Instructive classic games for teaching kids

I think the Opera game is a nice game to get people interested in the exciting romantic tactical chess, but im not sure id find that good as an instructive game. I guess I'd take games from famous tacticians as well as good defensive players and positional players. For every Morphy and Frank Marshall, there is an even more instructive Karpov, Petrosian, and Botvinnik game.

Maybe games that feature some imaginative gambits but not totally dubious? Evans gambit, Danish gambit for example? 

If you want to go classical but not too far back, Steinetz, Lasker, and Casablanca "inmortal games" might be a happy medium.

You might want to look at the Opera Game again.  It really is a lovely lesson in how to create threats in an open position.  Almost every move accomplishes two or more things at once, which is great for teaching.  ("Can you find a move that develops a piece and also threatens mate?" "Can you find a move that threatens two key pawns at once?" "Can you find a move that attacks a pinned piece and also gets your king to safety?") And every single move is even engine approved (assuming you don't worry about the difference between, +1.7 and +1.9 in one instance), including the knight sacrifice (and, obviously, the queen sacrifice).

I guess I'm among those who think Morphy was a lot more than a Romantic daredevil.  He has an extraordinary understanding of how to get a good position in open games, well ahead of his time.  The subsequent fireworks are just icing on the cake.

This is for excited six-year-olds, so I don't think a Karpov squeeze is going to do it.  Some Lasker/Steinitz/Capablanca wins might though.

I have no problem with Morphy's play, its his opponents play that wasn't the greatest, but hey I didnt know your audience was 6 so yeah of course you should go with the Opera game! Take care,

Eric.

P.s. I also have a soon to be 7 year old that might enjoy the opera game so ill let you know if I find anything "better" later on if I find something exciting. Firouza comes to mind.

Capablanca games are instructive: a clear, simple style.
This is a good one, annotated by Capablanca himself:
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1241504 

A First Book of Morphy by Frisco Del Rosario.

This is an annotated collection of selected games of Paul Morphy, one of the great chess players of all time, and a master of the open game (i.e., games beginning 1.e4 e5).  The book is targeted to the beginner-intermediate player.  I recommend this as the first games collection book for study by the beginner-novice.  One would be hard pressed to find a more instructive introductory games collection illustrating the fundamental principles of good chess.

all of the games in the book...

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chesscollection?cid=1024750

I also recommend Lev Alburt's Comprehensive Chess Course.  Volume 2 of the course includes many short, instructive games designed to teach chess principles and technique, and is especially appropriate for kids.  I comment on the course in my Chess.com blog article...

Chess Courses - Instructional Resources

discover more chess resources, including chess book recommendations, in my blog...

https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell

Reti vs Bogoljubov, New York 1924 is one of my favorites. It illustrates how to demolish a shaky center by using Pawn-levers as battering rams.

The final move of the game is one of the most elegant finishing combinations ever played!

Fischer Fine in the Evans gambit is a short instructive use of gambit development and use of the initiative.

Thanks much -- yes, these are helpful.