If you’ve got an elementary schooler, chances are pretty good they’re asking for video games this Christmas or Hanukkah. They’re growing up in the digital age, after all, where 29 percent of gamers are under the age of 18, and some 56 percent of parents actually say games have a positive effect on their kids.
There’s even a fair amount of science that says video gaming can be good for kids. One study in the journal Pediatrics that looked at kids who played up to an hour of video games a day found the gamer kids were less hyperactive, more social and happier than those who don’t play at all.
Reason enough to hit the video game stores this holiday? Here are the games your kids are sure to ask Santa for this year — and what parents need to know about them.
LEGO Dimensions
The toy brickmaker has dabbled in the video game market for years now, but LEGO Dimensions (Best Buy, $99) is its first venture into the toys-to-life arena. Like Skylanders and Disney Infinity before it, Dimensions offers players the chance to load up on toy figures — in this case, its popular minifigs — which are then placed on a gaming pad (connected to their gaming console) and show up as characters on-screen.
But when SheKnows tested out a Dimensions review copy, we learned LEGO has taken things one heckuva step farther. At points in the game, players are actually directed to build items (for example, the Batmobile) that can also be placed on the gaming pad and will then be usable on-screen. In other words, kids can integrate regular LEGO play into their video gaming.
What’s more, the bases of the minifigs can be removed, allowing kids to integrate them into their regular LEGO play.
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, Wii U, Xbox 360
Playmation
From Hasbro, Playmation is no ordinary video game. Instead of sitting in front of a screen, watching the action, the players are the action in this interactive, digital game that requires no screen. The Marvel Avengers starter pack (Amazon, $70) is the first in the series and comes with wearable technology that reacts to players’ movements as they work to complete missions. Smart figures, which include both villains and heroes, throw in twists along the way as they assist or fight back. The game is entirely portable and can be played outside as well as inside.
SheKnows tested out a copy of the game with several children in the 6-12 age range, and the action was intense as they jumped, rolled and ran in an effort to complete their missions. Each starter pack comes with one set of wearable technology, two smart figures and two power activators; additional wearable technology and smart figures can be purchased separately.
Skylanders SuperChargers
Activision’s Skylanders gets credit for making the toys-to-life video game trend what it is today with its first game five years ago. Now, five games later with Skylanders Superchargers (Toys R Us, $75 for starter pack), the big change is new toy vehicles that take you through sea and air on various challenges.
In many ways, the game is much like its predecessors, which means a kid who is new to Skylanders won’t miss much by jumping in late to the game. But if your child is a die-hard Skylanders fan, they’ll be happy to know they can still use their old figures with the new game and of course get into those new vehicles.
Platforms: Wii U, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Nintendo DS
Disney Infinity 3.0 Star Wars
The Force is strong in the third edition of the popular Disney Infinity series (Target, $60 for starter pack). The addition of Luke, Yoda and the rest of the galaxy is the major draw for the toy-video game hybrid that is backward compatible, meaning kids can use the characters from the past two games with their new toy. When SheKnows tested out a review copy, we found there’s also been a huge boost in toy box mode, making customization about as limited as players’ imaginations.
Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Wii U, PS Vita, PC
Mario Tennis Ultra Smash
Wii Sports and Super Mario Bros. are two of the best-selling video games of all time, so it’s no surprise Nintendo put the two together in a Mario Tennis game a few years back. Now there’s a new version, Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash (Target, $50), meant to get your little Mario fan up off the couch and bouncing around in front of the TV, practicing their backhand.
Platform: Wii U
Family Game Night
The American family has changed, and so has family game night. No more fighting over who lost the little metal Monopoly shoe and ruined the game for everyone. Now many of the old standby board games come in video game form — no itty-bitty pieces ever lost again.
Hasbro and Ubisoft have teamed up for the latest edition, Family Game Night (Target, $40), which puts Scrabble, Monopoly, Risk and Trivial Pursuit all on one disk, thus saving you a whole lot of shelf space and encouraging your kids to actually do something with the rest of the family.
Platforms: XBox One, PlayStation 4
Just Dance 2016
Another game meant to get kids up and moving, the latest edition of Just Dance (Amazon.com, $60) lets up to six players move to the music in your living room via the Just Dance Controller App. The game has updated songs, including “Blame” by Calvin Harris (featuring John Newman) and “Uptown Funk” by Marc Ronson (featuring Bruno Mars), but it also comes with an opportunity to sign up for Just Dance Streaming, which will have song updates throughout the year (warning: this costs extra).
Not crazy about the song choices for younger kids? There’s also the Just Dance Disney Party 2, which features songs from popular Disney Channel shows and movies.
Platforms: XBox One, XBox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Wii U, Wii
Yo-Kai Watch
A major hit in Japan, Yo-Kai has outstripped Pokemon in sales overseas. Now it’s hit the States, and it’s being sold bundled with the 2DS for the holidays (or available as a stand-alone game for the 3DS). The role-playing game (Target, $40) lets kids play as elementary schooler Nate or Katie and use a magical watch to control the Yo-kai, little creatures that are a tad on the mischievous side. If your kid loves Pokemon or anime, this one’s sure to be a hit.
Platforms: Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo 2DS
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