The Best Nintendo Switch Games for Kids

The Nintendo Switch is a popular hybrid games console loved by kids and parents and provides on-the-go gaming entertainment that can be enjoyed without an internet connection; there are also plenty of ‘no gun’ game choices for parents who prefer this option.

If you’ve decided to treat your child to a Switch for their next birthday or want to buy a game as a gift for a kid who is lucky enough to own a console already, you may be wondering which to select. We can help! Below you’ll find our pick of the very best Nintendo Switch games for kids that’ll provide hours of family fun.

Contents:

• What is Nintendo Switch and Why Kids Love It
• 25 Best Nintendo Switch Games for Kids
  • Summary: Best Nintendo Switch Games for Kids by Age Grou
• Choosing the Best Nintendo Switch Game for Kids: The Takeaway
• FAQ
  • What is the Best Nintendo Switch Game for a 7-Year-Old?
  • What Nintendo Switch Games are Suitable for 6 Years Old?
  • Does Nintendo Switch Have Games for 5-Year-Olds?

What is Nintendo Switch and Why Kids Love It

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The console is extremely versatile: it can be connected to your TV screen or placed in its dock to make a mini stand-up screen, and it features great parental controls. The Nintendo Switch features easy-to-use controllers and is perfect for both younger children and older kids, and there’s a wide range of games available for the device, including many high-quality educational options.

The Nintendo Switch is highly portable and incorporates two in-built controllers, which makes it great for two-player gaming, both at home and on the go. Plus, it’s exceptionally easy to set up, so there’s no need to spend ages flipping through complicated instructions before the fun can start!

25 Best Nintendo Switch Games for Kids

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

• Price: $49.99
• Game rating: 5/5
• Age rating: For everyone

This game is perfect for even the youngest members of the family—it’s toddler friendly and allows four people to play on the same system, so it can be enjoyed by siblings or a group of friends. The aim of Animal Crossing is to build a community from scratch on a desert island. Everything can be customized, from the characters to the landscape and even the decorations used in the homes!

Children will be fascinated with how their island life matches the real world, with the game reflecting the ‘real’ season and time of day. Their curiosity will be sparked, too, by the opportunity to explore everything their new community offers, including amazing wildlife and fascinating fossils—which is why we rate Animal Crossing as one of the very best Nintendo Switch games for toddlers.

Pokemon Brilliant Diamond

• Price: $48.75
• Age rating: For everyone
• Game rating: 4.5/5

Suitable for kids of all ages, Pokemon Brilliant Diamond breathes new life into a much-loved classic: players must embark on a quest to become the ultimate Champion of the Pokemon League. Along the way, children can dig up Pokemon Fossils and other items as part of exploring the Grand Underground and take part in the Super Contest Show.

On their journey, players will meet and befriend Pokemons and select one to walk alongside them throughout the game. They’ll love being able to talk to these characters and have them respond as they navigate the magical land of Sinnoh.

Paw Patrol On a Roll

• Price: $19.93
• Game rating: 4.5/5
• Age rating: For everyone

Perfect for little kids who are fans of the hit show, Paw Patrol on a Roll features Ryder and the rest of the gang! Children can navigate through sixteen adventures set in eight different exciting locations. Each pup has its own unique skills and abilities that players must use to keep their community safe or mount a daring rescue mission.

Many parents rate this game for its emphasis on problem-solving and confidence-building elements. There are no villains to fight or diminishing life/power bars, making it especially suitable for younger children.

Little Friends: Dogs and Cats

• Price: $29.99
• Game rating: 5/5
• Age rating: For everyone

In this very first pet training game for the Nintendo Switch, kids can play with up to three pets at once. They’ll need to care for their adorable, furry companions by feeding and walking them and playing with them with their favorite toys! Each pet has its own distinctive personality, and children can own up to twelve pets—if they’re up for the challenge of managing such a large menagerie!

But the fun doesn’t stop there: players can accessorize their fluffy buddy with hundreds of outfits and, through caring for them, develop a bond for long-term friendship and entertainment.

Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain

• Price: $29.53
• Game rating: 4.5/5
• Age rating: For everyone

Remember those educational games we mentioned at the top? Big Brain Academy is one of them! Up to four players can battle it out with a range of brain-bending activities and puzzles—best of all, parents and kids can have a level playing field, as each player can set their own difficulty level even within multi-player games.

There is also the option to undertake a quick bit of mental exercise with the five activity challenges, and the game can also be played in solo mode. And for added style, players can unlock different outfits for their avatars as they progress.

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening

• Price: $50.99
• Game rating: 5/5
• Age rating: For everyone

The ever-popular Zelda franchise takes a new turn in this game, which focuses on the character Link, who players can navigate around a brand new, reimagined Koholint Island in order to find a way home. There are loads of dungeons to explore and enemies, tricks, and trips to outwit, including elements from the Super Mario series.

Kids will also enjoy the challenge of the new Chamber Dungeon, where they can complete objectives for rewards and meet the new cast of vibrant characters that include Marin, Tarin, and Owl.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

• Price: $53.43
• Game rating: 5/5
• Age rating: 3 years+

This definitive edition of one of Nintendo’s most enduringly popular games is suitable for ages three and up, and it offers a great way to get the family together for some competitive racing fun! Mario Kart 8 sees the introduction of five exciting new characters, and there are lots of epic new features to explore, including the multi-player Battle Mode!

Mario Kart fans will appreciate the plethora of new courses, such as Urchin Underpass and Battle Stadium—and all the fan-favorite courses of previous versions of the game appear, too.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

• Price: $49.95
• Game rating: 4.5/5
• Age rating: 3 years+

Whether your child has played Donkey Kong games before or not, this option is sure to provide plenty of entertainment and lots of laughs! The all-new Funky Mode—where players can access Funky Kong—adds a new angle, and there are seven huge worlds to explore, including deserts, jungles, and forest regions.

Kids can play solo or team up with a friend in the two-player co-operative mode, making this game—which is Kong’s debut on Switch—a great all-around choice.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land

• Price: $52.85
• Game rating: 5/5
• Age rating: 7 years+

Suitable for children aged seven years and up, this game features the lovable pink puffball, Kirby, who players must guide around a mysterious world! While playing, kids can explore the various landscapes and also take a break in Waddle Dee Town, where they can enjoy some of the residents’ favorite games!

This is a perfect game for parents to play with their kids—and you may well find an elder brother or sister who is keen to try their hand, too! The character, Kirby, is easy to control—and the glide ability, which allows players to rise back up to any platform they fall from, is a great anti-frustration feature.

Monster Jam Steel Titans 2

• Price: $32.50
• Game rating: 4/5
• Age rating: 7 years+

With thirty-eight of the greatest and most well-known monster trucks making an appearance in this game and a plethora of new worlds to explore, monster truck fans will be spinning their wheels with joy! Players also have the opportunity to emulate the professionals and compete in various events and challenges in twelve stadiums inspired by real-life shows!

Kids will particularly enjoy learning to master stunts such as cyclones, pogos, back-flips, and moonwalks, before taking their new-found skills to the arena.

Luigi’s Mansion 3

• Price: $49.03
• Game rating: 4.5/5
• Age rating: 7 years+

The newest installment in the incredibly popular Luigi’s Mansion games franchise, volume three finds the hero teaming up with Professor E. Gadd’s new invention: Gooigi. This slimy green Luigi double can help players overcome obstacles that would be impossible to tackle otherwise.

Kids will enjoy the challenge of this game and the opportunity to explore the Last Resort, where each door reveals different contraptions and enemies to battle. Players can also race against up to seven friends in the Scarescraper!

Nintendo Switch Sports

• Price: $45.00
• Game rating: 4.5/5
• Age rating: 7 years+

Players can enjoy six different sports in this great-value collection of games: kids will love trying their hand at tennis, badminton, chambara, football, bowling, and volleyball. The ability to customize avatars adds an additional element of fun, and the real-world movements used to control these avatars are a great way to get children active.

You can even play with family and friends from around the world online and redeem the points earned in-game for rewards such as sports accessories, outfits, and other gear for the avatar!

Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

• Price: $27.94
• Game rating: 5/5
• Age rating: 7 years+

Featuring hundreds of playable characters hailing from all over the Star Wars galaxy, as well as a vast range of land and space vehicles for an even more holistic experience! One of the best parts of this game is that kids can hop to any planet, in any order, at any point in the game—so no journey is ever the same.

Players can work through all the movies in the Star Wars saga, enjoying a spot of podracing on Tatooine or joining Rey as she battles her way to her destiny.

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes

• Price: $29.49
• Game rating: 4.5/5
• Age rating: 10 years+

Older kids will love this game, where they can meet their favorite superhero, or arch-villain, as they travel through the Marvel universe. This is one of the best Nintendo Switch games for kids because it allows players to create their own superhero, using their imagination and ingenuity to customize this character and then guide them around iconic Marvel locations such as Stark Tower, Asgard, and the X-Mansion.

Kids can unlock over one-hundred characters as they progress through the game, from Black Widow to Spider-Man, and there are fun races to compete in, too. This game is frequently rated as one of the best Switch new releases and is sure to be a big hit in your household.

Sonic Frontiers

• Price: $37.80
• Game rating: 5/5
• Age rating: 10 years+

The superhero of Sega, Sonic the Hedgehog returns in his newest adventure, released in 2022. There are five vast overworld islands to explore and race across, while the Cyber Space levels can be unlocked for some serious sonic speeding across a range of 3D platforms!

Fans of Sonic will appreciate the new battle system, plus there are the skill tree upgrades that allow for awesome new moves, including Cyloop ability, which has the power to defeat even the most formidable of foes. And players shouldn’t be surprised if, during their high-octane adventuring, they don’t bump into a familiar face or two!

Disney Classic Games Collection

• Price: $19.93
• Game rating: 4/5
• Age rating: 10 years+

The Lion King, Aladdin, and The Jungle Book are here collected in one package—plus, there are multiple versions of each game, so if you’re looking for some good entertainment for the kids during a long journey, this is a perfect pick!

There are lots of modern features on offer to add to the gaming experience: each game can be rewound in real time to have another go at tackling a different section, and players can even view full game play-throughs, save progress, and start their adventure at any point they choose. Kids will also be interested in the behind-the-scene section, where they can discover how the games were developed and created and watch interviews with the original teams who put them together.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge

• Price: $32.39
• Game rating: 4.5/5
• Age rating: 10 years+

Players choose their favorite turtle, and control this character, rampaging through the streets, taking on enemies and generally being bodacious! Kids can choose to take on Shredder and his Foot Clan solo or team up with up to three other buddies to triumph as a team.

The game has been developed with an eye to old-school arcade games—mixed with sharp new graphics and high-functioning avatars, this makes for an appealing combo both for older kids and parents who remember the arcade games of their youth with fondness!

Dragon Quest Treasures

• Price: $54.95
• Game rating: 4/5
• Age rating: 10 years+

Players must fend off both rival treasure hunters and monsters in Dragon Quest Treasures and use their creatures’ unique abilities to hunt down the loot! Kids will enjoy the variety of missions and the opportunity to explore the world with a choice of three friendly monsters coming along for the ride.

Players work and fight with their chosen monsters to track down the treasure and fend off others who’ve got wind of it, too!

Octopath Traveler 2

• Price: $59.99
• Game rating: 4.5/5
• Age rating: 12 years+

Impress the recipient with one of the very newest Nintendo Switch games for kids: Octopath Traveler 2 is due for release in late February 2023. Following on from the successful first game in the series, this installment introduces eight new characters, each of which has its own skills, motivations, and backstory.

The action takes place in the world of Solistia, where the industries and cultures of a new era are thriving. Players will be intrigued by the sophisticated world-building which allows them to explore every corner of this fascinating digital environment. Adventurers have the freedom to decide upon their own path and follow it, choosing whether or not to, for example, take others on the journey with them, develop their skills, or even go into battle!

Ghost Parade

• Price: $21.99
• Game rating: 4/5
• Age rating: 12 years+

Players can immerse themselves in a ghostly world based on Indonesian folklore and mythology and with thirty ghost companions to buddy up with, they’ll have company on their spooky adventures!

The aim of the game is to save a mysterious and very special forest from being leveled. Older players will love the unusual, beautiful graphics and unique, complex characters, as well as the plotline of this thoughtful game.

The Book of Unwritten Tales 2

• Price: $20.99
• Game rating: 4.5/5
• Age rating: 12 years+

This game, which incorporates hilarious spoofs of Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, and the Harry Potter film will have your older child laughing as they play through epic adventures that feature lots of puzzles and quirky challenges.

A mysterious, magical force is running amok in the kingdom, turning the fiercest of creatures into fluffy pink puppies and vast fortresses into giant dollhouses. Players must find the solution to the problem and put things right!

Cobra Kai Karate Kid Saga

• Price: $29.85
• Game rating: 5/5
• Age rating: 13 years+

Inspired by the smash-hit show and featuring a brand-new storyline, this game allows the player to be either Daniel and his students or Johnny Lawrence and his Cobra Kai crew. There are forty different skills to learn and master and enemies to defeat along the way; one of the best features is the ability to seamlessly swap between characters in your dojo.

There are a massive twenty-eight missions to complete within the game, taking players around Los Angeles and the entire Cobra Kai universe. This is a must-buy gift for kids who enjoyed the show.

Astral Chain

• Price: $64.28
• Game rating: 4/5
• Age rating: 13 years+

In a highly detailed, apocalyptic setting, players must battle, investigate and solve cases, and solve environmental puzzles in this highly-rated game for teens. Game-play revolves around protecting survivors from otherworldly invaders—but in the course of saving the world, players will interact with a rich cast of citizens, suspects, and task force members.

Stylish, action-packed, and full of adventure, Astral Chain will be appreciated by older kids keen to take on a more challenging game.

Hogwarts Legacy Deluxe Edition

• Price: $69.99
• Game rating: 4.5/5
• Age rating: 13 years+

Harry Potter fans will adore this sprawling, open-world platform game that allows for endless wizarding adventures. As well as learning spells, growing plants, and brewing potions, players are free to wander around Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, Forbidden Forest, and surrounding areas. Older kids will relish the challenge of battling trolls, goblins, dark wizards, and more on their journey through this magical world.

This deluxe version of the game features access to bonus areas such as Thestral Mount and the Dark Arts Battle Arena.

Be aware of which apps, games and social networks your child uses on a smartphone. Make a schedule for using gadgets and block a dangerous container with the Kids360 app.

Summary: Best Nintendo Switch Games for Kids by Age

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FAQ

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What is the Best Nintendo Switch Game for a 7-Year-Old?

There are loads of options for Nintendo Switch Games for 7-year-olds, but our choice would be Kirby and the Forgotten Land—find out more about this game above, where you’ll find it included on our list of Best Nintendo Switch Games for Kids.

What Nintendo Switch Games are Suitable for 6 Years Old?

You can find the suggested age suitability rating on the front cover of Nintendo Switch games. These ratings are determined by the Entertainment Games Rating Board. Games are rated as being E (for everyone), E10+ (ages ten years and up), T (age thirteen years and up), M (age seventeen years and up), and A (ages eighteen years and up).

Therefore, to be sure that the game you’re buying a six-year-old will be suitable, choose a game rated as E.

Does Nintendo Switch Have Games for 5-Year-Olds?

Yes, there are lots of Nintendo Switch games available that are suitable for toddlers and four and five-year-olds. Look for games rated as E. An example is Animal Crossing, a game that’s enjoyed by many younger kids and is featured on our list above.

Choosing the Best Nintendo Switch Game for Kids: The Takeaway

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When selecting a Nintendo Switch game for your child, or as a present, there are a few simple things to take into account to ensure you opt for the perfect one. Firstly, carefully note the age rating, which you’ll find on the front of the game’s packaging, usually on the bottom left.

This age rating will give you an idea about the nature of the content and difficulty level of the game, but it’s also important to consider your child’s unique personality, likes, and dislikes. For example, a game rated as 10+ may still not be a great fit for some eleven-year-olds, depending on their temperament and prior experience playing console games.

Reading plenty of reviews of any games you’re considering (ideally written by other parents) is a good idea, and considering the types of games (whether digital or real-world) your child currently enjoys is usually a great clue regarding what they’ll get on best with.

We’d love to know the Nintendo Switch games that your child has most enjoyed—drop us a comment in the box below to let us know!

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