Five Ways to Afford Video Games

Are your kids asking for the $70 Skylanders game or a new video gaming device that costs more than your first car did? Video games can get expensive, and because new and hot games are constantly emerging, and the old technology can become obsolete in a year or two, many parents feel like they are spending quite a bit of their budgets keeping their kids up to speed with video games. To reduce the cost of video games, try the following options. Consider an Older System The newer the gaming system or computer, the more it will cost. Consider purchasing … Continue reading

Your Kids, Video Games and Fruit

If you have a tough time getting your children to eat fruit, you might consider unplugging their video games. In what some may consider a complete waste of time and money, researchers in the Netherlands have unearthed a fact that most parents have known for a while:  Kids who play video games promoting fruit don’t crave apples, oranges, grapes, kiwi or any other type of fresh produce upon completing the online challenges. According to the new study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Dutch scientists expected their young research participants to crave more wholesome snacks after playing video … Continue reading

Health Dangers for Videogame Junkies

I have to admit that I do have a videogame junkie living in my home. If I don’t monitor and control his playing time, we could probably go days without hearing a peep from him. While the obsession with playing videogames is oftentimes something joked about, the recent health scare of a 15-year-old in Ohio should raise the alarm. After spending four days in his bedroom playing the game, “Modern Warfare 3,” he ended up having to be hospitalized for dehydration. He was so consumed with playing that he wasn’t getting enough liquids. It was so serious that he actually … Continue reading

Special Needs Blog Week in Review – Week of February 12 – 18, 2012

The Special Needs Blog Week in Review is a great way to quickly catch up on everything that appeared in the Special Needs Blog in the past week. It is a good way to make sure that you haven’t missed anything. You can scan through this list to search for blogs about whatever particular special needs your child happens to have. The Special Needs Podcast Roundup for the week went up on February 13, 2012. I would like to point out an episode done by The Coffee Klatch that is titled “NY Times Op Ed Gone Wrong – Ritalin Gone … Continue reading

How Video Games Can Help Kids With Special Needs

Video games are more than just “time wasters” or an inexpensive way to have some fun. They can be used as a tool to help children who have a variety of special needs. There are adapted controllers, games designed for kids with specific special needs, and even classroom applications for video games. There are plenty of parents who would describe themselves as “gamers”. These are the people who have been playing video games since they were children, and who are still playing video games today. There are also quite a few parents who feel that all video games are a … Continue reading

How to Save Money on Video Games

How much do you spend per year on video games and video game systems? With new technology and new games coming out practically every day, it is easy to spend more money on video games than you might think. Most video games cost between $20 and $40. If you have just ten games, they could have cost you up to $400! The systems themselves cost another couple of hundred. Most households do have more than 10 games, plus they have more than one video game system, making the cost even higher. Wow–that sort of slaps you in the face, doesn’t … Continue reading

Deals on Video Games – Weekend of December 9, 2011

For some unknown reason, it seems like all the stores that sell video games have decided to have a sale this weekend. If you are looking for a gift for the gamer in your life, now might be the most economical time to do it. Just make sure you know what game your loved one would like, and what system that game goes with. Gamestop is having what sounds like an absolutely crazy deal this weekend. Buy two video games, and get a third game for FREE. This includes all their in-stock, pre-owned, video games. You can find games for … Continue reading

Relax this Holiday Weekend with Disney Games

A holiday like Thanksgiving is the perfect time for a family to get together and play some games. Disney fanatics have many games from which they can choose to play that relate to the Mouse House. The official Disney Parks blog has a post on some of the possibilities. Many of these are pre-existing popular board games that have released Disney editions. My mind immediately went to Monopoly, special versions of which you can find for just about anything, from “Star Wars” to college football. And of course there’s a Disney Monopoly. I wonder if in addition to purchasing Disney … Continue reading

Zumba Is Coming to the Video Game World

I keep hearing about the latest fitness craze, Zumba. In fact, I have a few Facebook friends who will post status updates about how much fun they had in their Zumba class. One status yesterday read, “My Zumba class got canceled,” followed with a sad face. If you’re wondering what Zumba is, it is a dance fitness program with some Latin flair. If that doesn’t sound like fun in itself, then I don’t know what more you want. But I’m always up for a little funk. And since it is dance fitness, it burns a lot of calories. Zumba classes … Continue reading

Gamestop Removes Coupon, Sells Game Anyway

Gamestop has done something that frugal people who appreciate the value of a good coupon will consider to be downright vile. They opened brand new boxes of a video game, removed the coupon that was supposed to be inside it, and then sold the game for the full, “new” price! It seems that you cannot be certain that the coupon that is supposed to be inside a product will actually be there. Gamestop sells new and used video games. They call the used ones “pre-owned”. Theoretically, you can bring in used copies of games that you, your spouse, or your … Continue reading