Kids' gaming gifts for Christmas 2026: 27 picks by age, with Australian ratings and prices

A good kids’ gaming gift is the right game, in the right rating, with the controls set up before it’s opened. This guide has 27 picks for ages 4 to 12 at Target, Kmart, JB Hi-Fi, Officeworks, Gamesmen and Big W, with every price read on the store’s own page. None of the games is rated M.

The age groups are ours, not the stores’. Game pages show an Australian classification rating, which is G or PG here, but not an age. Only LEGO sets and toys show an age on the box. For each game we’ve noted what the consumer advice says, because that’s where online chat and in-game purchases are listed.

Ages 4 to 6

• Bluey: The Quest for the Gold Pen (Nintendo Switch)
  Rated G
  $49 at Target
• Sesame Street: Friends & Fun (Nintendo Switch)
  Rated G
  $49 at Target
• LEGO Minecraft Steve’s Taiga Adventure (21583)
  Ages 6+ · 79 pieces · small parts, not for children under 3
  $11.20 at Target, with $14 crossed out
• LEGO Pokémon SMART Play: Charmander and Geodude’s Cavern Clash (72157)
  Ages 6+ · 198 pieces
  $27.20 at Target, with $34 crossed out
• Squishmallows Squish-a-Longs Pokémon Eevee 4 Pack
  Ages 6+
  $12.95 at Gamesmen
• Pokémon Squirtle 8” Plush
  Ages 2+
  $24.95 at Gamesmen
• Fisher-Price Little People: My Mario Figure 6 Pack
  Ages 18 months+, so one for a younger sibling too
  $15 at Gamesmen
• Belkin SoundForm Inspire Wired Over-Ear Headset for Kids
  Big W says it limits volume to 85 dB
  $15 at Big W, marked down from $49.95

Ages 7 to 9

• Minecraft (Nintendo Switch)
  Rated PG: mild violence, and the gaming experience may change online
  $30 at Target, with $39 crossed out
• Nintendo Switch Sports (Nintendo Switch)
  Rated PG: mild sporting violence and online interactivity
  $45 at Target, with $59 crossed out · $45 at Officeworks
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Nintendo Switch)
  Rated G: very mild fantasy themes and violence, and online interactivity
  $60 at Target
• Super Mario Party Jamboree (Nintendo Switch)
  Rated G: very mild themes and violence, and online interactivity
  $60 at Target
• Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Nintendo Switch)
  Rated G, with online interactivity
  $69 at Target and JB Hi-Fi
• Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Nintendo Switch)
  Rated G, with online interactivity
  $60 at Target and Officeworks
• Pokémon Pokopia (Nintendo Switch 2)
  Rated G: very mild themes and online interactivity
  $84 at Target, with $89 crossed out
• Kirby and the Forgotten Land (Nintendo Switch)
  Rated PG: mild fantasy themes and violence, and online interactivity
  $69 at JB Hi-Fi
• LEGO Minecraft The Warden Encounter (21274)
  Ages 7+
  $22 at Kmart
• LEGO Minecraft The TNT Jungle House (21275)
  Ages 8+
  $39 at Kmart
• Roblox Gaming Gift Card, $10
  Roblox is an online platform with chat and real-money purchases. See the safety notes below.
  $10 at Officeworks

Ages 10 to 12

• Pokémon Legends: Z-A, Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
  Rated PG: mild themes and violence, and online interactivity
  $59 at Target, with $89 crossed out
• Donkey Kong Bananza (Switch 2)
  Rated PG: mild fantasy themes and violence, and online interactivity
  $79 at Target, with $89 crossed out
• Mario Kart World, Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
  Rated G: very mild violence, and online interactivity and chat
  $95 at Target
• Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo Switch)
  Rated PG: mild violence and online interactivity
  $64 at Target, with $69 crossed out · also $64 at Officeworks
• Splatoon Raiders (Switch 2)
  Rated PG: mild themes and violence, and online interactivity and chat
  $79 at Target, with $84 crossed out
• Minecraft Dungeons II Deluxe Edition (Switch 2)
  Rated PG: mild themes and violence, and online interactivity
  $84 at JB Hi-Fi
• LEGO Creator 3 in 1 Retro Gaming Console (31380)
  Ages 8+
  $20 at Target, with $25 crossed out
• Hori Turbo Eevee Cottage Core Wired Controller (Switch 2)
  An Eevee-themed wired controller with rear buttons
  $49 at Target

A bigger gift: the console

If the gift is a console, the Switch 2 is the one most of these games run on. Officeworks has the Switch 2 + Mario Kart World bundle at $799 (Target $829), and Target and Officeworks both have the Switch 2 + Switch Sports Resort bundle at $749. Our console guide has every price and what happened last year.

Before you wrap it

• Check the rating and the consumer advice. G means suitable for everyone, though it can scare very young children. PG means the content may confuse or upset a child and needs a parent’s guidance. M isn’t recommended for under 15s, and games with paid loot boxes must be M or higher, according to the Australian Classification Board. The consumer advice line also says when a game has online interactivity, chat or in-game purchases. Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, for example, is rated PG but lists mild gambling themes and in-game purchases on its JB Hi-Fi page.
• Offline play is simpler. eSafety says games played alone or with people in the same room are sometimes safer, and ideal for younger children.
• Set up parental controls first. Nintendo’s Parental Controls app is free on iOS and Android and sets play time limits, and on Switch 2 a child under 16 needs the app linked to use GameChat. PlayStation lets you set up a family, then manage games, chat, playtime and spending limits. Xbox’s Family Settings app covers screen time, spending and friends.
• Roblox: eSafety lists Roblox’s minimum age as 5, according to Roblox, and says Roblox Kids accounts, for ages 5 to 8, have chat turned off by default. Robux are bought with real money, and parents can limit or block spending.
• Prices: all prices were read on each store’s page. Stock and delivery times to your postcode weren’t checked.

Prices and ratings checked on each store’s own product page on Tuesday 3 November 2026, between about 6:20pm and 6:35pm AEDT. They don’t include delivery. Stores change prices often, so check before you buy. “Crossed out” is the store’s own earlier price, which we haven’t checked against the maker’s RRP.