If you’ve got a PlayStation 5 in the family house, chances are, your kids are likely to want to play on it.
And while you’ll be wanting to keep their eyes away from the likes of Returnal and Grand Theft Auto V, there are plenty of games out there that are more than suitable for younger players. The PS5’s library still has a lot more growing to do. But thanks to backwards compatibility, almost everything you could play on PS4 is playable on PS5, too. Because of that, there’s a huge library of great games for kids on PS5.
Knowing what game is most suitable for your youngsters can be tough. And ultimately, it depends on your child; not everybody develops at the same rate, and so what’s suitable for one five-year old might not be suitable for another. As such, we’ve rounded up a handful of the most excellent games for kids that you can play on PS5; a mixture of PS4 and PS5 games.
Every game we’ve chosen is family-friendly, with themes suitable for all ages, but we’ve also suggested an age bracket for each title. So if you’re looking something for the younger members of your family to play, look no further. Read on to see the best games for kids on PS5.
Related: Best PS4 Games for 3 to 4 Year Olds
1. LEGO 2K Drive
- Most suited for: children aged 6 and above
LEGO 2K Drive is the LEGO racing game of our dreams. And we’re sure kids will love it too. For years we’ve wanted a LEGO based racing game that allows us to build our own vehicles and race them around an open world, and that’s exactly what this game delivers.
Being a LEGO game, LEGO 2K Drive has a vibrant, colourful world, and it’s full of fun characters and things to do. Aside from races, which are made accessible to all thanks to the game’s kart-style handling, there are many quests to complete that add more variety to the game. There are also countless things to collect, as well as vehicles and more to unlock.
If you’re not having fun playing LEGO 2K Drive, then you’re having fun creating with LEGO 2K Drive. With a huge range of real-life LEGO bricks to work with, you can create truly outlandish vehicles capable of travelling on land and water. You can even try to recreate some real LEGO models if you wish. As far as the best games for kids on PS5 go, this is up there with the very best of them.
Read our review of LEGO 2K Drive
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2. DC’s Justice League Cosmic Chaos
- Most suited for: children aged 5 and above
While many games based on DC superheroes are dark and gritty, DC’s Justice League: Cosmic Chaos is squarely aimed at kids. This open world action RPG is bright and colourful, its story is filled with humor and Saturday morning TV style escapades, and its gameplay is designed to be rewarding. Even better, there are a range of difficulty levels available, and you can play it in co-op.
This is a game that kids and adults can enjoy alike, and together if they wish. Exploring the open world is simply a joy, and there are so many quests to complete and other enjoyable activities to take part in. So, whether you want to be Batman, Superman or Woman Woman, be sure to check this game out. It definitely deserves a spot on this list of the best PS5 games for kids, that’s for sure.
Read our review of DC’s Justice League: Cosmic Chaos
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3. Astro’s Playroom
- Most suited for: all ages
Astro’s Playroom is a double-whammy: not only is it hands-down one of the best games for kids on PS5, it’s also free. That’s right – this is a game that’s bundled with every PS5, included at no extra cost. It’s automatically installed on the console when you buy it. It’s been designed to show off the excellent functions of the DualSense controller, but it’s also an excellent game in its own right.
A platform adventure game that takes place over four worlds, Astro’s Playroom is a celebration of all things PlayStation. As you explore its PlayStation-themed environments, you’ll find relics – like a PSOne Memory Card or a PSP Go console. Okay, so your five-year-old might not know what either of those things are, but they’ll have fun exploring all the same. From stepping foot into a jumping frog costume to climbing through a jungle as a monkey, Astro’s Playroom is fun from start to finish. And your kids can learn about the history of PlayStation as they go.
4. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Most suited for: children aged 7 and above
Not only is Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart one of the best games for kids you can play on PS5, it’s also a PS5 exclusive. That’s right; you can’t play this on any other console. As such, it uses the full power of the PS5, making it one of the nicest-looking games you can currently play. While it’s not necessarily strictly a kid’s game, it’s something that the whole family can enjoy. We’re grown adults, and we loved every minute of it. But its entertaining story, gorgeous Pixar-rivalling visuals and lovable cast of characters means it’ll definitely resonate with young players.
There’s a lot of gunplay however, which means Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart probably isn’t suitable for really young children. Switching weapons, aiming, and navigating the 3D environment means kids will already need to have a good grasp of using a controller before jumping in. But for those who aren’t brand new to video games, there’s a heck of a lot to love here. Kids games on PS5 really don’t come much better than this.
Read our review of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
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5. Sackboy: A Big Adventure
- Most suited for: children aged 7 and above
The star of the LittleBigPlanet series is back, and this time he’s got an adventure all of his own. A PS5 launch title, Sackboy: A Big Adventure is an absolutely gorgeous 3D platforming adventure that sees Sackboy take on his biggest challenge yet in order to restore order in the world. Players will make their way through multiple worlds, each with a dozen or so levels to explore. Better yet, it can be played in co-op too – which if you ask us, is the best way to play.
Undoubtedly Sackboy: A Big Adventure is one of the best games for kids on PS5. Not only is it beautifully colourful and a pleasure to jump around in, it’s also packed with great puzzles to get younger players’ brains in motion. And it’s not just for the kids too – no matter your age, there’s a lot of fun to have here (and older players will get a kick out of the excellent voicework from Dawn French and Richard E. Grant).
Read our review of Sackboy: A Big Adventure
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6. LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
- Most suited for: children aged 5 and above
No list of the best games for kids on PS5 would be complete without a LEGO title. We’ve chosen LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga because it’s the only LEGO game to have a true PS5 version, but almost every LEGO game makes a great choice. We’d also highly recommend LEGO City Undercover: it doesn’t rely on any franchise, and has one of the best open world sandboxes, packed with so much to do.
The Skywalker Saga, on the other hand, retells the story of all nine Star Wars movies, allowing players to take control of hundreds of characters, explore many corners of the Star Wars universe and, of course, engage in plenty of lightsaber combat. There are collectibles to find, light puzzles to solve and plenty of adventure to be had. It’s a great game for all ages – and drop-in drop-out co-op makes it perfect for siblings to play together.
Read our review of LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
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7. My Friend Peppa Pig
- Most suited for: children aged 3 to 5
Video games for really young children are hard to find, and that’s why My Friend Peppa Pig is such a delight. If you’re looking for the best PS5 game for kids that you can play with your three or four-year old, look no further. Particularly if they’re a fan of Peppa Pig, most young children will absolutely love this title.
Its visuals look identical to the cartoon, which in itself is quite a rarity. It doesn’t try to force 3D graphics; instead, it embraces the bold and basic cartoon style of Peppa Pig, and to great effect. It’s essentially an interactive episode of the cartoon; playing as a character that children can create for themselves, you’ll take on the role of a new friend of Peppa’s. You’ll join her and her family on adventures, like visiting the beach, the park, and a castle. There are a few basic activities to complete – like finding Daddy’s glasses that he’s lost in the house – but for the most part, kids are free to explore however they like.
Controls are super simple too, making use of only the directions and the ‘A’ button, meaning it’s a great way for young players to get used to holding the controller. And once you’re done with My Friend Peppa Pig, a sequel is now available. Peppa Pig: World Adventures allows players to create a whole family and travel the world, engaging in a range of activities as they go.
Read our review of My Friend Peppa Pig
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8. SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake
- Most suited for: children aged 5 and above
The first brand new SpongeBob SquarePants game in nearly a decade, The Cosmic Shake doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel. This is a straight up, old-fashioned platforming game, putting players in control of SpongeBob as they make their way through numerous environments full of platforming challenges and minigames to overcome. But while it doesn’t try to do anything new, it is genuinely entertaining.
Fans of SpongeBob SquarePants are likely to get even more of a kick out of the game as it the features the same nonsensical humour. The voice cast is authentic, too. In fact, the only thing that might grate some players is that you often have to replay levels to collect more coins if you want to unlock additional outfits for SpongeBob. It’s not the worst thing in the world, though.
Read our review of SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake
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9. Overcooked! All You Can Eat
- Most suited for: siblings and friends aged 7 above (or children playing with their parents)
We’ve long been recommending Overcooked! as one of the best games for kids. A co-op cooking game, it’s all about working together as a team to prepare meals. Except it’s not quite as simple as it sounds, because your kitchen has… problems. Perhaps you’re right in the middle of an earthquake zone which keeps splitting your kitchen in two. Or like in the picture above, it’s on two separate moving trucks, which keep getting separated in the traffic. Players need to co-operate to be effective, working together to prepare ingredients and get meals out to customers.
Overcooked! All You Can Eat is undoubtedly the best way to play, as it packs in both Overcooked! and Overcooked! 2, along with all their DLC. And it’s a native PS5 release too, meaning it looks better than ever. While really young players may struggle to play thanks to the frenzied nature of the game, everyone will get a kick out of the quirky characters and beautiful cartoon art style. But particularly for older siblings who enjoy playing together, Overcooked! All You Can Eat is one of the best games for kids on PS5.
Read our review of Overcooked! All You Can Eat
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10. Disney Speedstorm
- Most suited for: children aged 7 and above
At the moment, you need to pay to play Disney Speedstorm. In the future, however, it will be free-to-play, making it a cheap way to keep your children entertained. This racing game takes clear inspiration from the likes of Mario Kart, with handing that’s easy to get to grips with and a wealth of power ups and weapons available. Needless to say, it’s fun from the get-go and only gets more exhilarating as the action heats up.
Being a free-to-play game, the only reservation we have about Disney Speedstorm is that some might feel the need to spend real money to speed up their progress. You really don’t need to, though, especially with the majority of the game’s modes being single-player focused. In any case, you can have a hell of a lot of fun with Disney Speedstorm before it starts to feel like a grind.
Read our review of Disney Speedstorm
11. Concrete Genie
- Most suited for: children aged 9 and above
Concrete Genie probably isn’t a game for the youngest of children, but those aged over seven or eight will get a massive kick out of it. It isn’t strictly a “game made for kids”, despite its family-friendly rating – it’s one that adults can very much enjoy too – but there’s nothing offensive or inappropriate for younger players here.
Aside from its absolutely beautiful visuals that will astound younger players, Concrete Genie is worth a play thanks to its heart-warming subject matter; it provides a means to discuss bullying, as well as the notion of escapism and wanting to get away.
In terms of gameplay, Concrete Genie has you running around, cleaning up areas of the world and painting on walls. Using motion controls means it’s fun for anyone to do, and players can select their own objects to draw from a library. Not only is a great game, it allows children to let some of their creativity run wild. We can’t recommend Concrete Genie enough as one of the best games for kids on PS5.
Read our review of Concrete Genie
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12. Nickelodeon Kart Racers 3: Slime Speedway
- Most suited for: children aged 6 and above
Any of the three Nickelodeon Kart Racers make great games for kids. But we’ve opted to include the latest: Nickelodeon Kart Racers 3: Slime Speedway. Not only does it have a native PS5 version, but it’s also the biggest and best of the three games, including more courses and more characters than any of the others.
If your kids are fans of any Nickelodeon properties – including Rugrats, Spongebob, Hey Arnold, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and many more – they’ll get a kick out of this. The karting is pretty solid, too, with various difficulties available for all age ranges. Players can take on the CPU if they want to play alone, or you can race against up to three other players in four-player split screen.
Read our review of Nickelodeon Kart Racers 3: Slime Speedway
