Switch it up with our editors’ hand-picked list of the best Nintendo Switch games for kids. From your classics such as Pokémon Snap to new entries (that are set to become classics) such as Animal Crossing, we are spoilt for choice when it comes to gaming for our children.
Despite this abundance of selection, it’s time to throw down the gauntlet and select just a handful of our favourite Nintendo Switch games for kids. We’ve shortlisted a wide variety of games and genres to make sure that we cover everyones’ preferred style of gameplay.
If you are looking for the best Nintendo Switch games then head on over to our featured article here. Although there are crossovers, this article is specifically dedicated to games that are suitable for young children.
Best Kids Switch Games Shortlist
From family games night classics to switch games that are best played in a dark corner, there are so many games for your kids to sink hours into when they’re not supposed to be doing homework. So, without further ado, join us as we count down from 13 to bring you the best Nintendo Switch games for kids!
The best Nintendo Switch games for kids are:
- Animal Crossing – Most Social Kids Switch Game
- Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time – Best Platformer
- Fortnite – Best Battle Royale
- Knock Out City – Best Indie Game
- Luigi’s Mansion 3 – Best Puzzle Game
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Best Racing Game
- Minecraft – Best For Young Children
- New Pokémon Snap – Best Adventure
- New Super Lucky’s Tale – Best Single Player
- Nintendo Labo VR Kit – Best VR Game)
- Pokémon Sword & Shield – Best Pokemon Game
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – Best For Multiplayer
- Mario Golf: Super Rush – Best Sports Game
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Best Kids Social Switch Game
Rated: E (Everyone)
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is right up there as one of the best Switch games for children due to the endless immersive action and open-world style gameplay! In the game, you move to an island, and you get to invite new villagers to live there with you, while also decorating the whole island however you see fit. You can also customize your clothes, and interact with everyone else that is on the island. Kind of like a Minecraft meets the Sims type game.
Overall, it is a super cute adventure, with a lot of fun things for you to do. Why not go fishing, and see what types of fish you can catch or discover fossils for you to dig. What’s more, if you find any bones, they will also be displayed in the museum. Overall, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is one of the most chilled out communities connected adventures the Nintendo Switch has to offer.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time
Best Platform Kids Switch Game
Rated: E10+ (Everyone, 10+ Years Old)
For older gamers, Crash Bandicoot is an absolute classic, and while it might be a little challenging for young kids, it is still an amazing game. One thing is for certain though, you will be absolutely amazed at how good the graphics have got over the years. Post remastering the original Crash Bandicoot trilogy, Activision released a new adventure for the world’s favourite bandicoot with Crash 4.
Bringing back the classic 2.5D perspective, Crash Bandicoot 4 introduces gorgeous visuals and quantum masks warp to enhance levels with even more mind-bending scenes. rings back the classic 2.5D perspective, this time brought to life with gorgeous, cartoon-like visuals. In Crash Bandicoot 4, each stage is extremely creative and unique. So, playing alongside your children or letting them loose with friends on the big screen is a great experience for all. Even with forgiving modern difficulty options, Crash offers an old-school challenge.
Fortnite
Best Kids Battle Royale Switch Game
Rated: T (Teenagers)
Okay. So, while Fortnite is not technically a Switch game for kids, we would be fooling ourselves here for believing that our children are not already playing this game. And, to be frank, there is no explicit violence or strong language in the game like your typical FPS shooter which makes Fortnite a lesser evil than some of the other games available.
Fortnite is the world’s most popular game. As a battle royale shooter, 100 players navigate the island against each other until only 1 player remains. There are no over-complicated mechanics, and in it, there are a lot of amazing skins that your kids might recognize as their favourite superhero or even anime character. So if you’re into Fortnite, and you’re looking for a partner to play with you, why not invite your kid to play with you? It is free to play, somewhat child-friendly (unless you really are strict with your kids) and is guaranteed fun.
But be warned. The addiction is real.
Knock-Out City
Best Nintendo Switch Indie Game For Kids
Rated: E10+ (Everyone, 10+ Years Old)
For something a little more feisty, why not give Knock-Out City a whirl? Teaming up with other players, you and your crew will battle it out in a dodgeball match to decide which team will reign supreme. With simple mechanics, you can be as sneaky or as literal as you like. It is quite literally the game that Mario Sports should have made.
There are different types of balls for you to use, and plenty of ways to make sure that you beat your opponents. Knock-Out City is a perfect game for kids between the ages of 10 and up since it does require a bit more coordination. It is also a game that you can play alongside your children so that both of you can have some fun together. Now, don’t forget the 5 Ds of Dodgeball!
Luigi’s Mansion 3
Best Children’s Nintendo Switch Puzzle Game
Rated: E (Everyone)
As a sequel to an older classic on this list of the best Switch games for kids, Nintendo did an amazing job with Luigi’s Mansion 3. The graphics are amazing, and the gameplay is simple but extremely fun. The game also does an amazing job showing just how great of a character Luigi has become. It’s always a good time to see Luigi fight through the fear to save his brother.
As Luigi’s dream vacation turns into a gooey nightmare, you will fight ghouls, solve puzzles and vacuum up ghosts with the all-new Poltergust G-00 in this adventure. What’s more, Luigi’s Mansion 3 also offers a couch multiplayer mode meaning that your kids can play together or you can join in the fun too. So, if your kid is a fan of Mario, why not go and introduce them to his amazing brother Luigi?
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Best Racing Game For Kids On Nintendo Switch
Rated: E (Everyone)
No matter what version you purchase, Mario Kart was made for the Nintendo Switch and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is everything you are already picturing, but more. As the perfect game for kids on the Nintendo Switch, get competitive amongst the family and enjoy hours upon hours of fun. Transcend across amazing stages and watch out for them banana skins!
One of the primary reasons why Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a great game for your little ones is because the game also comes with some great assistance mechanics to help newcomers. So, to ensure fair competition with the game, activating these things to assist your children during the race will make the game enjoyable for everyone. Up to four players can play in one console so this is also a perfect game for kids to play with their friends.
Minecraft
Best Switch Game For Young Children
Rated: E10+ (Everyone, 10+ Years Old)
Arguably one of the best Nintendo Switch games for kids available, Minecraft is an absolute must own for any gaming collection. In fact, Minecraft is probably one of the best games of all time! Although technically a survival game, Minecraft offers so much freedom and creativity that it is a perfect game for kids to play. They will be able to do anything they want. From crafting a home and finding a pet to taking care of their land and ultimately defending it, the possibilities are endless.
While the game is amazing to play by yourself, nothing beats the experience of playing with someone else, and thankfully, you can also join your children, and play with them. It’s like Lego for the new generation and the game is equally as successful.
New Pokémon Snap
Best Kids Switch Adventure Game
Rated: E (Everyone)
What is there not to love about Pokémon? As a different take on your traditional gym destroying, Pokédex filling adventures, New Pokémon Snap straps you into a cart and takes you on an adventure through the Lental region. But what do you do we hear you ask?
Well, you transcend through the Lental region taking photos of Pokémon with the goal of getting the most perfect shot for each encounter!
As a newer version of the hugely successful original, New Pokémon Snap is a super fun game that is incredibly simple to play. Because there is no real skill gap here, this becomes the perfect Switch game for younger kids who love Pokémon but are not quite ready to adventure into the wild. It is a pretty easy game to understand which means kids of any age can enjoy playing
New Super Lucky’s Tale
Best Single Player Switch Game For Kids
Rated: E (Everyone)
With similar gameplay to that of the global hit, Banjo-Kazooie, New Super Lucky’s Tale is possibly one of the most exhilarating 3D platformer games available currently. It’s complex enough to keep your children challenged but not too complex to be boring. You jump around, look for secrets, stomp of baddies and fall in love with the sheer cuteness of Lucky, the curious and brave fox.
Proving that you do not need a legacy mascot to develop an award-winning 3D Platformer, both the original Super Lucky’s Tale and the new edition are guaranteed hours of fun. There may be some challenges that your kids will ask for you to help them complete. But we’re sure you’ll have no trouble in giving a helping hand.
Just don’t get addicted yourself! 😂
Nintendo Labo VR Kit
Best Nintendo Switch VR Game For Kids
Rated: E10+ (Everyone, 10+ Years Old)
Offering something totally different from kid-friendly Switch games, the Nintendo Lab VR Kit will stretch your children’s minds and expand their creativity through building and programming gadgets literally made out of cardboard. Yes, we are not joking. Cardboard.
Don’t sweat about spending a fortune on VR headsets. The Nintendo Lab VR Kit is insanely effective and affordable compared to actual VR Hardware. What’s more, the new programming tool will let kids imaginations go wild designing games of their own. Now that’s something you can’t currently do on an Oculus Rift!
Pokémon Sword & Shield
Best Kids Adventure Nintendo Switch Game
Rated: E (Everyone)
As flagship staple for the Nintendo Switch, Pokémon Sword & Shield were the first-ever Pokémon games to take advantage of the modern home console and are arguably still the best in the series. Exploring the UK-inspired Galar region your kids will enjoy filling their Pokédex’s with new Pokémon, new gyms to defeat and plenty of multiplayer catching to do within the Wild Area dens.
For anybody wondering what the difference is between Sword and Shield, there are exclusive Pokémon found in Sword that is not available within Shield and vice versa. So, to truly be a Pokémaster, you better be shopping for both Switch games for your kids!
If you ever played Pokémon Red or Blue, you will be absolutely astounded at how far the Poké world has evolved with modern technology. Give your kids the gift of Pokémon and treat them to pretty much any of the Pokémon games for Nintendo Switch.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Best Kids Multiplayer Game On Nintendo Switch
Rated: E10+ (Everyone, 10+ Years Old)
Topping our list of the best Nintendo Switch Games for Kids is Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Because, well, there’s simply so much to love above watching a horde of the best video game characters pummel each other with crazy items. Not to mention the totally bonkers stages that these brawls take place.
If your children really dig fighting games and you are not keen on exposing them to shooters or gore, there are plenty of platform fighting games on the Switch to keep them entertained. Through its sheer quantity of high-quality content, the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will also be loved by you too. Just be sure to pick your ultimate warrior quick!
Mario Golf™: Super Rush
Best Sports Nintendo Switch Game For Kids
Rated: E10+ (Everyone, 10+ Years Old)
Tee off simultaneously with your friends and enjoy one of the best golf games for kids with Mario Golf: Super Rush. If you are a huge fan of mushroom kingdom and golf, you simply cannot go wrong with this hectically fun golf game.
Packed with incredible animations, power-ups to knock your enemy backwards and of course a series of incredible graphics that you have grown to expect with all Mario games, Mario Golf: Super Rush is an absolute joy to play with friends and family.
Players tee off with up to four players local or online with the aim of the game to sink the ball within as few shots as possible. But wait, there’s more. Mario Golf Super Rush is about speed so be prepared to tussle your way to reach your next shot!
Best Switch Games For Kids Roundup
Honestly, we have a newfound appreciation for just how many high-quality Switch games for kids there are in the Nintendo eShop. It’s actually incredible when you think about how far gaming has come since we were kids ourselves. It stands to reason as to why the Switch or Switch Lite consoles are so popular amongst young gamers globally.
While Xbox and Playstation consoles have always had the upper hand, the Nintendo Switch is fast catching both of these platforms up in terms of graphics and online gameplay. It’s a totally different experience from your typical Xbox games and that is what we love so much about the Switch.
So, no matter when you have a young child, a teenager or even the child within you, you are bound to enjoy all of the titles listed in this article.
Know of any other quality Switch games for Kids?
Tell us about your favourite Switch games in the comments below or why not browse through some of our other articles.
- Nintendo Switch OLED Review.
- Spider Man: Miles Morales Review.
- Best Xbox One Games For Kids.
- Video Games Based On Books
- Best Nintendo Switch Indie Games
- Best PC Games For Children
- Glossary Of Gaming Slang & Terminology.
- HyperX Cloud Stinger Review.
- Best PC Controllers Australia.
- HyperX Quadcast Review.
Content Disclaimer: This roundup of the best Nintendo Switch games for children has been independently written. GamePro has not been commissioned by any of the mentioned game developers, nor have we received royalties. This includes financial payment, free advertising or the any kids Switch game by way of gift.
Should you click on any link to Amazon and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission. But that’s just how we keep this website alive! Feel free to hit us up in the comments. We would be happy to answer any questions you have about the best Nintendo Switch games for young children.
