WE Can’t Decide…Can You Help?
ByI mentioned that I’ve got Christmas on the brain already. Mostly it’s because I really want to do as much as I can ahead of time so that I can enjoy the month of December. Yeah, enjoying the Christmas season…what a deal.
Matt and I have been considering a “certain gift” we would like to give to our boys. (They probably won’t read this post…but just in case they see a word or two…I’m coding it a little bit. Good luck figuring this out.)
WE don’t want to bring many more corded machines into the house. You know, the kind that hook up to a big black box and encourage your kids to sit for hours and push buttons?
However WE can’t get over the fun WE have seen when WE have watched our kids play this other kind of game and WE like that it’s an active kind of game. WE have even known people who get sore muscles playing this game because it is so active. WE like how interactive this game can be and WE think it would be fun for the whole family. WE even think the mom (that would be me) would have fun with it.
Have you figured it out yet? Here’s a clue: The game rhymes with WE and begins with a “W”.
Uh-huh. That one.
WE’ve been saving our Swagbuck Amazon cards for Christmas shopping and just found out that the cost at Amazon for this gift went down to $199! WE have never spent that much on our kids at Christmas before, but with the Amazon cards…and because it would be interactive…
WE can’t decide.
Those of you who have one of these or know more about them…would you offer your advice? If you have one…do you like it? Do your kids like it? Is it worth the money? Does it keep the kids off the couch? Does the whole family play?
WE appreciate your help! :)
WE love ours and highly recommend it!! WE love the ability to bowl together as a family or play tennis together! Great for those cold winter days when you don’t really want to get out!!
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My hubby and I LOVE ours! There are some really fun games that go with it, of course – the standard games, but we really enjoy Lego Star Wars and I bet your boys would love that! I am not WE savvy, but I was able to get the gist of it pretty quickly. Also I heard Legos Indiana Jones is fun as well. I’ve heard so many different ages and moms playing – my 58 y/o mom loved the bowling game so much! It’s great to get the whole family involved!
(Sorry if this is piggybacking what’s already been said. I didn’t take the time to read ALL the comments.)
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Great question Laura!
WE have been thinking about the same thing. WE like the idea of one big family gift. I’ve appreciated all the comments here – like the Best Buy tip. I have no Amazon Swag buck cards, but I do have a Best Buy rewards card. :)
Holiday spending would be a great topic here. Can’t wait to read it. :)
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Kids love it. Dad loves it. Gives mom peace.
Enough said?
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We love ours! We’ve had it for two years now. We get requests to bring it to family gatherings. Everybody plays ages 3-74 (Laura, just picture Harold and Bruce playing – it’s so funny)! Mario Kart is really fun but not as active. The Sport ones are great. I love the tennis and can work up quite a sweat playing!
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I am going to be a bit of a dissenter (sp?). We got one for Christmas last year and we do love it. We do limit the time to 1/2 an hour for each boy each day. Sometimes they like to play together, other times they want to play on their own. So we have to take turns. That can cause problems. Whose turn is it to go first, etc. My 5 year old loves it so much he gets very upset when he can’t play it. Today, for example, he is going to go to Grandma’s after school. He was reduced to tears because he wasn’t going to play.
Now this could just be my kids. Their tempermant at the time, their age, etc. But there have been a few times that I have regretted getting it.
It is actually a lot of fun when we have family get togethers. We play Dance Dance Revolution (talk about a workout!) and Rock Band which are both great for lots of laughs.
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We have one and our kids are almost 6 and almost 8. We got it for Christmas last year and it almost never gets used. I find that when we get it out, they use it but want to play more and more. If I dont mention it, then it never gets used. My kids would enjoy it if I offered more!
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WE have one and love it. That is a great price!
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Just to go the other way, we don’t have one because I think the boys would probably want to play with it all the time and I definitely don’t want that. We only have one TV (there are five of us) and even though we’re getting a new extension/family room I’m sticking to my guns about the TV. (they’re 14, 7, 5 and hubby who claims to be 21) They each have a handheld gameboy(the old kind) but they are rarely out unless we’re doing a long car journey. Tv is temptation enough in this house!
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I’m sure someone else pointed this out already, but you will get a $25 giftcard back after ordering through Amazon, and if you’re paying with gift cards from Swagbucks, that will also help bring down your out of pocket costs. I say go for it, because everyone can enjoy it and it’s not just a sit-down-and-do-nothing type of game! But keep in mind the machine only comes with one controller, so you’d have to order more if more than one boy wanted to play at a time. Or, you know, if you and Matt wanted to play each other or something. :P
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WE have this and love it as well. I was not a fan of it before we got it but now that WE have it…I am so glad this is the one WE chose! Hope you have as much fun as WE do!
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WE are thinking about that present as well as new bicycles all around – for mom and dad too! Trying to be active – but yes, that is alot to spend! We have 2 kiddo’s, so the present is for the whole household! WE have to learn to share! Great blog – read you every day!!
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Adding my .02 with what is probably a “duh” comment – but just in case … not all of the games are for “off the sofa” type activities so just be careful what you get. Also, my kids were given a game for a b’day present and it is totally mindless – I hate it. And, of course, it’s the one they want to play the most. Just throwing that out there for your consideration. On the up side, my hubby has had a blast blowing up tanks and playing tennis :) and I enjoy watching all the antics.
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We’ve had ours for a couple of years and it gets more play than hubby’s XBox and PS2 combined. A couple of tips – if you have a GameStop or EB Games in town, go there to see if you can get the extra controllers used (and the older used games are pretty cheap). The controllers and nunchucks all run about $20 each, and you’ll need at LEAST two, probably more. Rechargeable batteries are a very wise investment and work better than the special charging stations.
We sign up for Blockbuster’s Game Pass a couple of times a year. For a flat fee we can rent as many games as we want for the month, one at a time. We try them out for a night and then trade, cancel at the end of the month. Gives us an idea of which games are worth spending the money on. Same concept as GameFly, which is an online service. We sometimes trade with friends for a few days as well. We’ve seen too many of the games that were hard to control or just not fun for us. Two or three fun games at a time is plenty for most families. They get stuck on one or two and that’s all they play. And the sports game that comes with the console is excellent!
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You are on the same boat as WE…lol except in our case the in laws on both sides are wanting to pitch in on the WE fun of it all… So its going to be a WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE kinda season… ha ha ha. It will be our first of any kinda thing in our house… so this is a big wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwweeeeeeeeeeeeeee of a deal.
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WE amazingly had one fall into our possesion. WE probably would not have purchased one anytime soon as our kids are still young. I would think that it’s a great gift for a family of four boys. I do believe the mother of those boys would also enjoy it. If you’re getting it Wiith :) amazon card, even better!! And yes, my athletic husband was sore after playing it for the first time!!
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we have one and we love it too!!! Totally worth the money.
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Hi Laura! WE too have one of those… WE asked for it as a family birthday gift (all our birthdays are right around Christmas, so we celebrate with family in the summer). Hubby and I don’t use it as much (time factor more than anything else), but our son does. He loves it! Games came with it, and he received some as gifts, but we’ve decided that he is very fickle with these, so he has to buy his own now. He checks game websites for reviews (can’t think of any right at the moment, but 2 Christian sites are Christian Spotlight at the Movies and Unplugged – both offer game reviews (but usually only newer games)). Anyway, he goes to GameStop to trade and buy games now, instead of buying them full price. You will need 6 controllers if you want everyone to play at once. (You can even buy a rubber cover for them, kind of like a cell phone cover. They come in different colors.) We tried some of the accessories (tennis racket, steering wheel), and our son always goes back to the controller, so you probably won’t need those. We have 7 or 8 games, some are physically active, some are like the plug and play/nintendo type. Sometimes the only way we’ll let our son play is if he plays the physically active games, so he doesn’t sit on the couch! Son recommends Playground as an active game that does not come with the system. Hope this is helpful!
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Only you can decide if a game system is right for your family, but here’s my 2 cents worth…
We have one of what you’re describing, and if you’re going to invest in one of those things of that type– I think that’s a good one to get. We don’t have kids, and we’re still getting our money’s worth. We have a couple games with physical activity, and we enjoy them very much.
To be honest, we have ups and downs of how much we use it; my husband is in school and there are some really busy times at our house. But when we do have time for the fun stuff– we make good use of… that system.
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Just have to say: WOW! 69 comments!
…and they’re all reading pretty unanimous =)
Don’t have a WE here, but several years ago we did the family-size gift of an outdoor trampoline. And they had to wait until spring for it! ;-)
Merry Christmas!
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had to add one more comment … if you don’t already have a battery recharger and use rechargables – you might want to think about investing in one. WE have certainy gotten our money out of ours and didn’t bother getting the recharger stand.
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My husband and I have one of those and if by kids you mean my 24 year old husband…then yes it sees a lot of action ;-) My little cousins all like to play it too. I think it is great for all ages and lots of fun!
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WE have one too! We played it a lot before our WEE one joined our house. I played while pregnant and even once he was born WE could do some of the Fit games balancing on the board while holding him. And WE used it to weigh him sometimes too :)
Lately it has sat not being played, due to busy summer schedule. I have no doubt that WE will be playing again more once winter sets in and can do so after our wee one goes to bed.
All in all it is fun, all ages can play (we’ve played with those from 5-65), fun for a group (one wife could hardly get her husband to leave our house), easy to learn since it is so intuitive and can give a really good workout (especially the boxing). We do really like the Fit set up, WE like Sports too.
Good luck deciding, but I think your crew would be as happy as WE were to get it! My husband can’t wait till our wee once can join us (WE?) and play too! :)
Heather
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Hi – I say go for it. I have kids who are 19, 14, 5 and 3. WE all play it…together. If the little kids aren’t able to play, they love to watch! And, I really believe that I am Tiger Woods when I play the golf!
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WE also LOVE ours! WE got it last year for christmas… AND I use it the most! I love EA ACTIVE (great way to slip in a workout while having fun!) I also love jumping around playing tennis (I really get into it!) and even doing squats while bowling… (HEY, a girl doesn’t get much free time, gotta use it wisely!) I say GO FOR IT! You will NOT regret it!
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WE love to play a certain corded game that attaches to the television. WE have found that the whole family can play. WE only play on the WEEkends, and WE also have the special exercise stuff, WE love it.
Toni
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My kids love it!! I love watching them play & not sitting. Catch it now before the price goes up again for the Holidays. Also, buy extra charger & get covers for the controls to protect them a little more. I happen to find some at the dollar store. This game system is for the whole family. I like that you can also get fitness cds. Go for it & have fun!!!!
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Since you’re asking for an honest opinion… We do not have one, but my children have played it at other people’s homes. It was fun and exciting for them. They were so excited while playing.
However, although there is nothing inherently wrong with the system, I had to ask myself, “What kind of appetite do I want to build in my children?”. Do I want them always thinking about when is the next time they can get on? Would I rather them use free time outside or creating something inside or looking for a way to bless someone else? I think our society can be so entertainment oriented, that we often think more about what’s fun, than about having fun living the life that we are blessed with. Doing dishes together can be fun, but not compared to a video game. Playing freeze tag outside is fun, but not compared to bowling on a video game. Would real bowling be as much of a treat , now and then, if you are pretend bowling every day?
I guess I’m just a little old-fashioned when I think about ways for children to have fun, and I’m leary when something is solely for entertainment.
Anyway, I know I’m so not cool. ;-) but since you had so many replies in favor, I thought that one reply against might not hurt. Blessings to you in your decision!
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Danielle Reply:
October 5th, 2009 at 10:52 am
We are the same way!! I absolutely cringe when I hear about how much time people spend playing video games day after day.
Like you we’d rather take the family to go bowling, or play touch football in the yard, or go to the tennis courts and play. What fun are these things if you can do them everyday at home?
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WE love it :)
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It looks like you’ve already gotten an opinion (or 72) on this issue but I thought I’d add my 2 cents anyway. We also hesitated for several years on this type of purchase. Our kids have limited computer access and play a few free online games there. We figured that was enough, but we finally bit the bullet last Christmas and we have NOT regretted it. My parents have one and my grandparents have one too and they all love theirs. My 2nd son (the most serious “gamer” is all OVER the place when he plays, even a non-sports game. It’s hilarious to watch :D I warned him yesterday that he was going to end up on the porch if he wasn’t careful.
We set limits on use and no one complains. They don’t play every day. We go through spells, especially when we get a new disc, where we play more, then don’t touch it for weeks. We have not been bothered at all by its presence and we love that our 4 year-old daughter can play with her two big brothers (6 and 8) and whoop their tails at bowling :D
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WE purchased this item and WE love it. It is definitely not a sedentary activity like others. My husband, I’m embarrassed to say, had to get cortisone shots from the tennis. My kids are 6 and 3 and have absolutely no problem playing. It did take some training on how to use the remote thingie but they have great fun and get some exercise on those rainy days when we’re inside. As for the price, make it a family gift for all the boys and skimp on the other gifts. I mentioned in another Christmas post that we only do 3 gifts for our kids for Christmas b/c if 3 gifts was good enough for Jesus it’s good enough for the Smith kids!!! We are getting our kids a nice telescope this year b/c we are fascinated with the solar system right now. It was a bit costly so this will count as 1 of each of their 3 gifts and the other 2 gifts will definitely be something they need or very inexpensive. Hope this helps and good luck with your decision!! I love Christmas!!!!
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WE had one of those and sold it for a different “toy” …. now we’ve decided WE miss the WE and that’s gonna be our family gift this Christmas! WE think it’s A LOT of good, family-oriented FUN!!
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Well if you even read this far, LOL, you will see that I used to be one of those NEVER moms. But last Christmas I asked my mom for it for a family gift. We LOVE it! My kids especially like Lego Star Wars and even though it does not require it my 6yo son jumps all over the place while he plays.
We live in a small home in a subdivision with a small yard. My kids can’t get out and play a lot so I love that he can jump around with this. Also, he is more of a homebody kid. Not so much into outside as he is into legos, drawing, and blocks.
We are looking forward to adding some more family games this Christmas. And a couple more controllers. Get as many controllers as you can.
We also set boundaries. One kid a night has the controller. They can ask another kid to play with them. They have a one hour time limit.
Friday and Saturday are family days and everyone can play.
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WE are getting one as a “family” gift this year and WE plan on being “fit” as well as having fun with sports! I could never justify the money just for my DD but as a family gift….. it is also coming as half from my mom and half from us.
I can’t wait until WE get to play it!
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I don’t know that I can add any more to the support of getting such a gift. But I will tell you that while the genre of such things do not interest me whatsoever, my husband has somehow convinced me to bowl or race him after the kids have gone to bed a couple of times now.
Of course the kids love it but it has been a hit with adult friends too! When a family has come over, there’s always someone playing something on it while talking. Mind you, I require that the sound is always muted, but that’s me. It has taken an earned place with Yatzee and the likes. You can visit while others are taking a turn, and there have been some group cheers over good plays just like traditional games.
And it seems like there are NICE games to get with it. Games that don’t have heavy metal in the background but are still exciting and challenging. Mario Kart and Sonic Olympics are some. That boxing will plum wear you out! My 7 yr. old girl wants the “Cooking Mama,” and while I may or may not eventually get it for her, as a real life cooking Mama, I’m tickled pink.
We got ours last Christmas and had been conversing as though it was a stretch to think that we could/would actually buy it. My hubby got a stand for it on sale and we had them open that first. We had done such a good job of playing down the idea that they both thought that was kind of a pointless to buy the stand. And a second later it hit them. THAT was a fun moment!
If you go that route I recommend plenty of rechargeable batteries and charger. When my children are struggling to be cooperative, it is the 1st priveledge to go and for a good amount of time, which includes not watching the others play it.
Talk to more people that have it, some of the accessories are really great and others not so much.
Did you know you can also take your camera SD card and put it in there and watch slide shows and play with the pictures a bit? In fact, if you take a video with your camera and put the card in that, you can play that on there as well. If you have wireless internet, you can also get weather and other interesting things.
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I just want to say 1 more thing.
This does not hinder us from actually going out and doing things. It hasn’t stopped my kids from wanting to play in the fall leaves or my son from wittling (his new hobby). It will not keep them from being creative with the snow this winter. A 2nd thought isn’t even given to it when there are options like washing the car by hand and hose on hot summer days.
Bowling, tennis, etc. are still just as exciting to do in real life because while the game is fun in the living room, it can’t compare to the fresh air outside or the real sound of crashing pins. It does however provide an alternative when we don’t have the extra funds to go out or it’s 10 below 0* and real tennis is not an option.
My 11 yr. old is an avid reader, and I love that he has something he can just simply enjoy. Some of the books he reads are just fun, they aren’t adding much if anything to him. In fact he’ll just sit and read for 2 hrs if I let him. Times like that, WE is a nice change of pace.
The only way for this to be a hinderance is if it’s allowed to have more value than other activities. It’ll be exciting at 1st but balance will come in. How I’ve raised my kids is not going to come crashing down b/c of a game, or that would say more about how I raised them in the first place. My kids’ values and character have not changed.
Can’t wait to hear whatever way you choose!
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