The Family That Plays Together Stays Together

I've heard arguments from all sides about video games. This is definitely one of the subjects self-righteous moms love to debate, quoting studies and stats from Cosmo magazine to the Journal of Psychology. How video games affect the obesity rates of American children; a study finding that surgeons who play video games perform better in the operating room; how our kids are spending too much "SCREEN TIME"; .......blah, blah, blah.

I'm here to tell you: Throw all of that out the window and buy the Wii

We don't have all the games available, of which there are millions (or at least enough to give this Mamma a headache at GameStop), but we do have Wii Sports, Wii Fit, MarioKart Racing, and the Star Wars Force Unleashed.

Between Wii Sports and Wii Fit, our entire family ends each gaming session sweaty and winded, laughing and cheering (never EVER talking smack) to the point of exhaustion. No kidding.

Wii Sport features games such as tennis, bowling, golf, boxing, and baseball. Sure, you can burn minimal calories swinging a golf club (what's new there???) or a baseball bat, but bowling....aaaah, you've never seen aerobic bowling until you've watched my 5 yr-old flailing for strikes! He's achieved "PRO" status, by the way, which brings me to my next point.

In real-life sports, a 5 yr-old cannot really play against a 9 yr-old. Their coordination and ability levels vary too greatly to make it a gratifying endeavor for either. Enter the Wii. Even Andre Agassi could play tennis with my kids because the user has the ability to choose the game and position of any player to make it fun and fair for everyone. Whether you choose to bounce on the balls of your feet and lunge for the passing shot, or confine your feet to a single square-foot, beer in-hand, even the most passive lounge lizard will elevate their heart-rate. Oh, and did I forget to mention the applause? The video spectators cheer you on all the way....talk about positive affirmation. And, in all honesty, form really holds no sway in this game. So, although Andre may beat the 5 yr-old, both will have fun and it won't be a total blow-out. That's gold.

For rigorous activity levels, try boxing, (otherwise known as Burning-Arm-Man 'cuz your arms will be BURNING, man) or some of the games in Wii Fit designed to step you up a notch. There are four areas of games in Wii Fit: Yoga, Balance Games, Strength Training and Aerobics. All are fun and great for fitness, but it's the latter that brings on the glisten.

Our personal favorites are:

• 2-People Run: Racing against someone else is FUN! It's great to play, hilarious to watch, and curious to observe that while laughter impedes running, it gives the added benefit of a solid ab workout. As you progress, you unlock longer-distance races, ostensibly because you've proven you won't die of cardiac arrest.
  
• Hula Hoop: Really, who doesn't have fun with a hula hoop?? Ask my friend, Anne Weiss, owner of Seattle Hoopla: http://seattlehoopla.wordpress.com/ ...... Sure, hooping it up with good friends in a grassy meadow, surrounded by wildflowers on a clear sunny day beats the hell out of Wii in my basement, but let's face it, ersatz hooping is better than NO hooping!
  
• Tennis: My advice? Get up and treat this like the real deal...clear out a large space, throw on some sweat bands and do it right. It surpasses an aerobics class in countless ways, brings out the competitive fire in us, and just admit it, who doesn't love the roar of a cheering crowd??
• My 5 yr-old insists that Star Wars Force Unleashed, where he personally saves the Empire from the evil clutches of Darth Vader, is the best game. Little boys love light sabers. Period.
  
• A close second for him is Wii Sports Boxing. Again, the freedom to hit people with impunity is irresistable.
  
• MarioKart: Fun. Not active. But really, really fun.
  

Yes, I've heard anecdotal rumors of lazy-ass people sitting on their considerable behinds, dissecting the tricks to playing with minimal caloric expenditure. It's certainly possible. However, like teaching your kids anything else, modeling active behavior ultimately reaps kids with an active lifestyle. In a rainy city like Seattle, the Wii gets top-rating in my book for great indoor fun for the whole family.