Childhood is all about innocence and fun and what better way to create this than with a board game. Board games unite everyone from Grandpa, to Auntie Sue, to Little Harry.
Nine is in many ways the epicentre of childhood, at nine you are on top of the World, at nine you are halfway between being a tiny baby and adult.
You are old enough to understand and enjoy more complicated games but family games night still brings about that childhood joy so there are plenty of games to choose from when it comes to picking for a nine year old.
OUR TOP PICK
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EDITORS CHOICE
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BEST VALUE
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OUR TOP PICK
The Logo Game (Mini)
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The Logo Game is recommended for eight plus making it the perfect game for a nine year old after a challenge.
This version is the mini making it easy to take on days out or even on holiday with you as well as easier to store.
The original Logo Game is also good, it is exactly the same game just larger so choose which works for you. In both games you use clues and sometimes pictures to guess a brand. How To Play – Each player chooses a playing piece and puts it on the start.
You then take it in turns to ask each other questions from a card, for each one they guess right the player moves to the next available space matching the color of the question.
They continue to be asked all the questions on the card until they get one wrong or come to the end of the card, either of which means that their game is over.
When you reach the winners circle you must answer all four questions on a card correctly to win. How Many Players – Two To FourHow Long Does The Game Take – The Logo Game Mini usually takes somewhere between 20 and 40 minutes to complete however the original can take slightly longer.
EDITORS CHOICE
Cluedo
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Cluedo is a family favourite across all age groups.
It is rated as being suitable for all people over the age of eight however, it is a murder mystery game so should be bought at your own discretion when considering any individual child. How To Play – Cluedo has many different pieces to it including cards, pencils, tick sheets, a board, two dice and playing pieces.
In the beginning everybody has a few cards and tick those off their sheet.
One weapon card, one person card and one room card are then put in the middle where no one can see them. Everyone then spends the game trying to guess which cards they are.
You each have a different starting point, the first player rolls both dice and can then move that amount of spaces in any direction.
The board has lots of different rooms on it and once you are in a room you guess that room combined with a certain weapon and committed by a certain person if the person you ask has one of those cards you can tick it off, if not move on to the next person, if no one has the cards then they should be the ones in the middle, check to see if you have won!How Many Players – Two To SixHow Long Does The Game Take – The game length can vary but usually it is a slightly longer one lasting around half an hour to 40 minutes.
BEST VALUE
Dinosaur Operation
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This is a fun take on an older classic. It requires pretty good hand eye coordination but is a great option for most 9 year olds.
The dinosaur theme makes the game even more exciting and can be fun for anyone with an interest in dinosaurs. How To Play – There is a 3d board with bones and other internal pieces inside, there are then some tweezer like grabbers attached.
You try to get the bones and other parts out without touching the 3d board as this will set the alarm off. Whoever gets more pieces wins. How Many Players – 2 PlusHow Long Does The Game Take – This game is on the shorter side and only lasts around 20 minutes.
RUNNER UP
Snakes And Ladders
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This is one of the most loved board games of all time. The bright colors and wooden decor used in this edition really enhance its traditional vibe.
It is rated as age three plus and is fun for everyone to enjoy together. How To Play – This is one of the simplest games on the list. In order to play you all take it in turns to roll the dice and move that amount of space. If you land on a snake you go down the snake and if you land on a ladder you go up the ladder. The first to the end wins. How Many Players – Two to sixHow Long Does The Game Take – Asking how long this game takes is like asking how long a piece of string is. The length of the game varies massively but generally speaking is no more 5han half an hour.
RUNNER UP
Kids VS Parents
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There are a couple of different editions of this game however, this specific one is “Do You Know Your Family?”.
In this game the parents and children battle it out to see who knows the family best. How To Play – Firstly, you are split into teams, one team is made up of the parents and the other of the children.
You then take it in turns to answer questions on the cards, for each one you get right you take a step forward. Whoever reaches the finish line first is the winner. How Many Players – 2 teams of any amount. How Long Does The Game Take – Generally speaking this is not a very long game however, it really depends on how well the relatives know each other. You are best guessing that the game will take anywhere up to half an hour.
RUNNER UP
Hungry Hungry Hippos
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This game is a timeless, fast-paced classic which can be enjoyed by all of the family. It is rated as being suitable for ages 4- 99 years and we can see why. How To Play – One of the reasons that this game is so popular is that it is so simple.
The board has four hippos attached. Each player controls one hippo and tries to catch as many marbles as possible from the middle.
When all the marbles are gone the players count how many they have and the one with the most wins. How Many Players – 2-4How Long Does The Game Take – This game is super short lasting under 5 minutes a time.
RUNNER UP
Mouse Trap
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Mouse Trap has been loved by generations and is a unique game unlike any other. This game will test lots of different skills and have everyone’s competitive side showing. How To Play – Each player takes a mouse piece and places it on the start. They then move around the board.
They can set certain traps off on each other in order to try and earn cheese slices. The first player to have six cheese slices wins.
There are quite a few more specific game instructions for this one so be sure to read the instruction manual. How Many Players – 2-4How Long Does The Game Take – This game takes around half an hour to complete. Allow a little longer the first few times as it can be difficult to get your head around.
RUNNER UP
Connect Four
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Connect Four is a simple game suitable for most people over the age of six. It is bound to get everyone fighting to be crowned the winner. How To Play – Firstly you set the board up.
You then give all of the yellow tokens to one player and then all of the red tokens to the other, the players take it in turns to put their tokens into the board.
The first player to make a line of four (this can be vertically, horizontally or diagonally) wins. How Many Player – TwoHow Long Does The Game Take – This is a short game, usually lasting under 10 minutes.
RUNNER UP
Scrabble
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Scrabble is a fun game for older children and adults and it can also be very educational. The game is rated eight plus as it requires good knowledge of spelling. How To Play – At any given time players should have seven letter tiles. Each letter also has a number in the corner to show how many points that letter is worth when used.
Players take it in turns to add a word to the board and add up their points for that round. Each word on the board must physically connect to one another.
Certain spaces on the board also have instructions such as triple word score; this means that the player’s score would be tripled for that round. How Many Players – 2-4How Long Does The Game Take – Scrabble can be quite a lengthy game and can even take over an hour.
RUNNER UP
Guess Who
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Guess Who is a fun guessing game that everyone can enjoy. How To Play – In Guess Who each player secretly picks a character that they want to be off the board.
They then take it in turns to ask each other questions such as “Do you wear glasses?” judging by the response to the question they knock down all of the characters that it couldn’t be.
They take it in turns doing this until they are ready to guess who one another are, the first to guess correctly wins. How Many Players – TwoHow Long Does The Game Take – This game is relatively short and usually takes around 15 minutes to complete.
RUNNER UP
The Game of Life
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The Game of Life is great for developing imaginations and also begins to teach children about finances and education in a fun and jokey manner. How To Play – Each player starts as one person in a car, they then spend the game making life decisions such as whether to get a degree, when to start a career and whether to have children and pets.
At the end of the game whoever has the most money wins. How Many Players – 2-4How Long Does The Game Take – This game can really be quite long sometimes even taking over an hour to complete.
RUNNER UP
Monopoly Pixar
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Monopoly is one of the biggest names in the born game industry and this version does not disappoint. How To Play – This game is played exactly the same as the original Monopoly. Certain things are just renamed to be in keeping with the Pixar edition.
The aim of Monopoly is to go around the board collecting money and buying properties and avoiding paying any fines or other players. At the end of the game the player with the most money wins. How Many Players – 2-6How Long Does The Game Take – Monopoly is notorious for being a long game and when played properly it can take hours to complete however you can always take a break.
RUNNER UP
Frustration
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The name of this game really does say it all. Frustration is bound to create frustration!
This fun yet testing game is suitable for everyone and is rated as being a good game for those over the age of six. How To Play – Each player has a home bay containing four little characters they must roll the dice and move that amount of spaces each time until they have safely got all four characters into the end zone.
They can only bring each character into play by rolling a six. Each time you land on another play you send them home. There is also a genie and whoever has this can not be landed on. How Many Players – 2-4How Long Does The Game Last – This game generally lasts somewhere between half an hour and an hour.
RUNNER UP
Code Breaker
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This is a more intellectual game which will also test your guessing skills. How To Play – One player uses some of the pieces to make a code and covers it up. The other player then tries to replicate the code, the player who made the code will mark each piece as correct or incorrect.
The player guessing must try and guess the code before they get to the end of the board. It is no wonder that this game is rated as suitable for those eight and over. How Many Players – TwoHow Long Does The Game Last – This game usually lasts somewhere between 10 and 20 minutes per round.
RUNNER UP
Battleship
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Battleship is a well known game which everyone can enjoy. It is rated suitable for ages 7 and up. How To Play – Each player places their ships onto their board. The other player then uses pins to try and guess where the other player’s ships are. The first player to find all of the other players’ ships is the winner. How Many Players – Two How Long Does The Game Last – Battleship lasts around half an hour.
Best Board Games For 9 Year Olds Buying Guide
Difficulty
Every nine year old is different so it is hard to say exactly what level of difficulty will be suitable. However, you know your child so will have a good idea as to what level of complexity they can deal with.
Generally, at nine years old children can deal with games that have quite a few different elements to them but they still lack the general knowledge to deal with questions aimed at adults.
There are often children’s additions of adult favourites, many of which would be perfect for a nine year old.
Topic
Many games are based around certain topics so it is important to consider whether your child enjoys the given topic and has enough knowledge on it to succeed at the game.
It is also important to consider whether you and your child will both be comfortable with the topic of the game.
Excitement
Children want fun and excitement, they crave it.
When considering excitement you need to consider whether the game has that overall wow factor and whether or not it is something that your child personally will find exciting.
When it comes to seeking out that wow factor somethings to consider are, color, uniqueness and pace.
When it comes to thinking about what your child will find to be an exciting game it is important to consider what other games they enjoy and what topics generally keep them engaged.
Price
At nine a child’s hobbies and interests are continuously changing so very few people want to invest loads of money into a board game that may be abandoned in 6 months so it is important to consider the price when purchasing a game.
Having said this, high price often means high quality so you may not want to go too cheap either.
Child’s Interests
You know your child better than anyone else including their interests.
If you can get a game which links to one of their interests then it is much more likely to be a hit.
You could use a board game to encourage success in their favourite subject at school or in a hobby
Amount Of Players
It is also important to look at the amount of players that a game is suitable for.
It is important that the game doesn’t lead to anyone being left out so if your child has two siblings do not get a two player game.
If they have a particularly large friendship group that they like to play games with then this is also something to consider.
Final Thoughts
Although the market for games for nine year olds is humungous, hopefully after reading our 15 suggestions you will have a better idea in terms of where to start.
You know your child and will know what sort of game they will enjoy and not find too challenging.
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