A Day Trip to Liverpool

*This is a collaborative post 

Famed for its picturesque waterfront, cultural attractions, musical influence and packed events programme Liverpool is a popular city and one I wish to visit. If we were to do a day trip we would make sure to be up early to travel there and make the most of yhe day exploring. Liverpool isn't all just about The Beatles or the football team but is a family friendly city to explore. 

I like to be organised so one of the important things I would do before going is sort out travel arrangements and check out https://www.liverpool-one.com so that I could plan our day out and visit the places we want to. I thought I'd share with you below some of places I'd want us to visit. If you are planning a visit to Liverpool and need inspiration of places to eat at then check out these top 5 restaurants in Liverpool. 

Albert Dock

The Albert Dock is  Liverpool’s World Heritage Site waterfront. Featuring the largest collection of Grade 1 listed buildings in the country as well as a huge collection of museums, restaurants and bars! The views are meant to be amazing too so it's a must see when visiting Liverpool even if you are just going for a stroll with an ice cream.

The Beatles Story

As a fan of The Beatles I'd definitely want to fit in a trip to the The Beatles Story exhibition.  Be transported on a wonderful journey learning about the famous four's story of how they were propelled into fame. Experience the places that helped make The Beatles, the greatest band in the world with Replicas of the Casbah, Mathew Street and The Cavern.

Museum of Liverpool

There are quite a few museums in liverpool however the one that stands out to me is the Museum of liverpool. The museum celebrates the city's unqiue history and culture

inside  you'll find a "Little Liverpool" gallery, featuring activities to keep children seven and under occupied.  Each child's session lasts about 30 minutes and is a great introduction to the museum.

Mattel Play

After visiting some of the museum,  at the Albert Dock is Mattel Play which is a themed play area. This is an ideal place for children and would be ideal for helping Blake to burn off some steam. With themed zones such as Bob the builder, Thomas and friends and Fireman Sam 

Liverpool One

Last of all would be a trip to Liverpool One so that we could hit the shops and then head to one of the many restaurants for dinner before heading home. Liverpool One has more than 170 shops, bars and restaurants across five districts right at the heart of Liverpool city centre.

#ColourYourPersonality: What does the colour of your bedroom say about you

Did you know that the colours you use most in your home can tell you about your personality? Currently as we rent we can't make any big changes to our home so we like to use colour to give our rooms personality in the form of accessories. This is the most easiest to do in our bedrooms, with bedding and other soft furnishings being the main focus and Julian Charles have some great options to choose from. 

I was recently sent an  eBook as part of Julian Charles  #ColourYourPersonality campaign that was full of interesting ideas about the colours we are drawn to and what they could say about us as people. The eBook also offers advice on how to style certain colours into your home. This is especially handy if you are planning on updating your colour scheme or just want to refresh your current colour scheme with new ideas.  

 Blue is my favourite colour and the colour that we have in Blake's room. Blue is seen as a calming option and is seen to be a colour of a free spirit who prefers peace over hustle and bustle. This definitely sounds like the kind of person I am and Blake is very much the same. With blue being a calming colour it is also the strongest feng shui colour and ideal for children's bedrooms. We tend to use different shades of blue when it comes to accessories in Blake's room but if I could change the walls I'd go for a navy Blue as I like the whole space theme idea but also dark painted walls are meant to help you sleep better. 

Another colour I like is pink but a blush shade rather than full on vibrant pink and its a colour I use a lot in mine and Stuart's room along with white when it comes to furniture and accessories. Our walls are a light brown which is not a colour I'd persionally choose for our own home, however  the blush pink and white actually go well with it. Pink is seen as a colour of someone who has a maternal side and who is also friendly and approachable and can be reserved and shy. This again sounds like the kind of person I am so there is definitely something about colours matching your personality.

Grey is also another colour I think looks great for bedrooms as its such a versatile colour and you  can mix up a range of different shades and tones in your room. My sister uses grey in her home and its seen as a reliable colour for someone who is calm and likes to be in control. I definitely think my sister is this kind of person.

What colours do you tend to use in your home? 

* In collaboration with Julian Charles 

July little loves

July hasn't been one of the best months if I'm honest with you. Blake had a lovely time on a woodland walk with me, my sister and my sister's boyfriend one weekend and on the 13th Blake had a pre-school trip to the zoo which he loved.Sadly on the day of the pre-school trip my Father in law passed away. It's such a sad time and we have the funeral to get through.

When someone dies it always makes me reflect on my life and makes me want to make the most of the time we have. This has meant that now the summer holidays are here I'm going to be focused on us making memories with Blake.

I've also been focusing more on the little things in life that happen that I love from reading a good book to having a long soak in the bath. Even through the darkest times its important to find your little loves and so here is mine for July.

Read

Friend request by Laura Marshall
Maria Weston wants to be friends. But Maria Weston is dead. Isn't she?
A story that involves bullying, a school friend dying, a school reunion and secrets threatened to be exposed.The story flips between 1989 and 2016 and is a fast paced physiological thriller.


Some kind of wonderful by Giovanna Fletcher
 Some kind of wonderful is an entertaining and light romance story. Lizzie and Ian have been together for 10 years everyone thinks that they will come home from a romantic holiday engaged but instead of a proposal Ian isn't sure if he even wants to be with her any more. Heartbroken Lizzie realises its the perfect time to seize new oppertunities and discover who she is at heart.

After I've gone by Linda Green
On a wet Monday in January, Jess Mount checks Facebook and discovers her timeline appears to have skipped forward 18 months, to a day when shocked family and friends are posting heartbreaking tributes to her following her death in an accident. Jess is left scared and confused: is she the target of a cruel online prank or is this a terrifying glimpse of her true fate? Amongst the posts are photos of a gorgeous son she has not yet conceived. But when new posts suggest her death was deliberate, Jess realises that if she changes the future to save her own life, the baby boy she has fallen in love with may never exist.

Girls made of Snow and Glass By Melissa Bashardoust
A magical feminist retelling of snow white featuring difficult relationship themes between the characters. Princess Lynet looks exactly like her late mother and finds out that she was made from snow in the dead queens image. Mina finds out her magician father cut out her heart and replaced it with glass. She marry's the king intent on finally knowing love however it doesn't work out that way. The king makes Lynet queen of the southern territories displacing Mina, now Lynet must win back the mother she has only ever known or else defeat her.

Currently reading: Calm by Fearne Cotton
Calm is Fearne's second book and is about working through life's daily stresses to find calm. With mental illness being on the rise this book features ideas and activities to do to that have helped her.

Watched

Safe
A crime drama where Tom a widowed surgeon,who lives in a gated community,struggles when one of his daughter's Jenny goes missing along with her boyfriend.  Tom enlists his girlfriend who is a police detective to help locate the teen's. While the investigation intensifies Tom finds out dark secrets about some of his friends in the neighbourhood. 


Good Girls
Beth, Ruby and Annie are dedicated moms -- but when they decide to rob their local grocery store, they realize high-stakes crime isn't child's play and they get in even more deep trouble.


Orange is the new Black

I'm late on the bandwagon when it comes to Orange is the new Black and have only started watching it. I'm really enjoying spending my evenings binge watching episodes when Blake is in bed. 

The Greatest Showman
My mum got me the DVD for my birthday and its been the first time I watched it this month and really enjoyed it. The music is so catchy too.

Heard

Having watched the greatest show man this month I have found myself listening to the sound track a lot too.

Last week saw that Now that's what I call music 100 being realised. The 2 disc CD has 1 CD of new songs and 1 of classics from some of the other past now CD's. I've really enjoyed listening classics from spice girls, s club 7 and more.

Made

We've loved getting out the paint sticks out and Blake's been loving making loads of paintings. I love that they aren't too messy either and easy to clean up which is a must.

Blake also made a keyring at preschool before he broke up for the summer holidays and is so proud of it.

As for me the only thing I've "made"  is an order from yours clothing for some more summer clothing to see me through this heat wave.

Wore

I've been wearing some of my new jewellery that I got for birthday last month. The ones I've been wearing the most are the Joma Jewellery, A little free spirt bracelet and necklace.

And lastly...

We received Blake's preschool photos and I couldn't not share at least one of them with you. We decided to go for the disc so that we can print the 4 photos as much as we want to go to family and friends. This definitely has to be one of my favourites.

4 ways to pay for home improvements

 If you are a homeowner and are thinking of making changes to your home, you maybe thinking about how you are going to pay for the things you want done.It's not so bad when it comes to the easier things such as changing the wallpaper or painting and adding simple touches like new curtains to give the room a new look. 

However if you are looking to do a full rehall of your bathroom or kitchen or are considering getting an extension or conservatory done than you will need to look at your payment options. Renovating your home is ideal if you are planning on staying put and living in your current home long term.

Let's face it moving home is a lot of work not just with packing up but with the costs too.  Which is why staying put and renovating your home instead is what lots of people are doing. This is especially true for those hitting retirement age and don't want the stress of moving. If you have been living in your home awhile you may not be able to imagine living anywhere else, after all you have made many memories living there.

If you do end up wanting to move than Stroud moving services are great for those of you who live in the area.

Staying put though doesn't mean that you can't have your dream home. Renovating maybe  costly but if you love your home anyway and know the ways you can afford the expensive updates than your current home can be your dream home.


My mum has been living in her house for over 30 years now and its had many changes over the years. From getting a new kitchen to doing up the whole bathroom, even the floors have changed and gone from carpet to wooden. Its the house i grew up up in and have so many fond memories made there. 

We don't currently own our own home yet, so can't rely on it for making improvements when we hit old age. Sunlife have a handy calculator for those of you who own their home to show you how your home has increased in value.

Here are a couple of ways you can pay for house renevations:

Use your savings
If you are lucky to have some money saved up than using some of it is the sensible option. Using savings for home improvements instead of for holidays or a new car is more of an investment. Not only are you making your home a much nicer place to live but can increase the value of your home. Although it can take awhile to save up its a great way to afford the bigger things that need doing in your home.

Putting it on a 0% purchase credit card
Using a credit card is a great way to pay for your referb.If the work turns out faulty or doesn't get done, for example the building company goes bust you will be able to claim back from your card provider.

Personal loan
Depending on your circumstances a loan is another option to consider. As long as you pay the money when due and get a good rate otherwise you will end up with other cos

Remortgage

Remortgaging to a lower rate reduces your interest bill and lowers your monthly repayments. To pay for home improvements, you can remortgage to get a larger loan. The excess can then be used to do up your property. 

*This is a collaborative post with Sunlife 

Mardles DiscovAR Colouring Book and AR Sticker Pack

Bring the future of play to your home with Mardles and their Augmented Reality technology for kids to enjoy. Today I am sharing with you my thoughts on the 4D Colouring Book and AR sticker pack and how they work. The 4D interactive colouring books come in 4 designs Aquatic Adventurers (the one we have), Galactic Quest, Home and Garden and In the Jungle. Filled with fun and exciting scenes to colour in with their favourite pens, pencils or crayons. It’s so easy! All you have to do is download the free app,colour, scan and interact. This book features 15 fun 4D interactive colouring pages including dolphins, whales, shipwrecks and a whole lot more. For even more fun, flip into Virtual Reality mode where your little ones can fully immerse in their own creation.


The Under The Sea Interactive 4D Stickers come in a pack of 12 : Bring playtime to life using our FREE Augmented Reality app and these magical 4D interactive stickers. A real taste of the underwater, from mermaids to seahorses, you may even spot a naughty Octopus! It’s so easy! Stick. Scan. Interact.

I was excited to discover and try out the Mardles interactive colouring book as well as the stickers especially with it being the Aquatic Adventures book and Under The Sea stickers. We''ve taken Blake to an aquarium a few times and saw some fish in a few shops too so thought this was a great set to go for. Mardles products use Augmented Reality technology to come to life on your smartphone or tablet. The DiscovAR  app is free to download and is available to download via Apple App Store, Google Play or Amazon Apps.

Once you have downloaded the DiscovAR app, for the colouring book all you need to do is choose which illustrations to colour in ready to pop up on your screen. On the DiscovAR app you start by creating an alien character, select the colouring book mode, choose your book and page, and then hold your device over the coloured in page. This bit took me a few attempts before i could get it up and working on my tablet. When the scene comes to life your alien is in the picture too, ready to explore. You can switch to VR mode, too, which lets you move your device around and explore your colourful creation in 360°. In the VR mode dont forget you can collect fun facts about the scene by steering your alien into them. 

As you can probably see from my colouring skills its a good idea to colour in the sea creatures a bit more and with more brighter colours so that they stand out more. I'm going to find Blake's felt tips for our next go. It's good to see though that even if u do only colour lightly you still can still see the sea creatures come to life

The colouring book also comes with 6 free action cards which are used with the DiscovAR app. These are a fun way to bring your alien to life by making them do different things such as brushing their teeth, dancing and use binoculars. All you have to do is pop the cards out, select the action card you want to use and scan the chosen card to see your ailen do the action. 

Blake although wasn't too interested at the moment with the colouring still enjoyed being involved and seeing the scene and his alien come to life.  I love that the colouring book encourages children to use thier imagination and get to see how their colouring creation looks in 4D. 

As for the stickers these are loads of fun too. Kids love stickers so Argumented Reality sticker packs are such a fun idea! You will need to download the Mardles app which is different from the DiscovAR app, which I at first didn't realise. Then just like you did with the colouring book you just need to scan the sticker so that it comes to life. You can have lots of fun steering them across the screen with the on screen controls. 

We love that the stickers come in a pack of 12 and that there are 12 different 4D sticker packs. You can also choose from the 12 different packs available such as under the sea, bugs and beasts, cuties (includes unicorns) and Forrest friends.

You can also capture memories on both the apps using the selfie and photo modes. 

The Mardles DiscovAR colouring books £7.99) and AR sticker packs (£4.99) are suitable for children 3 years and over. Once the apps are downloaded and installed you don't need WI-Fi or mobile connection to enjoy the fun. This makes these great for travelling or when in holiday with no internet connection available.  

Blogger Book Nook: Fantasy

When I saw that this months Bloggers Book Nook was about Fantasy, i realised that this is a genre that I've not read in a long time. I have no idea why either, when choosing which book to read I found loads on Amazon. I found I was spoilt for choice and I've now got a list of fantasy books I want to read. 

1. Fantasy books create amazing worlds in our minds, from Narnia to Terabithia. Which fantasy realm from a novel would you most like to visit and why?

You can never be too old for fairytails I'd love to visit a fairytail realm very similar to the program Once upon a time. The book I've chosen for this month fits in well as its a fairytail retelling of snow white.

2. Do you prefer fantasy books that are entirely set in a fictional realm or ones that have links to the real world?

I really don't mind so both. I like that when reading a fantasy book that you can get absorbed into another world and imagine the magic of it.

3. Popular fantasy series include Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, A Game of Thrones, and His Dark Materials. If you had to wave your magic wand and obliterate one of these from existence, which would it be and why?

The only one I've read is Harry Potter which was a long time ago now. A Game of Thrones is definitely one that I want to read. Dark Materials I've not heard of before which leaves Lord of the Rings. I watched one of the Lord of the Rings films and just couldnt get into it at all so I'd have to pick that one.

4. Imagine that you’re a character in a fantasy novel and that you get to design your own magic power or super weapon – what would you choose and why?

I’d like to be able to turn items into other items and/or living things

5. Which sub-genre of fantasy appeals to you most? Mythical? Paranormal? Quest fantasy? Magic? Or something else?

As I mentioned above I enioy fairytail retellings however I love Harry Potter so magic too.


Girls made of Snow and Glass By Melissa Bashardoust 

At sixteen, Mina's mother is dead, her magician father is vicious, and her silent heart has never beat with love for anyone—has never beat at all, in fact, but she’d always thought that fact normal. She never guessed that her father cut out her heart and replaced it with one of glass. When she moves to Whitespring Castle and sees its king for the first time, Mina forms a plan: win the king’s heart with her beauty, become queen, and finally know love. The only catch is that she’ll have to become a stepmother.

Fifteen-year-old Lynet looks just like her late mother, and one day she discovers why: a magician created her out of snow in the dead queen’s image, at her father’s order. But despite being the dead queen made flesh, Lynet would rather be like her fierce and regal stepmother, Mina. She gets her wish when her father makes Lynet queen of the southern territories, displacing Mina. Now Mina is starting to look at Lynet with something like hatred, and Lynet must decide what to do—and who to be—to win back the only mother she’s ever known…or else defeat her once and for all.

I loved both the characters Mina and Lynet for different reasons. Lynet and Mina are both opposites when it comes to their  personalities. Princess Lynet is more bolder, confident and an extrovert where as Mina is a lot like me in the sense of lacking in  self confidence. Mina although the "Evil Queen" is a character who I found myself sympathizing with. I really enjoyed that this is a feminist retelling with many different themes such as featuring a lesbian relationship plus other relationship themes too. I enjoyed that some of the fairy tail is included such as the mirror etc and I loved that the world is split in two, the North, above the snowline and the South, below it. I loved how easy it was to imagine the two places due to the descriptions.

Ravensburger Memory Despicable Me 3 Game

Blake loves matching games at the moment, so when we were asked to try out the Ravensburger Despicable Me 3 Memory game I knew it would be something he would love. Ravensburger do memory games featuring different characters so if Despicable Me isn't their kind of thing you are sure to find a game with a character your child/ren will love.

The box contains:

48 cardboard squares 

Instructions.

How to play:

The aim of the game is to match 24 pairs of bright and colourful cards.The cards feature Gru and his adopted daughters Margo, Edith and Agnes, Lucy and the hilarious minions, plus the characters from the new Despicable Me 3 film.

You place all the cards picture face down shuffling them and arranging them.  The youngest player goes first and turns over 2 cards if they match they get to keep them and turn over 2 new ones. This continues until the player turns over 2 cards that don't match and then the next player continues the game. 

When the last 2 matching cards are turned over the game ends. Now the players stack the cards into a tower and the player with the most cards is the winner. 

The memory game can be played with 2-6 players and is suitable for children 3 years and over. With the summer holidays arriving this will be a fab game to take away with you on holiday or day trips where u need to keep children entertained. The game is ideal as its a compact size and provides hours of fun.

You can purchase the game from Amazon along with other character memory games

We have been given the Oppertunity to give away two Ravensburger memory games. You could win either Ben and Holly or the Gruffalo game. 

To enter all you need to do is complete the rafflecopter below.

 Terms and conditions

-To enter you must be 16 and over 

- This competition will close on 25th July  2018 at 12.00am GMT 

- The winner will be chosen at random and notified via email, twitter or facebook

- If the winner doesn't reply within 30 days another winner will be drawn

- The prize will be sent by Provence PR

-Please have a look at my privacy policy on how how I collect, store and use data and please do contact me if you have any questions. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

BRIO My Home Town – Light and Sound Firetruck

Blake loves vehicles and has a good selection of cars, diggers and even a bin lorry. Now thanks to BRIO we've added a fire engine to his ever growing toy collection. When the BRIO Light and Sound Firetruck arrived Blake was at preschool so I made sure to get it out of the box ready for when he got home. 

When I heard of BRIO before I had only known that they do train sets and didn't know they also do other wooden toys such as the My Home Town range.  The My Home Town range gives little ones 18 months and over a chance to try different careers. The farm set allows you to play looking  after the farm animals, you can play at being police officer's, firemen and more with the toy vehicles. 

The Light and Sound firetruck set features 1 fire engine, two figures and two ladders. Children can use their imagination by driving the firetruck fast to get to the emergency! You can keep the sirens wailing and lights flashing until you arrive. Don't forget to use the ladders and the wind up fire hose to save the day! 

Play is so important for children's development the My Home Town range gives children the chance to explore and use their imagination safely. With a wide range of sets and vehicles available there is so much learning potential. 

As usual with the BRIO brand all of their toys are manufactured to a high standard and from FSC certified wood.  The Light and Sound firetruck happens to be our first ever product we own from the brand and we will certainly be adding more of BRIO's My Home Town range.

4 Tips on how to save big on your car

It may come as no shock, that buying a car is the second biggest purchase that a person generally makes, the first being buying a house. With this being in mind buying a great quality car that isn't going to break down is most likely going to cost you an arm and a leg. If you don't have a clue when it comes to cars than the tips below are so going to help you out to save you some £'s in the long term.

Buy a used car
Buying a used car is a great way of saving money as they are much more cheaper than buying brand new. When purchasing a used car you must make sure you do your homework eg: checking price guides and comparing  similar cars as well as budgeting carefully.  These are only a few things to check out along with using a  trustworthy trader for example you can purchase Renault Used Cars that are available at KAP Brighton who offer an extensive range of second hand cars.

Get your car serviced regularly 
Getting your car serviced regularly helps to maintain your car and prevent major costs in the long run. Your car should have a minor service at least every year this way you can replace anything that needs sorting asap.

Shop around for insurance 
Shopping around for your car insurance can save you quite a bit. When its time to renew get quotes from 4 different companies first and never auto renew. You may be able to haggle and reduce the cost with your current insurance provider if not its worth switching.

Wash your car yourself
Why waste money when you can just do it yourself?  There are car wash centres opening up everywhere, but when you think about it if you are having your car washed at £5 every 2 weeks that's £120 a year. £120 that could be put into savings or spent on fixing issues with your car. I understand that some people have busy lives but if you are wanting to seriously save where you can this is an option.

 Keep an eye on petrol prices
Keep an eye on the costs of your fuel by noting prices down around your local area as some garages work out cheaper than others.

*This is a collaborative post 

How can we encourage our children to spend more time playing outside?

Each one of us has fond childhood memories that we hold dear; whether we were out climbing trees or riding bikes with our friends, we were always playing outside. The highlight for many of us was that we got to spend so much time out exploring our surroundings and having fun. There has been a notable decrease in childhood activity in recent years however. A report by the Guardian in 2016 showed that three quarters of UK children play outdoors for less than one hour per day. Surprisingly, this is actually less exercise than prisoners are required to have; guidelines published by the UN stipulate that prisoners must have at least one hour of outdoor exercise or activity every day. The same report also showed that one fifth of children don’t play outside whatsoever.

So, what is the reason behind this decline in children playing out and how can we encourage them to be active? Infinite Playgrounds, who specialise in the design and installation of wooden plagrounds examine the reasons for the decrease in outdoor play time and explore why it is so important in helping children to develop creative skills.

Why are children playing out less?

Persil recently surveyed 12,000 parents all over the world and found that 64% of parents believe that they had they had more opportunities to play outdoors than their own children have now. So, what are the main causes of this?

Too many gadgets:

One of the main influencing factors is, of course, technology. Over the last few decades, we have seen huge technological developments taking place, leading to the use of tablets, gadgets and mobile phones becoming widespread. This means that more children than ever before now have access to these devices. A study from 2016 found that the average age for children to receive their first mobile phone was seven. By the time they were eight years old, they would own their first tablet and by age ten, they would own their own smartphone.
It is clear that our children have a lot of love for their gadgets; a survey showed that 37% of children spend one to two hours per day on their gadgets and devices, whilst 28% spend between two to three hours - considerably more time than they spend playing outdoors.

Academic pressure:

Exams can also lead to stress and anxiety for children. According to research, this can begin from as early as primary school age, indicating that children feel pressure to perform well at school from a very young age. The reasons for this vary; it’s thought that some teachers are under a great deal of pressure for their students to perform well in their exams in order for the school to get funding. In addition, parents can sometimes be eager for their children to perform as well as possible in their exams and maintain their high grades.
This extra added stress and pressure could potentially be a factor as to why children are reluctant to play outside as they may be choosing to stay at home in order to complete homework or study.

No time for parental supervision:

According to the same survey, around half of parents simply don’t have enough time to supervise their children when they are playing outside. This could mean that children are limited in how much they actually have access to outdoor play. Research by Families Online found that parents do not usually allow their children to play outdoors without supervision until they are 10.5 years old.
Given the number of possible threat factors in our society today, it is completely normal for parents to have their concerns. When combined with time constraints however, these can restrict the number of activities that our children have access to, which can harm their development in the long run.

How can we encourage children to be more active?

Of course, parents should still be cautious when their children are asking to play outdoors, but keeping them indoors at all times isn’t the right way to fix the issue either. If we want to encourage our children to be more active, there are many other options. Parents could try taking their children on a day trip to an adventure playground or local park.
It’s also important to teach children the rules of stranger danger so that they know how to act if they are approached by anyone unfamiliar. Being aware that your children know the dangers and how to act will give you some peace of mind when they do decide to play outside.
It is also a good idea to make time for more unstructured activities. Many children have their time occupied with activities such as sports and after school clubs. Although these remain important, we should make sure that they don’t take over the schedule. Children can have pretty packed days and it’s important to give them some time to choose their own activities as it encourages creativity – just try not to let them rely too much on gadgets for their entertainment.
When it comes to younger children, it’s a good idea to let them take charge and come up with their own ideas for games and activities - this helps to develop their creativity. Introducing some toys that are less tech based is also a good idea as it helps keep them away from their gadgets for a while.

*This is a collaborative guestpost