Nintendo Switch

[WatermelonKiwi]

im thinking of getting my husband and son (4) a joint present of a Nintendo Switch 2. It’s more for my husband but are there educational type games my son would be able to play on it (supervised)? He’s just turned 4 and I’ve seen there are Paw Patrol and Bluey games that might appeal to him. I’m not one to stick my son in front of a screen but I do see the benefit for some down time and if a game is teaching him something or is something we can play as a family then that works for me.

Any thoughts or experiences gratefully received!

Merry Christmas!

Teach feels a stretch, but there are Age appropriate games

Nintendo is geared towards kids so it would be more for your son/family fun than for your husband tbh. There’s lots of good games for kids - I agree teaching is a stretch, but lots of fun and puzzling skills. The Lego games are great.

4 is too young for a Switch

We really like ours - I especially like Mario cart, as you can play it together as a family. Do check how many controllers you get - we bought some extras. Also the little game card things are tiny, so we bought ds a carry case for his switch with lots of little pouches for them.

I wouldn't buy your 4 year old a switch now, OP. If you front load the big ticket items now when he's too small to fully benefit, you'll regret it when he's 8 or 9 and already has (and does not appreciate) the gifts more typical for that age group.

My DS9 is massively into tech & gaming & I got him a Switch (second hand) when he was about 7. I don’t think a 4yo will get much out of it & you miss the chance of getting it later when they really want it.

I got my 5 year old DS a Nintendo switch for his birthday and he absolutely loves to :)

the Bluey game is a must! Sports game, Donkey Kong returns, Mario kart etc is good fun for the family too, especially with the joycon steering wheels

Another whose DC wanted one aged 7 but not earlier. Some of the classic games for it are excellent for that age group and the level of hand dexterity or grasping the aims of what happens when you do 'X' (such as collect keys to open doors or similar).
Favourites were Mario Kart, Yoshi games, and a lovely one called Alba which is of a slower pace than many, and centres on conservation on an island based on the writer's childhood holidays.

I have a switch that DS has played on from being around 4 and he has really enjoyed it. None of the games he has played have been particularly educational but I have noticed that they've helped him develop problem solving skills and helped him understand functions of things.

However, at 4 year old if you wanted to keep it educational and you have a tablet, I can really recommend the Edurino set. It is for kids aged 4-8, and is really engaging. You don't have to buy them all at once either you can just get 1 with a starter pack, and the additional ones later on depending on what you'd like him to learn.