Go Boldly Where No Viking Has Gone Before

The new Viking Theme Park in Dubai would surprise the braids off any decent Viking. After the books, came the movies, then the science game and now this theme park. Don't have a dragon that you can fly in real life? Not to worry, just hop onto the ride and get a feeling of flight. It has been a few years in the making, but it's finally ready and you can look at the Viking world from the award winning inverted dark ride designed by Mack Rides.

Jack's Dreams by Juliette Urquiza

Best Things About an Imaginary Viking World(with dragons!)

The flying of course, assuming they have dragons and that they would allow us on their backs! The biggest thrill would be flying them and sharing the view of the world that they have.

Having hard fights. Knocking other Viking off their feet. Chucking weapons and helmets at will and for no reason.

Lifting weapons which are big, clunky and lethal.

Using fish oil to have luxurious hair - all long, oily and smelly.

Being one in a tight knit group of dragon riders and cracking jokes at each other's expense.

Eating big and burping loud enough to be heard across the oceans.

The excitement of pushing the frontiers of where one can fly.

Building homes with retractable roofs.

Surviving in a new world gives us a feeling of surviving the frontier lands with its share of excitement and danger.

The excitement of the Unknown

The reason people like unknown worlds, is the excitement of the unknown. It's where there are no rules to be followed. In fact it's where new rules can be formulated to solve issues. Participants can find their strengths and weaknesses. By learning new things they psychologically feel more competent. Getting out of one's comfort zone maybe hard, but once out it's a great way to give up inhibitions and stride forward.

Conquering frontier lands has been happening for millennia. Starting out might be hard, but once people set out, they explore and establish themselves. There is an immense satisfaction in building something in a new land. The feeling of being the first is wonderful, however lonely it might actually be. Earth has held many hidden corners which has afforded great excitement for explorers.

In popular culture

Conquering new worlds has been a recurring theme in books, movies, video games and TV serials. Bored of Earth and reality, one can travel back into historic lands in a fantastic fashion. When one is bored of traveling back, then one can travel into the new frontier lands - outer space. Star Trek the super popular series ran for many years. Again it showed not just new lands and new life forms, it showed the maturing of people both as a race and individually. Viking World or Outer Space, the excitement of the unknown is just the ecosystem in which we as humans evolve.

Dragon Poetry anybody?

March 21st is World Poetry Day, as declared by the UN. Poetry makes things inclusive. Dragons are revered and feared and rarely included. 

dragon by Jesse Ruffin

I randomly googled dragon poetry and came across this one, which I really liked:

                                                               Serious Omission

     I know that there are dragons,
     St. George's, Jason's, too,
     And many modern dragons
     With scales of green and blue;

     But though I've been there many times
     And carefully looked through,
     I can't find a dragon
     In the cages at the zoo!

By John Farrarr from Project Gutenberg

The next one had a lot to do with our current environmental worries. Water. Here it is:

The Water Dragon

H2O dear me!

The water dragon’s

drunk my tea!

H2O what a laugh!

The water dragon’s

in my bath!

H2O what a joke!

The water dragon’s

got my soap!

H2O what a howl!

The water dragon’s

pinched my towel!

H2O what a mess!

The water dragon’s

wet my vest!

H2O how weird!

The water dragon’s

disappeared!

H2O that’s that!

No more water dragon!

No more rap!

There’s no more water

in the tap …

© Celia Warren from Poetry Box

Poetry can convey much more than what the words say. It's what's between the lines that matters. Poems like the second one can be very relevant to problems around us. It can touch us and eventually change us. By reading and reciting poetry, we emphasize an oral tradition which is mostly forgotten today. There was a time when people memorized very long poems and stories and went around reciting them to people who were interested. Those professions are gone, but the memory remains. Poetry in many ways is a bridge to the past. 

Waiting for HTTYD 3

The much awaited HTTYD 3 is not going to be on theater screens any time soon. Most fans were impatiently waiting for May 2017 for the movie to be released. Now fans need to wait patiently for March 2019 to see the last of the trilogy. NBCComcast bought Dreamworks Animation in Apr 2016 and since then some restructuring and layoffs have happened. A decision to release just two movies per year has been takes, effectively moving ahead the release of HTTYD 3. This might also mean that many people who worked on the first two movies might not be around to work on the third part.

Legoland Windsor 4-5-2012 by Dave Catchpole 

There has been talk about this being the movie which shows humans and dragons parting ways. In fact the story is supposed to stop where the Cressida Cowell books begin in a world where dragons no longer exist. One wonders what will happen to Toothless and how he'll fly if his tail gets damaged. The director has promised a roller coaster ride, but I do hope movie goers don't have to take entire boxes of tissue along to wipe their sadness away. 

3 Games You Can Buy The Kids This Christmas

It's that time of the year again. Christmas. Shopping. Eating. Merry making. Meeting Family. Photo ops. Reminiscing about times gone by. Playing games. Going on walks. Playing with the kids. This is a time for relaxation.

Flagstaff 2011 by Clintus

Shopping can be difficult, especially for kids. Many kids have played a variety of games and it's hard to surprise them. Here are three games, kids will enjoy:

1. Jumpstart Junior
This is a subscription based game. This age group has always been a big fan of Jumpstart games. Younger children love spending time with Botley and Ivy, the fairy.

2. Lego Dimensions Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Story Pack
This is an extension pack for the Lego Dimensions video game. There is some violence, but it's the garden variety cartoon types. They can play with other characters in the game, but it might require some purchases.
   
3. Mousetrap
This old fashioned game is great for younger kids. The idea of building something through the game is hugely satisfying. Children are enthused to build the colorful trap.

Active Games
Having said all this, it is also important to remind parents that kids need to play something active. When the weather also does not cooperate, it's harder to make the day an active one. The trick is to keep games simple. Games like Twister work very well. If you don't have a mat, it can be drawn on the floor.

Indoor scavenger hunts  could be made active. There could be things under furniture or in overhead cupboards. If the weather is good, you could include parts of the outdoors. This scavenger hunt site is very useful It even has printables. All video games and no play will make our Jacks and Jills dull people.

The trick is not hold back in play. Both parents and kids should be fully involved.

Wrap up
To sum up, Christmas can be a time of eating, having fun and all the rest of it. But try and make it active. If you cant play, go out for a nice walk. make foot steps in the snow and get the kids to follow, play music and  dance until you are drop dead tired. 

All Games and No Play Makes our Jills and Jacks Dull Kids

There was a time when mothers were happy that kids were out of the house. It gave them time to finish their chores in peace. Now we live in times when kids don't leave their homes easily. Yes, many growing kids rarely go out to play.

leaf pile by lecates

Here are three reasons this has happened, according to me:

1. Schools have reduced their recess
2. Kids are getting more involved in gaming
3. Parents are getting overprotective

Importance of Outdoor Play
This cannot be overemphasized. Play is where a child learns naturally. Kids should go out looking for mythical dragons rather than play dragon games at home. Digital games are great fun and very useful in many areas, but nothing is better than playing in nature. Their senses are stimulated. Joy is felt and expressed. The physicality of outdoor play is great for building hunger. Its the best thing for growing children. Small problems that are encountered and solved, become lessons in problem solving. Every sense organ is challenged and playing in dirt builds their immune system.

Importance of Imagination
Dragons are mythical creatures. Yet people go looking for them in real life. Imagination is that wonderful beast which can take us on a wild ride. Playing in nature teaches kids to be imaginative. Clouds have faces, tree branches are rockets to fly on and what can be better than sleeping on one's back and looking up at a sky full of stars?

Importance of Balance
Like most other folks, I love digital games. I do play them. I see no harm in introducing kids to games, but what I believe in is balance. It's important to emphasize this when the kids are young. Soon it should become a habit with kids. Balance helps kids make good choices even as they grow up. There is always a long list of what not to forget while your kids game. Watch movies, but discuss your favorite dragons, out in the yard!

I rest my case. Balance, balance and more balance in the things we do around kids.