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How Growing Mushrooms At Home Became The Newest Pandemic Trend 

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Michael Crowe has been growing mushrooms as a business since 2017. He fills his bags with coffee grounds and other organic matter to help keep his product fresh for his customers, who have now expressed interest in growing their own mushrooms from home thanks to a new internet trend that involves people creating their own personal mushroom gardens at home. 

Crowe claims that a lot of his customers have been sending him live updates of their process, which he loves. “It’s just so cool because it can bring together people of all ages, from all walks of life and people all over the place can grow food and have a really good time learning about it.”

Crowe claims that the pandemic gave people the perfect opportunity to explore the multitude of mushroom growing kits online. “It just blew up, it seemed like one day everybody was looking to grow mushrooms.” 

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This new trend makes sense considering that crafty hobbies in general have grown in popularity throughout the pandemic, especially hobbies that involve growing your own food. Many people have taken their newfound free time at home to better their skills as a chef and begin growing their own ingredients for healthier meal options and a more natural alternative to eating out. 

Growing mushrooms at home is also one of the easiest projects one could do, which is also why it’s become so popular among parents and guardians at home with their children who need constant entertainment. The process gives them something engaging and fun to do, while also providing an educational aspect of how plants grow from seed to table. 

Grocycle is a mushroom company that claims its home-grown kits saw a 320% increase in popularity during the last 12 months compared to the year prior. North Spore is another company based in the US that claims their mushroom growing supplies have been selling out at a rate 400% more when compared to the year prior. 

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Barclay Bram is a London resident who spoke with the media recently about the rise in this trends popularity and his own experience growing mushrooms at home to pass the time. “I picked up a grow kit at my local market last November. Oyster mushrooms are a popular beginner’s shroom, being hardy and low-maintenance. Plus, it turns out eating the fruits of your own labor is tastier, too so that’s what I went with initially. I love cooking, and they were honestly some of the best mushrooms I’ve ever eaten,” says Bram.

Mushrooms are also extremely easy to cook and work with a multitude of meals, which is also likely why they specifically have become so popular. Bram also says there’s a greater sense of community that comes with growing your own food because you begin to communicate with other gardeners and home-growers of all kinds. 

“Sharing them is such a nice thing, and I’ve been swapping the mushrooms with people for backyard eggs or sourdough bread. They’re like an alternative currency, which is pretty cool.”

Jenn Xu is another London resident who claims to have bought three different growing kits since the start of the pandemic. “People want something new to do, we’re stuck at home, and if we can’t move, we want to see something move. I buy them for the novelty and for observing the growth patterns because they’re so diverse and interesting – it piques this childlike wonder … If you look away for two hours and look back, it’s doubled in size.”

Halloween Movie

Classic Halloween Movies To Get You In The Spooky Spirit 

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Halloween in 2020 definitely looks a little different than what the world is used to, however, just because there’s a global pandemic happening outside of our doors that doesn’t mean we still can’t enjoy all the fun festivities the holiday has to offer. And what better way to get you and your quarantine crew in the mood for spooky season than some classic Halloween entertainment? 

Scream: This classic teen-slasher film is a trailblazer for modern murder-mysetery scary movies. This cult classic follows Cindy Prescott, a year after her mothers murder, as she fights off an evil ghost-faced killer who’s hunting down her and all of her friends. 

Get Out: This newer film has already been highly regarded as a horror classic. Written and directed by Jordan Peele, this film follows a Black photographer who goes home with his white girlfriend to meet her family for the first time. Surrounded by comments of casual racism, the relationship and dynamics of the characters only gets more and more ominous as it progresses. 

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Beetlejuice: This Tim Burton horror/comedy classic follows a ghost couple who are working to haunt their prior home with the help of a devilish poltergeist spirit known as Beetlejuice. The 1988 film has had multiple modern adaptations, including a Broadway show, but nothing compares to the original classic. 

Halloween: It truly isn’t Halloween until you’ve watched the classic 1978 film of the same name. This movie was a part of that classic set of horror movies that were filmed in the 70s and 80s that set the standard for the horror movie genre as we know it today. While there have been multiple sequels, reboots, and spin-offs, the original film starring Jamie Lee Curtis has gone doesn in history as one of the best horror films of all time. 

Edward Scissorhands: This movie also comes from the unique and spooky mind of Tim Burton and stars Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder. This unlikely love story follows a man with scissor blades for hands who falls for your average girl next door suburban teenager. 

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Ghostbusters: If you’re looking for a more family-friendly Halloween movie to watch look no further than the 1984 classic Ghostbusters. Or spice it up with a marathon and watch the first, second and third film and top it off with the hilarious 2016 remake starring Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy. 

Carrie: This Stephen King novel adaptation follows an introverted teenage girl with a complicated relationship with her mother, and an unexpected secret gift. After being bullied relentlessly all year Carrie finally decides to stand up to herself at the school prom and let’s just say it gets quite … messy. 

The Exorcist: You aren’t a real fan of horror movies unless you’ve seen this 1973 classic. This film set the standard for all demon possession type scary movies as it follows a young girl and her mother who attempts to save her daughter from demonic possession. After countless attempts she finally calls upon the church to perform an exorcism. 

Hocus Pocus: Another family-friendly classic Halloween movie, this film stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as three witches in Salem, Massachusetts who are resurrected on Halloween and spend the night trying to suck the youth out of all the trick or treaters as a means of staying young and beautiful. 

Child’s Play: This movie introduced the infamous Chucky doll horror character to the world in 1988. When Chucky gets possessed by a serial killer, he wreaks havoc on his new owners and changes the definition of “play time.”

Apple Picking

Fun Fall Activities You Can Still Do During The Pandemic 

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Covid-19 has uprooted all of our lives. Now that autumn has officially started and the three-month holiday season has begun, it’s time to start planning some fun themed activities to keep you and your loved ones busy as we take on the upcoming months of quarantining in colder weather. 

Apple Picking: This is a great activity that the whole family will enjoy. Luckily, apple orchards naturally are socially distanced, so you and your loved ones can walk around the open space of apple trees while picking some fresh fruit. Most orchards also offer outdoor dining and shopping excursions that are available as well. 

Hiking: Before the weather gets really cold (depending on where you live in the world) take advantage of the cool and cozy fall weather by taking a hike at your local nature preserve. Want even more of an adventure? Look up places to hike near you that require a little bit of a drive to get to. This way you can go out and experience a new environment while enjoying all the fall foliage. 

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Make Some Fun Fall Recipes/Cocktails: There are numerous resources online for easy and fun fall recipes that you can make at home! Thanksgiving isn’t the only day of the year to really embrace pumpkin and apple flavors, so use all your freshly picked apples to make a homemade pie or spike cider. 

Take A Nature Drive: One of the simplest pleasures I’ve found myself appreciating during this pandemic is going out for drives. After spending the first few months locked in my room, I decided to get in my car, roll down my windows, put on my driving playlist and just start driving. Now that all the leaves are starting to change colors, there’s never been a better time to get in your car and drive around to see some of the beautiful sights nature has to offer.  

Decorating Pumpkins: This classic Halloween tradition has always been an at-home activity, so why should a pandemic stop that from happening? Going to your local pumpkin patch and picking out a pumpkin to carve is the perfect way to feel like you’re having a typical fall experience. 

Clean Out Your Closet: Home organization always falls under the category of “spring cleaning” however, fall is the perfect time to clean out your wardrobe and prepare it for the potential influx of new clothing items you’ll be getting from Santa in a few months.

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DIY Halloween Costumes: Since Halloween will likely be cancelled this year in terms of going out and celebrating, why not celebrate in your own way by creating something amazing to wear. You and everyone you’re quarantined with could even coordinate a group outfit to make together and then have a spooky photo-shoot to share with friends and keep the Halloween spirit alive. 

Learn To Knit: What better way to prepare for a cozy season than making something cozy for yourself to wear? Knitting is known as one of the easier forms of creation when it comes to clothing, so pick up some needles and yarn and start slow with a beginner YouTube video. I was able to teach myself in one day how to knit a basic stitch and pattern, so why not give it a try?

Create A Book Club: Cold weather is always ideal for reading by the fire, but why not take it one step further and create a book club with all of your friends to help keep you motivated? Platforms like Zoom and Google Hangouts make it easy to hold virtual weekly meetings with whoever you want so that you don’t have to worry about potential Covid-19 concerns. However, since the weather is still relatively nice out, consider holding the meetings in an outdoor setting, socially distanced, until it really gets too cold out. 

Decorate With Holiday Decor: October is for Halloween, November is for Thanksgiving, and December is for Christmas, that’s three months of holidays that one could decorate for. You don’t have to break your bank either to create a cool themed ambiance that you’ll enjoy all season. By switching up the decor monthly to match up with the respected holiday, you’ll keep your mind and body engaged while having a fun time decorating your space to feel the most cheerful.

Kids Playing Freeze Dance

Activities To Keep Your Kids Moving While Stuck Inside

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Having your kids at home during a worldwide pandemic is truly no easy feat. Between homeschooling, your own personal job, and making sure your family is staying healthy and safe in quarantine, there’s a lot to do in a given day. Exercise and physical activity is extremely important, especially for young kids who are continuing to grow regardless of a lock down. So keep your kids moving by implementing some fun exercise/sports-like games in their day. There’s plenty of things kids can do during their daily at-home “recess” time indoors that will keep their bodies and minds active and engaged. Here are a few ideas to help inspire you:

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Obstacle Courses: What kid doesn’t love the thrill of an obstacle course? One of the benefits of setting up a course in your home/on your property is that your kids can get involved in the creation process using things from all around the house. So this activity isn’t just engaging your child’s body, but mind as well to problem solve and figure out what obstacles would be the most fun/challenging for them. 

Animal Races: A new and fun alternative to racing with your little ones is called animal racing. You can do this same type of race for any kind of category that allows participants to act out whoever/whatever they get assigned; for example Disney Princesses, mythical creatures, actors, etc. Fill a bowl up with various types of animals and have everyone draw one. Then set up a race track where every participant will have to act like their assigned animal until they get to the finish line.

Balloon Ball: In another classic indoor birthday party activity, balloon ball follows the same basic protocol as “The floor is lava!” game, which is another great option by the way. Fill up a bunch of balloons and try to keep them off the ground by passing them back and forth. “Level up” by adding more and more balloons into the mix until it’s nearly impossible to keep all of them up at once!

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Freeze Dance/Musical Chairs: This is another easy option that kids can even do on their own! YouTube offers a multitude of freeze dance videos that cycle through a variety of songs, many of which are oriented towards kids, and randomly pauses the music throughout to indicate when the kids should stop dancing. Besides that, the only requirement it would have from you is pressing the play/pause button. 

Clean-Up Race: We all can relate to our parents tricking us into cleaning our rooms/the house by offering some sort of “prize” or proclaiming the fastest to clean is the winner. While this may be a sneaky tactic, it really is one of the most effective ways to get your kids to clean up after themselves, hence why it’s been used for so long. Incentives/Prizes don’t have to be too complicated either, you can simply offer your kids an extra serving of desert or the ability to choose the next movie to watch on family movie night. 

Between all of these options and others – like pillow fights, fort building, jump rope, tag, red rover, chalk, etc. – there are plenty of activities your kids can be doing daily to keep their minds, bodies, and spirits active and moving. It can be hard to remember to take care of ourselves as much as we are our loved ones during this pandemic, so get your kids to play in the yard for the next hour, and take a load off, you deserve it.

Girls Playing Soccer

Study Finds Kids Value Having Fun and Working Hard in Sports over Winning

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A longstanding myth has held that when it comes to sports, girls consider the social aspects to be the most fun, whereas boys most enjoy the competitive part of sports. However, a recent study published by Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal contradicts this claim, finding that both boys and girls consider trying your best and working hard to be the key to having fun, ranking winning as 40th in the list of things they find fun about sports. The findings suggest that kids have an intuitive understanding of the values that ensure organized sports remain enjoyable for all participants, and that boys and girls have more similar attitudes surrounding sports than is commonly assumed.

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According to Amanda J. Visek, an associate professor of exercise and nutrition sciences at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, “what counts most for girls and boys are things like ‘trying your best,’ ‘working hard,’ ‘staying active,’ and ‘playing well together as a team.’ These findings are the same for athletes at younger and older ages and across recreational and more competitive levels of play.” The recent study expands on a previous study involving soccer players between the ages of 8 and 19 which attempted to map all of the factors that contribute to sports being fun for kids. The older study uncovered 81 “fun-determinants” within 11 “fun-factors,” and the newer study more closely analyzed this data, finding that of the 81 fun-determinants, winning was ranked 40th on the list, far lower than anyone had expected.

Despite the relative similarities across ages and genders, however, the researchers did uncover some interesting differences in fun priorities between demographics. For instance, young players felt that it was important to have a coach who allowed them to “play different positions,” whereas older players were less concerned about this factor. Additionally, boys felt that “copying the moves and tricks of professional athletes” and “improving athletic skills to play at the next level” contribute to whether or not they have fun more than girls did, suggesting a difference between how boys and girls learn to improve their athleticism.

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Researchers hope that the results of the study will be useful for sport organizations looking to improve their programs, making them more fun for kids and encouraging them to play sports for longer throughout their childhood and into adulthood. While sports are popular among elementary school students, kids who drop out of sports tend to do so around middle-school age, complaining that they no longer consider sports fun. This trend is of particular interest to researchers and medical professionals, as continuing to engage in sports throughout adolescence is linked to maintaining a healthy lifestyle as kids age. Exercise is connected to a wide range of health benefits for both body and mind, and as habits can be ingrained into a person’s personality for life starting in childhood, encouraging the healthy habit of exercising in children is a priority for public health officials. This concern is of particular urgency considering the rising trend of obesity among Americans and the decline in US life expectancy that began several years ago.

Despite its promising results, the study had some limitations which are worth considering. For one, all of the participants were soccer players, and as such it is possible that players of other sports have differing views on what makes sports fun. And as the study relied upon children’s self-reported interests, it may be possible that some participants were biased towards giving the researchers the answers they thought they were looking for. Nevertheless, the research supports the claim that reinforcing gender stereotypes and emphasizing the importance of victory reduces kids’ enjoyment of sports, suggesting that methods of coaching that focus on having fun are more effective when it comes to instilling healthy exercise habits in children.

Online Shopping

Facing Online Competition, Toy Stores Forced to Innovate

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In the face of the existential threat to their business posed by Amazon and other online retailers, toy stores are obligated to innovate or face extinction, as in the case of the ill-fated Toys R Us. Camp is one store that does just that by offering children an opportunity to play with toys before their parents buy them, transforming the shopping process into one more focused on creating family experiences. Indeed, Camp, which recently opened a store in Downtown Brooklyn, bills itself as a “family experience store,” not strictly as a toy store, and the company hopes to lure customers away from online stores by creating a space where kids can have fun and parents can enjoy spending time with their children. In addition to selling toys, Camp hosts family activities, such as arts and crafts projects like making gingerbread houses or building a balloon powered car. The stores change their theme every few months in a bid to encourage families to visit repeatedly; currently, the space is summer-camp themed, and offers spaces like a playground and disco floors for children to play.

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While it’s free for anyone to visit any of Camp’s five retail locations, toys that are available for purchase can be found all over the place, enticing children to convince their parents to buy them something that catches their attention. As such, Camp’s plan to compete with online retailers involves fostering a physical environment where people are more likely to spend money. While it is surely expensive to maintain a store like this, the company hopes that the unique space they offer will attract not only children but parents who would prefer for their kids to play somewhere in the real world instead of engaging mainly with electronic devices. While this may be a risky strategy given the complicated and unpredictable environment of today’s retail industry, it is one that has resonated with investors, who are helping to fund the company’s expansion.

Camp’s bet is that even in this day and age, children are still interested in exploring physical spaces and interacting with each other in person

Digital media poses a threat to the toy industry in more ways than the popularity of online stores. Indeed, toys themselves may become less attractive to children as technology advances, as smartphones and tablets can provide a more engaging experience. And while video games have been a favorite among children for decades, recent advancements in technology have made this hobby far more widespread, as devices like iPhones and iPads grow in popularity and versatility. However, technology has also led to the collapse of physical media, as it is much more convenient to download a game, movie, or even book than it is to buy one from a retail location. Video gaming is a tremendously popular industry, and as toy stores generally sell video games as well, the fact that children are less likely to go to the toy store for video games in recent years is another factor that threatens the industry.

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Camp’s bet is that even in this day and age, children are still interested in exploring physical spaces and interacting with each other in person, but often miss opportunities to do so as they grow up in an increasingly digital environment. While traditional camp programs are expensive and can mean several weeks of separation between parents and their children, Camp is nominally free, and the company’s retail locations are in densely-populated, affluent neighborhoods, ensuring its customers don’t have to travel too far to get there. Unsurprisingly, the toys at Camp are sold at a premium to subsidize the rest of the experience. However, for many parents, the opportunity to spend some quality family time in an environment that’s fun for kids makes the added cost worth it.