Hi there! I'm Keza MacDonald, a 15-year-old video game reporter & two kids with teenage stepkid. I'm right now KeeperThe game editor and I also manage a podcast for gamer parents called Spawnpoint (if you play games yourself, listen). In an effort to do something useful in these difficult times, I have put together this great list of games suitable for kids to help anyone sticking with their home over the next few months.
This text has been republished with permission from Medium.
I am a big believer in sports as a profession that is suitable for children – but getting the right ones is tricky for many parents and as a TV, you don't want them to sit in front of something extreme / violent / inferior etc. Feel free to share it with anyone you know, especially or other non-gamer parents who need advice.
Rules:
- These are not "educational" games as such, as that is not my expertise, but that does not mean that the children will find nothing useful in them
- That said, I have prioritized games with creative or learning material
- All of these games should be fun for adults, too, and many allow you to play with your kids
- Certainly no games with ads, dodgy shopping or timers for your kids to spend
- No violent games are included, except for fairy tales or comic violence
- Age validity is my informed opinion; Age estimates for PEGI may vary, and are not set.
MEGA TIP: If you have an Apple device you can sign up for a monthly Apple Arcade free trial, which allows you to access the highest-cost video games (including many of these below). It's a good time to try that.
NOTE: I have had many requests for games suitable for children like ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). I am not an authority on that, but I have found myself interacting with other professionals and other parents and will compile a separate guide very soon. At the moment, many of these games have been greatly enjoyed by children of friends with ASD, in particular Minecraft!
TODDLER AND PRESCindows (2 to 4 years)
At this point, I find that children respond well to apps and games that just let them play in an open, rather than one with levels, goals, scores, etc., which can be very difficult or restrictive. Touchscreen controls work very well, so all of this plays out on phones and tablets. These are recommendations for thinking games and games that are based on exploring what most 2 or 3 year olds can play on their own, but it's always fun to sit down with them and ask questions about their play.
Toca Boca– These apps are made after the kinds of thinking played by the popular youth of the moment: the kitchen, the doctor, the train set, etc. They let the little kids play around and try: what happens if I do THIS? There is a Toca Boca game to suit any kids' interests, from cars to vets. I would especially recommend Toca in the kitchen, the Toca Hair Salon, the Toca Shop and the Toca Birthday Party, loved by my 3-year-old friend (and can easily play in 2).
Available on: Apple devices, Android devices
Sago Mini-As with Toca apps, all of this plays out in context: babies, apartments, superheroes. The art style is not too decorative, the games are easy to understand and very fun and thoughtful to play with. At Sago Mini Apartment, for example, you visit different animals in different flats and play music with them, create ice cream creations, make some gardens, all kinds.
Available at: Apple devices, Android devices
Most of this Cebebies bonding apps – e.g., Hei Duggee – are really fun and make an effort to pull through reading materials (numbers, shapes, etc.). They are equally good in quality – my kid needs a lot of help finding the Hey Duggee puzzle app, for example – but none of them are scary.
Available at: Apple devices, Android devices
LEGO Duplo World you are okay with open learning play, even though you need to pay for a bunch of tasks. There are train games with a number that my child loves.
Available at: Apple devices, Android devices
YOUNG KIDS (5-9 years approx)
During this time kids can get to grips with the game controller and start to appreciate some of the amazing games on Playstation, Xbox and Nintendo. NOTE: Many of these games may be suitable for young children in terms of content, but you will need to play with them / if they also find it tricky to control.
His Chosen World-An interesting and fun game featuring colorful dinosaurs. Everything in the game world looks like handmade – the levels are made of cardboard, rope, boxes, buttons, and cetera. I found it to be a great inspiration for craft projects and a great deal of fun.
Available at: Swap Nintendo
See also: Kirby's Epic Yarn, similar, on the Wii / 3DS
Minecraft-Here's why this is one of the most popular games in the world! It is also used in classrooms to teach everything from geography to developer. Minecraft it puts you in a vast country made up of blocks, full of mountains, rivers, underwater cities, of all kinds. In the creative process you can create anything you like except the bricks mentioned, and with Survival Mode you get world-class entertainment, collecting building materials and fighting spiders, zombies etc. For a non-violent experience go to Creative Mode and turn on Peaceful Preparation, which removes enemies from the game.
Available at: everything (phones, layers, tablets, etc.)
See also: Terraria, very similar Minecraft but from a different perspective.
Luigi's house—Slapstick GhostbustersA -esque game where you explore a scenic area and raise ghosts. Not really that scary, but it's pretty much 7+. It has tricky puzzles and may need the help of seniors.
Available at: Nintendo Switch (Luigi's House 3), Nintendo 3DS (Luigi's 2nd house)
Animal Crossing-In this game you pass to a desert island and spend your time planting flowers, catching bugs, fishing, fruit trees, decorating your house and chatting with animal neighbors. Kids will need to be able to learn how to get the most out of this, but it's very focused and focused on the environment, with lots of earthworms and fish. They can visit islands of friends online and, if they have a copy of the game with them – great for entertaining with people without physical contact.
Available at: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo 3DS / DS
Everything– An imaginative experimental game created by an artist, where you control and explore everything from underground particles to creatures to all the solar systems. It's good to make you think.
Available at: PS4, Nintendo Switch, PC
Just Dance-The dance game to keep everyone motivated, if you like pop! There are a million versions Just Dance but they are almost the same, except for the song selection: it mimics the eccentric Dance routines of the points.
Available at: everything
ABZU-A game about a submarine where you meet real-world marine creatures and have plenty of time to swim around. Good environmental message too.
Available at: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Nintendo LaboThis is expensive but really cool. The game comes with customized cardboard models, which you can use to control games, such as advanced Lego. For example, you could sit for half an hour to build a cardboard fishing rod, and use it to play a game where you catch sea fish. It teaches many children about engineering principles and code-making in a friendly way.
Available at: Swap Nintendo
Snipperclips-This is a straightforward game of two players where you have to think of creative ways to solve the puzzle but remove the drawings on paper – e.g., you have to work together to get a basketball to the net or to pencil in a redener. It's great for two kids to play together or parent / child play.
Available at: Swap Nintendo
Wii Sports, Wii Sports Resort-If you have a dusty Wii hanging from your house, now's the best time to take it out and play it with a passion made with bowling, tennis and cetera. As good as it was in 2006.
Available at: Nintendo Wii
Pokémon-I know this series annoys some parents with getting used to it, though Pokémon it is actually very sophisticated and has kids holding all kinds of information and math in their heads and trivia about reality checkers! If you want one to play with, Pokémon Let & # 39; s Go: Pikachu either We go: Eevee on switch is appropriate.
Available at: Nintendo DS / 3DS, Nintendo Switch
Rocket League-Sccer, but with distant cars. Totally chaos. It's great to play together. Not particularly informative but very fun competing.
Available at: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox, Switch
The History of Zelda: Breathing in Wildlife-This is a truly amazing game that feels like a worthy adventure. It allows you to explore the vast, beautiful green landscapes and challenges you can use to use your wits and curiosity to find out where to go, how to win badges, and how to use physics and gravity to solve the puzzle. It's great for ages 8+ as it is complicated and violent with art, but it is GOOD.
Available at: Swap Nintendo
The manufacturer of the Super-All of the old-school fun Mario, but it also allows children to make their own levels, whether they are crazy or thoughtless. This totally attracted many of my friends' children; is one of those games that asks the question "What happens if I do THAT?"
Available at: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Wii U
Life of Toca-The Toca Boca apps are a variety of dolls, living dolls and come in many flavors: City, lounge, school, hospital, etc.
Available at: Apple devices, Android devices
LEGO Games-There is a LEGO game dedicated to many topics behind the scenes of kids, from Harry Potter to Star Wars. They are all fun and humorous, easy to play, and any violence is done on bricks. Perfect for playing with kids, like playing with a family movie, or it can be frustrating at times.
Available at: everything
Rayman's mythology—A beautiful, colorful, fun and fun music to play together.
Available at: Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, PC
Goose's game with no title-A Slapstick comedy game where you play a goose on a rare English tour and your job is to make life difficult for everyone, say, to steal their glasses or shoes. It's very funny.
Available at: PC, Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Gangs of Nest-This is a joke / fight comedy game where everyone is kind of a jelly-headed kid trying to get everyone out of the stadium. Comedy violence, but this had me and my oldest child in the trees.
Available at: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Planet Zoo—Make up and manage your zoo. The animal is perfect. It is very difficult, so parental help will be needed.
Available at: PC
Planet Coaster—Like Planet Zoo, unless you build your theme park.
Available at: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Farm, train and walking simulators– If you have a PC with a tractor, a train or a crazy kid, you can have lots of fun with it Farming Simulator and similar games. You have to be the one actually playing, as it is very difficult.
Available at: PC
The train district-A fun train-building train game on PC with a good look-alike look. Made for older kids, or you can help them play.
Available at: PC
Unravel and Unravel 2-Puzzles game with an environmental message, in which you play a small character made of rope exploring the natural world and deal with what humans have done to it. Open 2 has dual play mode, so the kids can work together (or you can work with them).
Available at: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
What is Golf?—A trivial, open-air comedy that has nothing to do with golf and will make you laugh.
Available at: PC, Apple devices, Nintendo Switch
OLDER KIDS (ages 10-12)
This is where kids tend to prefer playing alone or with their friends rather than with you, but you can tell them good things that can nourish their brains over endless cycles of Fortnite (not knocking Fortnite, but variety is the spice of life and all that). I focus here on games with pro-environmental, environmental or other themes that can get older kids thinking about the world and their place in it.
History– Play the air, and lead the leaves around, spreading the environment into the spaces that people have placed on the other side. It contains balanced threats and thought-provoking articles that make them better suited to older children.
Available at: PlayStation, Apple devices, PC
The journey-At one of the best games ever made, this unforgettable wilderness journey is full of natural and emotional themes. Warning: the end is very sad.
Available at: PlayStation, Apple devices, PC
There is no human sky-This game is universal. Expertly-mimicking the universe and you get to fly to explore it, it reaches any planet you like. Not valid for space exploration, but can be slow and difficult to play. Enabled online, so kids can explore the solar system with friends if they can't see it in person.
Available at: PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4
Sold-One for the whole family to play together: you have to work as a team to create food in the old ship's kitchens, for example. Sure everyone will yell at each other, but in a good way.
Available at: PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch
Subnautica-The game where you have to survive underwater, build buildings and cars and gadgets to help you save and explore. It shows usefulness and curiosity. (Editor's Note: May be jumpscare-y)
Available at: PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4
See also: Shinekwai: You get into the forehead on Apple devices
Look at it—A game you play about gardening and talking to people. Visit the island, experience the changes that live there, read their stories, and reflect on how things are not going as they always seem. It is so good to be realistic and think about what it means to be a community. 12+ of these.
Available from: Apple devices, PlayStation 4, PC
Outlanders– A city-building game with an expanding art style. Create a city by planning houses, roads, trees etc., and managing its inhabitants and their happiness.
Available at: Apple devices
Cities: Skylines-All-built city-building game on PC, for all the crafters and city planners out there. This is real time, be warned.
Available at: PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch
Meet with care-This is a very good game for fixing people's stuff, but it's the same with issues of these things with their own people. It has many 80s inspired techs and sounds to teach kids how things are in our day.
Available at: PC, Apple devices
Dreams-But a visual artist studio where you can paint and snap whatever you like and create your own games using your creations. If that sounds like a great genius, of course, but this is also the best-known set of creative tools I've ever seen, and you can also look at the amazing things that other people are made of.
Available at: PlayStation 4
Spider Man-It doesn't teach much about this powerful game, but it is a pretty violent game, if you want something for an amazing kid (or parent).
Available at: PlayStation 4
Exotic wildlife-A space-time adventure game where you explore the secret capsule atmosphere and reveal its secrets before the sun explodes and takes everything with it. Whole brain food – my favorite game last year.
Available at: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Web site and Portal 2-Mind-bending, beautifully written and intelligent puzzle games about physics and cake. These are the classics.
Available at: PlayStation, Xbox, PC
Thanks for reading! I will refresh this is a post for additional suggestions when I find time. And if you like to join my gamer parents mailing list, you can register here.
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