Active Gaming

It may still surprise older Americans, but 60 percent of the nation enjoys video and computer games, sales of which now eclipse movie box office receipts. And given Americans' sedentary lifestyles, with 15 percent of teens overweight, it's good to know some of these games aim to inspire real-life activity out-of-doors. There are also alternatives to the virtual bloodbaths and unsavory fantasies served up in mainstream titles, and none too soon. In a review of available literature on video games published in the December 2005 Minerva Pediatrica, D.A. Gentile and W. Stone concluded, "Overall, the evidence supports hypotheses that violent video game play is related to aggressive affect, physiological arousal, aggressive cognitions and aggressive behaviors."

The Serious Games Initiative (www.seriousgames.org), associated with the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C., is working to apply the medium to education, training, health and public policy. "Gaming can be a great way to learn about complex models and situations," says Ben Sawyer, co-founder of the Serious Games Initiative, adding that computer games "can provide a unique way to explore trade-offs and force people to make constrained decisions on important issues." In the UN's popular Food Force, for example, players act as aid workers on a mission to feed the starving population of a fictitious war-torn island (free download at www.food-force.com). Another "serious" game, CO2FX, explores the relationship of global warming to economic, political and policy factors (www.globalwarminginteractive.com). To help children manage their illnesses, Nintendo has even developed Bronkie the Bronchiasaurus for asthmatics and Packy & Marlon for diabetics.

So limit your kids' time before the TV console or computer (the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than two hours a day) and encourage them to apply lessons learned in games like The Oregon Trail (see below) in their outdoor activities. When purchasing games, don't forget that downloading them directly saves resources needed for packaging, printing and shipping, but do make backup copies.

Product Picks: Firmly embedded in Gen Y culture is The Oregon Trail series of games for PCs and Macs, in which the object is to guide a group of pioneers heading West through realistic challenges such as sickness, buffalo stampedes and finding food ($24.99; www.learningcompany.com, 800-395-0277; or download for $19.95 at www.download.com).