Best PS4 Games for Kids of 2026

If you have a teen in the house, this is the standout superhero game on the system. “Marvel’s Spider-Man” puts players in Peter Parker’s suit to swing through a detailed open-world New York City.

The story balances Peter’s personal life with his responsibilities as Spider-Man, and the combat leans on dodging, web tricks, and acrobatics rather than graphic violence. Visually it is one of the best-looking games on the console.

It is rated T for Teen for violence and language, so it suits the middle-school crowd and up rather than younger kids. The combat also has more depth than most family titles, which is part of the appeal for older players.

“Minecraft” is less a single game than an open-ended building toy. Kids can construct anything from a simple shelter to complex machines wired with redstone, then share the world with friends.

The current PS4 release is the Bedrock version, which supports cross-platform play, so your child can build online with friends on Xbox, Switch, PC, or mobile. It also allows up to four-player split-screen on one console for siblings.

Two modes cover different moods: Creative gives unlimited blocks with no danger, while Survival has players gather resources and fend off mobs at night. It is rated E10+ and quietly teaches planning, resource management, and spatial reasoning.

Cast spells and roam Hogwarts in the “Lego Harry Potter Collection.” This one disc bundles two remastered games covering all seven years of the story, so it is a lot of game for the money.

It retells the films with the gentle slapstick humor the Lego series is known for, trimming the darker moments so younger fans can follow along. Gameplay centers on magical puzzles, collecting studs, and unlocking a large roster of characters.

It is rated E10+ and features drop-in, drop-out local co-op, which makes it easy for a parent to grab a second controller and help with the trickier puzzles.

“Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens” retells the movie with slapstick comedy and plastic bricks, and it is an easy entry point to the galaxy for kids who are not ready for the films.

This entry added new mechanics to the Lego series, including multi-builds that let you choose which object to construct to solve a puzzle, plus cover-based blaster battles. Players can pilot the Millennium Falcon and X-wings in dogfights that look surprisingly cinematic.

The Deluxe Edition typically bundles extra character and level content. It is rated E10+, and the drop-in co-op makes it another good couch game for a parent and child.

Assemble a roster of more than 200 Marvel characters and take on Kang the Conqueror across the time-twisting hub city of Chronopolis. Kids can play as Spider-Man, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Ms. Marvel, and dozens more, swapping powers to solve the light puzzles that string the story together.

The open hub lets players fly, swing, and drive between eras, tackling side quests and free-play areas to unlock new heroes. The puzzle-and-combat loop stays gentle enough for grade-schoolers while giving Marvel fans plenty of characters to collect.

It is rated E10+ and supports two-player local co-op, so a parent or sibling can drop in on the couch at any time.

For preschoolers and early readers, “Paw Patrol: On A Roll” is one of the gentlest ways onto a PlayStation 4. It is rated E for Everyone, with no combat or fail state that will upset a young child.

Players guide Ryder and the eight rescue pups, including Skye, Chase, and Marshall, through short side-scrolling missions set around Adventure Bay. Each pup has a simple special ability, so kids swap characters to clear an obstacle, which teaches basic problem solving without any pressure.

The controls are deliberately forgiving, which makes this a good first platformer for a three or four year old still learning the sticks. Older kids will finish it quickly, so treat it as an early-years pick rather than a long-term one.

“Rayman Legends” is one of the best platformers on the system, with hand-drawn 2D art that looks like an interactive cartoon.

Up to four players can jump in at once, running, slapping, and gliding through levels, including musical stages timed to the beat of songs. It is chaotic and genuinely funny in a group.

The game is generous with content, folding in remastered levels from Rayman Origins. It starts easy and ramps up, but infinite lives keep it forgiving enough for casual family play. It is rated E10+.

The purple dragon returns in HD. The “Spyro Reignited Trilogy” rebuilds the first three PlayStation classics from the ground up, so they look like a modern animated film.

You get three full games on one disc. Players guide Spyro through colorful realms, flaming enemies, collecting gems, and freeing trapped dragons. The gameplay is relaxed 3D platforming built around exploration rather than tough combat, which suits kids who like to comb every corner of a level.

It is rated E10+. Note that a download is required to play the second and third games even with the disc, so factor in the install time and storage.

“Team Sonic Racing” is a kart racer with a twist: you race in teams of three, sharing item boxes and slingshotting off teammates’ boosts. That cooperative angle makes it a friendly pick for siblings who would rather work together than fight over first place.

Players race as Sonic and friends across colorful tracks, collecting wisps and rings to power up. The team mechanic adds a light layer of strategy, so tweens have something to master while younger kids still have fun in the pack.

It is rated E for Everyone with mild cartoon violence, supports up to four players in local split-screen, and up to 12 online. It is a solid stand-in on a console that never got Mario Kart.

Imagine Disney characters dropped into a Final Fantasy adventure. That is “Kingdom Hearts.” Players join Sora, Donald, and Goofy across Disney worlds, from The Lion King to Frozen, fighting off the darkness.

“The Story So Far” bundles nine games into one package, which is an enormous amount of gameplay for the money. The combat is real-time and flashy, built around a magical Keyblade.

It is rated E10+. The overarching plot is famously convoluted, even for adults, but younger players tend to stay hooked on the Disney worlds and characters rather than the lore.

“SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated” is a full remake of the beloved 2003 platformer, rebuilt with modern visuals while keeping the goofy humor that made the original a favorite.

Players control SpongeBob, Patrick, and Sandy, each with their own moves, to clear robots out of Bikini Bottom. The levels are classic collect-and-jump platforming, easy to pick up but with enough challenge to keep older kids engaged.

It is rated E10+ for cartoon violence and comic mischief, and it adds a two-player horde mode you can play online or in the same room. For fans of the show, it is an easy recommendation.

Start your engines with Lightning McQueen and friends. “Cars 3: Driven to Win” is a more capable racing game than its movie-tie-in label suggests, extending the story of the film.

It is not just about speed; players learn to drift, drive on two wheels, and use power-ups. The game features more than 20 customizable characters and a wide set of tracks based on locations from the films.

The Playground mode is the standout, letting kids drive around freely to practice stunts with no race pressure. It is rated E10+ and supports up to four-player local multiplayer, so it works well for young fans of the franchise.

With no Mario Kart on PlayStation, “Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled” is the standout kart racer on the PS4. It is a full remaster of the 1999 classic, packed with personality and speed.

Players race as Crash Bandicoot and series villains, using rockets, bombs, and TNT crates to slow rivals. The power-slide boosting mechanic adds skill depth that older kids enjoy mastering.

It includes a full Adventure Mode story alongside arcade races, which is rare for the genre. It is rated E10+, and it runs faster and a bit harder than most kart racers, so expect a learning curve for very young players.

Bring the fair into your living room without the sticky fingers. “Carnival Games” collects 20 mini-games built for quick bursts of fun.

From Skee-Ball and ring toss to horse racing, it covers the classics, and it is designed for party play with up to four people competing for high scores. Winning earns tickets you trade for silly avatar outfits.

It is not a deep game with a story, but for a family game night where you want something everyone understands instantly, it is a dependable pick. It is rated E10+ and published by 2K.

Save shelf space and play the classics digitally. The “Hasbro Family Fun Pack” bundles four heavy hitters: Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit Live!, Scrabble, and Risk.

The games come to life with 3D animation. In Monopoly Plus the city grows as you buy property, and Trivial Pursuit is staged like a flashy TV game show, which lands better with kids than the cardboard version.

It supports local multiplayer, so you pass the controller around. It is rated E10+ and is an easy way to introduce kids to strategy and word games with no lost dice or missing pieces.