Holiday Video Game Gift Guide

The holiday season is in full swing, and if you’re looking for something that will provide hours of fun for your kids, your grandkids, or your whole family, a video game may be the answer. There are so many different types of video game systems out there, which game should you get? You can find handheld educational games like Leapfrog’s Leapster, handheld gaming systems like Nintendo DS, interactive games like Playskool’s Dance Cam, and interactive home entertainment consoles like the Nintendo Wii.  There are plenty of games out there suitable for kids of all ages, from preschoolers to teens that don’t contain violence.

When picking out a game for your child, it’s important to look at the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) rating usually located on the bottom right of the front. The ESRB independently applies and enforces ratings for the interactive entertainment software industry. You can visit www.esrb.org to find out more, and search games by age ranges. A common misconception is that video games are violent and not suitable for young children, however “85% of games sold in Canada were rated E, E10+, and Teen.” A quick guide to the ESRB rating system:

+EC= early childhood 3+ content suitable
E=ages 6+
E10+=ages 10+
Teen=13+
Mature=17+

Today, it’s no longer board games, but video games that are being played on family game night. “50% of parents want to play video games with their kids” and many games have a multiplayer mode to let kids and parents interact in music, dance, and trivia based games. Disney’s Think Fast is a visually based trivia game, hosted by the Genie from Aladdin.  With 5000 different questions, all the multiple choice answers are in picture form so kids of all ages can easily play along.   It’s also good to make sure whether or not you need to purchase additional accessories to play. Disney’s Ultimate Band doesn’t require any extras, this can make it easier for younger children to play. Sometimes the accessories are too large for small children, and harder to learn, whereas they’re used to the standard buttons on a Nintendo Wiimote and nunchuck. 

If sometimes you just  have to get chores done while your little one plays, then this game might be for you. Disney’s Princess: Enchanted Journey for the Wii are very intuitive and don’t require parental assistance. You can’t go wrong when you pick out a game with child’s favourite movie or TV show character, they’ll get to play as or along with their favourite characters. You can find some of your favourite Treehouse characters, like Dora, Diego, and the Backyardigans on Leapfrog’s Leapster. If you’ve got a road trip planned for the holidays, you can take them with you in the car or on trips to keep the kids occupied, and get separate gaming cartridges to add some variety. There’s a large variety of lessons available including the alphabet, colours, shapes, animal facts, consonants, phonics skills, and numbers.  

Whichever game you choose for the holiday season, be sure to set aside some time to play along and have fun with your child!