3 and 4 years old is a little early to play video games, but if you choose the right game, kids at this age can have a blast. It’s no surprise here that all of these games are on the Nintendo Switch console. Nintendo definitely has more of a kid focus than other video game companies.
These are all games that I have played with my 3 year old that we both really enjoyed. The ideal game for this age group will have a mode for younger kids, won’t allow you to fail, and allows for 2 players so that you can play together.
Best Pick
Yoshi’s Crafted World is the best game for 3 - 4 year olds. In this game, you play as Yoshi and are working through levels. It’s a platformer game, which means you are jumping on things and bouncing on enemies. It is not possible to fail in this game. There are no game overs.
Yoshi’s Crafted World supports two players, so you can play with a kid. The music is great and laid back. The look of the game makes it look like someone made everything out of crafting materials. If you have a 3 - 4 year old that is interested in video games, get this one.
Other Great Games
Mario Kart is a fun racing game where you can play as many Nintendo characters that you know. This game supports up to 4 players.
There are a few assistance options in the game for kids. For a 3 or 4 year old, there are two settings to turn on. The first setting makes the kart go forward without holding down the gas button. The second setting tries to keep the kart on the track. You can still drive the car, but these settings will make it so it’s easier to make progress and stay moving in the right direction.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is actually 2 games in 1. 3D world was released for the Wii U console years ago. Browser’s Fury is brand new.
Super Mario 3D World is a great Mario game. It allows for up to 4 players. This game is not really tuned for a younger player. If you have a 3 or 4 year old, they can play this game, but it’s likely that they will fall off the world or get hurt by enemies pretty frequently. My son still really liked playing this game and asked for it, but be prepared to play the game yourself with the kid doing their best. You do get to transform into a cat version of Mario, which was a crowd pleaser for my son.
Bowser’s Fury is a little better suited for a younger child. You can have 2 players in this game. The primary character is Mario and that will need to be played by an adult. The 2nd player controls Bowser Jr who is a supporting character. This character cannot get hurt in the game, but can help to take care of enemies and unlock power ups. This game is a great option for younger players. The only caveat is that there is a giant bowser that appears throughout the game. At first, that Bowser was scary for my 3 year old son. Over time, he wasn’t scared of it any more.
In Luigi’s Mansion 3, you play as Luigi hunting for ghosts and trying to rescue your friends in a creepy hotel. This game allows for 2 players, but you do have to get 30 minutes into the game before you can add that 2nd player.
This is a good choice for 3 - 4 year olds with some caveats. First, you will have to actively play the game and the kid is in a supporting role. Some of the challenges here require some thought or a little skill to complete. The nice thing about the secondary role is that the player cannot “die”. The main player can though. Second, when I first started playing this game with my 3 year old, the ghosts in this game scared him a little bit. We started only playing it in the day time and not before bed. He is no longer scared of it, but we did start out that way.
Super Mario Odyssey is a 1 player game, but it does have an “assist mode” that makes the game more accessible to younger players. In this assist mode, you cannot fall off the world and your health regenerates. This is a fun game for a younger player to explore. If you want to advance in the game and unlock new worlds, a more experienced player will need to do that.
One fun thing about this game is that you can throw your hat onto other creatures and control them. You can be a Mario frog or a Mario Goomba. My 3 year old really likes that about this game.
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe is a classic Mario game. There are enemies to conquer and jumps to make. This game supports up to 4 players. One nice feature of this game is that there are 2 characters who you can select that make the game easier.
If you play as “Nabbit”, your character cannot be hurt by enemies. Nabbit can still fall in holes throughout the game, and there are a lot of those. This is a good and fun choice for 3 - 4 year olds, but they will not be able to do everything.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker supports two players and is a good game to play with a 3 - 4 year old. The more experienced player is certainly required, but this game has some laid back levels. You play as Toad and you’re collecting stars in 3D levels. You can take this one at your own pace and explore the world.
For smaller kids, you can still “die” in this game, but you will come back as long as both players did not die. It can be hard for the younger kid to keep up in some places, but it’s still a game that my 3 year old liked playing with me.
