The Best Nintendo Switch Games That Are Fun, Engaging, and Educational for Kids

Best Overall

Nintendo Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

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Just about anyone can take to the Mario Kart racetrack and enjoy themselves, from 5-year-olds just getting the hang of those motor skills to older siblings who’ve been at this for years, not to mention their parents who haven’t picked up a controller since their Gameboy days. The Joy-Con controller acts as your steering wheel through the outlandish racecourses where you compete against various characters from the Mario and Nintendo universe, collecting coins that increase your speed and blasting through blocks that contain power-ups that can be used for more speed or sabotaging the others on the course.

This game is great for kids because beginners can use smart steering, so they don’t have to be frustrated by veering off the track. But it won’t get boring later on because the latest Deluxe version offers so many levels and creative ways for experienced gamers to compete with each other. If you have additional controllers, up to eight players can race together locally. And if you have a Nintendo Switch Online account, up to 12 people can connect to compete. 

Key Specs:

• ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
• Format: Digital and physical

Best for the Whole Family

Ubisoft Just Dance 2023

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Even non-gamers agree that Just Dance, in any iteration since the days of Wii, is a highly effective way to get the whole family (multiple generations included) to gather around, dance, compete, and wind up in a pile of giggles on the floor. Joy-Cons, with their wrist straps firmly attached, are your new dance partner as you follow the moves of your onscreen “coach,” choreographed to the hits of today mixed in with some select oldies. The scoring is based solely on what your right hand does, but it’s a whole lot more fun when you get into it and learn that fancy footwork, too. 

The 2023 edition has an updated look that’s been called more realistic, though we think it’s actually more cartoonish compared to the classic style that didn’t show the dancers’ faces. Another addition is a kind of story mode, a playlist with a vague plot woven into the dance videos. Really, most people are here to dance, though, and it becomes quite a workout. The best part about this for kids is that the competition doesn’t have to be the focus: You’ll have just as much fun earning a handful of points as you do getting thousands, no one is ever “out,” and there are no confusing buttons or commands involved. There are also songs with very easy choreography that allow beginners to get the hang of it.

Just Dance 2023, which is a digital-only game, comes with 44 songs, which you’ll be able to dance to while connected to the internet or if you’ve chosen to download all of the songs for offline play. With a Ubisoft account, you can also play along with strangers online or create private groups to compete with friends in their homes. To access more songs, you’ll also need a new Just Dance+ account (free trial month included, then $4 a month or $25 a year), and that will get you 150 songs to start, plus many more promised in the future.

Key Specs:

• ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
• Format: Digital only

Best Creative

Mojang Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition

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While many adults may scratch their heads wondering why kids find it more fun to build with virtual blocks of rock and metal than, say, building things in the real world, we can at least be happy that this game has some educational value. Players can mine and build in “creative” mode, meaning their characters face no real dangers in their pixelated world. Or they can play in survival mode, where they’ll have to create weapons and shelter to protect themselves from angry mobs. Either way, this game encourages creativity and problem-solving, and players gradually learn a lot about three-dimensional design. 

Minecraft is also available on various platforms beyond Nintendo Switch and in a number of variations, such as the Dungeons Ultimate Edition. The game allows for multiplayer mode on the same Switch, or you can sign up for a Microsoft account to connect to friends elsewhere and play with them.

Key Specs:

• ESRB Rating: E 10+ (for fantasy violence and interactive options)
• Format: Digital and physical

Best Non-Competitive

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

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Animal Crossing allows for a friendlier—not to mention rounder—type of world building than Minecraft. Players get to craft their own island from scratch, doing everything from building homes and planting gardens to designing textiles. You can interact with the happy animal residents within the game, as well as with up to four players locally. With a connection to Nintendo Switch Online, you can also connect to other players and visit their islands—but only by sharing a special individual code, so no kids will be accidentally visiting with strangers. This game has been around for decades, but New Horizons really gained fame in the early days of the pandemic, when adults were using it as much as their kids were to escape the confines of their homes. 

Rachel, a mom of two, shares that New Horizons has had a benefit far beyond escapism for her eldest daughter Lucy, who is 8 now. “I got the newest Animal Crossing before Lucy could read, and she would watch me play,” Rachel says. “I told her I would make a character for her once she could read, so she could play it on her own, and that was actually a big motivator for her to learn to read. She’s picked up the bug and fish species so well that she was able to correctly identify a beetle to a park ranger once, just from her knowledge from the game.”

Key Specs:

• ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
• Format: Digital and physical

Best for Soccer Fans

EA Sports FIFA 23 - Nintendo Switch

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Soccer fans familiar with the FIFA Switch games will notice some fun and exciting cosmetic updates to this year’s competition. The amazingly realistic graphics showcase this year's latest soccer kits, clubs, teams, and players. Also new this year–the game includes some of the top women’s teams and showcases some of the world’s most famous stadiums. The graphics are so good that you’ll almost feel like you are watching a live game. 

The gameplay stays the same as in previous editions, but players have many more options. We love that there are both single-player and multiplayer options, so this game is fun alone or with a buddy. Online, gamers can play with two to eight others. Along with standard soccer games, there are squad-building challenges, tournaments, skills games, and more. For soccer fans, the updated teams and familiar tasks are likely a fun update.

Key Specs:

• ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
• Format: Digital and physical
  

Best for Mario Fans

Nintendo Super Mario Bros. Wonder

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Fans of Mario and Luigi will love getting the gang back together to play this new game. A classic “side-scrolling” game, this new version will be familiar until players interact with the Wonder Flowers that cause game-changing excitement. We love that this game takes all the familiar characters that players love and still can add challenges and twists to the gameplay. 

Besides loving the familiar cast, we appreciate the array of options with this game. Beginners can be Yoshis or Nabbit, characters that won’t transform but can’t get damaged. More advanced players will love the Power Up options that’ll mix things up, including an all-new Elephant Mario and his mighty trunk. Play at home with up to four players or go online, and the online gameplay opens up to 12 players at a time. 

Key Specs:

• ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
• Format: Digital and physical

Best for Kids 6 Years Old and Younger

Nintendo Switch Pokémon Snap

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Rather than letting very young kids play shoot-’em-up style video games, you can let them enjoy the satisfaction of pointing and shooting virtual cameras. The object of this game (which originated on Nintendo 64) is to “snap” images of the Pokémon critters they encounter while exploring various worlds, gradually creating their own Photodex collection. Each image is then scored based on the rarity of the Pokémon behavior they captured. 

Anthony Bean, PhD, a Texas-based licensed clinical depth psychologist who works with gamers, says that the best Nintendo games for kids ages 6 and under are “cartoon-styled games that can help them to bring a sense of accomplishment but [are] not heavily competitive.” Based on the praise we’ve heard from young kids, New Pokémon Snap fits the bill.

Key Specs:

• ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
• Format: Digital and physical

Best for Kids 8 Years Old and Up

Nintendo Kirby and the Forgotten Land

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Another character with his origins in the ‘90s, Kirby is a delightful alien blob who also happens to be a pretty effective hero—mostly because he can inhale other creatures and inanimate objects like cars to take on their powers. In his latest adventure, his home, Dream Land, has been sucked into a dystopian world where the mean Beast Pack has kidnapped Dream Land’s innocent little Waddle Dees.

Players move Kirby through various levels trying to find their way around, rescue Waddle Dees, and obtain the powers necessary to battle the Beast Pack. This is all about problem-solving, with some slightly violent elements but nothing too scary for elementary school-age kids.

Key Specs:

ESRB Rating: E 10+ (for cartoon violence)

Format: Digital and physical

Best for Active Kids

Nintendo Switch Sports

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If you ever played Nintendo’s Wii Sports back in the day, you already know how much fun this hybrid of real-life motion and virtual sports can be. Players hold the Joy-Cons (with those wrist straps on, for the safety of everyone and their TVs) and swing them around to control their on-screen avatars competing in tennis, badminton, bowling, soccer, volleyball, golf, and chambara (a type of sword fighting). The movements are simple enough to pick up after some in-game instructions, but it will take some time to master them—which is a good thing for gamers who need a little challenge.

Though you can play any of these games alone, they’re a lot more fun with a group. Friends or family can either compete against each other (one-on-one or four against four) or team up against strangers in online multiplayer mode (Nintendo Switch Online membership required). For soccer games, the physical version of the game comes with a strap to attach a Joy-Con to your thigh for shoot-out modes, but most of the other motions are still controlled by your hands.

By no means is this sort of game supposed to take the place of real sports and other forms of physical activity kids need, but it does get players off the couch. “Some activity indoors is better than nothing,” Dr. Garbi tells us of the more active Nintendo games. “And even though it's screen time, they can be fun and good for exercise.”

Key Specs:

• ESRB Rating: E 10+ (for mild violence, in-game purchasing, interactions with other gamers)
• Format: Digital and physical

Best Problem-Solving

Nintendo Switch Pikmin 4

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Pikman are small and versatile plant-like creatures, and this game challenges players to grow, gather, and guide these little guys on an expedition. In this 4th version of the popular game, experienced players will appreciate the new features, while newbies will have no issue jumping right in. The non-violent game has an extensive tutorial to teach new players how to play. Newbies will appreciate the education, but it could be time-consuming for returning players. 

Once gameplay begins, there are a few ways to play. The ongoing expedition challenges the skills and attributes of your various Pikman. Players can also participate in battles against other characters in the game or with friends on the system, leading to multiple stages as your expedition story proceeds. If it sounds confusing, that’s why the game is recommended for 10-year-olds and up, but older kids should have no issues jumping right in and playing this nonviolent problem-solving game. 

Key Specs:

• ESRB Rating: E 10+
• Format: Digital and physical

Best for Young Collectors

Nintendo Pokémon Scarlet

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The newest Pokémon role-playing game (RPG) has the traditional elements of catching, training, and battling Pokémon, plus the extra adventure of exploring the land of Paldea, taking unexpected detours, and even having impromptu picnics along the way. Unlike previous games, which required players to complete levels in order, this latest one is an open world, so you can choose to go wherever you want, whenever you want.

The differences between Scarlet and Violet (sold separately for $60 or together for $120) are going to seem minimal to anyone uninitiated in the Pokémon universe. You’ll get different exclusive Pokémon in each game, and the appearance of Paldea is different, with Scarlet looking old-timey and Violet in a futuristic setting. (Check with your kid before buying one or the other if they seem to be picky about this sort of thing.) But the gameplay is essentially identical: Travel through the land and collect Pokémon that you’ll send into battle on the road or in a gym. You’ll earn money to buy ingredients for picnics (and those meals, along with potions and other objects, help heal the Pokémon) and to customize your avatar. Eventually, you’ll make your way to the academy, where you’ll take your training to the next level with classes.

While this may feel like a very solitary game, there is a multiplayer option, which two to four players can engage in either locally or online with a Nintendo Switch Online subscription. 

Key Specs:

• ESRB Rating: E (some mild cartoon violence, in-game purchases, and interactions with other gamers)
• Format: Digital and physical

Best Nonviolent Battles

Nintendo Splatoon 3

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Many of us are determined to keep every kind of toy gun out of our kids’ hands, even the virtual kind that’s always been so prevalent in gaming. And yet, how do we fulfill children’s seemingly inherent desire to aim at things and shoot them? “Splatoon” manages to come up with a very satisfying alternative, as the object of the game is to paint—shooting, rolling, and squirting swaths of color across the ground and walls as your human-squid/octopus avatar. Instead of bloody battles, you have a riot of color to show for your efforts.

“Splatoon 3” has an offline story-driven game in which you use your inky skills to help fight an underground crime network that has stolen Splatville’s Great Zapfish, which powers the town. But you can also choose to skip the story and go straight to battles and turf wars. In these, you’ll team up in real-time with other players (with a Switch Online membership) and compete to cover the most ground with your team’s ink color. The battles last only three exhilarating minutes, which is very convenient for parents who have heard a whole lot of, “Let me just finish this level,” every time we say gaming time is up.

As a reward for your hard work, you can use experience points to purchase new outfits as well as new painting tools. Often in these games, we’ve found that kids’ absolute favorite thing to do is customize the look of their avatars, sometimes spending as much time fiddling with them as they do in any actual gameplay. 

Key Specs:

• ESRB Rating: E 10+ (cartoon violence, in-game purchases, user interaction)
• Format: Digital and physical

Best for Solo Play

Ubisoft Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope

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To many parents, the descriptions of games like this can sound like pure gibberish: Mario and Luigi team up with Rabbids (rabbit-human-type creatures that are dressed like Mario characters, including Mario, Luigi, and Peach), Sparks (which are Rabbids mixed with a star-like creature called Luma, from the Mario galaxy), and a couple of very smart robots to save the universe from an evil force called Cursa that keeps spreading oozing moodiness called the Darkmess everywhere it goes. What this really means is that this is a game involving strategy and storytelling.

There are a whole lot of animated cutscenes and speeches players need to read and watch to understand this whole plot, but when it comes time to play, what you’re actually doing is figuring out which three characters to place into battle based on their different strengths and weaponry. Then it’s all about taking aim at the enemy with the knowledge that once you shoot, you’re paralyzed and potentially vulnerable to attack as the enemy takes their turn. 

Key Specs:

• ESRB Rating: E 10+ (for cartoon violence, in-game purchasing)
• Format: Digital and physical

Best Open-World Adventure

Nintendo Switch The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

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A sequel to Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, this expanded open-world adventure game takes us back to Hyrule but features new spaces (The Great Sky and The Depths), abilities, devices, and resources, which Link can use to build contraptions and solve puzzles. The ultimate goal is to prevent the Demon King from destroying the world. In the process, players learn about exploration and experimentation. It helps to have some familiarity with the previous Zelda games, but it’s not a necessity.

Everything about this game is beautiful, but it can be very frustrating for younger players, so it's best for kids 10 years old and up. Nate, who had saved up his allowance money to buy a previous version of this game, wound up giving up after a couple of weeks. It’s a good one for an older tween or teen to work up to—and for their parents to borrow when they’re done. The game takes hours—it’s best to be aware before you begin—, but it’s reassuring that players design their own game path, so there’s not just one way to beat this game. Fans of Zelda will enjoy many of the new game functions that keep the game exciting and fresh while maintaining familiarity.

Key Specs:

• ESRB Rating: E 10+ (for mild suggestive themes and fantasy violence)
• Format: Digital and physical

Best Social Game

Epic Games Fortnite Gift Card

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While we are loath to recommend a violent game full of non-stop gun battles, we also know that for gaming tweens and teens, these inevitably become a dominant genre. If the kid you’re shopping for is heading in this direction, you may as well steer them toward something that requires strategic thinking and teamwork rather than mindless shooting. The battle royale-style game means players are competing against others (up to 100 players in each battle) to be the last person standing. You can play solo or team up with friends virtually. You’re dropped from a flying bus into a city-turned-battlefield and then must immediately find weapons. There’s also a Minecraft element to this game because you need to mine your surroundings and build structures while fighting to survive. 

The game is free to download and play but then requires in-game purchases (using something called Vbucks) for new skins (your avatar’s appearance), specialized gliders, pickaxes, and dance moves. And these customizations often wind up being kids’ absolute favorite part of the game. 

Key Specs:

• ESRB Rating: T for teens (for violence, in-game purchases, and user interaction)
• Format: Digital only