Hobbies And Interests
I Can Play Piano
Children's product manufacturer Fisher-Price offers I Can Play Piano, an offline electronic toy that kids play via connecting a three-octave keyboard to a television set. Aimed at kids aged 4 to 8, I Can Play Piano strives to teach and entertain children via bright graphics and musical color-coding that turns playing songs into playing a game. The included Family Favorites software has eight traditional songs, while additional cartridges feature music from such popular children's media as SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, Scooby Doo and Barbie. I Can Play Piano comes with a brochure for parents that offers tips on guiding their child's piano-playing experience. For older children, teens, and adults, the company offers the similar Piano Wizard.
Musical Clothes
This take on the classic kids' game musical chairs caters to groups of kids and is not online---or even electronic---in any way. According to teachers at Teach-Nology, this game requires a pillowcase or similar bag full of common clothing items, like shirts, hats, gloves, sweaters, and the like. A group of young children stands in a circle as an adult controls up-tempo music on a stereo. When the adult stops the music, the child holding the bag must remove an article of clothing without looking and quickly put it on. When the music starts, passing resumes. At the game's end, kids discuss what they're wearing, identifying colors, shapes, textures, and the use of each clothing article. Try different musical styles and songs, discussing how each type of music made the children feel, what they imagined, liked or disliked. For older children, try live music; have one child play a few simple notes on a xylophone or piano or keep the beat on a drum. Educational by nature, this game is well suited for classroom play.
Wii Music
Publisher Nintendo presents Wii Music, a video game for the Wii console that gamers play offline. In this game, players use the motion-sensitive Wii remote to mimic the movements of musical instruments, creating true-to-life musical sounds. The Wii controller replicates more than 60 instruments, including drums, hand bells, guitars, banjos, pianos, vibraphones, and marimbas. Players even use it as a baton to lead an orchestra. Kids might enjoy Wii Music's simple, nonchallenging format; players don't compete for high scores or progress through levels, they simply experiment with different instruments, improvise jam sessions and cooperate with each other to play songs. Educational tone quizzes test the player's ear for music. The Entertainment Software Ratings Board rates Wii Music a kid-friendly E for Everyone while "Time Magazine" points out that kids burn three times more calories when engaged in active Wii games than they do in traditional hand-held games. Parent group Common Sense Media says that while Wii Music may be too simplistic for older gamers, it exposes children to new music and promotes collaboration.