Give a stage to the creativity of your child. Clay modelling gives children a chance to create a world of their own. It actually plays a role in motor skill and sensory development of children. <br /><br />Clay toys can help children learn their surroundings easily. It enhances their ability to understand all along as they play throughout the afternoon! Here are some of the best creative clay toy kits that you can gift your child.<br /><br /><br /><bulletContentEmbed name="B00XNE50Z0" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B00XNE50Z0_head"><columnHead col="1"><columnHeadThumb>                <div type="image" title="Editor&amp;#39;s Pick" msid="78564133" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb><columnHeadTitle>B00XNE50Z0</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B00XNE50Z0_body"><bulletContentRow name="B00XNE50Z0_5855437583637986"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Funskool – Fun dough Fun Pack</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The best way to teach a child is through play! Children can learn through visuals far more easily than by text. This set offers twelve different colours which enables the child to make a variety of things. The coloured boxes help kids learn assorting things according to colours. This ultimately helps them in developing motor and sensory skills.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B00XNE50Z0_3164912566692199"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">A multi-colour pack consisting of 12 coloured clay cans.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed><br /><br /><bulletContentEmbed name="B00XNCV86W" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B00XNCV86W_head"><columnHead col="1"><columnHeadThumb>    <div type="image" title="Popular Pick" msid="80787580" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb><columnHeadTitle>B00XNCV86W</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B00XNCV86W_body"><bulletContentRow name="B00XNCV86W_0411976105071993"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Funskool-Fundough Gift Set, Multi Colour</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">This fun dough set from Funskool is a clay toy set. It is a great activity to engross kids in and also helps them to increase their creativity. It has five different colour clay doughs and different shape cutters to create fun clay toys, along with other amazing accessories to make the toys.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B00XNCV86W_8823407735156687"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">Best suitable for children of age 3 years and above.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed><br /><br /><bulletContentEmbed name="B00LY27OVQ" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B00LY27OVQ_head"><columnHead col="1"><columnHeadThumb>  <div type="image" title="Must Have" msid="81548916" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb><columnHeadTitle>B00PTWNTLG</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B00LY27OVQ_body"><bulletContentRow name="B00LY27OVQ_9795968310878405"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Faber-Castell Modelling Dough - Pack of 4 (Assorted)</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">When it comes to kids, safety matters the most! Bright and attractive colours often entice the kids, who lick their toys, which can be dangerous. Faber-Castell gives you non-toxic, great quality clay dough that can be used by kids and adults alike. The clay dough is soft, easy to use and store and comes in vibrant colours that make it special.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B00LY27OVQ_2898412595979912"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">A pack of 4 assorted clay boxes.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed><br /><br /><bulletContentEmbed name="B085W9JYJ3" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B085W9JYJ3_head"><columnHead col="1"><columnHeadThumb>            <div type="image" title="Also Consider" msid="78564135" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb><columnHeadTitle>B085W9JYJ3</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B085W9JYJ3_body"><bulletContentRow name="B085W9JYJ3_2137137421027608"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">PLAY-DOH Creative Kit in a Jar</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">Let your child’s creativity shine through. Gift your kid a jar full of fun &amp; watch your child play with this beautiful chocolate jar kit of modelling clay. This kit also offers exciting moulds which help your child create some perfect shapes and bring their imagination to reality. Moulding toys make playing with clay a fun activity that can be enjoyed by kids and adults alike.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B085W9JYJ3_0284323719809675"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">A jar of different coloured clay and moulding toys.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed><br /><br /><bulletContentEmbed name="B00IGNWYNE" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B00IGNWYNE_head"><columnHead col="1"><columnHeadThumb><div type="image" title="Top Pick" msid="81548853" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb><columnHeadTitle>B00IGNWYNE</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B00IGNWYNE_body"><bulletContentRow name="B00IGNWYNE_7670288761058791"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Play-Doh Sparkle 6-Pack Of Glitter Compound In 2-Ounce Cans, Non-Toxic, Ages 3 Years And Up</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">This clay dough set from Play-Doh is a pack of six sparkle clay doughs, all of different colours. The sparkle clay doughs are extremely loved by kids. Make fun learning a part of your child's daily life with this beautiful pack. It also includes two cutters to make cute shapes from the clay.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B00IGNWYNE_8722230886580879"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">Safe for kids.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed><br /><br />

Best clay toys

After school and playtime, there are still some hours in your child's day for other activities. Instead of the TV or video games, you could engage them in some educational games that will help them revise what they've learnt in school as well as pick up some new concepts. These games are fun so your child will not feel like they are studying. Check them out.<br /><br /><bulletContentEmbed name="B01MTNA7I0" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B01MTNA7I0_head"><columnHead col="1"><columnHeadThumb><div type="image" title="Increase Knowledge" msid="90912574" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb><columnHeadTitle>B01MTNA7I0</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B01MTNA7I0_body"><bulletContentRow name="B01MTNA7I0_8003340296113879"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Einstein Box</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">This is a great kit that will teach kids about science, geography and language. It will improve their memory and open their minds to reason and logic. There are 3 books as well as 3 activity sets, making it a great blend of theory and practical knowledge. It comes with a wipe-clean pen so they can erase and do the activities again.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B01MTNA7I0_8534867673268718"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">There are 3 books as well as 3 activity sets, making it a great blend of theory and practical knowledge.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed><br /><br /><bulletContentEmbed name="8193752333" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="8193752333_head"><columnHead col="1"><columnHeadThumb><div type="image" title="Learn origami and clay modelling" msid="90439526" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb><columnHeadTitle>8193752333</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="8193752333_body"><bulletContentRow name="8193752333_8843906914106144"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Activity Books Collection for Early Learning</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">There are 8 activity books in this set. All you have to do is provide your kids with the material required to do the activities. They can learn origami and clay modelling. The other activities involve solving puzzles, colouring, shading, and learning about fruits and vegetables.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="8193752333_6813197601566535"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The other activities involve solving puzzles, colouring, shading, and learning about fruits and vegetables.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed><br /><bulletContentEmbed name="B098RRLH42" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B098RRLH42_head"><columnHead col="1"><columnHeadThumb><div type="image" title="Flash cards with puzzles" msid="90439613" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb><columnHeadTitle>B098RRLH42</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B098RRLH42_body"><bulletContentRow name="B098RRLH42_9846504149425810"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Matching Letter Game</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">In this game, there's a card machine, flash cards with puzzles, and letter cubes. You can put the flash cards in the card slot and your child has to answer the questions. The answers can be formed with the letter/number cubes and places on the machine. You can then crosscheck the answer by pulling out the card.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B098RRLH42_2157606712784772"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The answers can be formed with the letter/number cubes and places on the machine.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed><br /><bulletContentEmbed name="B09KWZZJWF" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B09KWZZJWF_head"><columnHead col="1"><columnHeadThumb><div type="image" title="Magnetic board" msid="90439687" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb><columnHeadTitle>B09KWZZJWF</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B09KWZZJWF_body"><bulletContentRow name="B09KWZZJWF_6026266270060265"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Pelikas Toyz Brain Games for Kids</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">This game has a magnetic board and a number of puzzle pieces in the form of various shapes. There's an instruction manual that has loads of images that can be formed with those pieces. Your child has to figure out how. It's a fun game that brings out the logic and creativity in children.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B09KWZZJWF_3520482128183396"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">It's a fun game that brings out the logic and creativity in children.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed><br /><bulletContentEmbed name="B09G2ZKBG7" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B09G2ZKBG7_head"><columnHead col="1"><columnHeadThumb><div type="image" title="Memory skills and spellings" msid="90439788" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb><columnHeadTitle>B09G2ZKBG7</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B09G2ZKBG7_body"><bulletContentRow name="B09G2ZKBG7_4541112647352460"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">HUNK SHOPPERS See and Spell <keyword id="9699246" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="learning-toys" source="Orion">Learning Toys</keyword></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">Your preschooler has just about started to learn words and their spellings, making this game an ideal one for them. There are cardboard strips that have the image of an object and the name written next to it. Your child has to identify the object, pronounce the name correctly, and then search for the letters to match the printed letters. It's a great way to help them with memory skills and spellings.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B09G2ZKBG7_8321687985742228"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">Your child has to identify the object, pronounce the name correctly, and then search for the letters to match the printed letters. It's a great way to help them with memory skills and spellings.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed><br /><bulletContentEmbed name="9388144104" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="9388144104_head"><columnHead col="1"><columnHeadThumb><div type="image" title="Observation and memory skills." msid="90439890" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb><columnHeadTitle>9388144104</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="9388144104_body"><bulletContentRow name="9388144104_6118543845826795"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">My First 500 Words</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">This picture book has everything that you need for early learning. Whatever you're trying to teach your child, you'll have a fun picture to support it in this book. Teach them letters, numbers, animals, shapes, birds, fruits, vegetables, toys, and much more. There are over 500 photos that will help in improving your child's observation and memory skills.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="9388144104_9742149107841534"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">Teach them letters, numbers, animals, shapes, birds, fruits, vegetables, toys, and much more.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed><br />

Best learning toys for 5-year old kids

<p>At 73, "Hellboy" star Ron Perlman knows he's too old to be hurling himself into action-packed fight scenes. That self-awareness is something he plays up in his scene-stealing guest appearance in the fifth episode of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mr-and-mrs-smith-show-review-better-than-movie-2024-2">Amazon's "Mr. &amp; Mrs. Smith."</a></p><p>When the titular couple played by Donald Glover and Maya Erskine extract Perlman's mysterious Toby Hellinger from Lake Como, they must flee from squads of armed men through the idyllic Italian locale. That's not easy when Toby can barely run, let alone fight.</p><p>"This is killing my fucking knees," he spits while trying to get down a flight of stairs.</p><p>It's playfully ironic, since Perlman has delivered plenty of action-heavy performances over the years. But the morally ambiguous Toby is past his prime — and Perlman jokes that he's long past his, too. </p><p>"I was 54 years old when we did 'Hellboy,' and I was a little too old to do it," he told Business Insider of the Guillermo del Toro film.</p><p>But with 45 years in the business and hundreds of credits under his belt, Perlman said his career couldn't have turned out better. "I'm pretty sanguine, as it all went way, way better than I could have possibly drawn up."</p><p>In the latest installment of Business Insider's "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/role-play-series">Role Play</a>" series, Perlman talks about finally saying goodbye to "Hellboy 3," the uncomfortable butterflies he got on "Sons of Anarchy," and his dream musical role.</p><h2>On his decadeslong partnership with Guillermo del Toro</h2><div type="image" title="Ron Perlman as Hellboy." height="1000" width="1736" msid="108350096" hostid="261" sizebytes="93744"></div><p><strong>It's the 20th anniversary of “Hellboy” this year. Do you have any defining memories of being on set with Guillermo del Toro?</strong></p><p>It took seven years for del Toro to convince anybody to finance a comic book franchise with me in it. I was, at best, a kind of middling character actor who you would see at sixth or seventh on the call sheet. </p><p>Working with Del Toro is as irreverent an experience as you can get. He has the intellect of an Einstein, but he has the demeanor of a 13-year-old boy who's going through puberty. So there's a lot of irreverence to the proceedings. There's a lot of laughter. </p><p>Then there's the knowledge that you have, as I alluded to earlier, a 54-year-old aging Jew who chases monsters and otherworldly creatures, and they're outrunning him every step of the way, because he's 54, for crying out loud!</p><p>So we had a really good time playing make-believe that there was this young spry superhero who was really a fat slob. Hellboy really would rather stay home, watch the Marx Brothers and the Three Stooges, eat pizza, and play with the cats — rather than go out and save the world.</p><p><strong>I mean, that sounds like a great evening to me.</strong></p><p>Me too. And that's why he fought so hard to get me to get the role, because there aren't a lot of bigger slobs in Hollywood than me.</p><p><strong>“Hellboy 3” is one of those projects that many fans were desperate to see, and it's a shame it never came to fruition. What's it been like over the years holding out hope for it?</strong></p><p>I've only recently let go of the fight in me to get the third one made. I felt it was conceived as a trilogy. At the end of the second one, you were left on the edge of your seat wondering how this was going to play out because Liz is pregnant with twins and Hellboy has this oracle to destroy the earth. Oracles are not to be toyed with, as the Greeks taught us, you can't escape your fate. </p><p>And I think del Toro was setting up some sort of a real huge conclusion as to whether the nature or the nurture of Hellboy would win out and what price needed to be paid in order to win the day. I thought it would've made an incredible closure for the people who had invested all that time watching the first few films. </p><p>I’ve always thought it was a crime that we never got to finish it. And I made no bones about how I feel. And I probably pissed off a few people in my public ravings about finishing this trilogy. But now I've finally gotten to the point where I realize it's just never going to happen.</p><p><strong>I think most fans are just grateful we got two amazing “Hellboy” films regardless.</strong></p><p>That's how I look at it. And that’s two more than we all felt we were going to get when del Toro was fighting to get a fat aging Jew, who nobody knew who he was, to play the titular character in this comic book franchise. We've got to be grateful.</p><h2>On whether he’d return for a ‘Sons of Anarchy’ follow-up</h2><div type="image" title="ron perlman sons of anarchy" height="1390" width="1658" msid="108350237" hostid="261" sizebytes="135136"></div><p><strong>You played Clay Morrow for five years on “Sons of Anarchy.” Clay's relationship with Jax Teller is one of the most fascinating arcs in the series. How did you and Charlie Hunnam work on making that animosity between the two of you feel so genuine by the end of the show?</strong></p><p>Well, we actually really hated each other. So it wasn't hard. </p><p>No, I'm kidding! It made for some uncomfortable moments when I had to look into his eyes knowing what I had done to him and what I had done to his dad, and then asked for his love and respect. </p><p>I knew it gave me butterflies, but it was the job. And so you're constantly having things that are yelling and screaming at you “Don't do this, don't do this!” And then on the other shoulder, there's this guy going, ‘Well, this is what you've been hired to do, so get over it and get over it fast.’</p><p>It was a very complicated six years, particularly with how we had to navigate that. The resolve of it all was incredibly uncomfortable, departing a show that we were all involved in for that long and under the circumstances that finally led to what Jax needs to do in order to get his pound of flesh, his sense of justice.</p><p><strong>Charlie Hunnam and Theo Rossi recently teased their involvement with a new “Sons of Anarchy” project. Would you return as Clay if the opportunity came up?</strong></p><p>Well, I know about the thing that's kind of percolating behind the scenes, and I'm not going to say anything about it other than the fact that one of our dear members has found a way to revisit the world in an incredibly obtuse way, but in a very dramatic way. </p><p>And all of that, of course, was interrupted by the strike. Now that we're all back on the grid, we'll see where it goes, But there was a huge amount of interest to bring to get the band back together. So hopefully I'll have some news to break for you soon.</p><h2>On his ‘very expensive wife’ and not turning down many roles</h2><div type="image" title="Linda Hamilton as Catherine and Ron Perlman as Vincent in &quot;Beauty and the Beast.&quot;" height="1378" width="1837" msid="108350240" hostid="261" sizebytes="66646"></div><p><strong>You've got 280 acting credits to your name. What's the one project you think deserves more attention?</strong></p><p>Yeah, I have a very expensive wife, so I needed to really not stop — couldn't afford to stop, probably. I mean, we've already talked about how I wish there was a third "Hellboy."</p><p>There aren't that many others, though. There was a period where I felt as though there was more to say about the "Beauty and the Beast" saga that would've included more mysticism because there was a kind of fantasy element to the show that you can only do so much with on a TV series. </p><p>Put that on a big screen, and you can start to mine this very, very graphic love story with all of the trappings of a made-up world and a made-up monstrous character, et cetera, et cetera.</p><p>So for a while there I was doing everything I could to find a way to transfer that to the big screen. But, pretty much, I'm very grateful for all of the blessings that have been bestowed upon me.</p><p><strong>Is there a memorable role over the years that you've turned down?</strong></p><p>No! When you see 280 credits on one person's résumé, there's not a lot of turning down! </p><p>Just tell me what time to be there, and send a check to my family. They're going to spend it anyway. Go as fast as I can. Cover as much ground as I can.</p><p><strong>What is the role that got away?</strong></p><p>People will laugh when I say this. I really would like to have a crack at playing Tevye in "Fiddler on the Roof." And I say that because I can imagine myself having a great time exploring that character in that world. </p><p>I've been so lucky to play so many kinds of facets of humanity in these 280 credits, but there's nothing else I could kind of fantasize or wish for other than Tevye and "Fiddler on the Roof." The American audience just needs to see me singing and dancing in a prayer show. I just feel like they do, and I'm sticking to that theory.</p><p><strong>Well, let's get the campaign going.</strong></p><p>I think we just did, bro!</p><p><strong>Speaking of "Beauty and the Beast," you've played a few monsters over the years. Which of your monsters would win in a fight? Hellboy, Vincent from "Beauty and the Beast, " or "Blade 2" vampire Reinhardt?</strong></p><p>It would be a draw! I don't think Reinhardt… I don't think any of 'em would prevail. I think that they would all end up really, really bloody. But the good news is that when the donnybrook was all over with, they would all enjoy a beer and a whole bunch of laughs and a couple of cigars. </p><p>One of 'em would be holding some really good Cubans. It’s probably Hellboy.</p><p><em>"Mr. &amp; Mrs. Smith" is streaming now on Prime Video.</em></p><p><em>This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.</em></p>

Ron Perlman has made peace with the death of 'Hellboy 3': 'It's just never going to happen'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>My family moved from Los Angeles to a remote island in <keyword id="12020240" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="alaska" source="Orion">Alaska</keyword>. The change has been positive for us.</li><li>During the <keyword id="12410029" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="winter" source="Orion">winter</keyword>, the sun sets at 2 p.m. That doesn't keep us from having fun.</li></ul><p>There were other people standing on the frozen lake, and a few were even skating. But when my 8-year-old asked if she could step onto the snow-topped ice herself, I balked. "Please," she pleaded. "I'll be careful." I nodded, and we walked out onto the solid ice together, in the same spot where, this past summer, she'd paddled a raft around with a group of giggling friends.</p><p>We made our way back to shore after a few minutes, my daughter grinning and exhilarated. The sun was getting ready to fall behind the mountains. It was 2 p.m.</p><p>For those of us <a href="https://www.insider.com/photos-of-whittier-alaska-the-town-under-one-roof-2016-3">who live in places</a> with far more night than day, winter can feel long and dark. Those beachy summer days are like a distant memory. So what do we <em>do</em> all winter? That answer is contingent on the weather, but having fun is guaranteed year-round. My family and I <a href="https://www.insider.com/i-moved-my-children-to-a-remote-island-in-alaska-2021-12">moved from Los Angeles</a> to a remote island in Alaska. We craved a closer connection to nature and less of the chaos that <a href="https://www.insider.com/moved-family-from-los-angeles-to-small-town-illinois-living-costs-2022-1">big cities offer</a>. </p><h2>The key is to stay busy, regardless of the weather</h2><p>When there's snow on the ground, we sled down the unplowed streets in our neighborhood. We build epic snow forts — which are roofless for easy access and an added measure of safety against collapse. We pull every riding toy we can find out into the snow and see which of them moves best through the powder.</p><p>We go to the beach. There we can explore frozen eddies, build a fire, and eat crackers and cheese. The key to these activities is the right cold-weather gear, a cache of favorite snacks, and a reliable boot dryer at home.</p><p>On nasty days — when rain falls on top of snow and the streets are sheets of ice — I reserve the right to stay inside.</p><p>We bake, cycle through our collection of board games, and let the kids ride balance bikes and scooters around the living room. We chop vegetables and make a big pot of soup. They play vet clinic, bandaging stuffed animals and writing prescriptions.</p><p>We pull out a huge stack of library books and read to a theme: picture-book biographies, animal babies, holidays around the world. We listen to an audiobook while the kids focus on an activity, such as drawing or playing with Matchbox cars. When they need to get loud and busy again, it's back to the bikes and scooters.</p><p>I can't be precious about small people knocking into walls or ramming each other with their vehicles. The long winter means there will be some days when their only exercise happens between four walls.</p><h2>Open-ended toys are key for imaginative play </h2><p>Both my kids have winter birthdays, and I've noticed that new toys, especially those that are open-ended and spark imagination, keep them busy for long stretches.</p><p>We can't get new toys every day, but rotating them in and out means they have time to forget about something and get excited when they see it again. So I have a bin of toys ready to be employed when the kids are at their wits' end.</p><p>Sometimes I have to be more of a tour guide in the winter: "And if you look to your left, you'll see a toy kitchen. Perhaps someone would like to make me a plastic pancake?" But other times they determine new interests they'd like to pursue, all on their own.</p><p>That can mean that, by springtime, we have a lot to show for ourselves. Learning some chords on the guitar, for example, or making a collection of small bowls out of air-dry clay.</p><p>We need only agree not to let winter defeat us. We need only allow ourselves to step out onto frozen lakes. When he left a doctor's appointment not long ago, my son said, "I'm so proud of me."</p><p>By the time I pack away the winter jackets and turn off the radiator, I feel the same way.</p>

I'm a mom of 2 on an island in Alaska. Here's how I keep my kids entertained during the dark days of winter.

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5d398f88100a240f7d6919c2-2000/rafael nadal yacht.jpg" border="0" alt="Rafael Nadal, yacht" data-mce-source="Photo by Europa Press/Europa Press via Getty Images" data-link="https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/tennis-player-rafael-nadal-celebrates-his-30th-birthday-on-news-photo/538747364?adppopup=true" /></div></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li>Rafael Nadal just bought himself another luxury yacht.</li><li>The tennis star has commissioned a custom 80 Sunreef Power catamaran for delivery in 2020.</li><li>When are you taking us to Ibiza, Rafa?</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul><p>Rafael Nadal has bought himself another luxury yacht.</p><p>The sea-loving tennis champion is used to life offshore. When he's not racking up titles on the ATP tour, Nadal likes to climb aboard million dollar vessels, go on vacation, and live off the sea.</p><p>Last month, <a href="https://robbreport.com/motors/marine/tennis-star-rafael-nadal-is-selling-his-yacht-for-3-million-2856494/">Robb Report reported</a> that Nadal had <span>listed his 76-foot Italian-built MCY 76 motor yacht named "</span>Beethoven"<span> for $3 million with </span><a href="https://camperandnicholsons.com/luxury-motor-yacht-for-sale/beethoven" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">Camper &amp; Nicholsons International</a><span>.</span></p><p>He has frequently <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rafa-nadal-diet-what-he-eats-drinks-breakfast-lunch-dinner-2018-9?r=US&amp;IR=T#but-while-nadal-certainly-eats-clean-he-unwinds-every-now-and-then-a-bacardi-ambassador-in-2013-he-has-knocked-back-a-cocktail-or-two-from-time-to-time-and-what-better-way-to-enjoy-a-drink-than-when-its-accompanied-by-a-new-york-city-skyline-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spoken of his love for seafood, for paella, and shrimp</a>, and it is likely he enjoys all of those things when he is living his best life away from the clay, grass, and hard courts of tennis, and spending his downtime at sea.</p><p>"I love the sea," <a href="https://us18.campaign-archive.com/?u=76e6f20dd954fcc00b543b893&amp;id=8e7100d2b4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he recently said</a>. "<span>As someone from an island as I am, the sea is part of our lives. Every time I am at home in Mallorca I try to go out and find that time where I can just enjoy my time on a boat."</span></p><p><em><strong>Read more</strong>: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rafa-nadal-diet-what-he-eats-drinks-breakfast-lunch-dinner-2018-9?r=US&amp;IR=T" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This is everything tennis champion Rafa Nadal eats and drinks for breakfast, lunch, and dinner</a></em></p><p><span>According to marketing material <a href="https://us18.campaign-archive.com/?u=76e6f20dd954fcc00b543b893&amp;id=8e7100d2b4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published by Sunreef Yachts</a>, Nadal has splashed the cash on a custom, 80-foot, Sunreef Power catamaran.</span></p><p><span>"We are very excited to have one of the greatest tennis players of all time on board with us," Francis Lapp, Sunreef Yachts founder and president said. "Mr. Nadal's personality, skills and strength are an inspiration to us."</span></p><p><span>Take a look at Nadal's new toy, which will likely be built and delivered by 2020, below:</span></p>

Rafael Nadal has bought a custom, 80-foot, luxury yacht that boasts a spa pool, a wet bar, and a jet ski

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5ac3b8e07a74af1d008b4631-2000/shutterstock45067213.jpg" border="0" alt="viagra" data-mce-source="Shutterstock/Sean Nel" data-mce-caption="KUSADASI, TURKEY - JANUARY 20: Viagra packaging on a table on January 20, 2010 in Kusadasi, Turkey. Viagra was originally developed by Pfizer as an erectile dysfunction drug." /><p class="source"><span>Shutterstock/Sean Nel</span></p><p class="caption">A lucky accident for Pfizer.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>Viagra, LSD, and pacemakers weren't intentional discoveries. Often, world-changing discoveries happen when someone finds something they aren't looking for.</strong></li><li><strong>Sometimes, these discoveries are the result of a true accident, but often they are the result of someone realizing a material can be used in a new way or for a different purpose.</strong></li><li><strong>Even if there's an "accident" involved, it still takes a person to realize the potential of that "accident" for it to matter.</strong></li></ul><hr /><p>Some scientific discoveries come about after painstaking, goal-oriented lab work finally yields the result that a researcher is trying to find.</p><p>But many of the most incredible discoveries in world came about when someone found something they weren't looking for.</p><p>In some cases, these are the result of a true accident. Lucky accidents have allowed people to discover unexpected but useful side effects from drugs, which is what happened with Viagra. Saccharine - the artificial sweetener in "Sweet'N Low" - was found by a Russian chemist who forgot to wash his hands after a days work.</p><p>Perhaps more often, world-changing discoveries are the result of a creative mind realizing that a material or invention could be repurposed into something incredible.</p><p>In many of these cases, the researchers behind the discovery wouldn't call their finding a true "accident," since it took a prepared mind to follow through and turn that discovery into something useful. But what was found wasn't what was being looked for in the first place.</p><p>Desperation or the need to figure out a new use for a product can always help too, as it did for the inventor of a dough intended to clean soot from people's homes. A switch away from coal to gas removed the need for such a cleaning clay. But it turns out that shapeable clay makes a great and profitable toy: Play-doh.</p><p>None of these "accidents" would been the world-changing discoveries they are without the right person there to recognize their value. But they show that the best innovations can come from the unexpected.</p>

18 accidental and unintended scientific discoveries that changed the world

45. Heard It Through the Grapevine

<p><em><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/561f62829dd7cc1d008c1f53-2624-1968/lc_head and shoulders crop_square.jpg" alt="lindsey clay" data-mce-source="Thinkbox" /><p class="source"><span>Thinkbox</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Earlier this week <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/at-brandcast-google-tells-advertisers-to-shift-tv-money-to-video-youtube-2015-10">Google advised advertisers to shift 24% of their TV budgets to YouTube</a> if they want to reach an audience of 16 to 34-year-olds. <a href="https://twitter.com/LindseyClay">Lindsey Clay</a>, the CEO of UK commercial TV marketing body <a href="http://www.thinkbox.tv/">Thinkbox</a> explains why that advice misses the mark.</em></p><p>This is laughable, self-serving advice from Google that most advertisers and agencies will dismiss - why would an advertiser remove a quarter of the money they invest in the most effective part of their <keyword id="35666" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="advertising">advertising</keyword> and give it to something that hasn't shown any proof of actually selling anything? </p><p>However, it needs a response lest anyone believes Google on this. Here are some things to consider:</p><h2><strong>This is Google's data</strong></h2><p>We've asked to see the data itself, but usually Google doesn't share. If and when it does, we'll comment on it but we obviously need to comment now.  We understand the TV elements are based around a panel of Google users managed by Kantar that does not measure all TV and that the YouTube element is provided by Google themselves.</p><p>If that isn't flaky and biased enough, it is also unaudited. They even called it the "Google Extra Reach Tool"; it is a self-fulfilling prophecy. And does it take account of the 50% of online ads that are not seen by humans? And how does it square with <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/53ac3fd0-604e-11e5-a28b-50226830d644.html">the report in the FT recently revealing that YouTube has been selling fraudulent ad views to advertisers</a>?</p><p>Their recommendation also seriously challenges common sense when official industry sources including comScore show that YouTube accounts for 7.5% of 16 to 24-year-olds' video time, with TV at 65%.  The numbers for the whole population are 3.5% and 81%.   Ad minutage on commercial TV is approximately 15% of that time, but is much lower on YouTube, and that is before you consider users' impatient use of its 'Skip ad' button.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/561f63a4bd86efa15c8b6d76-960-540/total video time.jpg" alt="comscore video time" data-mce-source="comScore" /><p class="source"><span>comScore</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2>A YouTube impact is not a TV impact</h2><p>Google's reach argument is flawed anyway because it depends on people thinking a YouTube view and a TV impact are the same thing and hence interchangeable. In fact, they are worlds apart.  A view on YouTube requires that the ad is served and that 50% of the pixels are seen for a second (ideally by humans).  A TV impact is based on the average viewing across a minute of continuous TV viewing and the ad must be seen in its entirety at normal speed.</p><p>That's before we get into issues of quality of content, emotional context, receptiveness etc.</p><h2>Maximising reach</h2><p>If maximising your reach is your objective, there are all sorts of ways you could do that within the TV universe: Changing your dayparts, changing your channel mix, adding some broadcaster video on demand.  But that shouldn't be your starting point because …</p><h2>Reach doesn't equal effectiveness</h2><p>… statistical reach is not the same as effective reach - i.e. reach that makes people love and buy your brand.  Google has never produced - or at least made public - any market-wide research proving YouTube is an effective ad medium.</p><p>TV and other media have mountains of rigorous, independent research proving they work for the majority of brands. Independent analysis by Ebiquity in 2014 found that TV advertising generated the most profit per £1 spent, with radio second.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/545b843b6da8116105009ada-1511-853/screen shot 2014-11-06 at 2.22.00 pm.png" alt="Thinkbox TV effectiveness" data-mce-source="Thinkbox" data-link="http://www.thinkbox.tv/upload/package/28/index.html" /><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www.thinkbox.tv/upload/package/28/index.html">Thinkbox</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2>Irresponsible advice</h2><p>If advertisers actually do what Google asks, they will make Google richer but themselves a great deal poorer. TV works for brands because of the range and quality of its content; any cut in advertisers' investment into it would damage the very medium that is working so hard for them.</p><p>Of course, Google is free to try to attract more ad money and who are we to say marketers shouldn't invest in YouTube at the appropriate level.  But Google should live up to its "don't be evil" mantra and refrain from giving such irresponsible advice to brands.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5617efa49dd7cc15008c0b05-4752-3168/5109080982_fd9a692c5d_o.jpg" alt="google don't be evil" data-mce-source="Tangi Bertin/Flickr" data-link="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tangi_bertin/5109080982" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tangi_bertin/5109080982">Tangi Bertin/Flickr</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>If it feels compelled to overtly target another medium's money maybe it should look first at those parts of advertising that can't prove their worth and that are subject to fraud.  There's plenty of under-performing online display money to go after.</p><h2>YouTube can't deliver the consequences of what it wants</h2><p>If all brands put up to 24% of their TV money on YouTube at a price similar to the TV channels which deliver equivalent reach and volume of viewing, YouTube simply doesn't have enough ad impacts to deliver this.</p><h2>This is self-defeating</h2><p>Google's bid for commercial gain is also self-defeating given how much TV and TV advertising fuels online activity, including YouTube. Every major study shows that TV + online is the best marketing combination because the internet can reap the effects of TV. Less TV, less response, less to exploit.</p><p>Google found this out itself when it started to invest substantially in TV advertising (see one of those ads below) two years ago.</p><p><iframe width="850" height="450" frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tTFNtdsVQTk"></iframe></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/funtoyzcollector-youtube-star-disneycollectorbr-unboxing-toddlers-toys-2015-9">One of YouTube's biggest stars is an unknown toy reviewer who makes up to $1.3 million a month </a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="12NnV1dzqP6oDCVffz-I50ZsdBfL8nTA" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', '12NnV1dzqP6oDCVffz-I50ZsdBfL8nTA',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

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