Why Is My Kid Dancing Like That? A Handy Guide to Fortnite

If you have kids of a certain age and they are exhibiting strange behaviours like weird choreographed dances, they have likely been exposed to a video game called Fortnite.

In case you’re childless and/or live in a cave, here’s Fortnite in a nutshell: it’s a multi-player survival game that takes place in an alternate version of earth, where extreme weather wipes out 98 percent of the world’s population, and the remaining two percent are left to defend themselves against zombie-like creatures.

It’s currently the hottest thing in video games, with close to 125 million players around the world. Its popularity is mostly due to the fact that it’s available on almost every gaming device (Playstation, Xbox, PC, iPhone, and Android), and the “Battle Royale” mode is free to play. Another big draw is the social interactivity: players can team up with others and interact through voice chat.

But what really sets Fortnite apart is its style. It has a fresh and colourful aesthetic with lots of humour, and characters’ looks are customizable with unique clothing and gear. Players can also buy victory dances (or “emotes”) that their characters do to celebrate a kill.

The designers of Fortnite didn’t come up with most of these moves; in fact, many of them are based on pop culture or little-known internet memes. But now these dances are being done by millions of kids around the world because of Fortnite. Here are some examples of moves you’ve likely seen performed in your kitchen, and an explanation of their origin:

The Floss

This move looks weird but it’s really fun to do. 16-year-old Russell Horning, also known as “Backpack Kid,” originated it on his Instagram page in 2016, and it quickly caught on with people copying his move all over the internet. He was even invited to perform it with Katy Perry on Saturday Night Live in 2017, and it finally made its way into Fortnite.

Best Mates

Good luck keeping a straight face for this one. The “Best Mates” dance was first seen in a hilarious and strange Facebook video called “The Band of the Bold” by a creator named Marlon Webb, then affectionately re-named “When You Go Out With Your Best Mates” by fans. Many other creators made their own tributes to “Best Mates,” doing the dance at school, at work, and with characters in other video games. Fortnite, of course, created its own tribute as well.

The Dab

Ask any kid in the know, and they’ll tell you that the Dab is dead, but like cockroaches and Keith Richards, it seems to stick around way longer than it should. Pop culture historians mostly agree that the Dab originated in the Atlanta hip-hop scene in the early 2010s, then gained popularity when professional athletes started using it as a victory dance on the field. The move reached the mainstream around 2016, but once grown-ups like Hillary Clinton and Prince Harry started catching on, kids inevitably moved on. But Fortnite didn’t!

Fresh

If you’re of parenting age, you likely remember the hit ’90s TV show The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, and the nerdy character of Carlton, played by Alfonso Ribeiro. Carlton loved to dance, even though he was pretty terrible at it, and did so at any given opportunity. In 2014, Ribeiro competed on Dancing with the Stars (and handily won!), and treated the audience to “The Carlton” in a few of his performances. The rest is Fortnite history.

Orange Justice

This dance had a long journey before it got to Fortnite. Earlier this year, Fortnite’s studio Epic Games held a competition called #BoogieDown in which fans submitted videos of their best moves to be considered for an emote in the newest version of the game. When the winning dance was announced, some fans protested loudly that their favourite video wasn’t chosen – a somewhat cringe-worthy but adorable dance by a kid in an orange shirt with the handle @Kid_fortnite12. Epic Games took notice and added his dance into the mix as well, hence the name “Orange Justice.”

@Kid_fornite12’s dance is an awkward interpretation of a move by another internet sensation, Roy Purdy, a 20-year-old YouTuber from Wisconsin who has been on the scene since 2016 with his brightly coloured wardrobe and videos of jubilant public dancing. That rubber-legged, arm flailing wiggle is one of Purdy’s signature moves, and is clearly the inspiration for @Kid_fortnite12’s #BoogieDown submission. (Some would say that Roy Purdy’s inspiration came from the Cybergoth Dance Party video that went mega-viral back in 2011, but that’s a whole other story.)

So, now that you’re caught up with some of the Fortnite dance moves, why not try a few yourself? Don’t forget to stretch first, and be prepared to completely freak out your kids.

BONUS CONTENT: If you’re not Fortnite-d out yet, enjoy this video of professional dancers trying the moves in real life. These dances are no joke!

Shop our complete Fortnite collection at londondrugs.com.

A Gift from the Heart for Mom’s Special Day

Have you looked high and low for a heartfelt gift to give Mom on a special day? We’ve got you covered!

It may be past Valentine’s Day, but thoughtful, personalized gifts never go out of style. Here’s a creative way to use our LD Photolab services and add a whole lot of love and your personality to a mug, coaster, t-shirt, blanket and more.

Use any custom drawing, graphic or photo that captures your sentiment, and easily upload it online in minutes. Think of the smile on Mom’s face when she sees a sweet drawing from her son or daughter! Our order (for the mug and coaster shown in the video above) arrived in a single day—but you might want to give it a few days, just to be sure.

This LD Solutions gift from the heart will have your giftee smiling ear-to-ear, cherishing something she’ll always remember.

  1. Create your own original drawing, graphic or photo.
  2. Add a lot of love.
  3. Snap a photo of on your phone.
  4. Upload the photo to LD Photolab online in minutes and create your gift.
  5. Pick up your gift in-store.
  6. Surprise Mom on a special day!

If you’re ever stuck on finding the perfect gift, London Drugs has you covered in store and online.


Check out more LD Solutions ‘lifehack’ videos below:

How to Charge Up Your Morning Smoothie

How to Polish a Stained Kettle

How to Clean a Messy Microwave

How to Quickly Smooth a Wrinkled Shirt

Surprising Way to Remove a Stuck-On Ring

Disorganized Mornings? We Take Care of That.

Do you have trouble getting your kids to do their morning tasks, and getting them out the door before school? Here’s one clever (and tasty) trick that makes it fun for kids to complete their morning tasks. This little life hack will have you out the door on time with smiling kids. The answer to disorganized mornings is here!

Disorganized mornings? We take care of that.

  1. Grab a few popsicle sticks (treat your kids to one a day before!)
  2. Use classic markers to colour the top of each popsicle stick
  3. Use a sharpie to write different morning tasks on each one
  4. Make bed…Wash face…Brush teeth…anything to encourage them to get ready!
  5. Grab two mason jars–mark one for the to do’s and one for done
  6. Get out the door and off to school!

Need other great tips and tricks to make life easier? Check out more of our helpful LD Solutions Videos on YouTube or individually here on the London Drugs Blog:

Breast Pumping Discussion and FAQ – Medela & London Drugs

breastfeeding questions answers breast pumping

Among other concerns, new parents often wonder exactly how—or whether—breastfeeding will work for them. These questions can become more complex when breastfeeding moms get busy with life and/or a return to work.

A potential solution is a breast pump from Medela Canada, including the mobile Freestyle system, Easy Expression bustier, Calma feeding system, and much more. They’re all available at London Drugs. You can even rent the Medela Symphony Breastpump, which is a hospital-grade double breast pump proven to reduce pumping time through faster milk flow. The benefits of the double pump are:

  • Initiate, build & maintain your milk supply
  • Get up to 18% more milk per session
  • Cut your pumping time in half vs single pumping
  • Express more fatty milk; great for brain development

Of course, knowing where to access breast pumping products isn’t enough.

Other questions include: 

  • When to start pumping.
  • How long breast milk will keep and how to store it.
  • When to change bottles and parts.
  • Whether breast pumping costs are often covered by medical plans.
  • And more…

Luckily, London Drugs buyer Laurie Leeder and Medela expert Karli Kirkpatrick, along with LD pharmacist, Marmar Rabiei, joined forces recently on Facebook Live to answer these and other questions.

Find their two-part discussion in the video section of the London Drugs Facebook page. Or simply click below to watch now. (You’ll also find answers to some frequently asked questions in this post, below the videos.)

Breast Pumping Discussion from Medela & London Drugs

Part 1:

Part 2: 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How long will breast milk last?

A: The answer depends on a couple variables. First, whether the breast milk is fresh, refrigerated, frozen or thawed. And second, whether it is intended for a healthy term infant or one that is currently in a neonatal intensive care unit. Of course, the majority of cases fall within the first category. See the chart below for complete details:

breast pumping freshness table Q: Which breast pump option best suits my needs?

A: The short answer is it varies based on your lifestyle and breast milk feeding goals! But there are two main options.

Double Pump: If you would like to provide breast milk to your baby full-time, share feedings, or return to work or school and continue providing breast milk, you will likely need a double pump. Double pumps are ideal for frequent, daily use and can be used full time, or to complement a full-time breastfeeding relationship. You can use them to pump one breast at a time (sequential) or both at once (simultaneous, which comes with some amazing benefits!).

Single Pump: These pumps are ideal to occasionally supplement full-time breastfeeding. They should only be used to fill roughly 1-3 bottles a week. This is because baby is responsible for maintaining your milk supply. So you should only be occasionally supplementing your breastfeeding with single pumping sessions.

Still Unsure? Click HERE for a great breakdown of all Medela pumps and how they should be used!

Additional Information

Did you know, many extended benefit insurance providers cover the cost of a breast pump. Check your coverage to see if this applies to you.

About Medela Canada: Many recognize Medela as the leading brand of breast pumps and accessories worldwide.  What you may not know, however, is that Medela is the world’s largest supporter of scientific research surrounding breastfeeding, breast milk, and everything to do with lactation. We support Ph.D. research, nurses & doctors at universities and hospitals worldwide to conduct rigorous research. Then, we design, manufacture and bring to market products which incorporate their findings. 

Our goal is always helping moms provide their babies with breast milk for as long as they choose. Breast milk provides three key benefits to babies: perfect nutrition, immunological protection and enhanced developmental growth.  Moms benefit too, by lowering their incidence of certain illnesses and conditions, including breast cancer, diabetes, depression and more.

About the video: This Q&A was the first London Drugs Facebook Live broadcast. It was filmed in our Learning Lab studio, located this time at the Park Royal location in West Vancouver. We plan to create more helpful Facebook Live events, featuring various LD Experts. So we would would love to hear what topics or products you think we should cover next.

Until next time, thanks for watching!

Tech Talk – How to recycle your old computer while maintaining privacy


Julian Sanders from London Drugs shows us how to recycle an old computer and still maintain our privacy.