Games for Kids

[Parker]

My two (three in April) year old is showing a lot of interest in video games so I'm looking for suggestions for some kid friendly, yet fun for adult games that we can play together. He wants to watch me play Halo 4 a lot (and loves watching Gran Turismo as he is already a gear head thanks to his father ) but I'm not comfortable with him watching violent video games yet so I'm hoping he will like other games as well.

I was thinking about getting UP and maybe Cars 2 or the Cars Race-O-Rama (seomthing like that) games because he loves cartoons and cars so I think that will be a good fit.

Anyways, I'm open to all suggestions and they don't have to be trophy enabled so don't worry about that.

Thanks for the help fellas,

Parker

[Orlay_]

My niece is 6 in January and I've been in that boat since she was 3 as well.

The Harry Potter Lego games were her vice, Pirates of Carribean lego as well.

She didn't like little big planet because it was to hard for her to perceive depth and move at the same time.

She did like Fat Princess... which is fine against the computer.

Modnation Racers.. especially creating drivers.

[Hamburger Helper]

Back to the Future: The Game (Some minor language: hell, damn, etc. nothing like shit or fuck)

PixelJunk: Shooter (Definitely for a parent and child to play. No dialogue whatsoever and there's a custom soundtrack, so you can listen to something while hanging with the kid )

PixelJunk: Eden (Combined with a techno-like soundtrack with a sort of flowery-like theme, it's pretty fun to play)

That's off the top of my head. Also, does it have to be for PS3? I've game to recommend for other platforms that are pretty kid friendly and fun for the family.

By the way, these are all digital games I've listed. I believe both Pixeljunk games are $9.99 and Back to the Future is $19.99 for the season pass (all episodes are availible now). And hey! My b-day's in April too

Edited November 10, 2012 by scotty243

[tw34kfr34ky]

sly raccoon hd collection.it doesnt have coop though

[Parker]

Thanks for the recommendations so far guys, I appreciate it and I'll definitely look into some of them. Scotty, no it doesn't have to be for the PS3 as I have just about every console out there, but I'd prefer PS3 titles right now because that is what I have hooked up outside of my game room. He isn't quite ready to be introduced to the game room yet, too much expensive games and consoles he can destroy.

Parker

[dontwaketheKIDS]

I have girls, ages 5 and 4. Video games based on movies are always a good solution, be it ones they can play themselves or have just as much fun helping dear old dad play. To that end, I am likely picking up Rango, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Brave, etc. soon.

They also play a handful of games I've bought for me without really having them in mind. My oldest, for example, plays Sound Shapes quite regularly - which is nice because it has community levels that I can search to find skill/age appropriate levels for her to try.

If you have Move, I highly recommend one of the EyePet games. They were able to enjoy it entirely on their own with only limited guidance (for the platinum of course).

[PSXtreme_]

Eyepet...ToyStory 3...both good titles

[Kyouko_Sakura]

Kung Fu Panda 2, Skylanders Spyro's Adventure and it's sequel.

[Aexuz]

You can try with fighting games too. My 5 years old cousin loves to play Marvel Vs Capcom 3 and BlazBlue, of course she doen't get too many trophies but she can beat the computer in normal mode and she seems to enjoy this games a lot.

Edited November 11, 2012 by Aexuz

[antithesis]

My boy turns 3 next month and he's a mature kid, but I feel it's still a bit too young to let him loose on my PS3, with or without me.

Honestly, I don't want him to game as much as I have throughout my life, so I moderate his exposure and rarely let him watch me game. It's not really the role model I want to be for my kids, I'd much rather we run around in the backyard. I'm sure getting outdoors is not a problem for you and your kids Parker, it's all about balance

I do let him play iPad games, but they're mostly educational - basic numeracy, literacy, letter-tracing etc and only for an hour or two a week. He enjoys the Toca Boca range for mucking around after he's had enough of learning.

As far as console gaming is concerned, I have no qualms playing Kinectimals (he's played that since age 1) and Once Upon a Monster on 360 (yet to play) so he's doing more than sitting on his arse on the couch. On PS3, maybe consider EyePet, Wonderbook and Sorcery for a bit of Move fun.

Any movie tie-in on PS3 is a good option, as are the Lego games, but they're mostly aimed at 7 year olds. UP is a good choice for 3+ because it has co-op, as does Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and Cars Race-O-Rama. Kart racers are always good - Sonic All Stars, Madagascar Kartz, Dreamworks Superstar Kartz and Ben 10 Racing, among others.

Maybe Disney Universe instead of LBP, which is a little bit challenging for that age group, but LBP is on my radar too, particularly for level-creation.

There are a few PSN games worth looking at too, in particular the Buzz Junior games which are basically mini-games using the Buzz controllers. Rio is chock full on mini-games too, so put that in the same category.

Also, board games like Monopoly Streets and Hasbro Family Game Night are possibilities for a slightly older age group.

Edited November 11, 2012 by ant1th3s1s

[grimydawg___]

Well for a three year old, IDK My oldest is 10 and he like games like Sly and Ratchet and Clank. Occasional sports game also I'd probably buy your kid something like UP or Kung Fu Panda. My son is in that phase in which he wants to play some games I play. I let him play Uncharted 3 the other day. As long as you teach your kids, you'll be OK lol. I mean I turned out OK

[Omnislash-22]

Rango is suprisingly a good game for kids and even adult if you like platforming games.

[Mr Incredible]

Lego Batman 2 DC Universe.

My son just turned 3 in october and he loves running around Lego Gotham City in freeplay mode. I've showed him how to get in and out of vehicles and he figured out how to switch characters, and knows which ones can fly, and fly all over the place.

[SitusKiss]

I don't think you can get away from violence, in video games, entirely. Whether it's cartoon or pseudo-realistic, most games have some form of violence. You can only go so far with censorship through. These games are rated PG for a reason... they require "parental guidance". The fact that you will be there playing along side your child/children makes a big difference. They get to see your reactions and take on what's happening onscreen.

With all that said, I thought Monsters vs Aliens is a pretty fun co-op game where you can have the 2nd controller providing secondary support with Dr. Cockroach the whole time. Up, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, How to Train you Dragon, and Awesomenauts had fun co-op. I have to say Penguins of Madagascar was quite fun as well and actually had quite a bit of puzzle solving. I can't remember if it had actual co-op though.

My kids are around 6 and 8. They have been watching me (and playing) games on my PS3 for a few years now. They struggled to even grasp the concept of direction in the games at first. For instance, Mafia II was a great one where my daughter would try to run around the streets interacting with the NPCs. She would often times get stuck on a wall and didn't know how to turn around, haha. While that game, in it's entirety, is not appropriate for a 3-4 year old, there are portions of these games that offer fun for the kiddos. I think at 3-4 they are still too young to really go at it on their own or to really grasp the concept of game progression, missions, etc. They just want to move the character(s) around and control what's happening on the TV like Mom/Dad.

[Hamburger Helper]

Forgot this one:

Rayman Origins

Pretty fun and exciting for the kids and has split-screen multiplayer. There's really no violence but there's platforming and stuff. I tried the demo and thoroughly enjoyed it, since it's relatively cheap, I'll try picking it up for the new year to insert into the newly formed backlog.

Edited November 20, 2012 by scotty243

[HeartUnderBlade]

Little Big Planet, my little niece is 3 and she love it, sure some level are tough for her, but damn she learn fast, now she goes through like a piece of cake, hardest thing are the sticks of the controller, to big for her thumbs, other than that the level designs and the characters are her favorite thing, I really recommend this she learned a lot, and is a fun experience with someone you love.

[Wandererster]

LBP karting

Tintin

Poo yoos

Cartoon Network PTE

Undergarden

Magic orbz

Microbot

Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two

Lego Series games

Katamari

Toy story mania

Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing

[LiveFree--OrDie]

Any of the Lego game series' and also the Jak & Daxter series.

[Parker]

Thanks for the suggestions guys, I appreciate it. I took advantage of GameStop's "Buy two get one free" deal and purchased Sonic and Sega All Stars Racing and Toy Story 3 for my son. My wife got Dynasty Warriors 6 Empires and I also picked up the Adventure Time game because my son loves that show and I figure he'd enjoy watching me play. I'll still be adding to my collection for him and I'll definitely keep the games you suggest in mind.

Thanks again,

Parker

[AlteredFormula]

Parker, get Viva Pinata, on the Xbox360. Its an oldie now, but worth it. Nice and colourful with no nasty surprises for the kids, and strangely addictive for Dad.

[Beyondthegrave07]

littlebig planet is really good for any age (even a 3 year old). toy story 3 I heard is decent (and it's an easy plat. so i've heard). Also I know Katimari (i apologize in advance for the misspelling) is coming to psn soon. That game is also fun for all ages and it's pretty humorous whether you're 5 or 50.

[antithesis]

I finally relented and jumped on the Skylanders bandwagon and I can vouch for it as a decent early-entry game. My kids got it today and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a game you'll want to go 2-player with your kids as the puzzles and combat are likely way over the heads of a 3 year old...at least until they see you complete it.

My almost three year old son initially simply enjoyed swapping characters in and out of the game and watching them come alive. It progressed quickly to mashing X and [] to perform combat moves, then within an hour he'd worked out how to move the toons in the direction he wanted them to go using the analog stick. That's the first time I've let him loose with a controller, so it was a pretty good result.

The nice thing about the Skylanders stuff is they have small Xbox controllers available for junior-sized hands. I bought a couple, used a 360 > PS3 USB adaptor and it worked like a charm. Much less cumbersome for the kids than a full-sized controller.

Edited December 31, 2012 by ant1th3s1s

[SitusKiss]

I finally relented and jumped on the Skylanders bandwagon and I can vouch for it as a decent early-entry game. My kids got it today and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a game you'll want to go 2-player with your kids as the puzzles and combat are likely way over the heads of a 3 year old...at least until they see you complete it.

My almost three year old son initially simply enjoyed swapping characters in and out of the game and watching them come alive. It progressed quickly to mashing X and [] to perform combat moves, then within an hour he'd worked out how to move the toons in the direction he wanted them to go using the analog stick. That's the first time I've let him loose with a controller, so it was a pretty good result.

The nice thing about the Skylanders stuff is they have small Xbox controllers available for junior-sized hands. I bought a couple, used a 360 > PS3 USB adaptor and it worked like a charm. Much less cumbersome for the kids than a full-sized controller.

I recently heard this is a pretty cool game from a friend of mine. Cute picture I may also have to jump on the wagon on this one. I'm thinking about getting the kids their own PS3 so I don't have to share mine