Road trip! Those fateful words can inspire both excitement and dread! The excitement from the kids as they know there is an adventure in store, yet also dread because they realize there will be plenty of time spent in the car and away from most of their toys! The good news is you can minimize the dread and do plenty to keep your little ones entertained on the next family road trip. Just keep on reading for some top suggestions. 

Sticker books 

One of the most simple ways to keep the kids happy and entertained on a road trip is a sticker book. After all, little ones love stickers and if you can find one from their favorite franchise they will be over the moon. 

In particular, look for sticker books that have clear reusable stickers, and that contain glossy scenes from your child’s favorite movie or show. These can then be used as easily portable playsets in the back of the car and are great for helping little ones to develop their imagination. 

Videos 

One of the smartest ways to keep everyone happy on a long trip is to put a video on. Indeed, whether it is their favorite kids’ show like Coco Melon or the film they love the most at the moment like Disney’s Luca, video time in the car can help the journey go faster, and keep everyone quiet and happy too.

Some kids will even be happy to watch youtube videos for the whole journey. Although, it’s worth remembering that you may not be able to get an internet connection on their devices through the whole journey, and even if you do, those mobile charges can be high. 

With that in mind, the most sensible option is to use a tool like VidMate to download some videos for them to watch beforehand. The great thing about this option is that it’s free, and it also allows you to know what your child is watching, rather than leaving it up to them to judge whether the content is appropriate or not. 

Magnetic games 

An old favorite magnetic game is great for playing in the car because the pieces will stick to the board. This means you can pass the game from person to person easily. There is a wide range of games on offer too from the more traditional chess and checkers to things like guess who and Battleships! 

License Plate Game

Last of all, why not set the kids up to play the license plate game? The great thing about this is that all you need is a pen and paper. The idea is that they write down every time they see a plate from a different state – the winner being the first one to all 52! 

You can even make it more fun by printing off a map of the USA and allowing the kids to cross off their plates state by state. Of course, they will also be getting a great lesson in Geography but there is no reason to tell them that! 

This post is a collaborative effort by St. Louis Dad.

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If your kids are certified tech heads without much interest in sports, this might concern you. As a parent, you want your children to spend time outside, running around with other kids and learning a new skill. Although there are great upsides to knowing a lot about technology, or being great in school, sports are also an essential part of a balanced life for most kids.

For some parents, getting their kids to be more involved in sports is like trying to get them to eat vegetables. A losing battle. It can be super difficult to convince them that playing sports is a good idea – so in this post, you’ll learn tried and true tips for getting your kids interested in sports.

1. Get them watching different types of sports.

One reason your kids might not be interested in sports is because they may not know what’s out there. Just because they aren’t interested in mainstream sports like football, baseball or basketball, it doesn’t mean they aren’t going to become interested in a sport! Try getting your kids to watch more alternative sports on TV, which might encourage them to try it themselves. 

Here are some cool sports to get your kids into!

• Horseback riding. There are so many horse sports – jumping, dressage, horse racing, and more! Horseback riding is a great sport that has so many benefits for kids. Plus you can teach your older kids how to bet on horse racing – responsibly of course!
• Swimming. Competitive swimming at Olympic level is amazing to watch on TV. 
• Gymnastics. Watching gymnastics at a professional level could encourage your kids to try it out for themselves. 

2. Play with them to begin with, then encourage them to play with other kids.

Another reason your child might not want to play sports is out of nervousness. Starting a new sport means being bottom of the pack, a beginner, in a group of more experienced players. This can be nerve-wracking for kids, especially shy ones who don’t like to be the odd one out.

By playing with your kid to get their skills and confidence up, you can therefore create an opportunity for your child to go ahead and play with kids their own age. It might just take that little confidence boost for them to take the big leap and join a kids team!

3. Go to watch a sports game live. 

Sometimes, when you watch sports on TV, the impact and magic of the game can be lost. If you have tried and tried to get your kids to watch sports with you to no avail, you should try taking them to a live game. It doesn’t have to be a big game with expensive tickets. anything will do; the electric atmosphere of a live sports game is unbeatable! Another way to get them excited is to provide them with a jersey or other afl merchandise that they can be proud to call their own! Bright colors, cool mascots, all can help in making sure your child enjoys their time at any event!

Overall, trying to pique your children’s interest in sports can be challenging if they aren’t naturally sporting. Use this article to help you kickstart your kids’ interest in whatever sport they choose today!

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With every day that passes in life, you become more and more aware of how important sleep really is to you. A good night’s rest can allow you to feel ready to face the day, while a sleepless, or disturbed night can drain you of energy, confidence and general well-being. It is as essential for us to get beneficial sleep as it is to take on water and to eat – and so it might be useful to know some of the following.

Humans are the only mammals that choose to delay sleep

If your cat feels like it wants a bit of shuteye, they will lie down where they are and sleep. In nature, as soon as a creature like a cheetah feels the need to sleep, they will get to somewhere safe and get the sleep they need. Humanity, for its part, has invented TV and doomscrolling on Twitter, so we tend to sit up and delay sleeping even when we’re yawning on the sofa. And we feel the effects the next day.

Quantity and quality of sleep are both hugely important

There’s no real consensus on what constitutes the “right” amount of sleep: eight hours used to be the accepted number, although many people now argue that six is ample for any adult and anything more than five is a decent effort. The right quantity does seem to differ from person to person, but quality is just as important. So avoid direct light from at least an hour before bedtime and try not to read or watch anything too absorbing on TV. How distant should you be from your phone when asleep? Ideally, it won’t be in the same room, but if you need it for an alarm, at least leave it where you can’t reach it.

A certain amount of lying awake is normal

If you’re one of those people who confidently states “I’m usually asleep the moment my head hits the pillow!”, then it’s worth pausing for a moment to consider whether you’re actually heavily sleep-deprived. Scientists seem to agree that between ten and twenty minutes is a normal amount of time to spend between lying to sleep and actually sleeping. Anything less than five minutes is considered a sign that your body is so desperate for sleep that it’s grabbing what it can get. An earlier bedtime might be in order for the good of your health.

About one in twelve people will experience sleep paralysis once or more

Accounts of sleep paralysis differ between people. Some will experience them on a semi-regular basis, with recurrent aspects such as nightmares and being aware of a presence in the room with them. For others, it may happen once and never again. The thing to be aware of is that 8% of people have sleep paralysis at least one in their life – and of those, just one in ten has them to a point where they are intrusive and damaging to everyday life. So if it happens to you, muse on it for a while but don’t dwell. None of the many studies into sleep paralysis have linked it to anything concerning, even if it does feel weird at the time.

This post is a collaborative effort by St. Louis Dad.

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