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When I found out that my son's elementary school P.E. department uses "Dance Dance Revolution," a video game, as part of their fitness program, I was intrigued. I decided that the game might make a good family Christmas gift.

I was right. Not only is "Dance Dance Revolution" a fun way to get "active" in the familiar dance mode, but it is also a great fitness tool in the exercise/training mode.

You've probably seen the arcade version of "Dance Dance Revolution." The game features a pressure-sensitive floor-mat controller with colored/lighted arrows. Players need to match the dance "steps" indicated on the screen by stepping on the corresponding arrows, synchronizing their movements to the rhythm and tempo of the scrolling screen markers and blaring dance music.

The PlayStation2 version of the game comes with one floor mat "dance pad." I added a second controller to my purchase, bringing my total to less than $80 and buying us hours and hours of family fun.

DDR lets the kids get kinetic, without having them bounce off the walls. They stick to the dance pad and stick their moves. There are several dance modes, including individual and head-to-head competition, dance-offs, challenges, courses, etc.

In the training/exercise mode, the game allows one or two participants to enter their weight, then select from several options for an individualized workout. You can limit your workout by time, by calories burned, by number of songs. The music starts, the arrows start scrolling, and you just have to keep up with the moves.

The great part of the game is that if you're not on the mat dancing, you're sitting on the sofa laughing along with everybody else.

Even in crummy, rainy weather, DDR gives the whole family the chance to get in some good exercise, some laughs, and some fun.

Word to the wise: the game CAN be played with hand-held controllers. To do so robs the game of exercise value and makes it into just another version of "Guitar Hero." That's the last thing anybody needs.