It can be difficult to keep your kids entertained for an entire day, especially when the weather outside is less than appealing. Fortunately, there are plenty of free games for them to play, both educational and just for fun. They were designed to keep them engrossed for hours so you can take all the time you need to work, clean the house, or simply take an uninterrupted shower.

These games were designed to keep them preoccupied and not break the bank as you are not forced to pay a fee for them to play. Your kids' attention spans may be short, but luckily there are plenty of free games for them to try.

Updated November 3, 2023, by Gabrielle Huston: Finding the best kids' games is a tough task, and not everyone has 60 dollars to drop on a new game every time the kid gets bored with the old one. Here, we detail some of the best free games for the child in your life!

Video Games For Kids Age 2-4+

Fruit Ninja

Fruit Ninja is a classic where the swipe of your finger cuts through all of the fruit on the screen. It is a free game that your child can play over and over until they beat all the levels.

There are even special events as well as a multiplayer mode so they can prove to their friends, and maybe even you, that they are the best fruit ninja around.

Animal Jam

Animal Jam is where a child can turn into their favorite animal and customize them to their liking. They can meet new friends through a safe chat system and explore the virtual world of Jamaa.

It also has an educational aspect, since kids learn a bunch of animal facts given to them in different forms, and there are plenty of fun games for them to enjoy.

100 Hidden Frogs

You may not be surprised to hear that this adorable game asks you to find 100 hidden frogs. It's like Where's Waldo, if it was colorless and there were 100 Waldos.

It's surprisingly tough to find every hidden frog and the gameplay is simple but calming. You'll undoubtedly be able to sink some hours into this task and, if you like it, the creator also makes 100 Hidden Cats, 100 Hidden Hares, 100 Hidden Fish, and more!

RELATED: Best Tabletop Games To Play With Your Kids

Video Games For Kids Age 5-7+

Crossy Road

Crossy Road is a free phone game that has you helping a chicken cross a series of roads, and it is actually good. The goal is to dodge traffic and collect all of the funky characters in the game, which means hours of free time for parents who will now have distracted kids.

It even allows them to compete against one another on the same device, which adds a competitive aspect to the gameplay and makes it more enticing.

World's Biggest Pac-Man

The World's Biggest Pac-Man can be played in your PC browser! It's an interlocking series of Pac-Man mazes. The goal is still to eat all of the dots and Power Pellets are still scattered throughout, but the users who created the maze decide the exact number.

Your child can even create their own maze if they want and it is the perfect thing for anyone who has an obsession with this timeless character.

Home Base By Scholastic

If your child has an Android or iOS device, then they should download Home Base by Scholastic. It combines reading and video games into one as they can explore different islands from their favorite book series, interact with characters from the books, and talk with other kids.

It is moderated by adults to ensure that no one is breaking the rules and there are even virtual events where kids can meet authors or author special guests.

I Love Hue

In this simple yet delightful phone game, your only task is to organize colored blocks in the correct order. There are dozens of levels, where a shape with a color gradient has been divided into a grid of tiles.

Each tile is a different color, and the game automatically shuffles them. All you need to do is recreate the original gradient by returning all the tiles to their original location. It's one of those games that's premise is so simple, adults and children will find something to enjoy!

In The Rural Village Of Nagoro

In The Rural VIllage Of Nagoro is a sweet interactive narrative game for mobile and desktop play. You play as a girl on the island of Shikoku in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan, and spend the game walking around to learn about the village.

Your character grew up here as a girl, but Nagoro isn't what she remembers anymore. It's educational, it features calming music, and it's about 15 minutes long. Nothing not to enjoy here!

Video Games For Kids Age 8-9+

2048

The game called 2048 can be played on Android, iOS, and PC, but it is as fun as it is educational. All you have to do is move the tiles in a certain direction and the goal is to end up with a final number of 2048.

It requires analytical thinking, as well as some basic math skills, and the best part is that it is free so even if they don't like it, your money won't be wasted.

Super Animal Royale

Super Animal Royale is a top-down, 2D arena fighting game where you play as little animals who must defeat one another to be the winner! The different animals can be unlocked and customized in tons of ways.

The game is exciting, can include up to 64 people in one match, and takes place on a gorgeous island with many varied environments.

Spelunky Classic

You may be familiar with Spelunky, a game about adventuring inside of caves, but did you know it started as just a fun project that was released for free in 2009? You can still download that old, free version on the Spelunky website!

Basically, in this game, you play as a treasure hunter exploring caves. Your goal is to survive and gather as much treasure as possible in the levels, which are all procedurally generated.

MuseSwipr

MuseSwipr is an indie rhythm game for PC that is currently in early access. That means that the game isn't quite finished, but the developers are letting people enjoy it to give feedback on what the final, polished product should look like.

Each rhythm game puts its own spin on the idea, and MuseSwipr is no exception, but they all involve moving on the beat of the music. MuseSwipr is proud to allow players to create their own "beatmaps" (levels synced to music) and skins for the game.

Code Karts

Computer programming has become quite popular in recent years as more games are being created, and this game will help your child understand the logic part of these languages. It is rated for ages four and up and it will teach them useful skills such as the decimal system.

They will have to solve increasingly difficult puzzles and there are multiple modes for them to try.

The Sims 4

The Sims 4 wasn't always free. However, it came out almost a decade ago, and has had more than a dozen major expansions. Each of those costs around $60 each. As a result of that income, they were able to make the base game free in 2022! If the kid in your life loves it, you could always invest in a few of those.

It's a wonderful life simulation game that has stayed in the hearts of players for all of that time. Everyone has something else they love about the Sims. For some people, it's raising multiple generations of families. For others, it's the home-building and -decorating. For yet others, it's creating new characters and building up a community. There's something for everyone.

Pokemon Go

Pokemon Go is one of the most successful AR games on the market! If you're not already familiar with it, you basically catch all the friendly creatures you know from the mainline Pokemon games. To find them, though, you'll need to walk around in real life!

Younger kids will need to play this with an adult that has a data plan, but it's a great bonding activity! Plus, there's still plenty you can do from the comfort of your own home, like battling other players in special, event-themed matches.

Lego Tower

Lego Tower has kids managing their own tower which is filled with apartments and businesses, and it is one of the best Lego games. They can collect tons of unique Minifigures and build their tower up higher into the sky.

It can be played on iOS and Android devices for free and there are several challenges along the way that keep the game interesting for them.

Wizard101

Wizard101 is a computer game from 2008. It's an MMORPG designed for kids to enjoy! In fact, some of you, reading this right now, may even remember enjoying this classic yourself.

It has a pretty self-explanatory Hogwarts-esque plot and setting, but there's plenty of love and care put into the world. Plus, it's a great opportunity to hang out with other kids online! Of course, make decisions that feel safe for the child in your life.

Video Games For Kids Age 10-12+

Brawlhalla

Brawlhalla is, put simply, Super Smash Bros. but free. It's a fighting game where the player chooses from a roster of characters - each of which has different abilities - and then competes against their friends or NPCs on a variable battleground.

This game is great for kids playing online with their friends, especially, but it's not a total write off for kids who wouldn't be inclined to that. Either way, they'll still have fun jumping around the maps and trying out the various combat styles available to them.

Our Life: Beginning & Always

Our Life: Beginning & Always is a sweet visual novel where you play a character growing up in the small town of Sunset Bird. Cove, the green-haired boy, is the character you'll spend the most time with in-game. He can be your romantic partner, childhood crush, best friend, or mere acquaintance, based on the dialogue choices you make.

The game is really dynamic and customizable. Cove and the other characters grow up alongside you, impacted by your words and personality. At each stage of aging, you get to completely customize your character, including appearance, gender, and pronouns. If the kid in your life is a fan of the game, there are even DLCs that provide fully-voiced dialogue and names.

It includes some serious themes, which is why we recommend it for older kids, but it should help them healthily explore these concepts.

Fortnite

Fortnite was made to keep your kids entertained for hours on end as its fast-paced gameplay and chat system make it desirable to youngsters. The cartoon-like characters also help make it more enticing to kids as they try to work their way up the battle pass to unlock them.

While it is a battle royale, it is not as violent as other shooting and battle royale games on the market. It can be played on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, PC, Android, and iOS so they can even take it on the go.

The Lord Of The Rings Online

Is the child in your life already a bit of a nerd? If they like the Lord of the Rings movies, they may enjoy the free online MMO Lord of the Rings Online (LotRO).

While this game may come with the usual risks of inappropriate behavior from other players that always come when playing an MMO, it's an adorable and truly wholesome recreation of Tolkien's universe. In fact, it might be the best, most truthful adaption of the books to date.

Roblox

Roblox is a free game that is filled with a ton of free minigames, and it was made for kids. It primarily serves as a social network where kids can meet up with their friends in a virtual world, but there are so many types of games they can play together.

They could choose to roleplay as a cashier in a pizza restaurant, or choose to follow a riveting story. Luckily, there are several parental controls so you can tailor it to ensure your child remains safe in this online environment.

Guild Wars 2

Guild Wars 2 is a fantasy MMORPG that's been beloved by gamers for years! It switched to a free-to-play system in 2015, letting thousands of people enjoy it more freely! There are some differences between the paid and free versions, but you have access to basically the entire game without paying a cent.

As for gameplay, you spend your time invested in a tremendous storyline packed full of drama and compelling characters, as well as exploring the open world. There are dozens of varied environments to journey through, and five races to choose from on your quest.

World Of Warships

World of Warships is a free massively multiplayer online game (MMO) which tasks the player with engaging in naval combat against other players! That's the basic idea, but there are lots of modes to choose from: Standard battle, Arms Race, Domination, and Epicenter.

The gameplay is heavily team-based, so strategy and coordination is essential. There are five kinds of vessels to work with: destroyers, cruisers, battleships, submarines, and aircraft carriers. Your possibilities are endless, just be sure to keep an eye on your opponent!

Apex Legends

People can develop mixed feelings about popular games just for being popular. For Apex Legends, though, it's not just hype! This game is a free-to-play battle royale first-person shooter that's genuinely awesome.

As with many free-to-play games like this, though, there are microtransactions. They're exclusively cosmetic, not affecting your ability to play, but keep an eye on the kid(s) in your life if that's a concern.

NEXT: Best Games On Disney LOL For Older Kids