We are a somewhat non-traditional household when it comes to gift giving holidays. Many times we decide what the family wants as a whole and purchase that, or sometimes purchase a “need” (depending on hubbies projects at the moment… usually a power tool). We prefer to invest in something that will be used and enjoyed versus cards, flowers, stuffed animals… you know the drill.
This year I was brainstorming ways for the kids to connect with their Dad in a fun way. The Nintendo Wii is just that! It’s fun, interactive, physical and is appropriate for the entire age range we have in this house… from 3 through 44!
I’m fairly positive most of you have heard of, seen, or even played with a Nintendo Wii by now. It’s not a new gaming system but it is still relevant and fun for a family of six. The Wii uses special motion sensitive controllers that allow you to swing a bat, throw a punch or drive a car with the flick of the wrist instead of using buttons to control your movements.
We’ve been playing the Wii for a while now and are loving it. I’ve found that the time we (as grown ups) spend with the kids (especially the two little ones) playing the Wii ends in giggles, grins, squeals and hugs. Right now Emma and Ethan’s favorite game is Mario Kart Wii. The concept of driving a car is fairly simple for them to pick up and they have been known to blow old mom out of the water in these races. Mario has been part of our family for nearly 20 years now starting back with the original Nintendo, through the Nintendo 64 and now the Wii. I always enjoy any game with Mario in it as they are not overly stimulating, family friendly and the graphics are adorable. My husband has declared Super Mario Galaxy one of his favorites already.
The Wii Fit Plus is also a game/product that is appropriate for every member of the household. Now you can keep track of your fitness goals, weight, have customized workouts, a calorie tracker and a personal trainer all in one place… your living room.
My husband tends to get enough cardio in with his runs, but he especially loves the Wii Fit Plus for the Yoga and strength exercises. If it is a particularly gloomy/rainy day he can look to the game for a little cardio through obstacle courses, cycling, jogging and more.
The kids all have different favorites, but some of them include ski jumping, soccer, hula hoops, segwaying and the bulls eye game. All of the games included require some type of physical movement that works on areas like cardio, balance, strength training combined with plain old fun. You know it’s a great product when (1) the kids fight over who’s turn it is (2) they hang around to cheer each other on (3) the little ones beg to play.
Even though I reviewed this as a family product… I still believe it would make a great Father’s Day gift for the guy in your life. My husband has been known to sneak downstairs for a few minutes of quiet fun after the hecticness of the day had died down. Being that he was a teenager in the age of video games he is able to find relaxation and enjoyment in even the most stressful parts of the game (unlike myself!). Whether he’s doing downward dog or racing through the mushroom cup I know the Wii is a great (investment) gift for (the family) him.
BUY IT:
You can purchase a Nintendo Wii with Mario Kart Wii bundle for $169.95 at Amazon.com and a Wii Fit Plus with balance board for $91.17 at Amazon.com
Connect with Nintendo for up to date product information and promos:
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Would love a Wii… Had one but the power outages fried it and no longer works. My daughter loves it!
Any dad that gets a wii for father’s day is a lucky man!
I have a Wii fitness board and all. It is a great tool to help lose weight. I would strongly recommend it.
LOVE the wii! we wii!!
We have the Wii fit as well as the Wii fit plus and we love them. Especially when the weather is bad. My favorite is the snowball fight one. I love it. The Wii is a totally family friendly system that gets everyone off the couch and having fun. We have had Wii Parties at our house with just adults. It is truly a system that offers something for everyone. Even MY dad likes it!
this sounds like a great gift for ME lol, I would love to try this!
Nice post! We (my boys and I) are Wii enthusiasts!!! I have a broken chandelier as proof. The controller (on its own doing as told by my son) accidentally hit it. I’ve yet to try Wii fit though. Intrigued!
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My daughter has a wii and the kids play it often. I could use something like this myself. I like that you get such a good cardio workout
OMG we would love to have a Wii! We went to my brothers house and played on theirs and love loved it!
This would make a great Fathers Day gift. My daughter has the Wii but I don’t believe the Fit Plus. That would save them from all the other exercising they do. Her hubby jogs a lot.
We love our wii fit and the kids have a blast trying to beat their Dad at games. I def agree that it would be a great Father’s Day gift
My son had the 64 also and he and I played some fun games. Astroid ? and others. He could use this system to keep in shape.
great review! I have a Wii
hahahahaha I laughed when I read the first paragraph! We do that too…why waste money on little meaningless crappy gifts when you can pool and come up with something really good that is meaningful AND has benefit for the whole family!