6 Fun Video Games to Play with your Young Kids
It can seem overwhelming to pick video games that are fun to play but appropriate for our little ones. No mother wants to walk in on their preschool or elementary school child playing Grand Theft Auto and hear
“What Kinda F***King Animal Do You Take Me For?.”
coming from their living room television. Even though there is a ton of scientific evidence* that video games do NOT make children violent, I still don’t want that to be around my young child. In our house, we will shut off the news or turn off NPR if there is any mention of violence or sexual misconduct. Why should I mar his pristine perception of the world any earlier than it needs to be?
Below is a list of 6 games that you and your whole family can enjoy. I picked these games for several different reasons:
They are fun!!!
Not complicated so your little ones will not become frustrated with the controls
Most of them have co-op features (you can play together!)
None or limited violence
Image from Nintendo
Mario Kart 8
Rating: E for Everyone
Format: Nintendo Switch
Purchase from Amazon Mario Kart 8 Switch Edition
Purchase from Amazon Mario Kart 8 Digital Code Edition
This go-kart racing video game for Nintendo Switch, with our favorite friend Mario, ranks #1 on my list. Other than the serious nostalgic charm stemming from my own memories playing it with my cousins on a gross bean bag chair nearly 30 years ago, Mario Kart has come a long way. Your child can either race on their own or with friends and family allowing for up to 4 people locally or 8 people online.
Zip away racing on 48 tracks testing out various modes such as anti-gravity racing and 200cc mode. This game is sure to be hours of fun for the whole family regardless of age.
Image from Nintendo
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Rating: E for Everyone
Format: Nintendo Switch
Purchase from Amazon Animal Crossing: New Horizons
If you have not heard of this game over the past year… what rock have you been living under??? The Animal Crossing franchise has been around for 20 years now, but Animal Crossings: New Horizons has brought it to a whole new level. There are two primary reasons why this version of the franchise a blockbuster success, the first is that Nintendo did a beautiful job crafting a world that allows players to craft a tranquil paradise island of their dreams containing charming animal neighbors, a large variety of home décor to craft, and the ability for other friends online to come to visit! The second reason is that Animal Crossing: New Horizons was released at the beginning of the pandemic.
We are all craving interactions with others, Animal Crossing: New Horizons offers this opportunity! Even if your children cannot have a picnic with their friends in this crazy COVID world we are living in, your children can visit their friend’s virtual island and interact with them there. It is also extremely satisfying to watch your child use their imagination to design and build their own virtual island to their own oasis.
Image from ROBLOX
ROBLOX
Rating: E10+ for Ages 10 and Up
Format: PC, Xbox One, Mac, iOS, Android, Amazon Devices, Oculus Rift, and HTC Hive
Purchase from Amazon Roblox Robux in-game Currency
Roblox is a gaming platform that allows its users to create by programming 3D-generated worlds that are then shared to the community for others to play. If your child has any interest in STEM and computer programming this is an amazing way to foster that interest! Your child can start to develop their own video game by learning how to program in a scripting language called Lua which has been used to develop thousands of games and apps.
Due to its multiplayer online nature, there is an open chat that is unmonitored and unregulated. As with any online platform, it is our responsibility as parents to monitor what our children are doing online. Two easy steps to regulated this is to make sure you have your child’s account information so you can log in and review who their friends are. The next is since the general chat may not be age-appropriate, you can simply disable it in settings.
Image from Rocket League
Rocket League
Rating: E for Everyone
Format: Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Mac, PC
Download Rocket League from Epic Games
If your child is into soccer and cars… then this will be an instant success!!! The object of the game is to score a goal with a gigantic soccer ball by controlling the car by accelerating, jumping, reversing, power sliding, and boosting. The game is extremely flexible by allowing you to play in various modes including: 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, and 4v4 against either AI or online against human competitors.
Word of warning this game has an extremely high skill cap, so don’t be surprised if you are terrible at it first. Either way my son and I have a ton of fun pushing around the gigantic soccer ball with the green monster truck of his choosing and cheering our hearts out when we score. Defiantly fun for the whole family.
Image from Nintendo
Paw Patrol: On a Roll
Rating: E for Everyone
Format: Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4
Purchase Paw Patrol: On a Roll for Nintendo Switch from Amazon
Purchase Paw Patrol: On a Roll for Xbox One from Amazon
Purchase Paw Patrol: On a Roll for Playstation 4 from Amazon
This is a must-have for any Paw Patrol fan! Even though the Paw Patrol theme song makes me want to knock my head on a wall, my son cannot get enough of this game. It has extremely simple controls so even the youngest players can master the game quickly. Your child will spend time as one of their favorite characters going through a series of missions to recuse bunnies, turtles, etc.… all while collecting pup treats. Defiantly a must-have game for families with preschoolers.
Image from Microsoft
Minecraft
Rating: E10+ for Ages 10 and Up
Format: Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Mac, PC, iOS, and Android
Purchase Minecraft for Nintendo Switch from Amazon
Purchase Minecraft for Xbox One from Amazon
Purchase Minecraft for Playstation 4 from Amazon
Not only is Minecraft a cultural phenomenon it has been around for over a decade! It is a virtual sandbox with a Lego-like feel to it. Minecraft has two modes to offer one is the creator mode and the second is survival mode. In the creator mode, you can explore without the limitations of gravity and are provided a vast selection of building materials. Your child’s imagination will be the limit to what they can build. As for survival mode, you spend a lot of your time avoiding enemies, collecting building materials (for hours), and building a structure from those materials.
Minecraft offers a multiplayer mode so your child can invite their friends or siblings to explore what they have created, provided they are all on the same network. If your child has an interest in modifying their Minecraft universe they have the ability to either download or learn to program to create their own mods giving them a good gateway into learning Java which is one of the most used programming languages. Minecraft offers endless creative opportunities for building and programming. Definitely a must-have for any gaming household!
