It's Like A Preschoolers Wii!

My son Dawson is a video game addict. I know, this really doesn't surprise most of you, but he's only 4 years old.

It started innocently enough. We let him play games on the internet at the Playhouse Disney website. One day, we bought him a hand-held video game system from Leapster that he carried with him everywhere. Then we got a Nintendo DS and some kid-friendly games to play.

Dawson was hooked. Some of the games were educational, while others were created for kids ages 6 and over. Little Dawson would get very frustrated trying to understand how to play the different games, crying would ensue, and I'd end up giving the video game a time-out.

Enter the V-Motion V-Smile video game system from V-Tech. When the Parent Bloggers Network asked us if we'd like to try it, I jumped at the chance. This game system is designed for children ages 3-7 years and the games are simple enough to play (which means less crying, except when it's time to put the game away, of course).

When the game arrived, I opened the box and Dawson began to jump for joy.

"Is this for me?" he asked.

"Yes, Bug, it's for you!" I said.

"I LOVE THE MAIL!" he exclaimed. "It brings me toys!"

Needless to say we hooked the game to Dawson's television and began to play the included "Action Mania" game. This system plays Smartridges that are made especially for three to seven year olds, and features popular characters like Scooby-Doo, Thomas the Tank Engine, and Spider-Man, as well as new ones like Kung Fu Panda, Wall.E, and Wonder Pets. There is also a web connect feature that allows for bonus game play downloads, too.

Dawson was very excited about this game, and the game controller is easy to hold and use. We love the "motion" setting best, since he's not quite sure how to work the joystick part of the controller just yet.

One of the games on the "Action Mania" Smartridge is a racing game that asks the player to find the missing letter of a word by turning to the left or the right to choose the appropriate letter. One of the words was "egg" and I was stunned when Dawson spelled out "E-G-G". Granted, we've been working with letter flashcards, and concentrating on how to spell his name, but I think this video game is brilliant, because learning is happening at a slow and steady pace.

After only a few weeks of playing the V-Motion games, I've noticed that Dawson has added new words to his vocabulary, he is recognizing color patterns in every day activities, and he has improved his counting skills.

Dawson's preschool teacher has even mentioned that he speaks in full sentences at a level more commonly seen in children in kindergarten, he follows directions well, and has excellent coordination during games of "Follow the Leader" and "Simon Says". While I don't believe that the V-Motion game system is entirely responsible for all of my son's achievements, I do believe that his learning through play has given him a little boost in his education.

We love the V-Motion so much that we bought Dawson the Thomas the Tank game that teaches spelling and counting as well. The V-Motion V-Smile retails at $69.99, and Smartridges are about $25 or less. You can find more information by visiting the V-Tech website, or by visiting this PBN post.