If you’ve been following the news, or even just browsed through some of the holiday toy catalogs you’ve probably noticed that the Smart Cycle by Fisherprice is one of the hot toys of this holiday season. With a pretty hefty price tag of just under $100 it’s also one of the more expensive toys this season (unless you go for the $250 furreal pony, or the $350 pleo dinosaur).

Fisherprice calls the Smart Cycle a “physical learning arcade system” since kids are playing games (mostly educational ones) while the pedal on the bike. Take a look at the picture and you’ll get a pretty good idea of what it is all about. If you click through to the amazon website, you’ll also be able to watch a video of the Smart Cycle in action.

The bike plugs into your TV and your child will play various arcade style video games while pedaling on the bike and using the buttons in the handle bar or the joystick on the center console. The big draw for this toy is the fact that your child will get some exercise while playing games that are actually good for his or her development. The smart cycle is targeted at kids ages 3 to 6.

Of course Fisherprice is playing the “Child Obesity” card … and the smart cycle is supposed to get the kids that sit on the couch playing video games the exercise they so badly need. While I agree at least partially with this idea, it has a couple of flaws in my opinion.

As a mom of a 4 year old toddler who fist right into the Smart Cycle audience, I can tell you that this age group is a lot more active than older kids. The real problem with spending hours and hours each day in front of the TV or game console, doesn’t seem to start until the child gets a little older (think 8 or older).

On the amazon product description I also read that this video game system is a great alternative for playing outside. Playing outside has a lot more benefits than simply getting some physical exercise, including fresh air, sun shine and most importantly social interaction as your child plays with other kids.

That being said, the Smart Cycle still has merits, but like any other electronic game should be used in moderation. As long as your child still plays outside and the two of you head to the park or playground, this video game is a fun way to keep your preschooler entertained. It’s definitely a lot more educational and will help your child burn off some extra energy compared to some other video games out there.