Remember when video games were simple? Donkey Kong was about as violent as things got when I was a kid. My parents didn’t have much to worry about. Things are different today. Navigating the video game aisle at your local big box store isn’t always easy for us parents.

Safe with Switch?

The majority of games for the Nintendo Switch (but not all) are great for kids. Last I checked, Mario never pulled out a gun and that hasn’t changed over the years. Keep in mind that many developers do release “mature” rated games for the Switch so not everything is a safe bet. Proceed with caution as you usually would, but know that Nintendo still holds true to the family-friendly brand.

Disney on the Xbox.

The Xbox One is an awesome system but many of the games aren’t designed for my seven- and nine-year-old. I get that. However, Disney has a few really good games for the Xbox. Disneyland Adventures lets kids explore the Disneyland park, and the characters and rides come to life. Even better, it’s only $30.

Another Disney game for the Xbox One worth checking out is Rush: A Disney Pixar Adventure. You get to play the role of various Pixar characters from The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Up, Cars, Toy Story, and Finding Dory. The game was easy for my kids to figure out and they were quickly immersed in the worlds of the movies they have loved for years. It’s also priced right at $30.

Ratings can be confusing.

Both of those Disney games are rated 10+, but I found them more than appropriate for my kids. The ratings can be confusing; use them as a guide. If you want to know whether a game is truly appropriate for your child, use inexpensive Redbox rentals to try it out for yourself before buying for your kids.