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Diana Miron

All you need to know about yoyos – from beginners to advanced

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Yo-yo is a toy that has been around for many years, long before it was even named “yo-yo”.

Yo-yo history

While many people know that the Flores Company later bought by Duncan developed the modern yo-yo, few know they are not the ones that have invented the yo-yo. It is actually a toy that exists from ancient times. Yo-yo is considered the second oldest toy in history after the doll. While there is no recorded evidence that it existed in China, there is recorded evidence that it existed in Greece since 500 BC.

Both the Chinese and the Greeks believe to have invented this toy. However, it is more plausible that it was developed by both cultures without knowing the one about the other. In China, it was called “diabolo” and were mainly used by streets entertainers.

The fact is that the yo-yo travelled from the Orient to Europe and then to other parts of the world. And this is how it slowly became a popular toy for children all over the world.

Back in the days, it also meant different things for different social classes. While for the rich people, it was a fashionable thing to have one and it was made of all sorts of nice materials, for the poor they actually were a way to loosen their stress up when they faced harsh times. It was for sure seen a toy of fashion and of noble people. In countries all over Europe, people from rich classes as if kings and queens used it to relax and to display they had it.

Were yoyos used as weapons?

While they are believed to have been originated from China, their first mention was in Greece where the toy was called a “disk”.  Thus, they date back to 400 – 500 BC when the Greeks used them for entertainment purpose.

Those days the disks were initially made of terra cotta – which is a kind of clay. As the clay is a rather fragile material, they were usually used to be offered to gods when the child turned of age. Those terra cotta toys if used for playing it meant a mother had to buy a yo-yo to her child every single day. Thus, some other materials started to be used for their building – wood and metal, and the terra cotta version was just to be offered to the gods as a rite of passage.

Another record states that in the early 16th century in the Philippines the hunters used a look-alike thing to hunt therefore as a weapon. It consisted of a rock and a 20 feet long cord. However, it is very less likely they draw their history from being used as a weapon. There is no evidence that those “weapons” were actually yo-yos.

But it can be true that from ancient China it travelled both to Greece and to the Philippines, where people used it as a toy, as a means of entertainment. Playing with the yo-yo is called yo-yoing and this is what it is currently used and known for – a toy that first of all is made for entertainment, then to develop a better eye and hand coordination, for socializing, for participating in competitions and for challenging you to improve your daily skills in a game – the game of yo-yoing.

What are yoyos good for?

There are many reasons people choose to purchase a yoyo these days and some of them are childish while some of them are quite serious. The truth is that it has been used as a stress reliever toy since early times and not only destined to children, but to people that were stressed, that went to fights – for eg. Napoleon and his army is said to have been relaxing with the yo-yo before the Battle of Waterloo started.

No matter the reason there are some things playing with a yoyo will teach you or your children:

–              It can boost confidence in learning new things

–              It can help children socialize

–              It helps build hand-eye coordination

–              It keeps kids away from the TV and outdoors more

–              It is a learning toy that enhances your child or even yours, needs for perfection.

Best yo-yo brand

Yoyo Factory

According to Ranker, the best yoyo brand as of now is the Yoyo Factory. While it is a rather young company, it exists since 2004, its aim is to improve the playing experience with its functional technology. And they have done this due to the thorough research they did and the end result is a durable and reliable toy for every user.

Best yo-yo string

While the main body of the yo-yo has been made out of different materials, the string, since the first yo-yo factory appeared, has been made of pure Egyptian cotton.

Right, there are some that use some synthetic strings, but sometimes those are harder to work with and to perform.

Choosing a yo-yo as a beginner

As a beginner, what you actually do not know is what does a yo-yo feels like in a hand? Thus if this is a thing that you do not know, choosing plastic or a wooden one makes no difference as you have not tried any of them so far. So you will just be acquainted with what you have.

Being a beginner you will most probably not want to spend too much on a yo-yo, so a plastic one will come in handier at first.

Another difference between the yo-yos is their responsiveness. While some more responsive – that is once the yo-yo is used it comes back to your hand on its own, or an unresponsive one – one that needs more tricks from your part to make it come back to your hand. Of course, for the beginners, it is best to choose a responsive yo-yo as you will not need to learn as well the extra work of getting back the string. You will be able to focus on the basics.

5 Best yoyos for beginners

  1. Fizz Yoyo

What makes this the ideal yo-yo for the beginners? It has a F.A.S.T response system. (Fully Active Starburst Technology) This system is there to stay, does not ruin, and thus does not need you to do any replacements or anything. What it actually does is making it easier for you to control the yo-yo and increase the confidence for a starter in his or her abilities.

Another great thing about this yo-yo is that it is rather small so it easily fits in the hands of children, it has a long lasting design and it is capable of basic string tricks like the below.

  1. Sage Yoyo

Another great yo-yo for the beginners is the sage yo-yo. It is made out of plastic and it is like a bridge between the easy to play and hard to play yo-yos.

Ever since it appeared, people think of it to have a good weight, very durable material and solid spin that does not allow any vibrations.  It can sleep for 30 to 45 seconds with a good throw. While it was first conceived as a follower of the Luminator, it is far better than it when used to learn yo-yo string tricks and become more advanced in this game.

  1. YYF Replay – Responsive

This responsive yo-yo when it first appeared people received it very well and it has been up on the market. It comes with the body of a professional yo-yo but has the specs of a yo-yo suitable for beginners. It is one of the top performing plastic yo-yos out there.

It promises long spin times, which will make beginners enjoy their time to practice some techniques, and it does not require much maintenance.

  1. First Base Yoyo

This is another great yo-yo choice for beginners. The first thing you can notice at it is the shape, which is perfectly round giving a very comfortable feeling when you hold it in your hand. While it does not boost the smallest weight, it is just perfect for one to learn new tricks.

It comes with a slim bearing to help the beginners have confidence in their tricks. It does promise to get you a quite long sleep time. It also comes with an unresponsive bearing, which makes it great for advanced as well.

  1. Yomega Brain XP Transaxle Yoyo

This yo-yo boosts of being a great choice for young children giving them the possibility to learn tricks without being too frustrated they do not turn out. It comes with a manual and auto return clip that allows one to test the trick he learned.

The design Yomega has put into this is a transparent plastic that allows one to see the inside and makes it very appealing to children. They are very light and very small and helps children hold them easily with one hand.

5 world’s best yoyos

  1. Yoyo King Green Merlin Professional Responsive Yoyo

This is a great yoyo as it is rather light and small-sized and offers you the possibility to easily perform various tricks like Trapeze, Split the Atom, Braintwister, or the Double or Nothing. Its silicone response system and the narrow C sized bearing helps you get the responsiveness you need for your tricks.

  1. Yoyo King Merlin Pro Yoyo with Ball Bearing Axle

It is almost the same weight as the above one, thus it is also light and easy to handle. Made of durable plastic, it comes with a silicone response system and a ball bearing axle for super long spin times. It also has the narrow string size C bearing to be able to offer you the experience of the nonresponsive yoyoing.

  1. Yomega Spectrum – Light up Fireball Transaxle YoYo

This is a great choice for intermediate and advanced play.

Made from durable polycarbonate it is light and due to its transaxle, plastic sleeve placed over the axle, it can do long smooth spins. However, the transaxle yoyos will not return automatically, they rely on the experience of yo-yoing of the player to make it return by making a movement of the wrist. It comes with LED lights that help you play any time of day and night. While moving the wrist it activates the lights.

  1. MAGICYOYO K1 Responsive Yoyo

While it is heavier than before, it is a perfect toy for kid air families. It comes with the free glove and 5 different strings which makes it worth buying it.

It is an all plastic yoyo and plays rather fast. However, it is an unresponsive yoyo thus you will have to bind to wake up the yoyo. It is a great yoyo to develop your motor skills.

  1. The Sidekick Pro Unresponsive

Another great unresponsive yoyo is the Sidekick Pro yoyo.

It is made of aluminium alloy body and it uses a C track ball bearing. It is for sure recommended for the most advanced players, as it requires practice and knowledge beforehand to be able to use it. Perfect for learning new tricks all the time due to the wide ball bearing axle.

Though it can come pricier than the others can, a toy will be there in the long run.

What is the most expensive yo-yo in the world?

Anglam TiSS Black

While Duncan also has its most expensive yo-yo from the collection, the most probably newest and most expensive nowadays is the black Anglam TiSS. This bi-metal yo-yo was released in 2015 during the World yoyo Contest.

It is manufactured by sOMEThING by YoYoAddict and it is made of titanium with Stainless Steel weight rings. This black version is polished by the professionals for a smooth and luxurious finish and it comes at a price of $900.

Basic Yo-yo tricks

There will be no problem in making some yo-yo tricks like basic throw, sleeper, winding the string or even walking the dog.

  • Basic throw

This may not seem as easy as it sounds. The first thing to learn in order to be able to make a basic throw is to know how to hold the yo-yo correctly. If the palm is up the correct position of the string should be going over the yo-yo. It is important to know that the string should come over the top of the yo-yo.

Another important thing when learning yo-yo playing is that you should adjust the string to your height. If not, you will have problems and the yo-yo may hit the ground and again when coming back be higher than your hand, and you will just have to keep raising your hand higher and higher every time.

Then, when the string is adjusted, you throw it out and turn the hand over in order to catch it as it comes up.

  • Wind the string

Winding the string like a pro means knowing some three more principles to tackle with – the spin, slack and straight. This trick is important for all the rest of the tricks one can do with a yo-yo because it helps the string wind after it was let loose.

If the yo-yo does not spin it will not wind up; the string should have a slack bigger than the distance between your hand and the yo-yo.  You have to keep the yo-yo’s string straight in perfect alignment with the yo-yo.

  • Sleeper

If you have the throw in place, then you are ready for the next trick – to make the yo-yo sleep. The sleeper position is when the yo-yo just spins at the bottom.

When trying to make it sleep the harder you throw the yo-yo the bigger tendency for it to bounce back and thus getting loose in the string again and the only thing it will do is coming again back up. Making the sleeping position means you have to control the yo-yos movements with your hand. You have to do an up and down motion with the hand when throwing it.

  • Walk the Dog

Though it seems quite easy you still need the steps above to be able to make this trick.

When leaving the string off from the yo-yo it is important to swing it a little bit to make sure it will have some direction to walk in and spin. It is important that the yo-yo is in front of you leading you as this is the right move. Other variations of this are walking the cat – it walks in the opposite direction, the creeper – where you will kneel at the level of the yo-yo and it will come straight back to you and there is as well the walk the dog around the park, where you begin like walk the dog and continue with the yo-yo moving around you.

Intermediate yo-yo tricks

  • Thread the needle

You have to throw a sleeper then you have to place the finger of the free hand under the string and lift it up. Then you have to slide the string through the channel from the behind to the front.  Holding the free’s hand forefinger between the strings, move it outward and upward. You then have to pull the yo-yo hand backwards to make the yo-yo walk until it reaches the forefinger of your free hand. At that moment you have to let the yo-yo wind back up.

  • Hop the Fence

This is a rather simple trick but you still have to have some knowledge of yo-yoing.

You have to throw down the yo-yo and as it returns let it “hop” over your hand. And then send it back to the floor and “hop” again.

  • Loop the Loop

Though it seems easy, it really is not. You have to have good wrist coordination.

The first pass is forward and as it comes back to you do not catch it, but let it pass over your hand on the inside arm and make a circular wrist motion and then send it out again. Repeat this. You may not get it the first few times, but practice makes gold.

Advanced yo-yo tricks

  • Through the Tunnel

This allows you to send the yo-yo through the tunnel instead of the one known as “walking the dog”.

You should throw the yo-yo down and swing it back and it should come in front of you. When it gets in front of you, swing it through your legs and let it slowly land on the floor. Walk it along the floor and in the end bring it back to your hand.

  • Shoot the Moon

As this is a rather hard yo-yo trick, it should be done with a yo-yo you have complete control over.

You first have to throw the yo-yo up like in a forward pass. Then as it returns, send the yo-yo straight up by doing a semicircular motion. This will make it be rather close to your face, so be careful. When it comes down, you have to move your wrist to send it out in front of you.

  • Rattlesnake

It is best performed when wearing loose pants. It starts by throwing a sleeper with a sideways gesture. Then, you do not have to pick the yo-yo up, but let it spin on the side.

If you move the leg and the string touches your pants, it should make a “rattling” sound.

While in the past things were simpler than nowadays as you did not have that many options to choose from, now there are many options and many yo-yo manufacturers that try their best to come up with a new and improved yo-yo for all playing levels.

Educate children to stay active with a healthy eating lifestyle

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Every parent wants what is best for their children. Practicing sports since early ages, may it be just for fun, is a healthy way for children. This will prepare them for the future and will help them manage the challenges that come along their way.

There are various benefits both related to their health and their well-being as well. You can see these in the previous article.

However, now we will focus on how to educate children for sports and how to help them get that sense of responsibility in eating healthy while staying active. One cannot exist without another.

Healthy eating lifestyle

Any kid and teenager that wants to take up sport should have a healthy eating habit. This comes from their parents and this is where the responsibility comes in. If you want to prepare your child to take a sport or some, you should make sure he has a healthy eating lifestyle.

Proper nutrition is not good just for sporty people, but it is good for every aspect of the life. A healthy eating lifestyle will have positive effects on both studying and sports.

Healthy eating tips

  • Choose healthy fats such as – vegetable oils, avocados, oily fish, nuts.
  • Vitamins, minerals and iron can be found on lean red meat, turkey, fish, eggs, dark green vegetables
  • Calcium can be found in low fat milk, yoghurt, puddings, cheese, nuts, fruit juice
  • Water is the most important one when it comes to fluids.

Rules for a healthy lifestyle while being active

An active teen should have a very organized lifestyle and should know what they eat, how they eat, when they eat and what is good and what is bad for his body. The rules below are good to be followed both by young people as well as by parents; that are an example to their kids.

  • Never skip a meal. This is important especially as for breakfast concerns. It is the most important meal of the day and it gives you the energy to continue the day in a positive mood. Make sure your child knows this and develops this sense of being responsible and never skipping a meal.
  • Drink lots of water. Water is important for all the functions of the body. Make sure you have a bottle of water at hand all the time.
  • Eat some protein daily. This is important for young active people as protein is the one that repairs the muscles and helps them grow.
  • While carbohydrates are known to be bad foods, there are the good carbs that are a must throughout the day. They will give the needed energy to the muscles.
  • Eat at least 5 portions of fruits and vegetables per day. This will give you the vitamin boost any healthy body needs.
  • Take your daily intake of healthy fats. They will give you the energy to stay active.
  • On the top of this, you should take enough sleep and rest. You could eat as healthy as you want, but with not enough sleep, your body will just cease under tiredness.

Parents know-how list

  • It is important as a parent that you do not over exaggerate when trying to make your child love and practice sports. Sport should be regarded as a game and games usually are supposed to be fun. This is why pressure never works in trying to convince children of anything.
  • Let your child see and decide for himself what is the best sport that he likes and he would enjoy practicing. Not every child should practice sport in a professional manner; moreover the vast majority do not take it as a profession, but practice it to stay active and all the other benefits it brings. Each one finds different benefits in sport.
  • As a parent you should not be overprotective and be there every time he goes to practices. Let him be with the colleagues and the coach. Make sure you are present when there are important gams or competitions going on.
  • As practicing sports is a very healthy way of living, parents should encourage their children to play, not to necessarily be in a competition.
  • However, if he likes participating in competitions make him want to win, not just get comfy with losing. This should never be an option.
  • Make sure you are the one that your child looks up to. Do not be a lazy couch potato if you want your child to take up some sport. Stay as active and healthy as you can.

An active teen girl should consume as much as 2400 calories per day while an active teen boy between 2800 and 3000 calories per day. These calories should not be randomly consumed, as there are bad and good things for the body to eat. The more bad food he eat, the less he is to give good results in his sport activities or any other field in life.  Eating right will help your child perform at his best.

Make sure they take the proper carbs, has a warm meal like soup per day, eats healthy fats, takes the proper vitamins and minerals from the food and as well the proper calcium intake. All of this while drinking plenty of water. An important takeout for water, is not to wait until you are thirsty. Make sure your kids hydrate enough not to get to that point when they are thirsty.

Conclusion

Sports will raise many good qualities in a child even though he does not make out of this, his profession. Creating a healthy lifestyle and an environment that respects physical activity, will prove good for your child in time. It is important that a child is raised to eat healthy, to stay active and to respect his body. Tips above will help you as a parent educate your child in this regard.

With a right mindset even from the early ages, children will be more opened to practicing sports. Paving their way into educating about the connection between staying active and eating healthy; will prove to become a lifestyle for them in the future, without putting to much effort into this.

Why should teenagers be encouraged to practice sports?

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We live in a very tech world and this makes us become less and less physical active. However, if for us there is not such a big problem, as we have practiced sports in our younger years back in the days, today’s children and teenagers, seem to prefer being online rather than being outdoors.

Mainly due to this we should make sure we know and explain to them the big benefits sports can have for one. These benefits are both for them and their life now as well as for their coming years.

However, making it easier for them to understand is important for them to see the benefits for them as teenagers and how sports can improve their life in all its aspects.

According to the Council of Europe, sports means “all forms of physical activity […] aim at expressing or improving physical fitness and mental well-being, forming social relationships or obtaining results in competition at all levels.”

Sport is essential for the development of young people. It is good for various reasons that you will see below. If your teenager does not have the taste of it yet, this means he just has to try various till he finds what is the right sport for him. Sport is easy and becomes a pleasure once you get the taste of it.

Sports to choose from

Between the ages of 13 to 15 it has been demonstrated that girls involvement in sport drops more than in boys. This may be due to the transformations their bodies go through. However, this is not a reason good enough not to practice sport.

As a teenager you have various possibilities of sports. Whilst the best sports in this period of life are the outdoor ones, there are some indoors sports that can also be practiced and bring good results.

Some of the sports to choose from as a teenager are hiking, mountain biking, cycling, resistance, handball, football, volleyball, basketball, aerobic, fitness, tennis. Some can be practiced with your family, some with your peers and colleagues and some with a trainer. Whichever you choose, it is important to fit your needs and your capacities.

Sport benefits for teenagers

Sport contributes to the teenagers well-being overall. Encouraging teenagers to practice sports is important as sport brings many benefits.

  • Physical health
    • First and foremost, practicing sports will have a good effect on a teenager’s metabolism, heart rate and overall physical condition. Sports will increase the energy level and improve movement and motor skills while still developing. It will give a balance to the organism; a balance that is needed while passing through the teenage years changes.
  • Improve the social life
    • As a teenager you are not entirely formed, you pass through a lot of changes, some that relate to the friends you have around you. Practicing a sport can be a social activity and an easy way for the young people to make friends that have the same passions and form long lasting friendships. Team sports are mainly important for this.
    • Communication is very much influenced by sports. It helps young people form connections and improve their socializing skills.
  • Good for the mind
    • Being a teenager and going though all the changes in your life can be a challenge for some. Sports is a good answer to cope with these changes. It can help one beat the anxiety, depression, eating disorders, attention deficit and even hyperactivity disorders.
    • As we live in a very stressful world where everything happens faster than we have the chance to chew on, sports will help one maintain a positive mental health. Young people can reduce their anxiety, love problems, school problems teenage problems and many others through sport practicing.
    • Sport increases their self-esteem. Contributing to one’s mental-well-being, the young will have an increased sense of pride and purpose. It will boost their self-confidence.
    • As it affects the levels of the dopamine and serotonin hormones, sports contribute to mood improvement. When practicing sport brain chemicals are triggered and this lead to one feeling happier and more relaxed.
  • Better school results
    • All the above lead to the most important effect on a teenager – increasing concentration; this will help them in their critical thinking and a better and easier learning.
    • An improved energy will make them learn better
    • Have a higher discipline in their program
    • Be more competitive
    • Increase their sense of discipline
  • Good behaviour changes
    • Having a teenage is a hard job and no one can deny this. They think they own the world and they are the only ones that know what is right and what is wrong. We’ve all seen that and been through that. Anyhow, sports can have a good effect on their behaviour and thinking.
    • It can help them adopt healthier decisions, have a better sleep, choose not to smoke or drink, overall, make the right choices for their life as future adults.
    • This will help them to a healthy development in the future and a good health.
  • Maintain a healthy weight
    • As hormonal imbalances are often in this teenage period, it is important to maintain a healthy weight. Practicing sports will help one stay in the recommended weight range and reduce the chance of developing other diseases in the future.
  • Increase the leadership skills
    • Sports contribute a lot to the development of teenagers as people. Participating in sports and mainly team sports, will increase the leadership qualities in a young.

Takeaways

The above are just the main benefits your teenager can have from practicing a sport. It is important to know that the younger the children will start participating in sport activities, the more likely they are to stay active as they grow old.

Even the small reason to keep them away from TV or computer, should make you want to give your teenager a stimulus to start some kind of sport. However, sport practicing in teenagers means so much more than this.

2 player games for kids

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Kids are always excited to finish up their homework, their errands and go back to play. They can play games at home, on the road or on a plane. To maintain and develop their social interactions, they can choose to play the 2 player games for kids. This is a great way to have fun while also sharing it with a friend and making new ones.

The 2 player games for kids offer them everything they look for, shooting games, intellectual games, fun games, wrestling games, sports games; that is a wide range of games you can think of.

Apart from the virtual 2 player games, there are also some games that can be done such as snooker, billiard, table tennis, cat’s cradle, hide and seek, marbles etc.

Online, your kids can master their soccer skills, hockey skills and even pool skills while playing with their best friends or even with you.

Here we will focus on the 2 player games kids can play virtually. They can be in the same room using the same computer but with different keys to control the characters or they can be kilometers apart and still be able to play online. Not all 2 players game need to be competitive, there are also those games that focus on team work, on squad. Whichever type of game a kid prefers, he can find everything online and the majority is for free.

See some of the games below:

  • 1 on 1 soccer game

This is a rare game that is very interesting and entertaining as it works with cheat codes. The cheats can be activated from the “CHEAT” button. One actually has to write his own cheat codes and press “ENTER” to activate them.

These cheats will allow one to change the ball, change the gravity, fly and even have permanent speed boots. Make sure you read the instructions before starting it. This way kids will have a blast playing this game.

  • 1 vs 1 soccer game

This is another football game where there are two opponents. It begins the moment one opens the game. As the players will move as soon as they are rotated, it is important to be careful at the moves one does.  There are different game controls – for each player. Make sure to remember the correct ones.

  • Bowman game

The bowman game is a game of two players. It is about hitting your opponent twice. This is when one wins the game. Keep in mind that it is a sensitive game and being in a tight angle, may cause you lose the game.  The game controls are the same – both players use the same game controls for aiming and shooting.

  • Royal city clashers 2 game

This is another game of two players that asks for your survival gut. It is about escaping and making your way through the streets of Royal City.  For this you can use melees and guns. Make sure you know the  shortcuts for playing it – player 1: WASD – Movement, Q or E – Change Weapon, V – Run, B or SPACE –Attack, N – Drop Weapon and player 2: ARROW KEYS – Movement, KEYPAD 4 or KEYPAD 6 – Change Weapon, KEYPAD 1 – Run, KEYPAD 2 or KEYPAD 0 – Attack, KEYPAD 3 – Drop Weapon. The menu and the options are WASD – Select option and SPACE – Confirm Option. It is good for increasing your kids focus.

  • Fire and Water 5 game

The fire and water 5 game is the 5th version of the Fire and Water game. Here the heroes try to escape obstacles and reach exit doors. The action takes place in some very light rooms and then in some very dark rooms as well. It has various chapters and as you complete one, you can click on the next chapter to move on into the game. This is a team game, as you both have the same purpose and try to reach exit points together. Things to keep in mind for this game – do not come close to water accumulation and beware of the other obstacles. One needs to control the heroes with “Arrow Keys” and “W,A,D” keys.

  • Checkers game

This is a game that will challenge the kids in how to outsmart their challenger. One can play this game against the computer at first and then with a friend. This will ask for some serious thinking ahead before moving any piece on the board. For playing it, kids should just click to move the pieces.

  • 2 players bowling game

The 2 players bowling game is about aiming the mouse towards the pins. There are some markings on the floor and the mouse needs to be aligned according to them. As the pins need to be knocked down, one needs to push the mouse and click with power.

  • Bowchief 2 game

This game offers one 3 different game models to choose from. They can all be played or you can choose just one to struggle with. These are “Campaign”, “Sharpshooting” and “Player vs Player”. The last selection is the one to choose if one wants to play it in two player mode. It is a struggle between two friends playing the game.  After choosing the game model the archers will just start shooting. The mouse is the main help in this game. Shooting stops until the health of the opponent is zero-ed down. While there are also some surprises during the game that are nice, make sure to shoot on the target and try as much as possible not to hit the birds flying.

  • 3D Hartwig Chess Set Master

Another great game for your kid is the 3D Hartwig Chess Set Master. A good thing about it is that it teaches your kids the game of chess and how to create a winning strategy, while also enjoying having his favorite tech on his hands.  It looks like a futuristic, Minecraft – style 3D chess board. The focus should be on bringing down the opponents king.

  • Football heads 2014 world cup

For the kids that love football this is the best to try on. It is a fast and furious skill based game, as it is a two minute game where one should outscore the opponent. One should have a great football mind as well as a very developed set of reactions and keyboard tapping skills.

It features all 32 countries that qualified for the real-life World Cup in 2014; therefore one can choose to be his favorite soccer star. It is a game for kids that love football and want to have a wild football themed experience. It teaches kids to learn a better football and to develop their thinking; as one has to predict and think about his opponents’ soccer ball path.

  • Bubble struggle 2

This is a funny game about bubble shooting.  One needs to destroy the dangerous bubbles, splitting them in smaller ones, and afterwards destroys all without being touched by any of the bubbles. There are various levels at this game with bonuses that one can win.

These fun games come as an addition to outdoor games and other extracurricular activities.  Kids will always be excited to try out from the wide variety of 2 player games; so there is no need to take this away from them. Maybe you can even try and play a game or two with your kids. Some of them are really educative, while some are just mere fun. But fun is good for your kids from time to time as well!

Photo by Jelleke Vanooteghem on Unsplash

Hobbies for teenagers that are healthy

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Loving guidance for your teen

Hobbies for teenagers help to ensure physical and mental health. Teenagers are hard to tackle as most of them have their own personality and they do not really accept to be told what to do. When your child gets to this age it is important that you help him make the right choices. This includes helping him have a healthy lifestyle.

It is important to let him develop his skills and learn what he likes and what he does not. Maybe he will try a hobby and eventually will end up not liking it. But it is important for your teen to try as many activities as he wants.

Having hobbies will help your teen:

  • Find out who he is
  • Boost his self-esteem and his confidence
  • See what his strengths are and where he should work more on
  • Develop his skills in taking initiative and decision making
  • Help him control his emotions
  • Increase his sense of reality and how he deals with stress as he learns how to lose in a sports game
  • Develop his patience
  • Increase his sense of dedication towards a hobby.

If your teenager asks for some guidance in his choice, you can give it to him and help him make the right decisions. If not, try and support him in the decisions he takes. When helping or supporting your teen to take extracurricular activities as hobbies, make sure that you help him have a balance in his life as well. He should not take too many extra activities and feel overwhelmed in class, at home or in his personal life. If there are too many, just shuffle through what he wants, take some time for some of them, then move to the others; prioritize things.

Besides the above, there are those teens that do not do many activities or prefer not to do any extra activities. One should remember that any extracurricular activity that involves your child is his own decision and is a voluntary action. If he does not want to do any, he will not enjoy doing that.

Some of the healthy hobbies that we propose are:

  • Tennis

It is a hobby that anyone can take up on at any age. This is more than just sport; it is a social activity your teen can have. Tennis improves his agility and strength while spending time with friends that have the same hobby. It is a good sport to start as it is not very complicated and it is approachable from the gear point of view. You have the basics around the house for sure and anything else you need is very easy to find, and not so expensive.

This sport does not require contact; therefore it is more secure than the other sports. Don’t think that there will be no hits; you can get many hits with the tennis balls, until you learn to protect yourself from them.

With practice and patience your teen can get to have a very good technique and learn more each time. It will teach him to master the fine motor skills and coordination. What you probably do not know about tennis is that it is a very tactical sport. This thing actually puts your teen’s brain at work.

  • Football

In the past years we have seen fewer kids are signing up for football. The reasons vary – from those like the popularity of other sports, like too many extracurricular activities, like parents disapproval of football and many more. However, those that do choose football as a hobby will get the most out of it. Despite of the obvious injuries your teen can suffer, it remains on top of the most rewarding sports your teen can play.

teenagers playing football

Photo by Paul Codling on Unsplash

 

He will learn what camaraderie means. The big number of players a football team has helps your teen develop the sense of friendship and of close relationship with other team players. Moreover, being a game of inches, it requires a lot of attention and focus. This alone will contribute to your teen discipline in what he does. It is a sport that requires a lot of practice in order to be good at it. This is how a teen will sense that work ethic one needs at any other job, in the future. The physical injuries that happen in this sport come and go, but what is really important is the strong mind that one needs to be able to face what happens on the field.

In general, you should not worry so much of the physical injuries your teen can suffer from football, as for sure he will be taken better medical care than they used to have a decade ago. Plus, the equipment is more sophisticated and developed to protect them from really bad injuries.

  • Basketball

Teens love basketball. It is a great social sport; it helps them develop their social skills. No matter the season, it can be played all year round. Teens see it as an entertaining sport they practice as a passion. They can have fun while burn calories as well.

Basketball helps your teen get his mind off everything else and just relax on the court. It is a good way to express himself while working out his whole body. It will build his endurance, build up muscle, improve his sense of physical coordination and develop the self-discipline. What your teen should keep in mind when playing basketball is that he needs to be hydrated regularly, do some stretching and warm up before going out on the court.

  • Hiking

Not many people think about including hiking on their teens hobbies list, but it is indeed a wonderful one to take up. Exercising is healthy and if you have a teen that is not so good at practicing sports, you can try showing him the benefits of hiking.

Teens can hike within the city limits and it will not cost anything, or just go a little outside the city, in which case a car is needed.  But this is a small amount to pay for all the benefits it brings. Hiking is a great hobby that will help your teen connection with nature. It is prettier than spending an hour in the gym for sure. He can opt from long walks on flat terrain or do interval training over varied terrain. No matter what he chooses, the connection to nature will change everything he thought about hiking.

Before starting any hiking trail, it is imperious to know the trail, to get familiarized with it, know the map by heart or have one with you, know how the weather will be like and remember to follow marked paths.

After a week of classes and the hustle and bustle of the city, the fresh air is rejuvenating to breathe. This can be done in a normal week day as well, if there is a hiking trail in the city or near the city.

Moreover, the views that he will see while hiking cannot be beat by anything else. The higher he will climb, the better teh views are.

According to some studies, people practicing this hobby have lower risk of a heart disease, have a good blood pressure and a normal blood sugar level, a stronger core and a more positive way of seeing life. Hiking is recommended for combating symptoms such as stress and anxiety, and increasing the happiness levels.

While it can be done alone as well, it is more fun to go hiking with the family, with a buddy or even with your dog. Having someone with him will help in case of any danger on the trail. Especially if there are new trails that he tries on, it is better for him not to be alone.

If you feel that your teen needs to burn out some calories, this is one of the best hobbies to choose from. One hour of trekking can burn up to 500 calories. This depends on the difficulty of the trail and the weight he carries. It is a cardio workout that tones the entire body.

While these are some physical benefits, you should know that hiking helps improves creativity and problem solving in teenagers. It is proved that it boosts the brainpower with 50 percent. (According to David Strayer, co-author of the study)

  • Skiing

When winter comes people get split in two groups – those that enjoy time off and hibernating, and those that cannot wait to go out in the snow and enjoy the fresh cold air, the snow and everything nature has to offer.

Skiing is a hobby that can be practiced only in winter time. However, this does not mean it cannot be taken into consideration and put on the hobbies list. Just like any other outdoor sport it has many benefits for the ones practicing it. It is good for both body and soul. Above all, your teen will just have the time of his life. It will make him create tighter bonds with both friends and family. Having a group of friends or family it’s nicer; he will enjoy getting on and off the chairlifts together, stay for a drink at dinner time and share slope adventures.

It helps strengthen the bones, the joints and the lower body muscles. This will prove very good with time as it will prevent the knee problems and osteoporosis. Being in a continuous squat position you do not realize it, but it works out well the legs. As it is a very demanding sport, you will just have the soundest sleep ever, once you go to bed at night.

  • Fishing

Fishing is more than sitting around in a boat or on the bank and waiting for a fish to catch.

It creates that family bond you so long want to develop. After long days of school and all extra-curricular activities, it is nice to take a day off, go, relax and meditate in the sun.

Fishing is a great way to learn to have patience. Patience is important for your teen to have. Impatience is not good for the immune system, for the stress and blood pressure; while patience helps him be calmer and at peace.

As teens are at an age where they still needs to build up their skills, this hobby is good to help them improve their self-confidence. Seeing they are successful in fishing, will help them gain confidence they can do more in other areas as well.

As a conclusion, fishing is a great activity for teens; it unplugs them from the technology and offers them the possibility to see that playing computer games is not the only fun they can have.

  • Hunting

When we think of hobbies for teenagers, hunting isn’t the first that comes to mind. Hunting is a hobby that not so many teens can practice and the reasons vary. But one should bear in mind that it is a legal, ethical and traditional sport. It is a heritage dating from our ancestors which worth being passed from generation to generation.  Though you put money into it at first, in time it will prove useful as you will eat healthier meat and cheaper meat and save money. The meat that you get from hunting has very little fat and many vitamins.

It is a rather expensive hobby to have but it is a hobby that develops courage, resilience and determination. Hunting helps your teen connect to the food he eats, respect nature and what it brings. He will develop the spirit of conservationism and take only how much and what he needs from nature; he will see the balance of animals in the environment they live in.

Hunting will also contribute to your teens love for outdoor life. As it is a rather active sport, it will make him love the woods, the nature, the water and the fields.

This is a hobby that your teen will get to do with you. Teaching your teen to hunt is a confirmation from your part that he is all grown up and ready to take some more responsibility. It is a family moment to build memories.

Besides all the above, hunting is a hobby that is very good for his physical activity routine. When going hunting you have to walk long distances, climb through brush and up mountains. This will make your teen see the importance of staying fit and healthy; enjoy exercising while having fun at the same time.

It is a hobby that teaches your teen many skills, such as patience, discipline, confidence and how to cope with disappointments and not give up and try again.

Above all, the connection to nature it offers, allows your teen to disconnect from all the tech and just be.

There are more healthy hobbies your teen can enjoy. However, the above are some of the best to choose from and some that offers you the possibility to participate and bond with your teen.

(Top of page photo by Matt Heaton on Unsplash)

Good games for kids that aren’t expensive

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Spoiled for choice?

There are countless good games for kids to choose from, suitable for all ages. This post will give a selection of ideas to get inspired from!

A child is a big responsibility and you have to be prepared for every step of the way. This includes making time to spend with him, teaching new things when he is a baby, preparing him to take the right decisions later on in his life and so many more. As this is a full time job, sometimes parents need these things called “games”. Games help parents do other daily cores while also making sure their baby is learning something.

Since early stages in his life, he will have to develop his skills and learn as much as possible at home. These are the moments when he is like a “sponge” and he learns everything faster. Choosing the right educative games for your child to play with, is imperious as he grows to become an adult.

As the games are the main attraction of a toddler, choosing this option as a way of learning is the right answer for any parent. Games are also tricky; you have to know which one to choose so that your child will learn something from them. Some games are less educative and some are more educative. As the baby grows, basically you have to buy new games and keep him interested at all times.

Making smart choices, knowing what games to buy and where to buy them from is a must for at least one parent, if not both of them.

Infant games to choose from

First of all there are the free games you can play.

These are the ones that demand your time and patience as a parent.

Teaching him the parts of the body is an easy game. Start by asking: “Where are your lips?” and reply back by touching his lips: “Here are the lips.” This little game is something you can do with the body parts, with people around you, colors, things etc. Repeat a question and a reply various times. This is an easy way to teach your child the basic things when he cannot even speak.

Talking with your toddler will help him develop and learn many things. You can do this in the mornings, when you feed him, at bedtime or even at bath time. This will help him develop his vocabulary and focusing skills.

Besides talking, one can also play the dancing game. Babies love to dance and if you combine this with learning numbers, you can get the best out of this game. You can put some music your baby loves, take his little hands and make music steps and say”1”, “2” etc. and repeat. He will just love dancing with you.

Then, there are the Fisher Price games.

I remember playing with Fisher Price toys as a child, you probably do too. Fisher Price toys and games are very good in helping toddlers develop their skills.

They will learn numbers, colors, shapes and much more. Some of these games are:

  • Baby’s First Blocks game develops the motor skills of your infant. It teaches him the colors and shapes and develops his curiosity as well as the problem solving skills. In this game they have to figure out how to put the blocks where they should be. The price ranges from £3 to £7.
  • Laugh & Learn™ Talk ‘n Teach Monkey & Lion teaches your toddler words of different shapes, while the music stimulates his senses. The price ranges from £3 to £7.
  • Laugh & Learn® Smart Speedsters Sis teaches letters and colors while helping to develop his visual and auditory senses. It is still a low price £4 to £6.
  • Laugh & Learn™ Puppy’s Remote is a game that will offer your baby the possibility to hear and learn numbers, ABCs, colors and more things. The remote looking game will make it even more attractive to the baby. It costs around £10.
  • SmartPhone toy from Fisher Price is another toy that your toddler will be intrigued to have. It looks a lot like a normal smartphone and it will be useful in teaching your baby to count, teaching him the numbers, greetings, to sing and it will as well develop his imagination. It costs £10.

Games found on the tablet that are available for anyone.

As your baby is not strong enough to hold a tablet or a phone case in his little hands, you can find a support and attach the tablet to it. What you should know about free of charge games is that they have advertising, and that may be a problem when a baby is handling the app. Anyhow, there are those games that can work offline after you have downloaded them, so this should cover for the upper issue. Games on the tablet can teach first words, animal’s names, colors, sounds, vocabulary etc. Take a look below at some examples:

  • Androbaby is a game developed by Android and one can find it in Google Play.
  • AppQuiz can also be found on Google Play and downloaded. This game has puzzles, musical instruments to play at etc.
  • If you prefer the Fisher-Price learning games, these can also be found online. The vast majority cost around £5, while some are free of charge.
  • KidloLand is another good app for games. Once you have it downloaded, it can be used offline and it contains over 300 games for infants.

There are many online games to choose from. The important thing is that you choose those that are educative for your baby.

Games to choose for children

As the baby grows and his motor skills are developed, you can opt for buying him a tablet for children.

There are various to choose from. You should make sure you choose a tablet that has as an operating system an Android, iOS or Windows. Those that have their own operating systems will most of the times be limited and you will have to pay extra if you want games etc.

A kids tablet should also be drop proof.

  • Amazon Fire Kids Edition is one of the choices to make. It comes with very good parental control. This will enable you to set up how much time your kids are allowed to play on it and on what they are allowed to play. It costs around £100 – I know, far more than those games for infants. It comes with a 2 year guarantee. In case of any accident in the 2 year warranty period, it is replaced. It also comes with a rubber case. This should provide care for the tablet when dropped.
  • The Leapfrog Epic is another tablet your kids will love. It is recommended for children from 3 up to 9 years old. It contains many educational games. These will help kids learn and develop. The price for this tablet is similar to the one above.

While I am not a tablet or computer games fan, I believe that sometimes there are educational games on them and having one at home for your kid will do no harm. Make sure that your child does not spend all his free time on the tablet as this for sure is not  healthy  for a child. It is important that he goes out and spends time playing games with his friends as well.

Indoor games for kids:
  • Puzzles are always a good choice. Start with an easy one that has few pieces. If you see your child is captured by it, continue with buying more difficult puzzles for him to solve. This will develop his attention and focus. You can find puzzles for children of 3 years onward. Their price ranges from £3 up to £100 depending on the difficulty.
  • Children that have at least 6 years can enjoy the magic cube puzzle. This is a challenging game that even some grown-ups cannot solve. It is cheap as well – around £3.
  • The Color Puzzle Pen follows the same idea as the magic cube puzzle. It is basically a brain teaser pen where you have to align the colors right. It is around £1.
  • Then there is the Tooth Shaped Water Game. It helps your little one learn to wash his teeth while also maintaining a high focus. The price is a bargain – half a pound. While it is recommended for the 3 years children, the parents will also be curious to play with it.
  • You can also choose from some board games:
  • Games Hub What’s their Name Board Game is a board game for children of 5 years + old.  It is an educational game that develops your memory and your skills. Games Hub 3D Snakes & Ladders Board Game – this is for 4 years+. These can last for hours and that contributes to your family’s interaction and your child learning to interact, focus and to have patience.
  • You can try the Interactive games for your child as well. The Pug Dog is a bargain and it brings so much joy. It costs £6. IMC Toys Kao Kao – The Koala (Club Petz) is a plush animal that your child can feed, cuddle, etc.
  • Another interesting game is Games Hub Wooden Train Set 100 Piece. This will keep your child busy for hours. It is more expensive than the rest, it costs £50, but it’s so much fun to put your little boy, or even girl, build up blocks and play with trains, cars and everything it has to offer.
  • The remote controlled games are the next level ones. These are usually cars that can be driven using the remote. They will teach your child the driving skills he needs when he grows up. You can choose between the remote controlled ones and those that your child will actually drive around the house or in the garden.
Outdoor games for kids:
  • Giant Bubble Playing Set Outdoor Toy Yellow Circle is a game that you can buy for £6. It will keep your child entertained in the garden all summer long. If you do not have a garden, this is something that he can take out on the playground as well.
  • The Play-Time Tunnel Fun is the best choice for your kids role-play game. Just install it in the backyard and have some of his friends come over. They will have fun all summer long and all for just £10.
  • Pool is a very good idea for a kid to have. They can play a lot of games and they can also learn to swim. Depending on the size of it, it can cost from £25 up to £100.

There are many other games you can choose for your little one. The above are just some ideas to know what you can find and at what costs.

good games for kids incluge sliging on a huge wet wheet of plastic
One giant sheet of plastic and a hose pipe… Hey presto!
(Photo by Luke Porter on Unsplash)
Teenagers

While up until now you  had an infant and a child to raise and to teach, his skills are developed and he makes his own choices at this point. As a teenager, choosing a game for him is easier because he knows what he likes and what he needs. Therefore, your only job is to listen and get it for him.

For this age there are some next generation tablets that can offer your teen the possibility to enjoy online gaming.

The Asus ZenPad 3S 10 is one of them.  This is a slim and stylish tablet, but at the same time it does not lack the power and the features that a teen needs. For your peace of mind, you are able to install parental controls on this one as well. It will offer your teen the possibility to play games, watch movies, read and even do some homework. While it is not such a well-known tablet, it is quite good for a teen’s needs. It boasts with a good battery life.

The Apple iPad 2017 comes at a higher cost but it is among the favorites for the teens. It boasts with the best library that a tablet has; your teen can find here almost everything he needs.  This tablet offers you the opportunity to have parental control as well.

Video games are another option for your teen gaming hours.

You can opt from the more educative ones, such as those with good messages, role models as characters, strategy games, socializing games etc. Some of them are Broken Age, A Tale of Two Sons, Scoot and Doodle and Apotheon. These are less expensive than the rest, but there is a wide variety to choose from.

To improve your kids socializing skills, you can opt for the party games. These are usually played in big groups. Some of them are Wink Assassin, Wacky Duck, Find the Leader etc.

Teens will also enjoy playing team games such as football, basketball, volleyball etc.

Renting a court for either one of these games does not cost much; it gets around £70 for a game. As there are many players, the sum for each will not be big.  Tennis is also a very good option for those that want to move more on the field. For each of the games above, you can choose whether it is you that will teach him, or he will get some lessons.

Conclusion

Taking care of your child’s well-being and offering him the access to knowledge and the possibility of development is one of the things that make you a great parent.

 

(The featured photo was by Maxime Bhm on Unsplash)