As a parent, it's not always easy to find activities that are both exciting for kids and truly educational.
I know the struggle all too well.
We recently tried Cocomelon Sing and Play with JJ on our smart TV and the change in our kids was immediate.
Instead of just watching, they were jumping up laughing, singing and clapping, along with JJ and the whole crew.
Thanks to the impressive technology, the characters actually reacted to our kids' voices and movements, making the whole thing more like playtime than watching a program.
Created with guidance from early childhood specialists Cocomelon, Sing and Play with JJ helps support vocabulary development, rhythm coordination and confidence.
The experience is safe, ad-free, and totally hands-free on the big screen.
Our kids loved feeling like part of the adventure and we loved watching them light up as they learned through upbeat music and playful movement.
So if you want screen time that feels like playtime you can feel good about, give it a try.
Available now in the Volley app on your smart TV.
Just search Volley in your TV's app store and start your free trial of Cocomelon.
Sing and play with JJ today.
Sir Francis Drake was one of the most famous sailors and explorers of the 1500s.
He was known for his daring voyages, his battles at sea and his role in helping England become a major world power.
To some people, he was a hero and a brilliant navigator.
To others, especially the Spanish, he was a pirate and a thief.
No matter how he was seen, Drake's adventures changed history and helped shape the age of exploration.
Francis Drake was born around 1540 in Devon, England near the sea.
His family was poor and when he was a boy, his father worked as a preacher.
Young Francis grew up near the water and quickly learned to love ships and sailing.
When he was still a teenager, he began working on small trading ships, helping to transport goods across the English Channel.
His talent for sailing and his bold spirit soon caught people's attention.
As a young man, Drake joined voyages to Africa and the Caribbean.
These journeys were part of England's early attempts to explore and trade in distant lands.
However, there was also competition and danger.
Spain controlled much of the New World at the time, including huge parts of South America, Central America and the Caribbean.
English sailors, including Drake, often attacked Spanish ships to steal their treasure.
To the English government, these privateers were seen as brave adventurers.
To Spain, they were pirates.
One of Drake's earliest major adventures came in 1567, when he joined his cousin John Hawkins on a voyage to the Americas.
Their ships were attacked by the Spanish and many of their men were killed.
Drake barely escaped.
The experience left him angry and determined to take revenge on Spain.
Over the next several years, he led daring raids on Spanish ships and settlements in the Caribbean, capturing gold, silver and valuable goods.
His courage and skill made him famous in England.
In 1577, Queen Elizabeth, I chose Francis Drake to lead an even greater mission a voyage around the world.
This was a dangerous and ambitious journey that only one other expedition, led by Ferdinand Magellan, had completed before.
Drake set sail from England with five ships and about 160 men.
The journey was long and difficult.
He faced storms, hunger, and mutiny, and several of his ships were lost.
Drake sailed down the coast of South America and through the Strait of Magellan, a narrow passage at the southern tip of the continent.
Once in the Pacific Ocean, he continued north, attacking Spanish ships and ports along the coast.
He captured enormous amounts of treasure and claimed new lands for England.
He even sailed as far north as present-day California, which he called Nova Albion.
After crossing the Pacific Ocean, Drake continued his voyage across the Indian Ocean, around the Cape of Good Hope in Africa and finally back to England.
In 1580.
After nearly three years at sea, he arrived home as the first Englishman to sail around the world.
The Queen was so impressed that she knighted him aboard his ship, the Golden Hind.
His successful voyage made him a national hero and a symbol of England's growing power on the seas.
Drake didn't stop there.
In the years that followed, he continued his work as a sailor, explorer, and naval commander.
One of his most famous achievements came in 1588, when England faced the threat of invasion by the Spanish Armada, a massive fleet of warships sent by King Philip II of Spain.
Drake served as a Vice Admiral in the English Navy and played a major role in defeating the Armada.
His clever tactics and use of smaller, faster ships helped England win one of its greatest naval victories.
After his victory against Spain, Drake continued to explore and fight at sea.
He led more expeditions to the Caribbean and South America, but his later years were not as successful as his earlier ones.
During his final voyage in 1596, he became ill with dysentery while off the coast of Panama and passed away.
He was buried at sea in a lead coffin and his shipmates said farewell to their captain as the waves carried him away.
Sir Francis Drake's life was full of adventure, danger, and discovery.
He helped expand England's knowledge of the world and open the door for future exploration and trade.
He also helped strengthen England's navy, laying the foundation for the country's later dominance at sea.
Though some remember him as a pirate, others see him as a brave explorer who changed history.
