Gift Idea: Just Dance 2014

Just Dance 2013 Review gifts-9808

When buying gifts for my kids for Christmas, I’m always trying to find the balance between things that they want and things I want them to have. I prefer gifts that have some value beyond a little bit of entertainment. For the last year or two we have given our kids one of the versions of Just Dance Kids. My kids love the competition of video games and dancing to their favorite music, but I love that these games get them off of the couch, give them exercise, improve coordination, and can be played together. They are also very interactive so they work well for a party or large group. It is entertaining to watch while waiting your turn.

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They were thrilled to get an early Christmas present this year when we were given the opportunity to review Just Dance Kids 2014 for the wii–the latest in the series Just Dance Kids video games.

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My kids range in age from 3-12 and all of them love playing Just Dance Kids! I think it is partly because of the variety of songs and dances included. There is something for everyone! There is a set that is geared at the really young ones with the nursery rhyme-type songs (set to a dance beat, of course) and songs from their favorite shows like Yo Gabba Gabba and the Wiggles.

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But there are plenty of popular songs geared toward the tween/teen set. My 12-year-old was thrilled to find some of her favorites included in this edition like “Ready or Not” by Bridget Mendler, “Give Your Heart a Break” by Demi Lovato an “Hit the Lights” by Selena Gomez. And I appreciate that these are in the kid version of the game so I don’t have to stress about inappropriate lyrics or provocative dance poses.

And don’t think that adults can’t get in on the action. There are lots of songs that never go out of style like “Shout” and “Walking on Sunshine.” One of my favorite party moments ever was last New Year’s Eve when we had all of the dads at our party in a dance-off to Despicable Me in one of the other versions of Just Dance Kids. Hilarious! And so very entertaining!

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So after some extensive testing, I asked my kids what they liked or didn’t like about this edition. The overall consensus was that they like this version even better than the other two we have. After they all gave it the thumbs up I asked for more specifics. Here are the pros and cons:

PROs:

  • New songs! My 12-year-old was thrilled with the very current music that is included.
  • Still plenty of choices for the young ones, including fresh takes on kids’ classics like “Mary Had a Little Lamb” and “Hickory Dickory Dock”.
  • They like the different options for how to play and score, like balloon-pop mode. Apparently you can create playlists which makes sense for the different kids I have in my house, or would be great to have ready for a party!
  • I like the teamwork scoring option because it can be discouraging for the little kids if they are always competing against older kids and losing.

CONs:

  • The only complaint my kids had was that there weren’t many icons to choose from and that they can’t change colors. For some reason fighting over the green guy has been an issue.
  • We don’t have any other gaming systems, so it doesn’t matter for us, but I bet scoring is more accurate on a different system that looks at the movement of the whole body. Don’t tell the kids, but I was able to sit on the couch and move my arm around and get a decent score, since it can only read the wii-mote. Of course that isn’t a failing of the game, just more the system for this kind of game.

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If video games are on your family’s Christmas list, I definitely recommend getting Just Dance Kids since it promotes family togetherness, exercise and fun! You can purchase Just Dance 2014 on Amazon, or get more information on the Ubisoft blog.

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was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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