My daughter’s favorite form of exercise is running circles inside the house, and there’s often some high-pitched shrieking involved. That drives me a little bonkers, so when she showed some interest in Nickelodeon Fit for Wii, I thought it was a fantastic idea.
The game has all of her favorite Nick, Jr. characters like Dora, Diego, the Backyardigans, and Kai-lan, and it’s easy enough to navigate even though she’s only four. No reading is necessary; she just needs to be able to recognize her name and follow the directions from Moose A. Moose. The balance board is optional.
She can move around indoors all in the same room, which is a blessing in the summer and the winter when extreme temperatures make outdoor playgrounds unappealing. The game helps her work on coordination, balance, working as a team, and following directions while jumping, running relays, rafting, and more.
At the end of each game, a silver or gold medal is awarded, so it boosts her confidence and makes her love it even more. (Who doesn’t like recognition for a job well done?) It also gives her “television time,” which she loves, without just letting her sit there and zone out. In addition to the thrill of receiving a medal, there’s the motivation to play so new games will be unlocked.
My daughter’s not always keen on the idea of playing Just Dance with me, but we can play this game together for quite a while and both get a little silly exercise time in. The relay race is one of our favorites because we get to take turns rather than just pretending I’m really competing against her or helping her win the game.
If you have a Wii and you’re looking for more indoor activities (no matter how many kids’ board games you have, they tend to get boring after a while), I recommend this game for kids ages three and up.
Photo credit: Amazon
