10 Best Board Games to Help Children Fall in Love with Reading

When Reading Feels Like a Battle

You’ve tried bedtime stories. You’ve tried comics, magazines, even letting them pick the books themselves. And still—your child just doesn’t love to read. It’s a worry many parents share, especially when reading feels like homework or, worse, a trigger for stress and frustration.

But what if there was a backdoor into the world of stories? One that didn’t require silent pages or the pressure of "reading aloud"? For many kids aged 6 to 12, board games offer just that—a playful, engaging way to fall in love with words without even realizing it.

Through character cards, storytelling, dialogue, mission-based narratives, and puzzles that rely on language to progress, board games can bridge the gap between play and literacy. Here’s how to harness their power to deepen your child’s connection to reading.

Why Board Games Can Spark a Love for Reading

When kids interact with board games, they’re doing more than just moving pawns across a board. They’re following narrative arcs, reading instructions, interpreting clues, building vocabulary, collaborating with teammates—and most importantly, they’re having fun doing it.

In our article on board games that respect every child’s learning pace, we explore how play can reduce the pressure associated with traditional educational settings. Especially with reading, creating a joyful environment is key to nurturing intrinsic motivation.

10 Board Games That Make Reading Fun Again

The following board games are not necessarily "educational" in the traditional sense, but each one fuels language, storytelling, or comprehension skills in thoughtful and child-friendly ways. They're perfect for children who are reluctant readers—or who love stories but struggle with decoding the words.

• Rory's Story Cubes – A pocket-sized game with dice that have pictures instead of numbers. Roll, and then create a story using all the images shown. Ideal for creative storytelling and oral language development.
• Once Upon a Time – Players use illustrated cards to tell a collaborative fairy tale, guiding the story while gently steering it toward their secret ending. A brilliant narrative tool.
• Word on the Street Junior – A tug-of-war word game that builds vocabulary and works on spelling and quick thinking. It’s fast-paced and sneakily educational.
• Outfoxed! – A cooperative whodunit that requires reading clues, deductive reasoning, and teamwork. Great for 6- to 9-year-olds just getting into mystery narratives.
• Pandemic: Rapid Response – While not focused on reading per se, games like this get kids invested in sequence, strategy, and role-based communication that encourages reading directions and taking turns narrating actions.
• Dixit – With stunning art and wordplay, this is perfect for children who love imagination. Players describe surreal dream-like images in a way that gets others to guess (but not too easily!).
• Sleeping Queens – Simple yet strategic, it involves reading short text cards to bring royal characters to life. Great for early readers who need engagement without overload.
• My First Bananagrams – A stepping stone to word-building games that uses a simplified set of letter tiles. Encourages curiosity about spelling in a very tactile, non-pressured way.
• Apples to Apples Junior – A party game of comparisons that hones vocabulary, humor, and even persuasive speaking as kids try to defend their card choices.
• Storymatic Kids – A creative writing tool disguised as a game. Draw cards with characters and situations, then string them into fun and quirky narratives.

Creating the Right Environment for Story-Driven Play

Games alone don’t magically change reading habits. What matters is the emotional setting: Is your child allowed to be silly with language? To lead the story in wild directions? To invent words or act things out? That freedom makes board games a safer space than books sometimes feel like.

For children feeling defeated by reading comprehension work in school, games offer a no-pressure context to rebuild confidence and teamwork through storytelling. If you join them in the game, you're modeling positive reading behavior—even if they don’t realize it’s “literacy.”

Extra Tip: Stories Come in Many Forms

Some children resist reading because they feel behind, or because they associate it with struggle. But stories aren’t confined to books—and great storytelling can plant the seeds for reading later on.

A gentle way to develop their imagination outside print is through audio. The iOS or Android version of the LISN Kids app offers a huge library of original audiobooks and audio series crafted for children aged 3 to 12—perfect for car rides, quiet time, or following along with a board game that includes a themed soundtrack or narrative companion.

Choosing the Right Game for Your Child

Knowing your child’s temperament helps. Some kids love competition; others prefer collaboration. Some warm to fantasy worlds; others connect best with real-world problem solving. Our article on choosing board games by age and interest can help you tailor the experience so it clicks.

Don’t forget that "educational" doesn’t have to mean boring—and "progress" doesn’t always look like reading more chapters per night. Sometimes, real growth hides inside a storytelling cube or under a queen’s sparkling crown.

Final Thought

As a parent navigating learning challenges, you're not alone—and you’re doing more than enough already. Board games won’t transform a reluctant reader overnight. But over time, they can chip away at resistance, spark a sense of discovery, and reframe reading as something to giggle through, puzzle over, and share.

So the next time you worry about skipping a chapter book, reach for a deck of storytelling cards instead. The path to becoming a reader isn’t always straight—it can be playful, winding, and full of game night laughter along the way.