As a parent, it can be challenging to find screen time options that are both entertaining and educational.
I get the feeling I've been there.
We recently tried Cocomelon Sing and Play with JJ on our Smart TV, and the difference was obvious.
Instead of zoning out, our kids were up on their feet laughing, singing and clapping, along with JJ and friends.
Using this really cool innovative technology on the Smart TV.
The characters actually responded to our kids' voices and movements, which made it feel like a real play session rather than a show.
Developed by early childhood experts, Cocomelon.
Sing and Play with JJ supports vocabulary growth rhythm, coordination and confidence.
The experience is safe, ad-free and completely hands-free on the big screen, which means no fiddling with remotes.
Our kids loved being part of the action and we love seeing them light up while learning through joyful music and 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.
Volley.
Welcome to Bedtime History.
Hello, this is Breck.
So I have to tell you a funny story.
The other day I was at the store with my son.
He really wanted a new toy.
He just had to have it.
You've been there as a parent.
Then I said, okay, you have your own money.
You can buy it.
He thought about it for a moment and then said, nevermind.
I guess I don't want it that much.
I had to laugh afterward but I love that the Acorns Early app and debit card teaches my kids to manage their own money.
They can earn money with the in-app chore tracker, practice real life budgeting with automatic allowances and even set their own savings goals.
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Get your first month on us when you head to acornsearlycom forward, slash bedtime history or download the Acorns Early app.
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Imagine it's Thanksgiving Day.
The smell of turkey fills the air.
Families gather around the table, and after the meal, there's football on TV.
The crowd roars, the players take the field, and the game begins.
For millions of Americans, football and Thanksgiving go hand in hand.
But have you ever wondered how this fast, thrilling, and sometimes heart-stopping sport began?
The story of American football is one of teamwork, invention, and a lot of courage.
Long before the bright stadium lights and Super Bowl parties, Football started as a rough and simple game played on college fields.
In the mid-1800s, students at schools like Princeton, Harvard and Yale were already playing ball games.
But they were very different from the football we know today.
These early games were more like a mix of soccer and rugby, with players kicking the ball and tackling each other in a chaotic rush.
There weren't many rules, and safety wasn't exactly a priority.
It was exciting, but it could also be dangerous.
One famous early game took place in 1869 between Rutgers and Princeton.
This match is often called the first official college football game.
It didn't have touchdowns or forward passes.
Players tried to kick a round ball across the opposing team's goal line.
Rutgers won six to four, and the crowd went wild.
Nobody knew it at the time, but this small college rivalry was the spark that would ignite one of the most popular sports in America.
As more schools began to play, Everyone realized they needed rules.
The game was too rough and disorganized.
That's when a man named Walter Camp entered the picture.
Often called the father of American football Camp was a Yale athlete who loved the game but wanted to make it safer and more structured.
In the 1880s, he suggested major changes.
He introduced the line of scrimmage, created the system of downs and gave each team 11 players instead of 15.
He also came up with the idea of the quarterback one player who could lead the team and direct plays.
Camp's new version of football spread quickly.
College students loved the mix of strategy and strength.
It was like a game of chess, but with tackling.
However, the sport was still dangerous.
Players wore almost no protection, and serious injuries were common.
In 1905 the problem became so bad that some schools considered banning football entirely.
That's when president theodore roosevelt, a big supporter of the sport, stepped in.
He called together coaches and school leaders and told them the game had to become safer or it would be shut down.
Thanks to roosevelt's push, new safety rules were added and in 1906 football changed forever with the introduction of the forward pass.
Before this, players could only run the ball or kick it.
Now they could throw it down the field, making the game faster, more exciting and much safer.
The new rules helped football evolve into something closer to what we see today.
In the early 1900s, college football was incredibly popular.
Huge crowds filled stadiums to watch teams like Notre Dame, Army, and Michigan.
One famous story from this time is about Notre Dame's Four Horsemen, a group of players so skilled and unstoppable that they became legends.
Newspapers compared them to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, because they seemed to bring doom to every team they faced.
Professional football started a bit later.
At first it was less organized and not as respected as college football.
Small town teams formed across the Midwest, and players often had other jobs during the week.
But things began to change in 1920 when the American Professional Football Association was founded.
Two years later, it was renamed the National Football League, the NFL.
The early NFL was tough.
Teams like the Green Bay Packers, the Chicago Bears and the Canton Bulldogs played on muddy fields, sometimes in freezing weather.
Players wore leather helmets and heavy wool uniforms.
Crowds were small, but the players were fierce.
Slowly, the league grew.
One of the first stars was Red Grange, known as the Galloping Ghost.
He was fast, smooth, and nearly impossible to catch.
When he joined the Chicago Bears, thousands of new fans began to follow the NFL.
Over the years, football became more than just a sport.
It became part of American culture.
Radio and television helped spread the excitement.
Families gathered to listen to games and later to watch them on TV.
Legendary players like Jim Brown, Johnny Unitas and later Joe Montana and Jerry Rice helped make football a national obsession.
Thanksgiving became a special day for football, too.
The tradition began in 1934, when the Detroit Lions hosted a game on Thanksgiving Day to attract more fans.
It worked!
The game was a huge success, and the tradition stuck.
Today, millions of Americans tune in to watch the Lions, and now the Dallas Cowboys too, play on Thanksgiving Day.
The holiday just wouldn't feel the same without it.
One of the most incredible football stories comes from the 1967 Ice Bowl, one of the coldest games ever played.
The Green Bay Packers faced the Dallas Cowboys in Wisconsin, where the temperature dropped to 13 degrees below zero.
The field was frozen solid and players could barely feel their hands.
Still, they kept playing.
In the final seconds, quarterback Bart Starr led a legendary play that gave the Packers the win.
It became one of the most memorable moments in football history, a story of toughness and teamwork that still inspires fans today.
Football continued to grow through the 20th century, eventually becoming the most popular sport in America.
In 1967 the first Super Bowl was held, a championship game between the best teams from two rival leagues, the NFL and the AFL.
The Green Bay Packers won that first Super Bowl, but the real winner was the sport itself.
The Super Bowl became a national event filled with excitement, halftime shows and celebrations that brought people together from all across the country.
Today, football isn't just played in huge stadiums.
It's played in backyards, parks, and school fields everywhere.
Kids run across the grass tossing footballs and dreaming of touchdowns.
The game spirit lives on at every level, from beginners to high school players chasing big goals.
One of the most exciting parts of football's growth is flag football.
Instead of tackling, players pull flags from each other's belts, making it fun, fast, and safe.
Girls flag football sponsored by the NFL is growing quickly and two of my daughters play and love it.
It's a great way to learn teamwork, confidence, and leadership while having fun on the field.
Whether in a stadium or a park, football is still about teamwork, strategy, and determination.
The thrill of the game and the joy it brings remains the same for everyone who plays.
When you see a team huddle on Thanksgiving or hear the cheer of a touchdown, you're witnessing more than just a game.
You're seeing over 150 years of history, courage, and innovation.
From muddy college fields to massive stadiums filled with lights, football has grown into a tradition that connects generations.
And maybe that's why, after the turkey and pumpkin pie are gone, so many families still gather around the TV or head outside for a game of catch.
Football reminds us of competition, but also of connection.
The way people come together, cheer together, and celebrate together.
It's not just America's game, it's part of the country's story built one play, one cheer and one touchdown at a time.
