If your toddler is anything like mine, they will be constantly looking over your shoulder as you play with your Nintendo Switch.
“Let me play, Daddy!”
But we can all agree that many games are just not suited for little hands or eyes (or minds).
The good news is that there are a good number of Nintendo Switch games for toddlers that allow them to have fun without requiring expert hand-eye coordination or exposing them to questionable images.
This guide will give you our top recommendations for the best Switch games for toddlers:
- All games are based on the real consumer experience with those age groups and are age-appropriate.
- We also made sure to ignore any strange overly positive reviews from bots.
- We only focused on reviews shared by real parents with kids who play Nintendo Switch games.
As always, if you do choose to buy one of the games we recommend, we will make a small commission but we still stand behind every single game based on merit and real-world experience with kids of the recommended age.
And if you are also looking for non-screen things to do with your toddler then check out our list of awesome toddler activities that don’t involve screens.
TL;DR: 6 Must-Have Nintendo Switch Games for Toddlers
- PAW Patrol Mighty Pups Save Adventure Bay!
- Yoshi’s Crafted World
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
- Paw Patrol On A Roll
- Nintendo Kirby: Star Allies
- Minecraft
Our Top Choices: 4 Switch Games Toddlers Will Love
Keep scrolling to read the reasons why we think these are the best Switch games for toddlers right now — and learn more about what we love (and what we don’t like as much) about each game:
1. PAW Patrol Mighty Pups Save Adventure Bay!
| Type of Game: Action & adventure Skills it develops: ✅ Problem solving ✅ Hand-eye coordination ✅ Reading |
This is my number 1 pick for most toddlers looking to play Switch games. There are not many Switch games that kids as young as 3 can play but Paw Patrol Mighty Pups Save Adventure Bay! is one that my 3-year-old loved.
| Recommended age: 2 years and above |
There are still some tricky parts that are not easy for smaller hands, but it’s easy for Daddy to help out.
Yes, you are going to think it’s super boring but little kids have to start somewhere and PAW Patrol is perfect for even the youngest toddlers.
What We Love:
❤️ Easy for small hands to play
❤️ Paw Patrol characters in a video game
What We Don’t Love:
💔 Fairly low interest after 5 years of age
💔 Could be tricky for some young kids
| 💡 Pro tip: If you are interested in seeing more Paw Patrol toys, then be sure to check out our recent round up of some of the best Paw Patrol toys on the market right now. |
2. Yoshi’s Crafted World
| Type of Game: Action & adventure Skills it develops: ✅ Problem solving ✅ Hand-eye coordination ✅ Reading |
Yoshi is one of the standout Nintendo characters for young kids so it was no surprise to me when I came to the conclusion that Yoshi’s Crafted World is one of the best Nintendo Switch games for toddlers out there right now.
| Recommended age: 3 years and above |
Yoshi’s Crafted World is amazing when playing two-player with your toddler. The game mechanics mean that not all is lost if you make a missed jump or error. The more skilled player can carry the other and everything is made out of paper!
What We Love:
❤️ Super easy game mechanic that allows players to support each other
❤️ Everything kids love about Yoshi but on the Switch
What We Don’t Love:
💔 It’s Nintendo exclusive so always a high price – $50+
💔 Less fun in single player for younger kids
3. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
| Type of Game: Racing & multiplayer game Skills it develops: ✅ Hand-eye coordination ✅ Familiarity with game rules ✅ Social interaction |
Mario Kart 8 might seem a strange addition to a list of Nintendo Switch games for toddlers but you can enable a number of options to make this game easy to use for kids of all ages… Just don’t cry when your 5-year old beats you!
| Recommended age: 5 years and above |
Make sure to enable ‘Auto Driving’, ‘Auto Steering’ and ’50cc’ as the engine option. This will allow you kids to pick up the basics of Go Karting without the annoyance of having to be super accurate with their driving.
What We Love:
❤️ Has a number of options for making it easy for 2, 3 and 4 year olds to play without annoyance
❤️ Safe and entertaining content by Nintendo
What We Don’t Love:
💔 Not cheap – this official Nintendo game it’s hard to find for less than $50
💔 Some younger kids might find parts of the game a bit scary
| 💡 Pro tip: If your little one is a Super Mario fan, you might find some cool Mario and Luigi toys in our list curated with the help of my toddler. |
4. Paw Patrol On A Roll
| Type of Game: Action & adventure Skills it develops: ✅ Problem solving ✅ Hand-eye coordination ✅ Reading |
Young kids just love Paw Patrol, and the Paw Patrol On A Roll Nintendo Switch game is actually pretty good too!
It’s a side-scrolling game with plenty of jumps to be made. This means that toddlers who are usually unable to play their Nintendo Switch on their own will definitely find their way around the game.
| Recommended age: 3 years and above |
What We Love:
❤️ Good price! This Switch game can be purchased for around the $30 mark
❤️ A great intro game for the youngest kids
What We Don’t Love:
💔 Not one to share with siblings as older kids will find it boring
💔 This is not the type of Switch game your kid will continue to play when they grow out of toddler age
| 💡 Pro tip: This Switch game is designed for younger kids in mind, so it is not a video game your kid will keep playing for years to come. Our pro tip is to buy a physical copy, that way you will be able to trade it in at some point in the future for a different Switch game. |
5. Best Co-op Experience For All: Kirby Star Allies
| Type of Game: Adventure & multiplayer game Skills it develops: ✅ Problem solving ✅ Hand-eye coordination ✅ Reading ✅ Familiarity with game rules ✅ Social interaction |
This is a super appealing game to younger players, who will fall in love with the super cute alien hero called Kirby. In this colorful adventure, players can team up to multiply the powers in Kirby on the quest to rid Plant Popstar from baddies.
| Recommended age: 6 years and above |
Whilst toddlers won’t be able to play Nintendo Kirby: Star Allies as the main character, you can have a ton of fun playing together in a co-op experience. Even the youngest kid can be a part of the team, helping you to reach goals in the game!
| 💡 Pro tip: You can try the demo version of this Nintendo Switch game to confirm that both your toddler and you enjoy playing before buying. |
What We Love:
❤️ A great game that kids will enjoy more and more as they grow up
❤️ Up to 4 different people can play on one Nintendo Switch, perfect for older siblings to share in the experience
What We Don’t Love:
💔 The price places this Switch game in the premium bracket at $50 or more
💔 Single player mode isn’t suitable for toddlers and young kids
6. Best for Older Kids: Minecraft
| Type of Game: Action & adventure Skills it develops: ✅ Problem solving ✅ Hand-eye coordination ✅ Reading |
Minecraft can feel a little like the Borg in Star Trek, “you will be assimilated.”
But here at TheToyZone we are big fans of Minecraft and we are confident that it’s the perfect educational Nintendo Switch game for young kids to try. We see it less like a survival game and more like a digital LEGO adventure.
| Recommended age: 8 years and above |
Make sure to enable the ‘Creative mode’ which strips away the survival aspects of Minecraft and allows players to easily build structures.
What We Love:
❤️ Excellent value! Minecraft for Switch can be found for less than $20
❤️ This educational game can help to support creative play
What We Don’t Love:
💔 The controls can be tricky for kids younger than 3
💔 It’s hard to find physical copies at the moment
| 💡 Pro tip: Be sure to also check our our list of the best Switch games for 4-year-olds if your toddler is enjoying Minecraft. |
3 Frequently Asked Questions About Toddlers and Video Games
🙋♂️ Should toddlers play on a Switch console?
It’s worth noting that video games should not become the primary source of fun for young kids – although it might be hard to stop when they hit their teens!
The world is a big place and there is plenty of exploring to be done in the physical world but we also know that many young kids will show an interest in the Switch similarly to how we were obsessed with the Gameboy when we were kids.
We recommend you limit screen time for your kid. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends screen use should be limited to no more than 1 hour a day for kids between 2-5 years. The AAP also clarifies that viewing should be “interactive, non-violent, and educational” so we at TheToyZone feel Nintendo Switch games will do just that.
🙋♂️ Are Switch games safe for toddlers?
Many games are not suitable for younger kids but we have attempted to highlight a number of games that would make sense for kids from age 3 and above.
As with any young children and video games, you should restrict usage and treat it like other entertainment like TV watching. The best games for the youngest children are those that they can play alongside you in co-operative mode.
🙋♂️ What Nintendo Switch console is best for toddlers?
One question we get from parents is what is the best type of Switch console for younger players. We have found that the Nintendo Switch Lite is usually the best as it’s smaller and lighter so easier to hold with smaller hands.
But for longevity and if you want to use the console in dock mode, then you might be interested in spending more on the Nintendo Switch Standard.
As I prefer to play video games with my toddler using 2-player or co-operative mode, my preference is the Nintendo Switch OLED as I can hook it on the TV but I can also use it for my personal gaming in portable mode – the best option if you also enjoying playing video games once your toddler is off to bed.
| 💡 You might also want to look at our comparison between the OG Switch, Lite and Switch OLED. |
Final Thoughts
Don’t feel pressured into buying the latest console, you might be able to have a ton of fun with an older console like the Nintendo Wii. My favorite thing about the Wii is that it comes with many games that utilize its far superior motion controls and can be a great intro to gaming for kids as young as 3. If you do have a Wii somewhere around the house, then be sure to look at those Wii games we recommend for 3-year-olds.
