Virtual skateboard for the injury-prone

So your kid is getting older, and you want to protect him from the hazards of skateboarding. Good luck.

(Credit: Hammacher Schlemmer)

It may be almost impossible to keep boys from undergoing this rite of passage, but you might be able to limit their board time by offering a virtual version as a part-time substitute. This skateboard game plugs into the TV and "translates a child's motion into real-time tricks and movements as players navigate multiple urban skateboard challenges such as timed races, slalom and obstacle courses, half-pipe environments, free skating and tournament play," according to Hammacher Schlemmer. And they say the Wii can be hazardous to your health. (Note to all dads: Stay off this thing for your own good.)