8 Engaging Games and Puzzles to Entertain Your Littles

Cold weather is coming and that means cozy nights in are on their way. While it may be tempting to fall back on screen time, consider breaking out some kid-friendly board games instead! Games and puzzles not only boost language and problem solving skills, they provide valuable lessons in sportsmanship. Here at Mother & Earth, we have games for everyone in the family, no matter their skill level. Below are 8 of our favorite games and puzzles for snowy days, family game night, or whenever you need a quick activity  to keep your little ones busy. 

First Orchard - $27.99 - Ages 2+

This cooperative game has an educational edge, teaching counting and colors as you work together to gather fruits before the raven reaches the orchard. Children are also being introduced to basic game fundamentals like rolling a die, taking turns, and following rules. The wooden pieces inspire open ended play - use the fruit to play grocery store, or play with the raven piece in a dollhouse! 

Haba has a wide variety of board games designed for small players - check out Animal Upon Animal or Here, Fishy, Fishy! for games that everyone can enjoy!

My Body Suuupersize Puzzle - $24.99 - Ages 3+ 

Explore the wonders of the human body with this 84-piece puzzle from Banana Panda! Spark your little scientist’s curiosity with 6 jumbo puzzles that teach about the systems that make our bodies function, inside and out.  Banana Panda also makes the My Body Observation Puzzle for children ages 7 and up who are itching to learn anatomy!

Interested in more Suuupersize fun? Banana Panda also makes a Suuupersize Memory Game, with jumbo farm animal cards that for tons of matching fun. 

Hoot Owl Hoot - $17.99 - Ages 4+ 

Hoot Owl Hoot is a fun and colorful game from the brand Peaceable Kingdom. In this game players help the owls fly back to their nest before the sun comes up. The game is easy enough for first time game players and can be made infinitely more challenging simply by adding more owl tokens into the game, allowing kids of all ages to play!

Peaceable Kingdom makes beautiful and engaging games that little ones will beg to play! Pick up Mermaid Island or Stories of the Three Coins for more fun.

Princess Fairyland Giant Floor Puzzle - $19.99- Ages 5+

Is your little one obsessed with all things magical? The Princess Fairyland Floor Puzzle from Melissa and Doug is a sturdy puzzle made from recycled paper and soy-based ink. The extra-large pieces are designed for tiny hands to grab, and the beautiful artwork makes it a toy that your child will want to play with over and over. 

For more giant floor puzzle fun, grab ABC Animals or America the Beautiful.  

Qwirkle - $27.99 - Ages 6+

This best-seller from Mindware is a matching game that's perfect for your next family game night. Players score points by building rows and columns of brightly-colored tiles that are either all the same color or all the same shape, without creating duplicates; create a line of all six in a row, and you score a "Qwirkle." This game is simple enough for beginners, but challenging enough for more competitive players. 

Need a bigger challenge? Try Q-Bitz, a visual dexterity game with 3 different modes of play!

Dinosaur Shaped Scene Puzzle - $17.99 - Ages 7

What's cooler than a dinosaur? How about a dino within a dino! This puzzle from Mudpuppy features a colorful dinosaur scene, all in the shape of a stegosaurus. This 300 piece puzzle is made from recycled paper and nontoxic ink for tons of fun, safe play.

Looking for more puzzles with wow-factor? Cats Big and Small has an optical illusion that makes the cats grow before your very eyes - or grab the Llama Land Fuzzy Puzzle, made with vibrant colors and a velvety-smooth feel. 

Tenzi - $14.99 - Ages 7+

It's a fun fast frenzy for the whole family! Tenzi is one of the fastest games you'll ever play. Everyone gets ten dice. Someone says, “Go.” Then everyone rolls and rolls as fast as they can until someone gets all their dice on the same number and shouts “TENZI.” This game is perfect for kids with short attention spans, and makes a great stocking stuffer!

Mastered Classic Tenzi? Check out these other ways to play Tenzi or try Buildzi and Slapzi! 

299 Dogs and a Cat - $19.99 - Ages 8+

Where's that cat? This canine cluster puzzle features 299 dogs...and one cat. Featuring dog-shaped pieces, this 300 piece jigsaw masterpiece will provide hours of fun for avid puzzlers and pet-lovers of all ages. 

For the cat-lover in your life grab Music Cats, a puzzle that reimagines some of our favorite musicians as cats! 

Does your game library need refreshing? Click here or visit us in store to check out our game wall!