Back to the Barn!: A Farm Board Game for 2–4 Players

Colorful mini game board for the farm board game “Back to the Barn!” with meadow, pond, barns and path to print

It's evening on the farm, and four animal families have to get from the pasture to their own barn. Back to the Barn! is a dice game for 2–4 kids with a tractor, a farm dog, and a mud puddle along the way. With three levels of play, four-year-olds and big kids can play together.

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What's in the PDFs

There are two separate PDFs: the color version (9 pages) and the coloring version (8 pages). Both include the rules, a large game board on 2 sheets you tape together, a one-page mini board for on the go, 16 stand-up animal pieces (4 cows, 4 pigs, 4 sheep, 4 chickens), a fold-up die, and 24 farm cards with fun animal facts. The color version also has optional card backs.

At a Glance

Players
2–4 players
Age
ages 4+
Pages
9 × A4 + 8 × A4
Time
about 20–30 minutes

📄 What’s on the Pages

Page 1: Rules
How to play, sending pieces back, special squares, three levels, and the animal powers for pros.
Pages 2–3: Large game board
Left and right halves with a glue strip – together a big farm with pasture, lane, and four barns. In color or to color, depending on the PDF.
Page 4: Mini board
The whole board on one page, great for on the go.
Page 5: 16 game pieces
4 cows, pigs, sheep, and chickens each, with slot-together stands.
Page 6: Fold-up die
One large die template with glue tabs.
Pages 7–8: 24 farm cards
Event cards with animal facts, like the hen, farm dog, goat, or chick.
Page 9: Card backs (color PDF only)
Optional card backs with animal heads for double-sided printing.

How to play Back to the Barn!

1
Print the board (for the large one, tape both halves together at the glue strip), then cut out and assemble the pieces and the die.
2
Each player picks an animal family and puts the animals on the 4 pasture spots in their color.
3
Take turns rolling: a 6 lets one animal go through its gate onto the start space with the animal's face – then roll again.
4
Move clockwise around the farm and turn off at your barn entrance (the arrow in your color) into the stalls.
5
The first player with all their animals in the barn wins.

Key rules

1
You have to land in the barn stalls with an exact roll.
2
Land exactly on another player's animal and it goes back to the pasture – hay bale and start spaces are safe.
3
Special spaces: the tractor takes you to the next tractor space, the farm dog moves you 3 spaces ahead, and the mud puddle makes you skip a turn – but pigs move 2 spaces ahead there.
4
Little Farmers (4+): only 2 animals per family, no sending home, no farm cards, start on any number. Family (6+): 4 animals, sending home, and special spaces.
5
Expert (8+): add the farm cards and one animal power per game – cows reroll, sheep form a blocking flock, chickens flap over another animal.

💡 Tips

  • Print the board and pieces on cardstock (65–110 lb) or glue the board onto cardboard so it lasts.
  • Laminate the farm cards if you're playing with a classroom group.
  • Start little ones with 2 animals per family and add the expert rules later.
  • No need for the paper die – a regular die works just as well.

What kids practice

Kids count spaces and learn to read the dots on a die at a glance. They practice taking turns, following rules, and staying cheerful when a piece gets sent home. The farm cards slip in real animal facts, like how a chick needs 21 days in the egg or why cows chew their food twice.

🔄 Variations & Ideas

Color first, then play
Kids color the board, pieces, and die from the coloring version – now it's their very own game.
Travel edition
Tuck the one-page mini board and the pieces into an envelope for road trips.
Team play
With more than 4 kids, pairs share one animal family.

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Why families love PureSketchy:

  • Completely free: Every template with no sign-up, no newsletter, no subscription.
  • Color and B/W: Ready in full color or as a coloring version to make it your own.
  • Print-ready: Clean PDF pages – print on US Letter or A4 and get started.
  • Made to go together: Games, crafts and 272 coloring pages all around the farm.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How big is the large game board?
It's two sheets of paper taped together along a marked glue strip, so it ends up about twice the size of a regular page. For small tables, use the one-page mini board.

How do the animal pieces stand up?
Each animal has a short slit at the bottom and each base has a slit from the top. Slide them together crosswise and the animal stands on its own.

Do we need the farm cards?
No, the 24 farm cards are only for the Expert level. In Little Farmers and Family, the card space is just a regular space.

Is the download free?
Yes, all templates on PureSketchy are 100% free for personal, preschool and classroom use – no sign-up needed.

Is there a German version?
Yes! You can find the German version here: Ab in den Stall!.