
Looping Louie
Hungry hippos
Rhino hero
Mousetrap
Dobble
Find it games
Kerplunk
Sinking sand
Pop up pirate

Haven't tried it myself but maybe something like buckeroo, if that still exists? Gooey louie as well.

Candyland is great if you can find it, no counting, no reading and no decision making.
You just need to match colours.

Really young children can play it. It was recommended when my brother had a big seizure as a child and lost skills during the following days confusion.

Not quite board games but Buckaroo and Hungry Hippos are favourites round here. Or Cluedo junior but working in teams with a parent for a couple of years.

Dobblw

Some of the traditions we love:

• Christmas Eve boxes. We make a bit of a show of one of us sneaking them onto the doorstep and then pressing the doorbell button and saying "Who on earth would that be at 6pm on Christmas Eve?!" It's nothing special really, same box every year with a Christmassy book, new PJ's, a teddy, a hot chocolate sachet, a bath bomb - that sort of thing- but DD6 says it's her favourite part of Christmas.
• Cards in the Advent calendar with a kindness to do or a Christmas activity- like making a card for a child on hospital, writing a thank you letter to a teacher or watching a Christmas movie as a family.
• Picking a book every night from our stack of Christmas books. 23rd December we always read The Mousehole Cat. 24th is always The Night Before Christmas.
• Driving round to see other people's decorations- we're very lucky to have several houses which put on massive displays to raise money for charities in the local area.
• Going to a light show, we're thinking of Bewilderwood this year, in the past we've done Chester Zoo, Kew Gardens, Tatton Park etc.
• The local town light switch-on which we go to every year.
• The Panto or another Christmas show (the Nutcracker Ballet, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, whatever is on, we usually go to the theatre 3/4 times in December)
• DD's Christmas show- her theatre group always does one!

The Best Worst Ice-cream.
Made by the Exploding Kittens Team and food fun for everyone. It's 4+ but my DD and many of our friends' children have played it well since their 3rd birthday.

Orchard games are educational fun but honestly quite boring/not fun for the whole family. Alternatively a classic snakes and ladders/matching game /dominoes are good fun.

We play Christmas bingo, it’s easy as it’s matching pictures, we have little prizes for a line and full house.

The bluey game is super fun for a 3 year old if they watch the tv show

Pop Up Pirates is perfect for this age. Lots of fun with no rules other than taking turns. Kids find it hysterical when the adults lose.

My 2.5 year old is enjoying Smelly Wellies and Pigs in Pants by Orchard at the moment! As well as good old fashioned snap!

It's hard to find but, if you can find it, think fun roll and play is great for your younger one as well.

We enjoyed the haba my very first games range and also peaceable kingdom games.

Also enjoyed pop up pirate and tumbling monkeys at this age (we said the winner is with the most monkeys as that's easiest for a smaller child).

Orchard games also great fun

Cranium Cadoo may be slightly too old, but i know DD2 used to enjoy fetching things before she could read.
There is another (hullabaloo?) where you have to stand on things.

We have a very old game Forest Friends that DD2 enjoyed when young too.

Pairs matching games, as younger kids can be very good.

Thank you all so much for so many ideas some of these look great. I’ve gone from no idea to can’t decide!!!

We played dobble and happy salmon with our youngest at that age - he needed a bit more time than the rest of us so we had to hold back a bit but still good fun.

First Orchard is good for learning dice, rolling, turn taking, matching actions to the dice etc so really setting up skills for later board games

Is this the one where you all have a trolley and a list and choose a piece?

We used to love playing that. When my youngest was 3, my eldest was 15 and so competetive 😂 we play it now with his daughter and he still can't help himself!

It's a lovely starter game.

Yes! I came here to say this, our DS absolutely loved this at that age and still does at 4