The 12 best motion games for kids

Free, webcam only, ages 3 and up. Here is what each one is good for.

Every game here runs in your browser with the webcam you already have. No console, no app, no account, and no video is ever uploaded. The list goes easiest first.

At a glance

The games

1. Balloon Keep

Ages 3+A first game

Balloons float down and you bop them back up with your hands. Every touch scores. Keep them off the floor until the clock runs out.

2. Santa Catch

Ages 3+Toddlers

Presents tumble out of the sky. Catch as many as you can in 75 seconds, with your hands or even your nose. Every player wears a Santa hat that follows their head, and each catch bursts into confetti.

3. Bubble Splash

Ages 3+Calming down

Kids on the sides of the screen blow bubbles your way. Touch one to pop it. Small bubbles score the most, and a rainbow bubble pops everything around it.

4. Freeze

Ages 3+Self-control

Green light: go as wild as you can, and every wiggle fills your bank. Red light: stop dead. Twitch before green comes back and you lose what you banked.

5. Snowball Fight

Ages 3+Quick reactions

Snowballs come flying at you. Block them with your hands and they fly straight back at the snowman.

6. Flap-Flap Race

Ages 4+Sibling races

Flap your arms up and down to fly. Dodge the branches and race to the nest. Play solo, or race a sibling side by side.

7. Pillow Fight

Ages 4+Burning energy

Pillows fly in from every side. Hit them with your hands and feathers go everywhere. Dodge the grumpy dark pillows before they bop you.

8. Forest Run

Ages 4+Cardio

Run on the spot to race through the jungle. Step left and right to dodge the llamas and monkeys, and jump the logs or step around them. A real jump works, or throw both hands up.

9. Soccer Kick

Ages 4+Sporty kids

Balls come at you. Kick, knee or head them into the net. Every goal fills a ball on the bar, and the match ends when it's full. The faster you fill it, the bigger the bonus.

10. Shape Wall

Ages 4+A whole-body challenge

A brick wall rushes at you with a body-shaped hole in it. Make that shape before it arrives and you burst right through. Miss, and the wall thumps into you.

11. Math Catch

Ages 5+Math practice

A math problem pops up and answers fall from the sky. Catch the right one with your hands. Pick addition, subtraction or multiplication.

12. Slalom Ski

Ages 5+Balance

Lean your body to steer down the mountain, between the flags and around the trees. Raise both hands to throw a snowball at a snowman. The longer you last, the faster it gets.

Picking by age

• 3 to 5: Balloon Keep, Santa Catch, Bubble Splash, Freeze. Big targets, no reading.
• 6 to 9: Flap-Flap Race, Pillow Fight, Snowball Fight, Soccer Kick, Math Catch. More speed, more competition.
• 10 and up: Shape Wall, Forest Run, Slalom Ski. Harder levels and a real workout. Parents welcome.

Why skip the console

Motion consoles need special hardware, a TV and often a subscription. These games need the camera on your laptop, tablet or phone, and they are free. Thinking about a console anyway? Read do kids' motion games need a console? first.

What happens to the video

It stays on your device. The game reads the camera image and throws it away. The one exception is a short highlight a grown-up can choose to share at the end, deleted when you play again or leave. No video is ever uploaded.

For teachers

Using Zazti in class? Here is how to run brain breaks with it.

Questions

What is the best motion game for kids?

It depends on age. For 3 to 5 year olds, start with Balloon Keep, Santa Catch or Bubble Splash. Older kids go for Shape Wall, Forest Run or Soccer Kick. All 12 are free.

What is a good motion game for a 4 year old?

Balloon Keep or Santa Catch. Big targets, simple reach-and-catch, and they score from the first second.

Do I need a Kinect or a console?

No. Any laptop, tablet or phone with a camera works.

Do these games cost anything?

No. They are free, with no ads and no account.