Wii Games for Kids

Parents will be the ones bugging their kids to play Wii with them if you bring Mario Kart Wii into the house. Compete against four players at home or connect to the Internet and race up to 11 other opponents from around the world. Even your youngest children will have fun driving around the tracks, in the snow or on a rainbow.

Sometimes you just want to get away. If a family vacation isn't in your plans any time soon, you can still Go Vacation. This is one of the most open-ended Wii games. Your family can roam around on jet skis, rollerblade through the city streets, ride snowmobiles or even go horseback riding. Each resort has a set of tasks your family can perform together to earn stamps or simply do what you want. There are no rules when you're on vacation.

You and your kids can save Princess Peach together in an out-of-this-world adventure. The game is limited to two players -- one is Mario and the other is a Star Pointer, which can snag stars, shoot them and hold enemies until Mario can take care of them himself. With so many various worlds and galaxies, this isn't a game you'll conquer in one afternoon.

What kind of game do you want to play today? Choose from Party Games, House Party Games and Pair Games. Up to four players can hit the Party Games or go head-to-head in Pair Games. Other game play could have dad taking on mom and the kids or the family working together in teams. More than 80 mini-games comprise Wii Party with fun titles like "Shifty Gifts," "Jump Rope Jam," "Rodent Rundown" and "Delivery Duel."

Playing video games doesn't have to make you a couch potato. Get up and get moving with your children's favorite Nick Jr. characters. Over 30 exercise games let you do everything from go bike riding with Dora to river rafting with Diego, jump roping with the Backyardigans to running with Kai-lan.

Channel your children's creativity with the uDraw tablet. This add-on to your Wii includes a game tablet and art software. Paint, color and play games that require the uDraw Studio, such as Pictionary or SpongeBob SquigglePants.

Everyone loves a carnival. New Carnival Games is the sequel to Carnival Games and has over 30 different carnival games with 300 prizes to win. It's one of the most fun and affordable Wii games for families. Up to four players can Play Fish Bowl Bounces, Gold Rush Alley Ball, drive bumper cars and visit the Haunted House, to name a few of the activities.

A new version of the Just Dance games is always being released and there's a good reason why: these dance games are so much fun. Even someone with two left feet will enjoy them. Each version has about 50 dance routines to learn. The quirky, catchy songs are covers and also feature tunes from children's movies and TV shows. Up to four players can dance so go for it mom!

While up to four players in your house can enjoy living the good life in Animal Crossing: City Folk, they can't all play at the same time. But this game is enjoyable for families simply because of everything it has to offer. Kids can go fishing, dig up rare items, donate their finds to the museum, ride to town, go to the theater, visit their animal neighbors, design their own clothes and more. When it's your turn to play, you can even send your little ones a nice note in the game for the next time they log on. And if your children have friends who own the game, they can connect to the Internet and play along with them.

Up to two players can take on the challenges of being a misunderstood monkey in a virtual world. Play as Donkey Kong or Diddy Kong as you and your child work together to reclaim Donkey Kong's stolen bananas. The graphics are stunning in Donkey Kong Country Returns and each level presents new challenges that will have you sending the kids to bed early so you can try and conquer your Donkey Kong addiction.

The Wii Family Game Night series continues to grow with new releases always around the corner. Different versions contain Battleship, Connect Four, Jenga, Boggle, Operation, Life, Mouse Trap, Yahtzee, Clue, Scrabble and more. Put the baby to bed and prepare to get loud. These family games are going to fill your house with laughter.

Unlike Go Vacation, Wii Sports Resort isn't based in an open-ended world. You choose the games you want to play but there's no exploring the resort. However, the games in Wii Sports Resort are unlike the ones you'll find in Go Vacation. There's archery, basketball, canoeing, table tennis and eight other activities to give you a total of 12 games.