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How I Taught My Kids More Productive Hobbies

Raise your hand if your kid used to have a bunch of activities. For me, it was shuffling between ballet, gymnastics, and swim lessons - and those were just the ones with a weekly cadence. Now that we're all home and these energy outlets are no longer an option, I'm looking for some alternate hobbies for the kids.

I don't want to turn my living room into a dance studio or pretend the tub is an Olympic-sized pool - I needed something that was made for home. After hours of research, I found Muzzy, a language learning program for kids. It was created by experts at the BBC so I trusted the content but wasn't sure about the idea of giving my kids more screen time.

Muzzy teaches kids German, Spanish, French, Italian, Korean, Chinese, Italian, or English by using fun and engaging cartoons. I decided to give it a try and subscribed for $9.70 a month for 3 months. I sat my kids in front of the computer for Spanish, and they got hooked on Muzzy within 5 minutes of the first lesson.

The cartoons were kid-appropriate and I even lingered for a few minutes to watch with them. They love following Muzzy, a green friendly monster, and his friends on their adventures. Each lesson connects and builds to the next - my kids always want to do "just one more." And to be honest I don't stop them.

While they were occupied I had time to get things organized around the house and even looked into Muzzy a bit more. Apparently, there's a window of opportunity when it comes to learning a second language. Before the age of 10, it's natural and easier to learn a new language due to the wiring of the brain - after 10 it just gets harder and harder. Being 5 and 7 years old, it makes sense that my kids are loving Muzzy. Their minds are captivated and processing the lessons faster.

With Muzzy your child learns up to 1200 words and phrases through videos, online games, worksheets, and songs, making this kind of screen time totally justifiable. I love hearing them repeat their new phrases throughout the day - knowing they're having fun is the best part. Even though they're not cartwheeling around a gym, they've got a hobby that brings them just as much excitement while still being educational.

Not to mention, parent-to-parent, this hobby requires minimum effort on your side. Goodbye to the days of carpool or any mess clean-ups at home. Just give them a comfy spot at home to sit and learn, then take care of what you need to get done. Never before has my to-do list been checked off this quickly since we got Muzzy.

My kids have been breezing through Muzzyso I'm gonna extend my subscription. Thankfully they offer other affordable plans starting at $3.29 a month for 2 years and $4.92 a month for 1 year.

Who knows how many languages my kids will pick up with Muzzy by their side - I think we'll do French next!

Let Muzzy take the stress of activities off your shoulders and get your kids going on a second language with the extra time at home. Trust me, in any household, it's definitely a game-changer!

Update: Muzzy is offering a limited time sale: Save up to 67% off a subscription if you purchase today!

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