So a few weeks ago I was fortunate to go to The Activision Family game summit.  I learned about some amazing thing about video games that changed how I think about videos games.

• Game players perform higher in perceptual and cognitive tasks, and are often more creative
• Video games can promote cooperation; gamers spend 80% of their time failing, encouraging resilience
• 62% of gamers play collaboratively, games teach everyday skills including promoting teamwork!
• Studies show that video games may help kids with anger issues, & those with depression
• Girls who play games w/parents are better behaved, feel more connected w/their families (BYU study)

These are my top video pick for boys:
Wreck-It Ralph
> DSI, Wii  Help Ralph earn the Wreck-ognition he deserves before it’s game over!  On the Fly Swappable Characters: Use Wreck-It Ralph’s brawn to destroy obstacles or Fix-It-Felix’s magical hammer to repair them! Venture through exciting worlds based on the featured film; from Sugar Rush to Hero’s Duty, every world is unique but equally action-packed and fun! Find and accumulate collectibles like Hero Medals and Easter Eggs that you can display in your trophy collection!

Transformers Prime: The GameDSI and Wii  Help OPTIMUS PRIME and the AUTOBOTS join forces with human friends Jack, Miko and Raf to save the Earth from MEGATRON and his new secret weapon THUNDERWING. Play as one of your favorite AUTOBOT characters including BUMBLEBEE and BULKHEAD as you battle through unique vistas around the world to help defeat the DECEPTICONS.

I love these video picks for my PreTeen Daughter:

Lalaloopsy Carnival of Friends DSI Game Peanut Big Top™ is throwing the biggest Silly Funhouse carnival in Lalaloopsy Land for all to enjoy, including a special treat at the end! It’s up to you to find all of the Lalaloopsy friends at the carnival to reveal the BIG surprise!  40 different characters.

Lalaloopsy Carnival of Friends DSI Game Bratz® are everyone’s favorite girls with a passion for fashion®! Now you can join the girls and run the hottest fashion boutiques in Stylesville. Help create the latest trends and tap into your inner diva!

Moshi Monsters Moshlings Theme Park DSI Game The Moshlings have lost their way around Amusement Isle and they need your help to round up their monster-mates and light up the magical Moshlings Theme Park. So experience 60 monsters and ride rides. great game for even the youngest games

Some of my favorite Family Video Games – I loved playing these at the summit:

Angry Birds Trilogy
DSI, PS2, and Xbox Angry Birds is taking flight for the first time ever and crashing on game consoles everywhere! Gather your flock and sling into action!  3 Best-Selling Angry Birds games in 1.  19 exclusive level.  Over 100 hours of addictive gameplay.

WipeOut: The Game
>Welcome back to Wipeout! Where things are wetter, wilder, and even wackier than ever!  Tackle the craziest courses ever, like Deck the Balls and the Wild West.  Run the Wipeout course like never before with all new, 3rd person camera angles!  Battle your friends to reign supreme in Side-By-Side Multiplayer!  Over 200 uniquely outrageous obstacles!

Skylanders Giants Starter Kit
builds upon the breakthrough fundamentals of Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure®—merging the physical and virtual realms with an innovative line of cross-platform toys with “brains,” which players everywhere can magically bring to life in the world of Skylands. Skylanders Giants introduces sixteen new characters to build on the magic of Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure, including super-sized Giant Skylanders with powers to match, as well as the new LightCore™ Skylanders that light-up in the game and in the real-world as players’ transport them to Skylands using the Portal of Power® that builds on the magic of the toys.

Want to win Skylanders Giants starter pack?  For Wii

Leave a comment below on What is your favorite Video game to play with the kids?  (be sure to enter you did so in rafflecopter )  winner will be picked using Rafflecopter.. I know but it makes things easier.  Open to US Residents only.  Winner will be notified Dec 18-  Let me know you address Dec 19th so I can get it out to you for Christmas.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received games from Activision for the purpose of this post,  the opinions are all my own.