The Wii gaming system by Nintendo is breaking new ground when it comes to educational video gaming, with games that are realistic, exciting, and fun for the entire family. Even better, the Wii gaming system actually makes kids want to learn.   Here are some top picks if you want to combine fun with learning.

My Word Coach is one of the most popular learning games available for the Wii. The game challenges players to complete six spelling and word recognition levels by inputting missing letters, spelling words correctly from definitions, and matching words to their definition. There are three difficulty levels and up to four players can play at one time.

The popular TV show Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader is the basis for another trendy Wii game. If you like the TV show you and your family will love the game. The Wii version of the Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader game includes over 6,000 grade school questions. There are 23 categories including math, spelling, grammar, reading, vocabulary, astronomy, and music. Four different game modes – homeroom, flash card, academic academy, and spelling bee, and three cheat opportunities make this the perfect learning game for family game night.

Originally designed for the DS, the Big Brain Academy Wii Degree is a fun educational game for up to 8 people. Players can compete in five different categories – memorization, identification, analyzing, computing, visualizing. Fifteen activities compose each category and can be played in either test or practice mode.

Smarty Pants: Trivia for Everyone is a game that will enchant everyone, from 8 to 80. The game matches the player’s age to the level of competition and gets progressively more difficult as the player completes each level. Game modes are collaborative and cooperative; you can play against yourself or other players.

The popular Cranium board games were the basis for Cranium Kabookii. This game allows players to showcase their knowledge. 15 puzzle games in 4 different sections allow players to solve puzzles and test their knowledge on a wide range of subjects and learning styles, including world facts and memorization.

Many studies are beginning to show the advantages of video games. Nintendo took these studies into account when designing the Wii gaming system and its games. The above games, and many more designed exclusively for the Wii gaming system, will allow children to practice learning skills, review and test their knowledge, and gain confidence in learning.

New research also shows that the Wii gaming system is advantageous for many different learning styles. If your child is a visual learner he will learn from interacting with the data presented on the screen. For kinaesthetic or active learners the Wii will allow children to become actively involved in the learning process by using their bodies to control the actions on-screen.

By carefully selecting some clever titles into your video game library, you and your whole family will reap the educational benefits of the Wii gaming system.