Wii or No Wii?

Hi Cindy,
We have owned a Wii for over a year and LOVE it!. I never liked to play video games before and now, I can say in the winter I am a junkie :) In the summer it waits for rainy days. But there is Wii fit and it is a lot of fun. My 5 year old girl plays a bit and my 2 1/2 tries to play and is just as content to watch. The kids I babysit come over to play it when their parents are home for something to do once in a awhile. I think that there is something for every one and you can't go wrong by getting it. If you don't like it sell it on e-bay and make some one else happy :)

I would say get it! The wii is a lot of fun and you can get a good workout playing it sometimes to. You could stick to just fun educational games, and games that you have to move around a lot for and then just continue to limit thier time on it.

We have a Wii and love it! Yes, it's a gaming system but it is very different from a traditional one. It is very active and definitely gets you moving. I recently bought the Wii Fit for myself too and now can do Yoga and jogging right in my living room. I say go for it! It won't only make the kids want to come to your house but it's a lot of fun when mom and dad have friends over too :)

I would highly recommend the Wii. My husband and I have owned every system under the sun over the years, and I can't tell you how much we love it.

I'm very picky about what I let my kids see/play. Like you, I limit tv/game time to an absolute minimum (there are so many better things to be doing!). We have quite a few games, and just picked up the Wii Fit (which is a BLAST might I add). I'm really impressed by the lack of violence in the games, and there are a lot of great family-oriented party games.

If you're still not sure, check with movie rental places. A lot of times they'll rent out games and systems, as well. That way you and the family could try it for a weekend before committing to a purchase.

Most Toys R Us will have one available. We rent games from the local Hollywood Video to try them first. Our family LOVES it, it is close to exercise and it makes a great discipline tool. I recommend trying the Carnival Games and Mario Kart. Also, when you get the Wii, get the package deal that comes with another game, the nunchucks and another console.

I would say go for it... if you are thinking of getting a gaming system for the family the Wii is the one to get. Now finding one is going to taking some research/time... my hubby and I have been looking for a Wii for oh 3-4 months now but still have not had the chance to get one yet.

The various games that I have played are very G or PG but are super fun, and I have seen preteens-teens also enjoying the same games. Also more then 2 players can play most of the games which allows more people/family to get in on the fun.

Regarding the limit of time I would say 1 hr of Wii or computer each day, let them chose which one. If friends are over tell them to play outside for awhile (basketball/water fight/tag football or whatever for an hour) and that in an hour they can come in for some snacks and to play the Wii. If they ask why they have to wait just say I need to get some housework done or need a nap/reading time and then you can come in.

Best of luck in finding what works for you!

The Wii is a blast. We are not much of a video game family and have never owned anything other than a hand held Leapster. I was worried about my son not liking it. He loves it. Most of the games are very physical. The driving games are easy to sit and play. They are using their arms though to steer the cars. We also have the Wii fit and that is so fun. It has great balance games, aerobics (hula hooping, jogging, step class etc) strength training and yoga. The thing I like, if you are worried about how much time they spend on it, is it has a clock that keeps track of how long you play and how long you play each game.
They are hard to find still so if you see one grab it and then make your decision (thats what we did) You would have no problem selling it to someone else if you didnt like it.

I have to say I am not a big 'gaming system' person. The games that are out are SO violent. Anyway, we did buy a Wii and I have to say it is SO fun! I have girls from 4 to 17 and we all have a great time playing it. It is interactive and the games we have are 'fun' games, no blowing things up or shooting etc. We bowl, play tennis, race go carts, etc. It is alot of fun!

IF you can find one - buy it! They are great fun and we often play ours as a family. We really like guitar hero - our two year old has a toy guitar that she rocks with while dad and I play - it's great family fun and perfect for a rainy day when you can't be outside...just set you limits and make the boys follow them.

Cindy,

We just purchased a wii last week. Check at Game Stop (which used to be EB Games). The one at our local mall had several of them and they said they were getting more. I think you will enjoy it, I have 3 kids and 2 of them are enjoying it. The youngest is still to young to play (only 2). Good luck finding one.

If you buy it I would make the kids choose which electronic activity they will do that day and limit them to one for so many minutes. If there is a program on TV they want to watch then no computers or Wii. Follow your gut, it's usually right.

We don't have one ourselves but the grandparnets do. They love it! And my daughter likes to play it when she stays with grandparnets. Bowling and fishing games is all they have so far. But it is more active for the kids than the other game systems. We perosnaly have a playstation i would give it up in a heart beat for a wii.