Fitness Products, Toys, and Equipment

You've heard a lot about the Nintendo Wii gaming system and the potential for combining active play with video gaming. Are you considering whether to buy a Wii?

Review of Nintendo Wii Fit Plus, the enhanced, updated version of the megapopular Nintendo Wii Fit game for the Nintendo Wii system.

If you have a Wii, you've likely played Wii Sports and probably Wii Fit too. But these exergames are just the tip of the iceberg. Share your thoughts about these and other exergames for the Wii and other platforms, or find ideas for your next purchase.See submissions

Use recyclables and household items to make your own kids fitness equipment. These low- to no-cost active toys are simple to create and fun to play with.

When is a book an active toy? When it's a health and fitness book written just for kids. Try these top titles.

The costs of kids' sports equipment can pile up quickly, especially for certain sports. Find 8 ways to cut back on this expense.

If your child figure skates or plays ice hockey, be ready for the winter sports season with freshly sharpened skate blades. Ice skate sharpening can be confusing (when? where? how often?), so here's a cheat sheet.

The WingFlyer Z150 is a clever new ride-on that combines features of scooters, bicycles, and even elliptical trainers. It's suitable for kids, teens, and most adults and provides a fun, low-impact, and challenging workout.

Just Dance 2 gets everyone in your family up and dancing, with songs and dance steps that will appeal to a wide range of tastes. While Just Dance 2 doesn't include a lot of the fitness components you'd expect from an exergame, the choreography and visuals will get your body moving and your heart pounding.

Product review of Coursing Around, a book of outdoor activity courses for kids age 4 and up created with sidewalk chalk. Coursing Around was created by Debbie Tougas, a mother and fitness instructor in California.

Use everyday household items to make inexpensive or free fitness equipment for kids an adults. Suggests simple ways to make fitness equipment and ways to use it.

What do you think of the idea of kids doing adult-style workouts on kid-sized gym equipment?

If your family's bicycles have been in storage all winter, you should tune up each bike for spring. Your local bike shop will do this for you for $35 to $60, or you can do it yourself following this checklist.

Keep little kids active in your own backyard with a playset. Find reviews and price comparisons for swings, slides, and climbers for toddlers and preschoolers.

About.com Bicycling Guide David Fiedler offers advice for scouting out a high-quality, less expensive bike for your child.

Ready for some back-to-nature family fun? Check these camping and hiking checklists and equipment guides to prepare for your next outdoor adventure.

Review of the megapopular Nintendo Wii Fit game for the Nintendo Wii system.