Category: Well-Being

Word games are one of the best ways to improve vocabulary, have fun, learn new words, and compete in a national or international tournament. To win word games, you need to be skilled in learning and using new words.

Word games expose you to new words in a fun way. However, using new words is not all you need to be the best in a word game. You also have to learn strategies and techniques to be better than your opponent in friendly and competitive games. Here are some of them.

1) Start Easy

Start playing the easy-level games first before going for hard-level games. You can start playing using smaller grids and small letter words to gain momentum and confidence.

Small grids also allow you to learn more two or three-letter words, which makes games like Boggle and Words With Friends much easier. Start playing with your friends and families first before trying to get yourself involved in tournaments.

2) Play According to the Game

You might think that all word games are the same and that learning new words can help you win them all, but that is not true. Different games require different strategies to win.

For instance, you can score more points in Scrabble using longer words. Because it gives you a better chance to score Bingos and restricts your opponent from scoring points using your words.

However, using smaller words is a more appropriate approach in games like Boggle because you and your opponent do not share a board in this game. So, using smaller words gives you more opportunities to take advantage of these words rather than your opponent.

3) Use Online Tools

Using online tools to learn and use new words in word games can also benefit you. One of the USPs of these online tools is that you can search for new words by typing letters, character length, and their initials.

It becomes easier solving letters puzzle using online tools. You can use these tools for any word games like Scrabble, Boggle, Bananagrams, Words With Friends, etc.

You can also use these word tools to improve your vocabulary only if you do not want to play word games. Search for words with different letters and character lengths daily to improve your vocabulary.

4) Run After Letter Patterns

Learning letter patterns also play a vital role in winning the word games. Anyone can find several patterns and clusters in the English language, but only a few of them spend time learning them.

It becomes easier to create new words once you become familiar with a pattern. You can start by recognizing patterns at the starting, middle, or end of a word. Here are some examples of these letter patterns

1. tion,
2. ing,
3. ion,
4. er, and more.

Learning these patterns also improves your spelling, which also plays a vital role in winning word games.

5) Prefixes and Suffixes

Adding a prefix or suffix to an existing word is one of the best ways to score more points without using more tiles. Imagine your opponent creating a new word, and you add an s or es to that and get more points.

You can also add suffixes like ed, er, ing, etc., to change the tense of the word. You can add prefixes like un, im, dis, etc., to make the words longer and score bonus points in Scrabble.

You can also click here to see a list of commonly used prefixes and suffixes in the English language.

6) Two and Three-Letter Words Are the Key

Not all games ask you to learn longer words to win them. You can also learn small words to win many word games. Learning more two and three-letter words makes a significant difference.

You can learn small words with high-scoring letters like X, Z, Q, K, etc., to score more points and use the letter tiles more efficiently.

Wrapping Up

Winning word games are easy as long as you are willing to learn. Learning new words, letter patterns, rhymes, etc., can take your word games to a new level.

You might also want to play 2-3 word games daily to keep learning new letters in a fun way.

If you have a kid heading back to school, you have a lot on your plate. There are many things to think about as the new school year begins, including your child’s mental health. You can’t be at school with them, but you can prepare them to face any challenge. Prioritize your child’s mental health this year with these tips.

Bullying

Bullying can have serious, long-lasting effects on your child’s mental health. It can lower their self-esteem and cause feelings of rejection and isolation.

Kids that struggle with bullying can suffer from anxiety and depression, which can escalate to acute stress or post-traumatic stress disorder without proper intervention. Bullying also increases the risk of your child engaging in risky behaviors, including violence and substance abuse.

Talk to the school about a bullying situation, but also explain to your child that this happens to many kids and assure them that they’re perfect just the way they are.

You can help your child by creating a list of responses for them to give when someone says something hurtful to them. This could be a calm “Leave me alone” or “Back off.” Another good response is to dismiss the bully’s words with an “OK” or “Whatever” or laugh at the comment to reduce its value. Responding with more insults will only escalate the situation.

You can practice those responses with them in role-play scenarios so they feel more prepared when they encounter them at school. You can also help build their confidence by putting them in activities and social situations where they thrive.

Peer Pressure

Peer pressure can lead to adverse mental health effects, make kids do things they know are wrong, or encourage unhealthy thinking and habits. Negative peer pressure can lead to anxiety, depression and isolation. The stress from wanting to fit in and the temptation to do the wrong that comes from it can be overwhelming for your child.

You can help your child cope with pressure in a few ways. First, create open communication with them about any actions or concerns without scolding or judging them.

Also, be sure to teach your child to assert their boundaries and help them come up with creative solutions to get out of situations where they’re uncomfortable. Teach them that real friends won’t try to force them into a harmful activity and will respect their boundaries and wishes.

Don’t be afraid to share your experiences with peer pressure and what you’ve learned from them. Make an effort to get to know your child’s friends and their families so you better understand their environment. Encourage your child to seek positive relationships and friendships.

Organization

At first, it may not seem like being organized is in the same category as the other issues mentioned, but having an unclean environment can be a sign and trigger of poor mental health.

Taking time to declutter and organize your home helps your child start the school year off on the right foot by giving them a stress-free environment to begin and end their day. Teach them how to maintain their spaces so clutter doesn’t overstimulate their minds throughout the year.

Things scattered about your home can be overwhelming to everyone’s senses. The more items your eyes take in, the more overwhelmed your brain becomes. This increases anxiety.

Your home doesn’t have to be spotless, but having designated places for your items can help things seem more orderly and help your child’s senses relax.

Physical Health

Keeping your children healthy has always been a priority during back-to-school season, especially in recent years. Good physical health is closely tied to mental health  in many ways.

Missing school due to a cold or flu can be stressful for children. In addition to teaching them about good hand hygiene, you can also protect them from germs through a healthy diet. Prioritize making meals full of vitamins and nutrients that will boost their immune system.

Along with focusing on healthy food, you can also make an effort to encourage physical activity for the whole family. Going on family walks after school is a great way to boost everyone’s moods and bond together.

Social Media

Even when you closely monitor your child’s online activity, social media can still have a negative impact on their mental health.

Your child can easily fall into the trap of comparing themselves to others or setting unrealistic expectations for their life. This can lead to internalizing negative experiences and developing anxiety and depression over what they have and have not achieved.

To combat these risks, encourage your family to take technology breaks during the week. Whether you choose to do this every day or once a week, find ways for your family to spend time together without using your phones.

Parents, be sure to practice what you preach here. If you set a rule for your children not to check social media before bed, you should try to follow it, too. Not only will this set a positive example, but it will give you some relief, as well.

Prioritizing Mental Health

Prioritizing your child’s mental health helps them feel more confident and secure. You also show that you’re always there for them, no matter what the school year brings.

Help them combat peer pressure by utilizing these tips to ensure your child avoids being bullied.

Author bio:
Cora Gold is the Editor-in-Chief of women’s lifestyle magazine, Revivalist. She strives to live a happy and healthy life with her family by her side.

Follow Cora on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Kids spend twice as much time indoors as their parents do. But even when kids go outside to play, most have access to traditional playing space that comprises a traditional swing, slide, and a couple of climbing structures.

Playing in traditional playgrounds isn’t necessarily negative; it won’t boost a kid’s imagination, activeness, creativity, and problem-solving skills or make them want to play outside longer.

And this is where natural playgrounds come in, to help engage younger children. Having natural play environments will help kids reconnect with the great outdoors. The beauty of natural play environments is that they are easy and affordable to create. Even with limited space, natural play environments allow kids to find ways of engaging with whatever natural materials they are provided.

Before creating a natural playing environment for your kid, consider checking out a nature based playground, focusing on all the benefits it offers young kids. Next, create a positive attitude towards dirt by finding solutions to ensure your kids won’t bring dirt back into the house.

So, if you are looking to encourage outdoor exploration, discussed below are some key elements that will guide you in creating a natural play environment that is safe and fun. Happy reading!

Consider Creating A Sensory Garden

One main component of consideration when setting up a natural play environment has to be your kid’s five senses. Nature is filled with different opportunities for kids to use their senses. Creating a sensory garden will draw your kid’s attention to all that grows around them.

And since sensory gardens are to be explored through taste, smell, sight, touch, and hearing, the following are great ways of awakening those senses.

• Sound– nature has different exciting sounds from birds, animals, and the swaying of trees on a windy day. However, if your backyard isn’t close to nature, consider adding things such as wind chimes. Additionally, consider making instruments with a rhythm that can be played outside.
• Smell– plant different greenery and flowers that’ll produce pleasant smells. Young kids like to take time to smell all the scents around them.
• Touch– when it comes to touch, there are different options available around you. For instance, dirt is a great way of allowing kids to explore nature. You can set up a mud bucket or have a wheelbarrow for kids to push around.

Another great way of feeding your kid’s sense of touch is by creating a sandbox allowing them to build and dig around to their heart’s content. Expand the textures by getting sticks for the play space. Sticks offer versatility; kids can use their imagination to create endless possibilities. Most kids use sticks to build, write, draw, stack, or sort them into sizes and types.

• Sight– if you love flowers, your kids also enjoy looking at flowers. All the different colors and sizes of flowers offer fun ways for kids to learn about them.
• Taste– having a garden gives kids a great chance to engage with nature while still getting healthy food. Some great plants to incorporate in natural play environments include thornless berries, snap peas, beans, strawberries, etc.

Provide Safe Access To Water

Given the opportunity, kids will play with water all day long. As a result, consider providing safe access to water by adding a water source to your space. However, note that you’ll need to supervise your kid anytime they are around water.

Consider encouraging kids to pour the water on the ground, watch it flow, water the plants in the garden, mix it with soil, splash in it, or explore in any other safe way. But when allowing your child to enjoy the water, set your limit and teach them to be respectful of the source of their fun by not being wasteful.

Add Real Tools

Creating a natural play environment comes with encouraging kids to garden. So, when gardening, provide lightweight and safe tools for young kids. You can easily find miniature tools fit for young kids. For instance, you can get a small rake and broom that’s short and manageable that kids can use to help with yard work.

Set Aside Quiet Spaces

With everything to do, young kids get tired and might need time off. As a result, you need to create a space where kids can be still and rest. One great way is by adding a shelter that expands the possibilities. A wooden play house or bean teepee is among the best choices.

Inside the home, ensure there is a place for kids to do arts and crafts with all the resources available.  Your child may like to draw or paint. And let’s not forget that about the long winter months when play outside is limited.

Whichever option you settle, make sure the space is quiet without distractions and suitable for resting the body and mind. That’s a vital element in every natural play environment.

Here’s a quick video showing a good example of a natural play environment:

Bottom Line

You don’t have to stress about the space if you want to create a natural play environment for your young kids. Any space can hold great opportunities for your child to have memorable childhood experiences. Using the elements discussed above will make your kids enjoy playing in any natural environment.

If preparing for a boy’s birthday is on your agenda, this article is for you.  Much different than planning activities for adults, being engaged in the organization of a child’s birthday takes a different mindset.  This is especially true when it comes to decorating, entertainment programs, children’s menu, and more.

Today we will talk about how to decorate a boys’ birthday with balloons. A huge batman balloon is a nice idea, but are there other options? There are plenty!

Ceiling

Launching helium balloons up to the ceiling is the easiest way to decorate a room with your own hands, which does not require special design skills. Depending on the size of the room, you may need two to three dozen balloons for this purpose. You can buy one-color or multi-colored balloons with helium to decorate the room. A combination of any two colors looks good. The balls can also be used for gaming competitions. A budget option is to decorate the room with ordinary rubber balloons inflated with air. With the help of threads or ribbons, they can be hung throughout the apartment: on windows, chandeliers, furniture, and cornices.

Balloons on the floor

Another idea on how to decorate a child’s birthday: balloons inflated with air can be randomly laid out on the floor and furniture. This will undoubtedly please children very much and will encourage them to play.

Compositions

A more complex option is to use various figures and compositions from balls. The decorated wall looks very nice. In order to decorate the wall, you must first consider the motif of the picture. It can be a flower meadow, a congratulatory inscription, or a fragment from a fairy tale. Then you can make design elements (flowers, sun, clouds, fairy-tale characters) and attach them to the wall with adhesive tape. This task is not an easy one. It is better, of course, to seek help from specialists, but if you wish, you can do everything yourself.

Bouquets of balloons

Coming up with truly unique birthday party ideas can be a lot fun for parents.  Balloon flower bouquets are another great idea to add some fun to a boy’s birthday party. They can be placed in vases or fixed with tape in any place you like.

Numbers

Children, unlike adults, are happy that they are getting older every year, so you can amuse the child’s pride and order a balloon number to decorate the room. The easiest option is to buy a foil balloon in the shape of a number and fix it on the wall. A more expensive but effective way is to order a free-standing figure in the form of a figure that displays the age of the child.

Letters

Every young boy will feel amazed when seeing his name made of balloons! This option is simple but impressive. Moreover, such a solution is a great area for taking photos.

Figures of fairy tale characters

A helium-filled foil balloon in a cartoon character shape can become not only a holiday decoration but also a true friend for a boy. He can play with it, dance, and participate in competitions. The walking balloon figures have weights placed in the lower part, therefore they do not fly up to the ceiling but seem to walk on the floor, driven by air currents from children running past. Such figures are very popular with children and give them real delight.

Arches, columns, garlands, fountains, and figures

It is pretty difficult to make arches, columns, garlands, fountains, and figures from balls with your own hands, so it is better to order those in an aero design studio. But all your expenses associated with their purchase will pay off when you see the sparkling eyes of the birthday boy.

Theme party

With the help of balloons, you can arrange some kind of theme party. For example, if you want to have a Hawaiian-style birthday party, you can order palm trees. If the topic is Batman, you can order a huge Batman figure, etc.

Surprise balloon

You can decorate a child’s birthday by ordering a surprise balloon. Before hanging the ball from the ceiling, it is filled with small balls, confetti, sweets, tinsel, and small toys. Up to a certain point, it plays the role of decoration, but then it is blown up. This causes a wild delight in children. At first, the children admire the explosion, and then they rush to collect scattered candies and toys. You can even triple a small competition – who will collect the most trophies. Inside the ball, you can hide a gift for the birthday boy. He will definitely be surprised!

Now let’s look at fun ideas to decorate girl birthday party.