PlayStation gift ideas for kids

Keep the little ones quiet over the festive season with a selection of great titles.

Everyone likes to play

For all the fun of owning a pet without the cleaning up and visits to the vet, introduce EyePet into your family home this holiday season. Using the PlayStation Eye camera included with the game, see a furry friend spring to life in your very own living room. Dress him, bathe him, trim his fur or just tickle his belly and see him chase you across the living room; EyePet is a magical experience for all ages on PlayStation 3.

Invizimals brings a very different kind of creature into your world using the PSP Camera. Explore your surroundings and hunt invisible animals, then capture them using the Trap card included, and pit them against each other in battle. Suddenly bedroom, garden and playground will never be the same again.

For multiplayer fun that very small children can enjoy, the Buzz! Junior series - available on PlayStation 2 and on PS3 via download from PlayStation Store - is hard to beat. Whether you're tearing round the track in Buzz! Junior: Ace Racers or being a cheeky monkey in Buzz! Junior: Jungle Party, the Buzz! Buzzer controls are easy to learn, even for very small thumbs.

Making a song and dance

Kids love music and there's a fine selection of tuneful games available on PlayStation to make a song and dance about.

SingStar Singalong with Disney brings songs from some of the best-loved animated films in history to PlayStation 2, from The Jungle Book to Toy Story. Up to eight players of all ages can join in the fun, and remember: if you have a PlayStation 3 and a PS3 SingStar game, you can use PS2 discs via the Disc Swap feature.

If singing doesn't do it for you, LEGO Rock Band is a spin-off of the popular Rock Band party games that's suitable for little ears. With upbeat tracks and adorable LEGO versions of real life rock stars, it features the classic instrument controller gameplay that made the series such a massive hit, making for a party game that hits the right notes with the whole family.

Games to grow up with

For teenagers and older children, Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time is an intergalactic adventure featuring two familiar PlayStation heroes. Ratchet's search for him robotic sidekick Clank now points to The Great Clock - an enormous space station that regulates the flow of time in the universe. The bright graphics and riotous sense of humour appeal to kids, while the fast-paced action and cerebral time-bending puzzles offer a challenge to older siblings and parents.

Another pair of PlayStation heroes, Jak and Daxter, have been saving the world for years and their latest adventure is Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier on PSP and PS2. It brings cut-throat pirates, huge areas to explore and epic aircraft battles to the handheld system, and a story that follows on from the original trilogy on PS2.

Finally, if you're taking refuge from the chill this winter - or relaxing on a sun-kissed beach for those south of the equator - MotorStorm Arctic Edge brings the MotorStorm festival to icier climates, and the palm of your hand on PSP. Keep your finger on the accelerator if you don't want to be left in the cold. Also available on PS2.

When buying games for kids, remember to check the rating that applies to your country to ensure it is suitable. Ratings are displayed on the front cover of each game and they indicate the suitability of the content, not the difficulty level. You can find out how ratings are implemented in your region, along with tips for playing safely online and more, at ps-playsafeonline.com.