Wii Fit Re: [UnschoolingDiscussion] Video Games -

[Cons...@aol.com]

Does anyone know if Wii Fit plus is fun for 8 year olds? 

~Consie

[lylaw]

not sure what the difference is between a wii fit plus and a wii fit, but we sold our wii fit soon after purchasing it because we found the body mass index evaluation and also the balance evaluations really insulting and random.  I don’t think any children need to be told they are overweight, and it’s not accurate anyhow.  it buys in to the cultural view of thin=better and fit=thin, and it’s detrimental to the FUN that can be had from video games, etc.   

 

that was a few years ago – last week we purchased a Playstation MOVE and it’s been a blast!  my son loves the gladiator battle game that comes with it and he came up sweating and smiling after playing it the first time.  and it doesn’t weight or measure you.  plus the graphics are much better on the playstation 3. 

 

lyla

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[Bernadette Lynn]

On 14 November 2010 19:02, lylaw <ly...@comcast.net> wrote:

not sure what the difference is between a wii fit plus and a wii fit, but we sold our wii fit soon after purchasing it because we found the body mass index evaluation and also the balance evaluations really insulting and random.  I don’t think any children need to be told they are overweight, and it’s not accurate anyhow.  it buys in to the cultural view of thin=better and fit=thin, and it’s detrimental to the FUN that can be had from video games, etc.   

I don't know the difference either, but my family really loved the Wii Fit. I was the only one who bothered with the weighing and measuring bit; the rest of the family mostly played the balancing games which they all loved. I bought it for myself, so I could get more exercise while still being available but I didn't get to use it half as much as I'd have liked. It was used almost daily for several months with people queueing to play on it, until our Wii console broke. The children (and I) are really looking forward to getting it back mended.

Whether someone else would enjoy it as much depends on what kind of games they like; if ski-jumping and marble mazes are something they enjoy they'd probably love it but if they're more into problem solving and shooting games I'd imagine it would have fairly limited appeal.


Bernadette.
--
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/U15459

[Pam Sorooshian]

On 11/14/2010 11:02 AM, lylaw wrote:

not sure what the difference is between a wii fit plus and a wii fit, but we sold our wii fit soon after purchasing it because we found the body mass index evaluation and also the balance evaluations really insulting and random.� I don�t think any children need to be told they are overweight, and it�s not accurate anyhow.� it buys in to the cultural view of thin=better and fit=thin, and it�s detrimental to the FUN that can be had from video games, etc.���

We play active games on the wii with the balance board a LOT - all those active games are super fun. My favorite is heading soccer balls and downhill skiing. Using the wii fit balance board is super super fun. Get the snowboarding game that uses the board - it is so great. I can't imagine having the wii without the board and playing all those active games - that's all I think of when I think of the wii. Bowling, tennis, baseball, hula hooping and so on. There are a zillion games to play with the balance board that have nothing to do with your body mass index and all that stuff.

That's why I was confused about the original poster's concern about the child being sedentary -- there is nothing sedentary about "playing the wii" around here.�

Without the balance board - just an ordinary game console.�

-pam

[Schuyler Waynforth]

We don't have a balance board and the wii is really a moving game system for us, too. Dance mat, Just Dance, Wii sports, Wii party, we move through all of those. Bouncing and moving and dancing and singing and playing and laughing and very little stillness. There are some games that are less about moving, Monster Hunter or Zelda, but even still, I can get moving when playing. 

Schuyler

On Sun, Nov 14, 2010 at 8:38 PM, Pam Sorooshian <pamso...@earthlink.net> wrote:

We play active games on the wii with the balance board a LOT - all those active games are super fun. My favorite is heading soccer balls and downhill skiing. Using the wii fit balance board is super super fun. Get the snowboarding game that uses the board - it is so great. I can't imagine having the wii without the board and playing all those active games - that's all I think of when I think of the wii. Bowling, tennis, baseball, hula hooping and so on. There are a zillion games to play with the balance board that have nothing to do with your body mass index and all that stuff.

That's why I was confused about the original poster's concern about the child being sedentary -- there is nothing sedentary about "playing the wii" around here. 

Without the balance board - just an ordinary game console. 

-pam

[Pam Sorooshian]

On 11/14/2010 12:42 PM, Schuyler Waynforth wrote:
> We don't have a balance board and the wii is really a moving game
> system for us, too. Dance mat, Just Dance, Wii sports, Wii party, we
> move through all of those. Bouncing and moving and dancing and singing
> and playing and laughing and very little stillness.

True --- some of the active stuff doesn't require the balance board at
all. I'd forgotten that.

Still - if I was looking for a gift for a Wii lover who didn't have a
balance board, that would be number one on my list.

I love skiing and snowboarding on the wii balance board but really
dislike it in snow on real mountains. I will ski and ski until my legs
ache and I have sore muscles the next day. Great exercise.

-pam

[Robyn L. Coburn]

This is all great, and we play various Wii sports that have movement, like the golf and bowling.

 

BUT I wouldn't want anyone to get the idea that video games are only acceptable or valuable when they inspire or require exercise. If a kid is hoping for a some kind of strategy or role playing games, and the only ones he gets are sport simulators that make him jump around...well that isn't necessarily helpful.

Jayn does most of her moving away from the game console.

 

Robyn L. Coburn
www.robyncoburn.blogspot.com
www.iggyjingles.blogspot.com
www.allthingsdoll.blogspot.com

[lylaw]

the wii fit (balance board) seemed to require each player to get scanned for BMI and do the balance tests/get evaluated before we could play.  was that just the old wii fit or did we misunderstand that somehow?

 

 

From: Pam Sorooshian

Sent: Sunday, November 14, 2010 12:38 PM

To: unschoolin...@googlegroups.com

Subject: Re: Wii Fit Re: [UnschoolingDiscussion] Video Games -

On 11/14/2010 11:02 AM, lylaw wrote:

not sure what the difference is between a wii fit plus and a wii fit, but we sold our wii fit soon after purchasing it because we found the body mass index evaluation and also the balance evaluations really insulting and random.  I don’t think any children need to be told they are overweight, and it’s not accurate anyhow.  it buys in to the cultural view of thin=better and fit=thin, and it’s detrimental to the FUN that can be had from video games, etc.   

We play active games on the wii with the balance board a LOT - all those active games are super fun. My favorite is heading soccer balls and downhill skiing. Using the wii fit balance board is super super fun. Get the snowboarding game that uses the board - it is so great. I can't imagine having the wii without the board and playing all those active games - that's all I think of when I think of the wii. Bowling, tennis, baseball, hula hooping and so on. There are a zillion games to play with the balance board that have nothing to do with your body mass index and all that stuff.

That's why I was confused about the original poster's concern about the child being sedentary -- there is nothing sedentary about "playing the wii" around here. 

Without the balance board - just an ordinary game console. 

-pam

[Cons...@aol.com]

Sorry about that.  I should have been more specific.  He is into Mario Kart, Mario Party, Mario Smash Brothers.  Anything Mario, he loves.  We will try the Wii sport.  I wanted it last year for Christmas, so if he does not like it, I hope I will.  Sounds like the hole family may like it, though.

[Jacquie Krauskopf]

Hi!

 We had a Wii Fit a couple of years ago and my then 8 year old son enjoyed playing it. I would say yes.

 

Jacquie

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From: "Cons...@aol.com" <Cons...@aol.com>
To: unschoolin...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Sun, November 14, 2010 11:07:26 AM
Subject: Wii Fit Re: [UnschoolingDiscussion] Video Games -

Does anyone know if Wii Fit plus is fun for 8 year olds? 

~Consie

--

[Jacquie Krauskopf]

We just played it for the fun of it. We learned to ignore the machines opinions and just play. We finally did get tired of it and no longer had it. I really wish there was a way to turn off the machines opinions and just do the exercises and play.

Jacquie

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From: Pam Sorooshian <pamso...@earthlink.net>
To: unschoolin...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Sun, November 14, 2010 3:38:50 PM
Subject: Re: Wii Fit Re: [UnschoolingDiscussion] Video Games -

On 11/14/2010 11:02 AM, lylaw wrote:

not sure what the difference is between a wii fit plus and a wii fit, but we sold our wii fit soon after purchasing it because we found the body mass index evaluation and also the balance evaluations really insulting and random.  I don’t think any children need to be told they are overweight, and it’s not accurate anyhow.  it buys in to the cultural view of thin=better and fit=thin, and it’s detrimental to the FUN that can be had from video games, etc.   

We play active games on the wii with the balance board a LOT - all those active games are super fun. My favorite is heading soccer balls and downhill skiing. Using the wii fit balance board is super super fun. Get the snowboarding game that uses the board - it is so great. I can't imagine having the wii without the board and playing all those active games - that's all I think of when I think of the wii. Bowling, tennis, baseball, hula hooping and so on. There are a zillion games to play with the balance board that have nothing to do with your body mass index and all that stuff.

That's why I was confused about the original poster's concern about the child being sedentary -- there is nothing sedentary about "playing the wii" around here. 

Without the balance board - just an ordinary game console. 

-pam