Video games are a great family night activity. Below are ten games that my family has recently been sent to review by various game developers. They form a variety of gift options for the “gamers” in your life.
Active:
1. EA Sports Active: More Workouts: I started this updated version of EA Sports Active that I had written about earlier this year on this post. The first version was great. This one is even better. There are new exercises (including push-ups and sit-up styled ones!); warm up and cool down sessions (that I really like); and a fitness book (filled with fitness and nutrition tips). I look forward to continuing the 6 week challenge after the holiday season.
2. Wii Fit Plus: I should be super fit by now with all of these fitness video updates! The Wii Fit was my first introduction to fitness video games. I still really like it. I see it more as an addition to my fitness routine than the core. (That’s primarily because I don’t like taking out the Wii balance board every day.) The thing that I like about this updated version is that you can choose the time length of your workout unlike with the earlier version. When you are time-pressed, that is a helpful feature. I also like that you can target specific body areas. (For me, that would be further toning of the stomach and thigh area in 2010!) As always, there are a variety of games that are simply fun.
Michael’s Current Favorites:
3. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs: Playing video games together has been a great bonding time for my husband and Michael. This game, based on the movie of the same title, is one that they both actually like. For a while they played it together almost every day for about 15 minutes a day. It’s really funny, because Michael picks up most video games intuitively and ends up telling the adults (like my husband!) how to play. The thing that they like the most is that there are a lot (20+) levels. They usually try to get through a level a day. For me, it’s just funny to overhear them negotiate who is going to be Flint (the movie hero) and who is going to be the sidekick monkey.
4. My Virtual Tutor: Reading Kindergarten to 1st Grade: To my (pleasant) surprise, Michael really loves this DS game. We don’t use the DS as much anymore because we no longer have that crazy daily commute (thank God!). Michael has been enjoying reading more and more, so this game reinforces several of the skills that he is learning in Kindergarten. My husband comes home and tells me how so many middle school kids have trouble with reading; so it is very important to me that my kids have the best foundation possible. That’s why I appreciate the five reading areas that this game focuses on – especially phonics. (I don’t have a problem with “sight words”, but I think that it is important for kids to understand the relationship between the sounds of letters and actual words.)
Other Great Options:
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As you can see, there is something for every taste. That is the great thing about gaming. (If you still can’t decide, you can always get a Nintendo Points Card for gamers so that they can choose their own picks.) Granted, we are a Wii/DSi family. I am clueless regarding any other gaming system at the moment.
***For my last giveaway of the year, I have an extra copy of Family Party: 30 Great Games Outdoor Fun for one of you. Simply let me know your favorite video game of 2009 in the “Comments” section by January 15th at noon. Newsletter subscribers receive an additional entry. (Simply indicate that you are one.)
