If your youngest is the funniest sibling, you’re not alone

Is your youngest child always the one that makes you laugh or sends her siblings into a fit of giggles? Research may have just proved you right—a new survey of siblings and family members revealed that the funniest siblings are typically the youngest ones.

According to a survey conducted by British pollster YouGov, youngest siblings are most likely to believe that they are the funniest members of their families. Forty-six percent of younger siblings answered that they think they are the funniest versus just 36 percent of oldest siblings.

The study, which included 1,783 adult siblings who were asked to assess their personality traits based on their birth order, revealed some interesting insight into how birth order can impact a person as they become an adult.

“Splitting out the first and last born siblings in British families with more than one child (86% of the population), a clear divide in personality traits emerges,” a YouGov writer said about the findings. “The most significant difference is in feeling the burden of responsibility – most (54%) first borns say they are more responsible than their siblings, compared to 31% of last borns.”

YouGov continued, “To some extent age itself, rather than family dynamics, may be responsible for the differing characteristics. Older children, having had more time to get on in life, are more likely to say they are more successful than their siblings. But undoubtedly there are family forces at work – parental attention soon shifts onto new arrivals, and firstborns may have to learn the ropes themselves. As evidence, elder siblings are more likely to feel more organized and able to prioritize their own lives. Likewise, younger siblings are more likely to feel more favored by their parents.”

A few other things the survey uncovered include:

  • 54 percent of oldest siblings feel more organized than their younger brothers and sisters.
  • 47 percent of youngest siblings see themselves as “easy-going,” compared to 42 percent of older siblings.

There’s nothing like a family road trip to get everyone excited to check out another area of the country. For your next adventure, up your road trip game with a camper van rental from GoCamp. We checked out the “Airbnb of camper vans” for ourselves and would totally recommend it for your next family camping weekend, especially with fall camping on the horizon. It comes with all the gear you need, plus a comfy spot to sleep away from the bugs. You’re going to love it!

1. Your GoCamp van comes with everything you need.

Kate Loweth

Gone are the days of packing a car full of gear for your next camping trip. GoCamp vans come with literally everything you need to cook, wash dishes and enjoy the campfire. In addition to the sink, our van had a solar-charged Yeti cooler and all the cooking gear needed to make some mean camping tacos. Pots, pans, a camp stove with propane, a French press for the all-important coffee, and place settings for four people were all included. The van's owner even let us use some of his camp chairs. All we had to bring was our clothes, sleeping bags for the kids, some food, and some firewood. That's it! 

Related: Camping Gear That Does Everything (Except Pitch the Tent)

2. The interior is your mini kitchen on the road.

interior of a camper van
Kate Loweth

The main drag of the family road trip is arguably the constant dining out. The GoCamp vans save you the aggravation (and funds) that requires by bringing your kitchen with you. While all the rigs are set up slightly differently, our Sprinter van had a pump-powered sink where we could wash dishes and an indoor area if we needed to cook out of the elements. It also came with a folding table to set up a kitchen outdoors.  

Bedding for the lower mattress was provided and the kids in the upper bunk brought their sleeping bags to make it easy. Sleeping in the Sprinter van was actually quite comfortable, much better than the usual camping sleep that's for sure! 

3. A camper van will have you sleeping in style.

Kate Loweth

There's something about bringing your bed with you that makes traveling in a GoCamp camper van especially epic. The GoCamp fleet of camper vans is anything but cookie-cutter. Scroll through their available rigs and you'll find everything from old-school Volkswagen Vanagons to Mercedes Sprinter vans. Different sleeping arrangements appeal to different families with some offering interior sleeping quarters and some roof-top popups or tents. The Sprinter van offers the largest option with seating for five and sleeping quarters (via a double bunk) for four. 

4. No RV spot needed.

Kate Loweth

Perhaps our favorite aspect of the GoCamp camping experience is that you don't need to search high and low for those high-demand RV campsites. A traditional campsite is plenty large enough to fit your camper van, your kids, and the gear. This gives you the flexibility to book your campsites as you go or try your luck at a first-come-first-served campsite. 

5. More time for hiking.

kids walking through trees at Point Reyes
Kate Loweth

An additional bonus comes when you arrive at your campsite and don't have to spend time finding a (hopefully) flat area and setting up your tent. Your all-weather sleeping quarters will keep everyone warm and happy, and you'll have more time to spend exploring your campground. 

Related: 45 Ideas That’ll Make You a Campground Pro

6. The ride is a part of the adventure.

camper van next to a field
Kate Loweth

We loved tooling around the Northern California coast on our recent GoCamp adventure because the van was so fun to drive and easy to maneuver. No blind spots or special parking spots were needed, the van could take us anywhere we wanted to go. The kids especially loved that our van was named "Vanica Patrick" and they enjoyed talking about our new friend Vanica all weekend long. 

Related: 11 Reasons Why You Should Try RV Camping with Kids

7. GoCamp is ready to kick off your next road trip adventure.

two boys on a tree stump while family camping
Kate Loweth

Your GoCamp rental comes with 125 miles per day included in your rental (with additional miles incurring an additional charge). Rentals range from $105-250/night and are a minimum of three or four days depending on the season. Check the rent-a-van page for current availability and see if there's availability near you. 

GoCamp Camper Vans
Online: gocamp.com

Editor’s note: This rental was provided by GoCamp but the opinions belong to the author. 

Looking for a super family-friendly activity for Halloween? Head to LEGOLAND!

Brick or Treat is returning to San Diego, Florida and New York and boasts a safe alternative with plenty of candy, trick-or-treating, season shows, dance parties and meet and greets. The event is included with general admission and takes place on select dates through out October (be sure to check your local park for specific dates).

Starting at 11:30 on the day of your visit, the fam can experience six themed trick-or-treating locations, meet with spooky LEGO characters like Lord Vampyre and check out shows that include The Groovin’ Graveyard.

Depending on which park you visit, you may also be treated to nightly fireworks and the chance to win a costume contest! Also consistent with the last year, LEGOLAND resorts are offering heightened health and safety practices, with over 200 hand sanitizing stations so everyone stays safe this Halloween.

—Karly Wood

All photos: Courtesy of LEGOLAND

 

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Summer is nearly in the books, and if you’re looking for a festive LEGO-filled way to count down the holiday season, then you’re going to want to get your hands on all the new 2021 LEGO advent calendars!.

After a bit of a wait, the LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar is done orbiting the galaxy and is here. Great for kids six and older, the Mandalorian-inspired set it comes with 335 pieces that include seven minifigs and mini builds!

Included minifigures are The Mandalorian and the Child, a Scout Trooper, Stormtrooper, Tusken Raider, IG-11 and IT-O Interrogator Droid. Little builders can also construct The Razor Crest, TIE Fighter, Tusken ballista snow launcher, training targets and the Child’s hoverpram.

The 2021 LEGO Harry Potter Advent Calendar is designed for kids seven and up, has 274 pieces and features 24 little gifts for your brick builders including six minifigures and buildable models like a Hogwarts letters arriving through the fireplace.

photo: LEGO

The minifigures include Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, Dudley Dursley and Griphook. Mini builders will also get two wizard card tiles to add to their collection.

You can order both calendars starting Sept. 1 from LEGO.com for $39.99 each.

—Karly Wood

All photos: LEGO

 

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If you’re like us and believe that marshmallows are the best part of kid’s cereals, you’ll love this news. Lucky Charms Just Magical Marshmallows is back! For a limited time, you can buy packs of the puffy treats at local retailers, cereal not included.

Lucky Charms says they’re great for snacking, baking or simply adding a few more mallows to your breakfast bowl. Inside each pouch you’ll find hearts, stars and horseshoes, clovers and blue moons, unicorns, rainbows and tasty red balloons. They’re selling for around $4 at retailers and already listed for much more than that on the secondary market.

The pouches come in eight collectible designs with one of the magical marshmallows starring in each. And while they’re not exactly a health food, they are gluten free! See if you can snag a pouch near you before they disappear!

—Sarah Shebek

Featured image courtesy of General Mills

 

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Kids might be small, but they’re definitely full of big questions! And sometimes those innocent queries leave us speechless. A recent survey from British company comparethemarket tried to make those moments slightly more predictable by determining the average age for kids when they started asking life’s tough questions.

Where do babies come from (and how long do you have before you have to answer that)? According to the survey responses, kids are about five and a half years old when they spring that question. Not surprisingly, parents varied on their answers. 40 percent answered it with the scientific facts, while 32% said it happens when two people love each other very much. A bit more humorously, 10% said that babies are purchased at stores.

Other big (and slightly less awkward) questions: what do you do for work and how much are things worth? The study found that kids are around seven when they start asking both of those. Almost 60% of parents said they answer honestly and 24% said they answer a bit more simplistically, so it’s easier to understand.

Finally, parents noted some individual tough questions they’ve heard from their kids, including “If everyone became vegan, where would we get cat food from” and “Did we come from the moon?” The survey included 1,000 UK adults in May and we’d be interested in comparing the results in the U.S.!

—Sarah Shebek

Featured image: Austin Pacheco/Unsplash

 

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Advent calendars truly are the gift that keeps on giving. A fun way to countdown the holiday season, we tend to love any LEGO version that launches––especially this year.

The LEGO Marvel The Avengers Advent Calendar ($40) has everything young super heroes need to recreate iconic movies from the film franchise. Geared towards kids seven and older, the 298-piece calendar has comes with everything from minifigs to the perfect backdrop.

You’ll get seven minifigures that include Iron Man, Spider-Man, Black Widow, Thor, Captain Marvel, Thanos and Nick Fury. But that’s not all!

Also included are tons of accessories like a Quinjet, Helicarrier, Spider-Man drone, Avengers Tower and more.

 

While it may seem silly to be thinking of buying advent calendars in August, these sell out amazingly fast. You can order this Marvel version from lego.com starting Sept. 1.

––Karly Wood

All photos: Courtesy of LEGO

 

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Merlin’s Beard! There’s Already a 2021 LEGO Harry Potter Advent Calendar

It’s been 20 years of LEGO Harry Potter sets and the brick business is celebrating with a new product!

The LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Icons Collectors’ Edition is the ultimate display of magical details. When assembled, you’ll have the perfect homage to iconic characters, moments and famous artifacts.

photo: Courtesy of LEGO

Hedwig serves as the centerpiece, clutching Harry’s Hogwarts letter. Also included in the set is Harry’s wand and glasses, customizable school scarf, chocolate frog, Tom Riddle’s diary, Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall and Rubeus Hagrid minifigures, the Golden Snitch and a potions tray with five potion bottles and ingredients.

With 3,010 pieces, this set is geared towards mature builders and is meant for display. Orders open on Sept. 2 at LEGO stores and LEGO.com and retails for $250.

––Karly Wood

 

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Ready to make your house the talking point of town for the upcoming spooky season? We know Halloween is still a few months away, but the Home Depot has released some epic inflatables to celebrate the season. Our favorite? A 10-foot tall Stay Puft Marshmallow Man!

Guests can’t miss this friendly/slightly creepy inflatable since it will likely come up to the roof line of your house. It has night visibility lights, included stake and tethers and it plugs in for both light up and inflation. And it already has a five star review online! You can buy it for $199 with free shipping or store pickup.

If that’s not enough to get you in the spooky spirit, you can also buy Gizmo from Gremlins, a Coco Miguel with Dante, or Stuart from Minions dressed as a red devil. We love the Hocus Pocus Sisters inflatable, but sadly it’s already out of stock!

More updates to come as retailers get in the seasonal spirit. Props to Home Depot for elevating the Halloween fun this year!

—Sarah Shebek

Images courtesy of the Home Depot

 

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