Best Nintendo Switch Games For Kids in 2021

The Nintendo Switch is an excellent console for families with kids. But not every title is simple enough or age-appropriate for your little ones to enjoy. These top Nintendo Switch games for kids are a great place to start if you’re looking for something new.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons might just be the most perfect kids’ game on the Switch, period. It’s a “life-simulation” game, which doesn’t sound thrilling on the surface. Your kids can populate a little island with all sorts of adorable animals, build homes and other structures for them, and interact with other characters.

None of this sounds life-changing, but it’s sheer joy. The scope of available activities is impressive, from collecting seashells to growing and selling fruit to building furniture or going shopping.

Best of all, you can visit other players’ islands and they can visit yours — but in a way that’s safe and family friendly.

If you haven’t heard much about Animal Crossing: New Horizons yet, you could check out the full review from SuperParent.

Today’s parents remember the video games of their childhoods with tons of fondness. Sure, there’s a nostalgia factor, but that’s not the only reason. The games of previous generations were simpler. They weren’t easy, necessarily, but the mechanics weren’t complex: run, jump, shoot, punch— you get the idea.

The AAA first-party titles of today often aren’t difficult, but they tend to be much more complex. Super Mario Odyssey is awesome, but your five-year-old just isn’t going to be able to handle it.

If you’re hankering for the simpler games of the 80s and 90s, Nintendo’s got you. The company has included an impressive rotating back catalog of retro games as a part of its Nintendo Switch Online subscription.

You’ll need this subscription to play bigger games online anyway. But the nostalgia-fest of playing early Mario, Kirby and Donkey Kong titles (among many, many others) is worth the cost alone. And you can introduce your kids to beloved characters and titles back when they were simpler to get into.

Check out the full list of NES and SNES titles currently available through the service.

Speaking of nostalgia, parents of the PlayStation generation will remember well the time spent crashing boxes and collecting fruits in the various Crash Bandicoot titles. These days, you can get your Crash fix on just about any console.

The N. Sane Trilogy remastered the original three titles in the series and is a great place for kids in the 7-to-9 range to start. The modern port comes with forgiving modern difficulty levels not present on the original. Younger kids can keep up using these, while older kids (and you) can enjoy the retro mode.

Once your kids are up to speed on Bandicoot lore, you might consider picking up Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, a completely new 2.5D adventure in the Crash universe.

New Super Mario Bros. U was a launch title for the previous Wii U console. It plays like a modern take on Super Mario World, but with all sorts of new powerups like the ice flower and the flying squirrel suit. It’s a load of fun for kids of all ages.

The Deluxe version for the Nintendo Switch brings the classic “modern 2D” Mario title to the Switch and adds new layers of fun. There are new playable characters, including Toadette and Nabbit. These are an important addition for younger kids because the game’s difficulty scales downward with these two characters.

Mario Kart titles have been a great family-friendly game choice since the original version launched on the SNES. The basic gameplay is fun whether you’re any good or not, and there’s a scalable difficulty, too. Pick a lower cc rating for an easier race, or a higher one for a harder one.

You may remember playing battle mode multiplayer growing up, and you’ll be pleased to know that you can still do so — either locally or online — in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. There’s also multiplayer racing, of course.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a great choice for kids, and especially families with multiple kids close in age.

The Switch is a great console, but many owners have ended up with durability concerns. And if your kids are playing it, chances are they aren’t going to be all that careful.

Trust us, you don’t want to end up with a broken screen or thrashed Joy-Cons. Get an Upsie extended warranty for your Nintendo Switch first and they’ll take care of repairs later. Upsie’s accidental damage coverage is excellent, covering your Switch no matter how badly your kids (accidentally) treat it. And rates are surprisingly affordable, at just $34.99 for 2 years of extended coverage.

Don’t leave your Switch’s fate in your kids’ hands. Get Upsie today!