Playtime is fun and exciting for kids, but if you are a parent it gets tedious to engage them in just one activity for a long time. Notorious for short attention spans, kids keep shifting their focus from one thing to the other. It literally becomes a task for us adults to keep the little ones glued to an activity that is both engaging and fun. Toys help to some extent but playing games too may not work forever! If all the toys in the world have failed you and nothing seems to have appealed your child’s fancy, it is probably time to get your kid a tricycle!

Tricycles work best to keep a child busy as learning to ride it requires both concentration and patience. If your child is still at an age where learning to ride is not a possibility, you could still buy a toddler tricycle that is embellished with goodies and accessories to intrigue their fancy. This would later lead them to want to learn to ride it.

Tricycles can play a key role in letting your child spend quality time playing outdoors. What makes toddler tricycles extremely attractive are options like cartoon characters on handlebars, baskets, canopies, rocking chairs and the like. Baby tricycles that are made of premium quality, nontoxic molded plastic ensures great safety and durability. It is essential to make sure you pick tricycle made of safe plastic that is ideal for toddlers to use. Let us quickly check out what makes baby tricycles so adorable.

Some cycles for toddlers come with a rear bucket for storage. Some cycles come with a secret storage compartment placed under the seat. These compartments/buckets can help store your kid’s favorite toys or food items. You can also carry water bottles or lunch boxes when you go for a ride in the park. Baby cycles also come with adjustable and detachable canopy that help shield your child from the sun when outdoors. There are several baby cycles that also come with detachable steering handles behind the seat. This gives parents an ease to monitor and control your baby’s movement. Such tricycles are an improved version of baby perambulator as it makes both the child and the parent equally partake in the tricycle’s movement. Many popular brands come with a built-in rocking chair. The cycle is made in a way that it can also be used as a rocking chair by your toddler. Features like these give kids a reason to play with it for long. Built-in music is another great feature that takes care of your child’s entertainment while riding. The music in such tricycles can be activated and adjusted by a knob located on the handlebar. Other accessories that make your kid’s tricycle fun are bells, horns, cup holders, fancy cartoon face, fancy pedals, mudguards etc. What’s more, you get these in attractive color options. You could also go for various customization options to suit your child’s liking.

Most of these cycles stand the test of time and are tough enough for years of indoor playing and outdoor adventures! Since most of these tricycles are made of durable plastic that lasts long, it is never too early to buy your kid their first tricycle!

Are you a beginner who wants to experience the awesomeness of mountain biking? Read on to know the right technique that could help you enjoy your ride to the fullest.

The key to have the best mountain biking journey is to be flexible and relaxed. Mountain biking is different from a commute or a road ride where the biker merely sits and spins. You should not be rigid to move forward or backward or off the side. Riding flat, descending, climbing and cornering are some of the things you would need to constantly do while on your mountain ride. Each movement requires a technique, let us quickly walk through them!

If you are riding on a flat terrain, the best technique is to pedal at a steady pace. You could either be sitting or standing while you pedal. Looking in the forward direction is the key. While you are riding, make sure you focus even down the trail and not merely on your front wheel. As soon as you see obstacles, climbs or descents coming, make sure you have the time to brace yourself up to navigate through them.

If you are on a descent, stand up resting on your pedals and keep both your arms and legs flexed. These help as additional shock absorbents and help you pass bumps easily. When you are going down hill, remember to keep your body low, knees and elbows bent and hips bent.

When you are supposed to climb, it is important you anticipate the incline a little in advance. This would help you drop into an easy gear well in time to prepare for the journey uphill. Instead of standing and aiming to pedal hard, you must sit and spin the pedals at a steady pace. Steadily pedaling uphill would help you to climb smoothly and not loose traction or stop. To develop traction, it is required that you maintain your weight on the back wheel. If you wish to steer, the weight should be exerted towards the front wheel.

Once you know the basic techniques like riding on a flat terrain, climbing and descending, you could orient yourself to cornering. The basic idea is to manage your weight and utilize your muscles in the right direction. It is important that you practice these techniques well before you go for your first ride. Various trail centers marked by skill and difficulty levels are ideal for inexperienced bikers to practice on. Once you are confident about your technique, you are fit to ride on and enjoy the therapy mountain biking provides!

A popular adventure sport, mountain biking is not only recreational in nature it also helps riders reconnect with nature. While the riders on a look out for some adrenaline rush choose complex and challenging locales, some riders go on serene countryside. Mountain Biking satisfies every riders’ wander lust whatever their fancy be.

Mountain biking can be performed almost anywhere from a back yard to a gravel road. Most mountain bikers like to ride on off-road trails, country back roads, fire roads or through narrow trails that wind through forests, mountains, deserts or fields. Rather than regular bicycling, mountain biking is more like trail running. Mountain bikers mostly ride far from the civilization into the wild! Let us broadly find out the various terrains that mountain biking offers its enthusiasts.

Single track
This terrain is one of the most popular and common among bikers. Single track trails are lanes that are sometimes only a bit broader than your shoulders or just adequate for two bikes to pass. Owing to their limited width single trails mostly allow one-way travel. If riding through breath-taking landscapes is what attracts you, this trail is surely going to blow your mind. Single trail contrasts with double trail or fire road which is wide enough for even four wheeled off-road vehicles. Mostly these trails are smooth and flowing but there may be certain terrains that are bumpy and challenging with crisscross tree roots. This trail predominantly has features like roots, logs and rocks. Single trail riding is quite challenging from a technical standpoint.

Double track
Double track trails run along abandoned logging roads, fire paths or power lines and are wider and relatively easier than single track trails. The width of these trails is just enough for two riders to cycle side by side. Rides on double track trails are basically designed for the inexperienced rider or anyone whose aim is to seek an easy ride with a memorable view. Double trail rides often last for half-days or may stretch up to a full day. These rides take bikers to endless maze, dirt and double track roads that allow them to choose their distance and pace.

Mountain bike terrain parks
These could range from anything like jump-and-pump tracks under urban overpasses to lift-serviced trails. Mountain bike terrain parks are full of elevated bridges and half pipes. This terrain is rich in jumps of various sizes, berms, banked corners, hairy downhill switchbacks among other features.

Most terrains are marked by different skill levels like beginner, intermediate, expert or double expert. If you are new to mountain biking, you might start out on relatively smoother and flatter terrain. As you become more experienced terrains become more complex, full of obstacles and a lot of fun!

It is best to dress up for an occasion and according to the weather. When it comes to mountain biking, the same rule applies. Bike specific clothes make even a difficult terrain a comfortable ride! Imagine if you were to ride in clothes that made life difficult, you would have to deal with double trouble. Thanks to sundry clothing options now, you could pick and choose clothes depending on the ride you take. That’s right, different mountain biking styles dictate the clothes you wear.

Warmers
For many bikers who ride during the darker months of winters, Leg and arm warmers are a necessity. These inner liners help riders stay warm against the ice-cold winter waves. These mostly protect the vulnerable extremities of the rider and allow enough warmth. To fully cover your extremities, you could use a pair of warm socks and shoe covers.

Shorts and Jerseys
One of the most convenient and comforting pair of garment on a mountain biking ride is shorts. These could either be tight fitted shorts that are mostly worn during cross country races or the casual baggy kinds worn while biking along the trails.Quite like shorts, jerseys come in both form fitting and loose variant. While considering the jersey, it is important you choose a fabric that dries sweat quickly and can be washed without a fuss.

Gloves
Hand and wrist fatigue can greatly be reduced by using a pair of good quality gloves. Gloves with padding on the palms also help divert exertion caused on wrists and palms while riding. Be it full-fingered gloves that protect against the cold or the finger less ones that provide grip; gloves come handy and add protection in an unfortunate event of a crash. You can choose from a wide variety of gloves according to your needs. Broadly gloves vary in fits, sizes, finger length, palm padding and optional armor style. In extreme mountain terrains, armoring knuckles and the rear of the rider’s hands with plastic is common.

Helmets
Needless to mention, in addition to clothing gear, mountain bike helmets are an indispensable necessity during tedious rides on difficult terrains. Mountain biking helmets are quite different from standard road helmets for the simple reason that these provide more coverage and protection. It is important that you choose a helmet with ample amount of venting and protection at the lower back of the head. A full- face helmet works best if you are riding downhill.

There are a number of pads and armors that you can use based on the difficulty of your ride. If you are beginner and taking baby steps in the world of mountain bikes, make sure you are well equipped with the specified clothing gear before you go for your first adventure!

Every sport has a language, cue sport is no different. Whether you play billiard, pool or snooker there may have been instances when you spoke in a tongue that zapped your non player buddy. If you are the one who used it, read on to refresh your memory! If you are the zapped buddy, let us help you with some commonly used phrases, slang and one liners used while playing pool especially in Florida.

If you happened to pass by mysteriously huddled up people talking about action being round the clock at the pool room and wondered what action this really could be? Well, they had been referring to gambling! Pool games are the ones where people frequently put their bets on a player and winning and loosing money alludes to this action. Another way of talking above gambling could be ‘sweating the action’. ‘Sweating the action’ broadly refers to betting on the game. So the next time you over hear someone say “People were sweating the action all over the room, you know what they mean.

Another commonly used word that goes around pool halls is speed. People may compare two player’s speed or say that a player has top speed. By speed they do not mean the players being fast or slow. What speed actually means is how well a player plays the game. ‘Top speed’, therefore, refers to the best a player can play. Next on the list is what they call (to) shark. Used majorly as the shark’s meal, this phrase is used to mean distract someone who is in the act of shooting. Up next we have something called as the nut or ‘the stone cold n*ts’ or the ‘Brazilians’. The player who has the n*ts or any of the previously mentioned things is usually heavily favored to win. They all mean that his winning is a sure thing. ‘The t*t’ is another frequently used phrase between the matches. The ball ran straight into the t*ts is a phrase that refers to the ball hitting the corner of the side pocket. To mean that a player is deliberately playing below ones speed/ability players use an expression called ‘to lemonade’ or go ‘lemon’.

Since cue sports are loved globally, there are other slang and phrases that people from different regions use. The English, for instance are known to play on the word b*lls quite a lot. Some common phrases related to billiards are; b*lls to the wall, b*lls up, behind the eight b*lls, by the b*lls, bust the b*lls and the like.

Cue Sport phrases also vary the way the game progresses. There are different ways to address strokes during the game and while a player is winning or losing. The next time you drop by at a pool hall in Florida, make sure you use the lingo or at least some of the words above and play it cool!

It is a universally accepted fact that both English and American cultures are very different from one another. The variations are not only in the language, mannerism or humor but also in the way they both play their games. Cue sports that primarily entail Billiard, Pool and Snooker are games that all look outstandingly similar. There are, however, major differences in the way they are played. These differences may be stark or subtle yet they do not really make one game better than the other. Despite their variations, they are all great fun. If you are interested to find out the difference in the American and English way of playing pool, look no further. Let us walk you through some of the broad differences in the game play.

It is remarkable how different kinds of balls change the ball game altogether. In the English Pool, balls come in a set of two reds and yellows. There is a single black ball or 8 ball that allows you to play the standard English 8-ball pool. Here, every player is allotted a color and everyone aims to pot the black ball. The American pool, however, replaces the reds and yellows to use stripes and spots in their balls. The game play essentially remains the same.

If your introduction to pool was at a pub or a bar, you are exposed to the English Pool Tables! English tables maybe familiar to play on yet pocketing can be slightly challenging owing to the curved pocket styles. Playing on English pools can enhance your skills and increase your chances of getting to the next level a lot faster! English pool tables are smaller than their American counterparts thereby making the entry point easier. American Pool tables are commonly found in Pool Halls and are easier to learn on as they have larger pockets. The table top has a smoother cloth that facilitates a faster game play. Apart from being easier and faster American tables are aesthetically more appealing. They come in mind blowing designs and make any room look magnificent with their elegant presence.

Another distinct characteristic that makes American and English Pool poles apart is the cloth style. The cloth not only gives the table an exceptionally different physical attribute, it actually majorly changes the entire game play! If you happen to lay your fingers over the American table top and look a little closely, you would actually see the weave of the cloth! English cloth evidently is coarser and has a furry, velvet like feel.

Now that you know the basic differences you could choose the table and style that suits you best. Since both the games have their own uniqueness, picking either one would assure you an awesome time!

Sports by definition is anything that is amusing or entertaining. The word sport itself in old French means leisure. In the recent times, however, sports has been radically associated with competitive physical activity and appropriate attitude. When one talks of cue games as sports, there is a lingering apprehension about the activity being qualified enough to call sports at all. Since cue sports are table-based activities that you engage in with your pals for a few pennies, discourse on the true nature and intent of cue games has been making the rounds. The bigger debate is whether cue sports are actually sport activities or nothing more than mere fun and games.

The biggest reason for such a speculation to arise has been probably the casualness and informality formerly surrounding the game. Since taking a drag and sipping a pint during the course of the match was no biggie, these images for long stayed etched in people’s psyche. Since the game became supremely popular, it exposed itself to stern public eye and garnered a lot of negative attention! This however has changed in recent times.

Since sportsperson are expected to maintain a healthy and fit lifestyle and be appropriate in their mannerisms, cue sport players incorporated some changes and ditched their ‘pub-like’ behavior. The British were the first to make the alteration and the rest of the world swiftly followed. Another reason for undermining cue sports as actual sports is the seaming dearth of physical prowess required in qualified sports. This may not essentially be true if you ask a professional billiard player, but the allowance of frequent breaks and casual joking is a part and parcel of the fun.

Despite being professionally taught and played at sport clubs/academies and tournaments respectively, cue sports haven’t really made it to the Olympics. Despite a former bid for the sports to launch at Tokyo, cue sports couldn’t get to the 2020 Olympics. This may be a strong leverage against cue sports that the ones discounting the sport for a game may dwell on. The truth, however, lies in the fact that cue sports just like universally recognized sports, employ great skill and dexterity in addition to being lots of fun! Cue sports are not merely just about leaning on a table and sliding a ball across, they are activities that celebrate the actual spirit of sports. They provide entertainment to both the player and the spectator and keeps either party actively engaged. To consider these sports anyway inferior to tennis, football, cricket or rugby would fairly be very unfair!

Do you have any clue what cue sports are? Let me give you a cue. They are played with cue sticks! Cue games is an umbrella term for games played with a cue stick used to strike a ball across a table. Popular all across the globe, cue sports enjoy great fandom and have many enthusiasts. Read on to find three basic types of cue sports played around the world.

Pool
Pool or pocket billiards is a game mostly payed on 6 pocket tables. The world’s most widely played amateur pool is with eight balls. If you play professionally then the most dominant style is to play the same sport with nine balls. Something called straight pool, was the most common style that the professionals formerly played with ten balls. Later they ditched it and began playing the same game with a total of nine balls.

Billiards
Carom Billiards or carambole is played on tables that are typically ten feet in length. The most distinguishing factor about Carom billiard is that it is played on pocket-less tables. At times, the game is played on heated slate. The slate bed is typically heated to about 5 degrees above normal temperature. Heating helps to drive out moisture from the table top and helps roll balls and the game faster. Carom Billiard too is divided according to the balls and the rules incorporated while playing it. Typically played with three ball, players score points by rebounding their cue ball off both the object ball and the opponent’s cue ball all in one single shot! Carom to the modern pool player may seem absolutely foreign, however, it has been the oldest cue sport around. Some common known games of carom billiard include Straight Rail,The champion’s game, Balkaline, Cushion Caroms, Three-cushion billiards and Artistic or fantasy billiards.

Snooker
Snooker is the third kind of cue sport that is played with a total of 22 balls. The snooker table has six pockets but is larger than a standard pool table. Snooker players use a strategy called snooker to make their opponent’s task difficult. When you snooker an opponent, they are unable to hit their ball in an easy straight line. A mean spirited game, snooker is a sport that is on the rise.

Cue sports strangely, most often than not, are played in bars as the overarching idea is to have serious fun! Be it pool, snooker or billiard whenever a game is on you are sure to find passionate players and enthusiastic onlookers hovering around the table.

If you are a clean slate when it comes to pool tables and wonder why people go gaga over slate pool tables, you have come to the right place. Read on to find all that you ever wanted to know about the mysterious slate pool tables.

Slate pool tables are traditionally made of a large slab of slate. Since slate can be crushed and polished into a flat surface quite easily, it gives a perfect base to pool tables. The best slate for pool tables is mostly imported from a region in northern Italy. Italian tables therefore are the highest in quality among pool tables.The most talked about aspect about slate pool tables is their price. Slate tables are higher priced than ordinary synthetic tables. The reason for this circles back to the fact that slate is imported and the transportation cost of a large and heavy slab of slate raises its overall cost.

You must have probably also heard about single slate or three piece slate tables. The obvious difference between these is the parts in which the slab is divided. Most of the high quality tables use three piece slate as they are known to have several benefits. Since a single slab of slate is extremely difficult to move, people prefer buying three piece table for the sake of ease and smooth mobility. Another demerit of the single slab table is its heavy weight. The weight causes the table to sag and warp overtime. Three slab slate tables are therefore more common and extremely durable. The only real issue with three slabs is accurate assemblage. If the assemblage is not seamless it may seriously affect game play. The simplest reason why slate tables are the most sought after pool tables is that it allows balls to roll straight when hit. The biggest flaw with non-slate surfaces is that they deflect easily and fail to last a long time.

If you are wondering that the finished slate bed table looks anything like the slate that you can write on, you are absolutely wrong! Slate Pool tables are covered in cloth that is stuck to the surface of the slate. The cloth provides a smooth playing surface. Slate tables give you an amazing playing surface that does not deteriorate over time. The cloth, however, may get damaged due to wear and tear but it can easily be replaced.

“Who uses Slate tables?” you may ask. Well, those are all slate tables that you find in clubs, halls and even pubs!

As the sight of a pool on a hot day of summer quenches your spirit, the thought of maintaining one may dampen it. If you are a newbie in pool ownership and maintenance and cleaning the pool makes you super anxious, fret no more! Walk through this list of five key pool care steps and enjoy your dip to the fullest.

Before you delve into the maintenance process, make sure you buy a pool cover. The pool cover is a great help when the pool is not in use. It also helps shield the pool from foreign objects and prevents pets and small kids from accidentally falling into the pool.

Since above ground pools come in all shapes and forms it is important to understand the kind of care your pool needs. Commonly what helps any pool stay clear for long hours, is a five step process. This includes circulation, filtration, cleaning,testing and chemical care.

We all know moving water is cleaner than the one that stands still, well that’s the whole idea! Circulation helps spread or circulate water through a pump all across the pool. Circulating water allows motion that prevents algae and bacteria from settling in and growing. Make sure you circulate water regularly and make your pool pump run at least 12 hours each day.

The next step works very closely with the first. In a way circulation and filtration are interdependent. The pump enables the filter to clear all visible and microscopic debris from the pool. You must also wash the filter weekly and treat it with chemical seasonally. Filter is an integral part of the pool equipment and it makes maintenance super easy.

The next very critical and indispensable step is – cleaning. Yes, both filtration and circulation do help clean the pool, however, isolated and remote corners may still need some brushing off once a week. To keep the entire pool clean, you must also brush the floor to get rid of algae.

Step four is Testing. Every pool should be tested with a test kit for sanitizers, free chlorine, Ph and alkalinity. Make sure these levels are measured, monitored and tested at least once a week. You can refer to the recommended level of these elements online and adjust it according to the pool you own.

The last crucial step in the maintenance program is chemical care. This step is to be followed in the very end after all the cleaning is over. Application of chemicals to the pool water not only makes it crystal clear visually, it also makes swimming safe and hygienic. Chemicals also prevent damages to the floor surface.

Clean and hygienic water not only makes swimming a delight, it also adds life to your swimming pool. Regular and periodic maintenance helps increase pool life and prolongs the joy that swimming brings with it.