Wii Need To Get Kids Outside & Involved

A few years back, the Nintendo Wii was being touted as a great form of exercise, especially for kids who would rather play video games than head outside. The games, such as Wii Sports with bowling and boxing, appealed to most everyone from toddlers to adults. Nintendo recognized the success and continued to build upon it. Next was the birth of Dance Dance Revolution and Just Dance. Then came the Wii Fit and Xbox Kinect—these new console add-ons allowed you to take a yoga class or go skiing in your own living room. Indoor exercising had officially become a craze!

Now, the thing about a craze is that it could just taper off into what was once a fad or it could have long lasting effects on culture. This craze is one that we may need to say goodbye to for a variety of reasons. Besides the very obvious lack of fresh air, US researchers are now finding that these games do very little in the way of physical exertion. In fact, the games deemed active (such as Wii Sports and Dance Dance Revolution) result in no more physical activity than those thought of as passive (Mario Kart or Disney’s Sing It). Another issue that has been addressed by experts is the lack of learning experiences children have by getting outside and being part of a team. Kids Sports NSW owner Steve Gordon commented to Fox News, “With real sports you also need to learn how to work with your teammates and you learn the life skills and social skills of how to play in a team.”

So if your kids aren’t getting the benefits of fresh air, exercise or social skills, should you just delete your Mii and call it quits on your love affair with the Wii?

Well, maybe not yet! While it may be lacking in some areas, the Wii can still be a great way for your family to bond and a perfect rainy day boredom buster. The solution is to define the Wii as a fun game to play on the side and ensure that your kids are getting enough fresh air, exercise and exposure to teamwork with relying on Nintendo’s popular gaming system.

Nannies, It’s Cold Outside!

One week into December, and it’s a cold one here in Philly; especially compared to the spring-like November we enjoyed. With the cold weather upon us, we needed to get creative to find fun indoor activities to get the kids off the couch and away from the TV.  We scoured our favorite websites for some fun ideas that will keep your kids active and creative. Here are some of our best finds!

·         Tabletop Soccer

o   “An empty pizza box gets a sporty transformation into a tabletop soccer arena. No need for shin guards, as the kicking is all blown air and the ball is a puff of cotton.”

o   Visit http://tinyurl.com/7588b8y for full instructions, courtesy of Disney Family Fun

·         Tag-Team Drawings

o   The name speaks for itself! “This quick-paced game encourages group creativity. Players contribute to drawings begun by other family members, with often hilarious results.”

o   Visit http://tinyurl.com/7kofq8c for full instructions, courtesy of Disney Family Fun

·         Tornado in a Bottle

o   Learn about science and have fun by recreating the effects of a tornado with soda bottles

o   Visit http://tinyurl.com/d6ywtdz for full instructions, courtesy of Family Education

·         Flower Press

o   Create beautiful pressed flowers you can frame and enjoy with simple household items, such as coffee filters

o   Visit http://tinyurl.com/d46anz6 for full instructions, courtesy of Family Education

And don’t forget about the classics as well, such as freeze dance, limbo or building a fort.