Board Game Templates You Can Print

Whether you like making games for the classroom or for family game night, this collection of simple printable game boards will make it easier. I’ve shared some printable games before, but it seems like people are always looking for these sorts of things so it was time to share some more.

Favorite Printables has a fun blank printable path style board game, and there’s also an option with some of the slots filled in with different movements. This one also comes with printable challenge cards, and the blog post includes some ideas for what you can put on your cards if you don’t have any ideas. You could also make this a trivia game for things you’ve been learning in class or family lore, or make it a way for players to learn more about each other.

Surviving a Teacher’s Salary has printable board game templates and offers the idea of having kids develop games based on books they have read as an alternative to a traditional book report. She also talks about using them for math concepts, so there are lots of options for making them educational if you want.

This Reading Mama has a great set of printable board games and lots of ideas for how to use them to make your own games. I like the idea of using flash cards to practice reading or basic math to proceed on the board, but you can also come up with your own concepts.

Just Family Fun has a cute set of boards with different themes like a bee going back to the hive, a mouse going to cheese or a path that leads to a gift box. These simple games would be great for little kids and you can color the spaces different colors for different actions (or color spaces and each person uses a different color to advance when they roll a die?).

Do you ever make up your own games using printable board game templates? I’d love to hear about it!

[Photo: Favorite Printables]

Explaining Dia de Los Muertos to kids can be difficult because most of us don’t generally talk about death or what happens when we die a lot with our kids. But Dia de los Muertos is actually a happy, not scary occasion that allows us to remember loved ones, share stories and come together as a community.

While it is mostly celebrated by people of Mexican heritage, the day has become more well known thanks to movies and other media representations. And there are some great children’s books to help explain and allow you to celebrate the holiday if you want.

Dia de Muertos by Jaque Jours, illustrated by Alejandra Ruiz (48 pages, hardcover, published 2025 by words & pictures, suggested retail price $14.99) tells the story of a family getting their ofrenda (altar for the dead) ready and how they remember people who have died through decorations, food and sharing stories.

It covers the classic decorations and rituals of Dia de los Muertos including using cempasúchil (in English we call them marigolds) and papel picado (cut paper banners), pan de muerto and la catrina, the elaborately dressed, skull faced women that are a common site at Dia de los Muertos gatherings.

The back of the book explores how the day is celebrated throughout Mexico as well as the meanings of different symbols. There’s a recipe for pan de muerto, a tutorial for making papel picado and tips for doing makeup to look like like la catrina/el catrin.

Want to try more traditional foods? The Dia de Los Muertos Cookbook is a companion to The Dia de Los Muertos Story, both of which are by Andrea Jáuregui de la Torre and illustrated by Laura González (52 pages, hardcover paper over boards, published 2026 by becker & meyer kids!, suggested retail price $19.99).

The book opens with some discussion of the meaning of Dia de los Muertos and why food is an important part of the day. The recipes included are easy enough for kids to make with minimal help, and all based on food memories from her childhood.

There are recipes for hibiscus iced tea, Mexican corn and salsa, tortillas, molletes (open faced sandwiches with beans and cheese), jicama fries and sugar skulls to name a few.

Other activities in the book include papel picado, coffee filter marigolds, making your own playlist and making an ofrenda.

Together these books give young readers insight into this holiday that might be new or confusing to them, while also giving you a chance to get in the kitchen together and make your own Dia de los Muertos memories.

Have you read?

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