If you like natural history, wildlife, and spending time in the great outdoors, you'll love these nature board games! Travel the planet, exploring and cultivating ecosystems as you learn about the living things that makes our world so special. These games all have an educational element, but they also employ strategy and competitive tactics. Bring them to game night, gift them to curious friends and family, or add them to your classroom game shelf!
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Planet
As soon as you open the box, you'll be intrigued by the individual 12-sided playing boards. Turn by turn, each player adds tiles to build a balanced and thriving ecosystem, earning animals to live on their planet. This is one of those nature board games that's equally at home at family game night or a classroom game collection. (2-4 players, ages 8+)
Trekking the National Parks
We created Trekking the National Parks to celebrate the beautiful and amazing public lands throughout the United States. Take a trip through the parks as you work your way across the board, using strategy to claim parks, collect cards and stones, and build up the most victory points. Each card includes fascinating facts and gorgeous photos of the parks, so you'll learn while you play. For even more parks fun, check out Trekking the National Parks: Trivia! (2-5 players, ages 10+)
Cascadia
You're exploring the Pacific Northwest in this beautiful game. The publishers describe it as as, "A puzzly tile-laying and token-drafting game featuring the habitats & wildlife of the Pacific Northwest." You'll work to achieve wildlife goals and protect their habitat along the way. It's got a buzz going in the game world and is definitely worth checking out. (1-4 players, ages 10+)
Ecos: The First Continent
Shape the world tile by tile, adding grasslands, deserts, and oceans to prepare it for life. Create the planet you've always wanted to see! Everyone plays simultaneously on each turn, so Ecos is fast-paced and engaging for everyone. (2-6 players, ages 14+)
Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis celebrates the incredible life cycle of trees, requiring a surprising amount of real-life strategy to create a thriving forest. Plant seeds and nurture your saplings until they reach full bloom, when their leaves collect energy points. Watch out, though—taller trees can leave yours in the shade and block them from collecting points! (2-4 player, ages 8+)
Ecosystem
You'll learn a lot while you're playing this card-drafting game, but that doesn't mean it's only for classrooms. There's plenty of strategy involved as you collect and arrange cards, earning points by aligning animals with the habitats they need most. Maximize your biodiversity to win! (2-6 players, ages 14+)
Wingspan
Bird nerds, this one's for you! But honestly, anyone can enjoy this award-winner that's been taking the gaming world by storm. Create a habitat to attract new birds, offering them food and shelter so they'll move in to nest and lay eggs. The beautifully-illustrated bird cards (and miniature eggs!) are a big part of the draw, along with imaginative and strategic gameplay. (1-5 players, ages 14+)
Trails
Looking for a quick game of 20 minutes or less? Try Trails, a card-based game that takes you on a trip to natural places across the U.S. As you hike the trails, you'll gather resources to trade in for wilderness badges. Go birding, take photos, and encounter wildlife to earn bonuses. Trails comes in a small box, just the right size to throw in your bag on your next camping trip! (2-4 players, ages 10+)
Arboretum
Have you ever dreamed of cultivating your own park or botanical garden? Arboretum gives you the chance to do just that! Draw and place cards to build a garden path, working to amass the highest number of points. Be careful with your discards, since other players can pick them up and add them to their own paths. The rules are simple to understand, but the strategy becomes increasingly complex as you master the game. (2-4 players, ages 8+)
Canopy
Earth's rainforests are endangered, but this game gives you the chance to craft your own. Draw cards from your tree growth pile and add them to your rainforest, working to build biodiversity and attract animals. Be careful, though, since wildfires, disease, and drought can threaten your forest and lose you points. (1-4 players, ages 8+)
Missing Lynx
This is one of the newer nature games on the market, and it's really unique. Players travel the globe, working together to rescue wildlife in trouble. Each card is full of cool animal facts, so you'll discover new information every time you play. (2-6 players, ages 10+)
Love to learn while you play? Check out these History Board Games That Take You on a Trip Through Time!
