Unique Ten Fun Facts About BikesPlace

Whether you rely on your bike for transportation or exercise, you�ll enjoy these ten fun facts on this two-wheeled vehicle.

1. In 1817, Karl von Drais, a German baron, invented a horseless carriage that would help him get around faster. The two-wheeled, pedal-less device was propelled by pushing your feet against the ground, The machine became known as the �draisine,� and led to the creation of the modern-day bicycle.


2. The term �bicycle� was not introduced until the 1860s, when it was coined in France to describe a new kind of two-wheeler with a mechanical drive.


3. Orville and Wilbur Wright, the brothers who built the first flying airplane, operated a small bike repair shop in Dayton, Ohio. They used their workshop to build the 1903 Wright Flyer.


4. Fred A. Birchmore, 25, circled the globe by bicycle in 1935. The entire trip, through Europe, Asia, and the United States, covered forty thousand miles. He pedaled about 25,000 miles. The rest was traveled by boat. He wore out seven sets of tires.


5. There are over a half billion bicycles in China. Bikes were first brought to China in the late 1800s.


6. About 100 million bicycles are manufactured worldwide each year.


7. Over the past 30 years, bicycle delivery services have developed into an important industry, especially in cities, where the couriers have earned a reputation for their high speed and traffic-weaving skills.


8. Americans use their bicycles for less than one percent of all urban trips. Europeans bike in cities a lot more often�in Italy 5 percent of all trips are on bicycle, 30 percent in the Netherlands, and seven out of eight Dutch people over age 15 have a bike.


9. The Tour de France is one of the most famous bicycle races in the world. Established in 1903, it is considered to be the biggest test of endurance out of all sports. Lance Armstrong, an American cyclist, is the only rider to have won seven titles (1999�2005) after surviving cancer.


10. Bicycle Moto Cross (BMX), an extreme style of bicycle track racing, became a sport in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Maris Strombergs, of Latvia, received the gold medal for Men�s BMX, and Anne-Caroline Chausson, from France, took home the gold in the first Women�s BMX Olympic event.

Facts taken from:
 
Bicycle: The History by David Herlihy
The World Almanac Book of Records: Firsts, Feats, Facts & Phenomena by Mark Young

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Unique Make a Groovy Lava LampPlace

HOW DOES IT WORK?

The secret behind the lamp�s �lava� is science. Oil is lighter, or less dense, than water, so it rises to the surface. Salt is heavier, or more dense, than water, and sinks to the bottom. When you add the salt, blobs of oil attach to the grains and sink. Then the salt dissolves, and the oil returns to the top. The result? A liquid show for the eyes.

YOU WILL NEED

• Clear jar with lid
• Water
• Food coloring
• Glitter
• Vegetable oil
• Salt
• Flashlight
  

Fill the jar three-quarters full of water. Add drops of food coloring until you like the color you see. A few drops go a long way! Sprinkle in glitter for extra sparkle. Fill the jar almost to the top with vegetable oil and let the mixture separate. Pour salt into the jar until you see the cool lava lamp effect. When the bubbles stop, add more salt to see it again. Shine a flashlight behind the jar to watch your lava lamp really glow!

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Unique Eggs-Periments: Balancing EggPlace

First get permission to use kitchen equipment and eggs.

YOU WILL NEED

• One raw egg
• Salt

HERE�S HOW

1. Take the raw egg and try to balance it on a hard surface (you will have a difficult time keeping the egg balanced).
2. Now, make a tiny mound of salt on a hard, smooth surface.
3. Very carefully balance the egg on top of the salt, then gently blow the excess salt away. With patience and a steady hand, you should succeed.

Note: Try this experiment without the salt about March 20, on the spring equinox, or about September 23, on the autumn equinox. During the equinoxes the sun appears directly overhead at the Equator, and the length of night and day are nearly equal worldwide. Carefully balance the egg on a hard smooth surface. If it doesn't balance, then try the experiment with some salt.

WHY?

Some people believe that the gravitational pull of the sun that occurs on the equinoxes can help keep an egg standing on its end. This idea is unproven, but it's interesting to test it. Another way to stand an egg up�on any day�is to use salt.
The salt crystals are almost perfect cubes, and they help form a pedestal that supports the egg.

 

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Unique Peppermint BarkPlace

Make your own delicious peppermint bark to eat or give as a gift.

YOU WILL NEED

• 15 to 20 red-and-white peppermint candies
• Resealable freezer bag
• Hammer
• 11-ounce (311-gram) bag of white chocolate
• Medium-size, microwave-safe bowl
• Red or green food coloring (optional)
• Cookie sheet
• Waxed paper
• Cellophane (optional)

HERE'S HOW

1. Unwrap the mints and seal them inside the freezer bag. Ask your parents to help you crush the mints by gently hitting them with a hammer.  Remove larger pieces of candy from the bag and set aside.
2. Pour the white chocolate chips into the bowl and microwave on 70 percent power for two to three minutes. Stir frequently until the chips are melted and smooth.
3. Add the crushed mints from the bag. To create holiday colors, slowly mix in drops of food coloring until you like the color.
4. Line the cookie sheet with waxed paper and spread out the chocolate. Decorate with the larger mint pieces. Refrigerate for about an hour. Break the hardened chocolate into pieces.
5. Wrap the candy in cellophane to give as a gift!

 

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Unique Ice Cream Sandwiches NightPlace

Ask your parents to join you when you make these homemade, ice cream sandwiches!

YOU WILL NEED (SERVES FOUR)

• 2 cups (475 mL) of your favorite ice cream or frozen yogurt
• 8 large cookies

RECOMMENDED COOKIE/ICE CREAM COMBOS

• Chocolate cookie/mint chocolate chip ice cream
• Peanut butter cookie/chocolate ice cream
• Vanilla cookie/strawberry ice cream
• Chocolate chip cookie/vanilla ice cream

HERE'S HOW

1. Let ice cream sit out for ten minutes.

2. Top four cookies with 1/2 cup (120 mL) ice cream.

3. Top each one with another cookie to form ice cream sandwiches!

4. Wrap the four cookies in plastic or wax paper and freeze until firm.

5. Break out these ice cream-filled sandwiches for dessert on a hot night.

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Unique A Different Way to Wake UpPlace

When Matty Sallin, 34, was working on a degree in art and technology at New York University, he got an interesting assignment in electronics class: Create something for the household. He decided to create an alarm clock.

"Everybody has to deal with these every day, and they are extremely unpleasant!" he says. He asked different people what they'd like to wake up to instead of a clanging, noisy alarm. A lot of them said, "The smell of bacon."

So Sallin and two classmates invented a new kind of alarm clock: a wooden box with a pig face and a digital clock that uses the smell of cooking bacon rather than sound to wake someone up. He explains, "There's no danger of burning, because I built it carefully. It uses halogen light bulbs instead of a flame for cooking and turns off automatically after ten minutes." Just a few easy steps are required to set the "alarm."

"What you do is put a couple of frozen strips in the night before," says Sallin. Bacon is cured, or preserved, so there is no danger of it spoiling overnight.

"If you set the alarm for 8:00, it will turn on at 7:50 and slow cook for ten minutes under the halogen bulbs," he says. Then the bulbs turn off and a fan blows the scent out through the nostrils of the pig.

"So instead of an alarm or a beep or a radio, you smell yourself awake," says Sallin. "Then you can open the door on the side and pull the bacon out and eat it."

When Sallin was a kid, he spent a lot of time making drawings of inventions. "I wanted to make an elevator in my back yard and a special tree house," he says. "But I never really thought I'd be called an inventor!"

Sallin got an A in the class and went on to other things�but people continue to hear about his invention and email him every day asking where they can buy his alarm clock.

These days he designs computer software, but if he decides to produce and sell his aroma alarm, maybe he can develop some other models. Any votes for cinnamon buns?

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Unique Rattlesnake RustlersPlace

When Heather Ramirez of Auburn, California, went to the dentist recently with her husband Len, she wasn�t there to have her teeth cleaned. She and her husband are professional snake removers. They were there to catch and return to the wild a rattlesnake that had slithered indoors.

She describes her work as �protecting people from rattlesnakes�and protecting rattlesnakes from people.� In her part of the country, the northern Pacific rattlesnake (Crotalus virudis oreganos) often comes face-to-face with humans.

Studies show these snakes generally only bite people who are trying to catch or kill them. Keeping your distance prevents bites, which are serious but not usually fatal with today�s medicines.  A rattlesnake can even give a loud warning that says, �I am here, stay away� with the rattles located at the tip of its tail.

 �We find rattlesnakes everywhere,� says Ramirez. �In houses, in yards and woodpiles, under decks.�  She says that the snakes aren�t invading human homes�it�s the other way around: �These animals were here first, and we humans came in and built houses. We are living in their territory.�

Many people are frightened when they see a rattler and call for help right away. When the Ramirez phone rings, the couple drops whatever they are doing and rushes to work, often leaving a meal half-eaten on the table.

The team is good at finding snakes that have gone into hiding. A tool that looks like long spaghetti tongs allow them to handle the snakes without harming them (see photo), and the tongs are long enough that the snake cannot reach them to bite.

�Never pick up a rattlesnake,� says Ramirez. �I�ve been doing this job for 12 years, and I have never touched one with my hands. There�s no reason to take that risk.�

�We put the snakes in wooden crates in our pickup truck. Those crates are bolted to the floor and locked for safety,� explains Ramirez. She takes the captives to holding pens at her house until she can let them go far away from human activity.

Ramirez tells people to read all they can about snakes so they understand these amazing animals. For example, snakes actually help humans. Small mammals like rats, mice, and gophers carry fleas and ticks that spread serious illnesses like bubonic plague and Lyme disease to people. A snake might eat a dozen rodents a year, helping control the population�and the spread of disease.

Ramirez and her husband relocate more than a thousand snakes a year. �The longest was 5 feet 9 inches (1.8 meters), and I�m only five-foot-three, so that was amazing to see.� She enjoys every day working with snakes. �I just love my job!�

Snake Safety Tips

• If you see a snake, don�t touch it.  Go tell an adult.

• Snakes like warmth, and they often curl up at night next to big plastic toys outside that hold the warmth of the sun.  Look carefully when you go out to play.

• Never put your hands into woodpiles or dark corners of the garage in case a snake is hiding there.

• When you�re out playing, step on rocks and logs, not over them.  You don�t want to surprise a snake that might be hiding underneath.

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Unique Here Come the PresidentsPlace

In 2007, just in time for Presidents� Day, the United States Mint is releasing a brand new one-dollar coin that honors U.S. Presidents. It's the first in the Presidential $1 Coin Program, which is modeled after the popular state quarters series.
Four new designs will come out per year, each featuring a different U.S. President. You can start your collection this year with George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison!

�Coins are history in our pocket,� said April Stafford, United States Mint education program manager. �To actually hold that coin in your hand and ask, 'Why are we honoring this President?' is a very tangible way for kids to learn about our nation.�
The Presidential $1 Coin Act was signed by President Bush on December 22, 2005. It set out all the rules for when the coins get released and who appears on them. One rule says Presidents who served more than one term get only one coin unless the terms were not consecutive (served one after the other). Can you name the one U.S. President who served two non-consecutive terms? It�s Grover Cleveland, and he�ll get two coins.

The "heads," or obverse, side of the coins will feature an image of the President, his name, the dates he served in office, and which number president he was.
The reverse, or �tails,� side will feature the Statue of Liberty. All current U.S. coins have the word "Liberty" printed on them. But the Mint decided in this case, since the picture of the statue is so big, including the word was not necessary.
Another interesting thing about the $1 coin will be its edge lettering. "E Pluribus Unum," "In God We Trust," and the release year will be written along the side of the coins, which leaves more space on the face for a larger image of the President. Edge lettering has not been used on U.S. coins in more than 70 years. This feature will also help blind and visually impaired people figure out the coin's value more easily.
The U.S. Mint estimates more than 140 million people collect state quarters. They hope as many will begin collecting Presidential $1 coins. But what the U.S. Mint really wants is for people to use them to buy things. �This is another choice that we hope Americans will use when shopping,� says Stafford.

For more information about the Presidential $1 Coin Program, including lesson plans and other educational material, visit the United States Mint.

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Unique Discovered: Oldest Writing in the New WorldPlace

The Cascajal block, found in Veracruz, Mexico, shows an example of ancient writing.

Photograph by Michael D. Coe

Anthropologists study people who are no longer living. Items those men, women, and children left behind when they died�everything from clothing to jewelry and tools�tell anthropologists a lot.  And sometimes even their words survive.

Experts believe that a discovery in Mexico is the oldest example of writing ever found in the Americas. The people who created it probably lived 3,000 years ago, long before Christopher Columbus arrived in the New World.

Workers digging in a stone quarry happened to notice a stone block with marks carved onto its surface. They found the large piece of serpentine stone in Cascajal in Veracruz, Mexico, near the capital city of an ancient people called the Olmec.

�There are signs on the block that seem to show religious objects used by the Olmec,� says Dr. Stephen Houston, an anthropologist with Brown University in Rhode Island. �There is a pointy sign that looks very similar to something they used for blood-letting, and another that looks like a throne,� he explains.

Houston, an expert on the writing systems of ancient cultures, says the discovery is exciting because �it makes clear that the Olmec were literate, that they could read and write. It�s like hearing voices from the past," he says.

But experts don�t know exactly what the writing says. If you have ever tried to figure out a message written in code, you have a pretty good idea of the hard work ahead.  Finding other examples of Olmec writing could help crack the code.

Plenty of exciting finds await discovery, says Houston, maybe even by kids reading this article who decide to study past cultures when they grow up. �We could have whole sets of ancient writing which will basically make ancient people speak to us directly,� says Houston. �There are many puzzles to be solved, and this is just one of them.�

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Unique U.S. Presidential Fun FactsPlace

Abraham Lincoln's son Tad once fired on the Cabinet after receiving a pretend military commission.

Illustration by Bob Brugger

Did you know that Andrew Johnson, the 17th President of the United States, was a tailor before he was President? Or that one of George Washington's favorite foods was ice cream? These are just two of the interesting facts about past U.S. Presidents National Geographic Kids has collected.

Many Presidents had unusual careers before entering the White House. Jimmy Carter, the 39th President, was a peanut farmer. Ronald Reagan, the 40th President, was a movie actor. And Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President, once worked chopping rails for fences.

According to John Riley of the White House Historical Association, Harry Truman was a haberdasher. A haberdasher (HAB-er-dash-er) is someone who deals in men's clothing and accessories, particularly hats.

Once in the White House, each President made his mark in different ways. In fact, before Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President, came to office, the White House wasn't even called the White House! People called the building the President's Palace, President's House, and the Executive Mansion. Roosevelt officially named it the White House in 1901.

Theodore Roosevelt wasn't the only President to invent a new expression. Martin Van Buren, the eighth President, is sometimes credited with creating the word "OK." Van Buren was from Kinderhook, New York. During his campaign, Old Kinderhook (O.K.) clubs formed to support the President. Later, "OK" or "okay," came to mean "all right."

There have been many other interesting presidential firsts. James Polk, the 11th President, was the first President to have his photograph taken. Theodore Roosevelt was the first President to ride in a car while in office. His fifth cousin and the 32nd President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, was the first to ride in an airplane.

What will be the next big presidential first? First to ride in a spaceship?

Fast Facts:

• At 6 feet, 4 inches (1.9 meters), Abraham Lincoln was the tallest U.S. President.
• William Henry Harrison, the ninth President, was the only President who studied to be a medical doctor.
• Millard Fillmore, the 13th President, was the first President to have a stepmother.
• James Garfield, the 20th President, was the first left-handed President.

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Unique A Big day for AmericaPlace

America recognized a 400th anniversary in May, 2007! On May 13, 1607, colonists arrived at what would become Jamestown, Virginia, the first permanent English settlement in North America.

New Arrivals

Even before the Mayflower landed in Massachusetts, three ships from England�named the Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery�landed on the shores of North America. The English hoped they would discover gold, silver, and a trade route to Asia. But their arrival meant trouble for the local Indians. The settlers moved onto the Indians' land, and while the two groups sometimes got along, they fought when food became scarce.

A Long Legacy

The settlers never found riches or a shortcut to Asia, but they did create the first representative government in the British colonies. This May thousands of people are expected to visit Historic Jamestowne�the original settlement site�and nearby attractions to remember America's history.

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Unique The Original 7 Wonders of the WorldPlace

Colossus of Rhodes, Rhodes (an island in the Mediterranean Sea)

Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, Turkey

Statue of Zeus, Greece

Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, Turkey

The Pyramids of Giza, Egypt

Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Iraq

Colossus of Rhodes, Rhodes (an island in the Mediterranean Sea)

Why name new wonders of the world? Most of the original ancient wonders no longer exist. More than 2,000 years ago, many travelers wrote about incredible sights they had seen on their journeys. Over time, seven of those places made history as the "wonders of the ancient world."

The Pyramids of Giza, Egypt
Built: About 2,600 B.C.
Massive tombs of Egyptian pharaohs, the pyramids are the only ancient wonders still standing today.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Iraq
Built: Date unknown
Legend has it that this garden paradise was planted on an artificial mountain, but many experts say it never really existed.

Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, Turkey
Built: Sixth century B.C.
This towering temple was built to honor Artemis, the Greek goddess of the hunt.

Statue of Zeus, Greece
Built: Fifth century B.C.
This 40-foot (12-meter) statue depicted the king of the Greek gods.

Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, Turkey
Build: Fourth century B.C.
This elaborate tomb was built for King Mausolus.

Colossus of Rhodes, Rhodes (an island in the Mediterranean Sea)
Built: Fourth century B.C.
A 110-foot (33.5-meter) statue honored the Greek sun god Helios.

Lighthouse of Alexandria, Egypt
Built: Third century B.C.
The world's first lighthouse used mirrors to reflect sunlight for miles out to sea.

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Unique Help Others This Holiday SeasonPlace

There are many ways to give back over the holidays.

Photograph courtesy Jupiterimages

Help Others This Holiday Season!

This holiday make the season a little brighter for others. Giving back is a great thing to do all year round, but the holidays tend to bring out the charitable side in most people. Try some of these ideas with your family and make a difference this holiday season.

• Donate to a charitable organization
• Invite an elderly neighbor or someone who lives alone to join your celebration (ask your parents first!)
• Deliver a meal to a family in need
• Write a thoughtful note to someone special
• Bring your host a small gift to show your appreciation and offer to help clean up
• Donate clothes you've outgrown
• Donate food to a local charity or food bank
• Volunteer at a soup kitchen
• Send a care package to a soldier
• Visit hospital patients
• Foster a dog or cat
• Adopt an endangered animal through a zoo
• Shovel snow for a neighbor
• Help pick up trash at a local park
• Join a church or school group that does community service projects

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Unique The Secret Language of DolphinsPlace

 

 

Scientists are studying wild and captive dolphins to decipher their secret language.

Photograph courtesy Augusto Stanzani/Ardea London Ltd

 The Secret Language of Dolphins

Here's a conversation worth talking about: A mother dolphin chats with her baby�over the telephone! The special call was made in an aquarium in Hawaii, where the mother and her two-year-old calf swam in separate tanks connected by a special underwater audio link. The two dolphins began squawking and chirping to each other�distinctive dolphin chatter.

Cracking the Code

"It seemed clear that they knew who they were talking with," says Don White, whose Project Delphis ran the experiment. "Information was passing back and forth pretty quickly." But what were they saying? That's what scientists are trying to find out by studying wild and captive dolphins all over the world to decipher their secret language. They haven't completely cracked the code yet, but they're listening�and learning.

Chatty Mammals

In many ways, you are just like the more than 30 species of dolphins that swim in the world's oceans and rivers. Dolphins are mammals, like you are, and must swim to the surface to breathe air. Just as you might, they team up in pods, or groups, to accomplish tasks. And they're smart.

They also talk to each other. Starting from birth, dolphins squawk, whistle, click, and squeak. "Sometimes one dolphin will vocalize and then another will seem to answer," says Sara Waller, who studies bottlenose dolphins off the California coast. "And sometimes members of a pod vocalize in different patterns at the same time, much like many people chattering at a party." And just as you gesture and change facial expressions as you talk, dolphins communicate nonverbally through body postures, jaw claps, bubble blowing, and fin caresses.

Thinking Dolphin

Scientists think dolphins "talk" about everything from basic facts like their age to their emotional state. "I speculate that they say things like 'there are some good fish over here,' or 'watch out for that shark because he's hunting,'" says Denise Herzing, who studies dolphins in the Bahamas.

When the going gets tough, for instance, some dolphins call for backup. After being bullied by a duo of bottlenose dolphins, one spotted dolphin returned to the scene the next day with a few pals to chase and harass one of the bully bottlenose dolphins. "It's as if the spotted dolphin communicated to his buddies that he needed their help, then led them in search of this guy," says Herzing, who watched the scuffle.

Language Lessons

Kathleen Dudzinski, director of the Dolphin Communication Project, has listened to dolphins for more than 17 years, using high-tech gear to record and analyze every nuance of their language. But she says she's far from speaking "dolphin" yet. Part of the reason is the elusiveness of the animals. Dolphins are fast swimmers who can stay underwater for up to ten minutes between breaths. "It's like studying an iceberg because they spend most of their lives underwater," Dudzinski says.

Deciphering "dolphin speak" is also tricky because their language is so dependent on what they're doing, whether they're playing, fighting, or going after tasty fish. It's no different for humans. Think about when you raise a hand to say hello. Under other circumstances, the same gesture can mean good-bye, stop, or that something costs five bucks. It's the same for dolphins. During fights, for example, dolphins clap their jaws to say "back off!" But they jaw clap while playing, too, as if to show who's king of the underwater playground.

"I have not found one particular dolphin behavior that means the same thing every time you see it," says Dudzinski. "If you like mysteries and detective work, then this is the job for you." And who knows�maybe someday you'll get a phone call from a dolphin.

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Unique Build a box City Place

Build a box city

Children just love boxes and the old saying, "kids have more fun with the box than with the gift inside it" is so true. Here's how to build a box town.

Number of Players:

+1

What You Need:

• Boxes of various sizes 
• Toilet rolls 
• Butcher�s paper, tissue paper or just a roll of white paper (we used one from Ikea)
• Sticky tape
• Scissors
• Coloured paper
• Assorted buttons
• Crayons
• Thin masking tape or washi tape
• A few little cars and �villagers�

Activity:

1. Tape up the open boxes so they�re a bit more solid.
2. Wrap the boxes in plain-coloured paper as you would a present.
3. Have the children draw bricks, house numbers, doors and windows on the wraped boxes (or continue with the next step instead).
4. Have your children (or do so yourself!) cut out squares and rectangles from coloured paper for windows and doors.
5. Glue in place and add a button as a doorknob. Have the kids line up their buildings and add some trees (cut two slits on opposite sides of the end of one toilet roll and slip in green coloured paper cut into the shapes of clouds) and a road (strip of blue/grey paper marked with washi or thin masking tape.)


This craft was created by Belinda Graham, who blogs at The Happy Home Blog.

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Unique Birthday party idea: robot costumePlace

Little birthday robots need little robot costumes! This robot costume is easy to make and can be shiny and silver as we did here, or you can amp it up even more with a dose of sparkly silver spray paint. Perfect attire for a robot theme birthday party.

To make a robot costume, you'll need:

• A box to fit the child - a nappy box is a good size
• Box cutter or knife
• 2 slinkys
• Aluminium foil
• Spray adhesive
• Hot glue gun
• Assortment of pastic lids
• Silver ribbon
• Permanent coloured textas (optional)
• Paper (optional)

How to create a robot costume:

• Cut the four flaps off the bottom of the box.
• Use the box cutter to cut a large square hole in the bottom of the box.
  On the sides, cut up from the bottom to create a slot for the arms (this makes it easier than having to put their arms through a small hole).
• Hot glue gun a piece of ribbon to the inside of the top of the arm slot to attach the slinky.
• Spray glue the outside of the box and stick aluminium foil over the outside.
• Smooth the foil over so it sticks and fold the edges underneath the open part of the box as you would wrap a present. You will likely need to do more than one layer.
• Use your knife to cut out the square head hole in the top.
• Glue the plastic bottle tops to the front of the box to create 'buttons'. You can also draw a picture for the front of the box on the paper. For example, this could be a picture of a robot in silver marker on black paper. 
• Once the child is in the box, slip the slinkys over each arm and loop the ends on ribbon hoops for springy robot arms. You could spray-paint these silver too for a metal look!

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Unique Make a tooth fairy boxPlace

 Make a tooth fairy box

Develop your little one's artistic ability, while providing a perfect opportunity to discuss what happens when a tooth falls out, by building this fun Tooth fairy box.

What you need:

• Tooth Fairy Box template printed or glued onto cardboard
• Glue
• Scissors
• Coloured pens, pencils, crayon or paint
• Glitter (optional)

Method:

The story behind the Tooth Fairy - that she will take lost teeth to the heavens to make a new star - is a wonderful way to help children deal with losing a tooth.
While some parents have a bought box in which little teeth can be placed, this activity allows your child to feel that they are choosing to give their tooth to the Tooth Fairy as a gift in a box they have crafted, rather than having it taken or bought from them.
How to build a Tooth Fairy box: Print out the template onto cardboard (or glue it onto cardboard) and have your child colour it in. Cut it out, fold it and glue it. Decorate it with glitter if your child wishes.
The Tooth Fairy will easily be able to find your child's tooth in the night to take it back to the heavens to make a new star for them to see the next night.

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Unique Sippy straw experimentPlace

Sippy straw experiment

Two drinking glasses, water and a straw and you can try the Sippy Straw experiment. What will happen when these three things come together? Kids will love trying this out to see how it goes.

Number of players:

1+

What you need:

• drinking straw
• two drinking glasses
• water

Activity:

Half fill one glass with water.

Put the straw in the glass.

Suck a small amount of water into the straw.

Hold your finger across the top of the straw.

Take the straw out of the water.

Place the straw over the second empty glass and take your finger away from the top of the straw.

The water will come out. Why? When you suck through a straw, you don't pull the liquid up but you take away some of the air inside the straw.

This makes the pressure inside the straw lower than the pressure outside the straw.

The greater air pressure under the straw holds the water inside.

 

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Unique Science experiment: Which colors are hotter?Place

Science experiment: Which colors are hotter?

Have you ever wondered why you should not wear black in summer? Or why you feel hotter in black than white? This science experiment will help you to determine exactly why black and white truly are oposites.

Number of players:

1+

What you need:

• 2 glasses
• water
• white paper
• black paper
• 2 rubber bands

Activity:

Cover the edges of one glass with white paper and the other glass with black paper.

Secure both pieces of paper with a rubber band.

Fill the glasses with the same amount of water in each.

Leave the glasses in the sun for a couple of hours.

When you return, measure the temperatures of the water in both glasses with your thermometer.

Result:
The glass of water with the black paper should be hotter than the other glass of water.

Why?:
Because dark surfaces (such as the black paper) absorb more heat and lighter surfaces (such as the white paper) reflect more light.

 

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Unique Blubber experimentPlace

Discovering the secret of blubber is awesome fun, just ask any child who has done this experiment. This is an easy and safe science experiment for kids of all ages and makes learning fun!

Number of players:

1+

What you need:

• two cups
• cold water
• ice cubes
• white fat/lard/shortening

Activity:

Fill two cups with cold water and ice-cubes.

Roll the fat into a ball and stick one finger in the middle of it.

Make sure your finger is completely covered by the fat.

Now immerse the fat-covered finger in one cup and another finger in the other cup and see how long you can keep your fingers in the water.

You'll want to take the uncovered finger out first.
Why?
The fat will protect your skin from the cold because it is protected by blubber.
Whales, seals and walruses all have a layer of fat called blubber to insulate their bodies from the freezing water.

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Unique Wave in a bottle experiment For KidsPlace

Explore the wonders of how nature works with wave in a bottle, a fun science experiment and learning game. Kids will discover how and why water behaves and will be amazed at the power of the natural world. Kick start a possible love of science with this project today.

Number of players:

1+

What you need:

• empty plastic bottle and cap
• vegetable oil
• water
• food colouring

Activity:

Wash a bottle and take off the label by soaking it in hot water.

Fill the bottle with 3/4 cup of water.

Add a few drops of food colouring.
Pour 1 cup of oil into the bottle.
Screw the cap on.
Roll the bottle on its side and let it settle for a few minutes.
The water will sink to the bottom and the oil will rise to the top.
Now tip the bottle back and forth and make some waves.
The waves will be bigger at one end of the bottle and smaller at the other.
Why?
Your bottle wave is like an ocean wave.
Water moves up and down and doesn't go forward as the wave goes through the water.
The friction between water and wind makes a wave.
Longer waves travel faster than shorter ones and go further before friction makes them disappear.

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Unique Kids and Food ten (10) Tips for ParentsPlace

 Download audio of this full tips

It's no surprise that parents might need some help understanding what it means to eat healthy. From the MyPlate food guide to the latest food fad, it can be awfully confusing.
The good news is that you don't need a degree in nutrition to raise healthy kids. Following some basic guidelines can help you encourage your kids to eat right and maintain a healthy weight.
Here are 10 key rules to live by:

The good news is that you don't need a degree in nutrition to raise healthy kids. Following some basic guidelines can help you encourage your kids to eat right and maintain a healthy weight.
Here are 10 key rules to live by:

1. Parents control the supply lines. You decide which foods to buy and when to serve them. Though kids will pester their parents for less nutritious foods, adults should be in charge when deciding which foods are regularly stocked in the house. Kids won't go hungry. They'll eat what's available in the cupboard and fridge at home. If their favorite snack isn't all that nutritious, you can still buy it once in a while so they don't feel deprived.

2. From the foods you offer, kids get to choose what they will eat or whether to eat at all. Kids need to have some say in the matter. Schedule regular meal and snack times. From the selections you offer, let them choose what to eat and how much of it they want. This may seem like a little too much freedom. But if you follow step 1, your kids will be choosing only from the foods you buy and serve.

3. Quit the "clean-plate club." Let kids stop eating when they feel they've had enough. Lots of parents grew up under the clean-plate rule, but that approach doesn't help kids listen to their own bodies when they feel full. When kids notice and respond to feelings of fullness, they're less likely to overeat.

4. Start them young. Food preferences are developed early in life, so offer variety. Likes and dislikes begin forming even when kids are babies. You may need to serve a new food on several different occasions for a child to accept it. Don't force a child to eat, but offer a few bites. With older kids, ask them to try one bite.

5. Rewrite the kids' menu. Who says kids only want to eat hot dogs, pizza, burgers, and macaroni and cheese? When eating out, let your kids try new foods and they might surprise you with their willingness to experiment. You can start by letting them try a little of whatever you ordered or ordering an appetizer for them to try.

6. Drink calories count. Soda and other sweetened drinks add extra calories and get in the way of good nutrition. Water and milk are the best drinks for kids. Juice is fine when it's 100%, but kids don't need much of it � 4 to 6 ounces a day is enough for preschoolers.

7. Put sweets in their place. Occasional sweets are fine, but don't turn dessert into the main reason for eating dinner. When dessert is the prize for eating dinner, kids naturally place more value on the cupcake than the broccoli. Try to stay neutral about foods.

8. Food is not love. Find better ways to say "I love you." When foods are used to reward kids and show affection, they may start using food to cope with stress or other emotions. Offer hugs, praise, and attention instead of food treats.

9. do Kids as you do. Be a role model and eat healthy yourself. When trying to teach good eating habits, try to set the best example possible. Choose nutritious snacks, eat at the table, and don't skip meals.

10. Limit TV and computer time. When you do, you'll avoid mindless snacking and encourage activity. Research has shown that kids who cut down on TV-watching also reduced their percentage of body fat. When TV and computer time are limited, they'll find more active things to do. And limiting "screen time" means you'll have more time to be active together.

Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD

   

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Unique Snow Fences: How One Science Fair Project Snowballs Into Something BigPlace

 

Erica David lives in Pinedale, Wyoming, where winter can bring temperatures of minus 35 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 37 degrees Celsius), howling winds, and one heck of a lot of snow. So it was just natural that she chose to study snow for her school science fair in sixth grade.

Now a junior in high school, Erica is in her sixth year of snow experiments, and is well on her way to becoming a snow expert. She started with a basic question: Could snow fences be built to work better?

These important structures (see photos) are used to keep snowdrifts from covering areas like roads or train tracks or to help build up snow where it can help with water shortages in spring when it melts. �Also, I wanted to protect my animals better from blowing snow,� says Erica, who raises goats, sheep, and pigs.

Before she could test fence designs, Erica had to figure out what would act like real snow in her experiments. �I tested flour, sugar, and detergents,� she explains. �I used a wind tunnel to see which of them acted most like snow blown into a fence.� She settled on Cascade dishwasher powder.

Science fairs offer the opportunity to test hypotheses, present findings to judges, and meet other budding researchers. Erica�s many accomplishments include competing at the Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge for middle school students and the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, where students from around the world present their science research.

But perhaps the best reward is that her research is already being put to good use. She has come up with an improved snow fence design, and this year she�s helping figure out how to provide water supply to native sage plants, which have been killed off by drilling at nearby natural gas fields. When the drilling is done, Erica hopes to contribute to the work of bringing back the natural habitat, work known as �land reclamation.�

�Science fairs are an amazing experience,� says Erica. �Just pick your true passion and go for it.�

For more about Erica�s work, read "Snow Traps" by Emily Sohn.

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Unique Pass, Shoot, Dribble, Dunk�A New Basketball Doesn�t Make the Team After AllPlace

There's more to basketball than ball handling. Leather balls play better than synthetic ones.

Photograph by Scott Cunningham/National Basketball Association

In fall 2006, the National Basketball Association (NBA) started using basketballs made with synthetic, or manmade, material instead of leather.

They made the switch because they wanted every basketball they use to feel and bounce the same. Not all leather balls are exactly alike in weight or how they bounce, but the synthetic balls are.

However, some players complained right away that the new balls bounced differently and were actually harder to control than the leather ones.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban asked for help from the Department of Physics at the University of Texas in Arlington, Texas. Why ask scientists about basketballs?

�In physics, you can learn about the properties of everyday things�like basketballs,� says James Horwitz, one of the physicists who worked on the project. Physics helped answer questions about why the new balls handled differently.

For example, the scientists investigated friction, a physical property that in this case affects the ability of a player to hold onto a ball. �The greater the friction, the better it will stick to his hand,� explains Horwitz.

Tests on both wet and dry balls showed that while the plastic ball was easier to grip when dry, it had less friction and became much harder to hold onto when wet.

That�s because perspiration stays on the surface of the synthetic balls but gets absorbed into the leather balls�an important detail for sweaty athletes.

The researchers also tested bounce and found that the logo printed on the new balls made their surface uneven and caused them to bounce a little strangely compared with the leather balls.

In January, the NBA went back to using the traditional leather balls. They aren�t perfect, but for now, that�s just the way the ball bounces.

Fast Facts

• It takes the hide of one whole cow to make four leather basketballs.
• Leather balls absorb moisture eight times faster than the synthetic ones.
• Because it absorbs so much sweat, a leather ball may increase its weight by 10 percent during a game, but a synthetic ball remains the same.

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Unique When Giants Go Mini: Size of Dinosaurs Surprises PaleontologistsPlace

When very small dinosaur bones were found in a rock quarry in Germany�s Harz Mountains in 1998, people thought they were from baby dinosaurs.

But paleontologist Martin Sander�s work shows that they were probably full grown! Named Europasaurus, they are the smallest giant dinosaur species ever found.

Growth marks on dinosaur bones are similar to growth rings on trees. The rings are far apart while the animal is young and growing quickly. They form closer together as growth slows.

�It is precisely these tight compressed marks that we have discovered just beneath the surface of the fossil bones,� says Sander. So the Europasaurus fossils in the quarry must have been from full-grown animals.

Why was Europasaurus, which was slightly longer and heavier than a car, so much smaller than its cousins the brachiosaurs, which grew up to 148 feet (45 meters) long and weighed as much as a thousand humans?

Back 150 million years ago, most of Germany was underwater. Scientists think that as water levels rose, land and food there became more and more scarce. Europasaurus was forced to adapt to its shrinking habitat, so it evolved into a smaller animal needing less space and food.

Since 1998, an international team of scientists has excavated, or carefully dug up, more than 1,000 dinosaur fossils in the rock quarry. It is one of the few places in the world where the bones and footprints of dinosaurs have been found together

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Unique Monster Glowing Squid Captured on VideoPlace

This giant squid's unusual weapon�glowing arms�can blind and stun prey.

Photograph courtesy Royal Society

Monster-size squid that glow in the dark have been filmed for the first time in the wild. The creatures were videotaped in the inky depths of the North Pacific Ocean off southeastern Japan. The new footage shows the squid, which can grow as big as humans, using bright, flashing lights on their arms to dazzle and catch prey.

The discovery was made by Japanese scientists who lured the massive squid with bait that was lowered alongside cameras deep down in the ocean from a research ship.

Known as the Dana octopus squid, or Taningia danae, this eight-armed species has catlike claws on its suckers but lacks the two long feeding tentacles that other big squid use to grab prey. Instead, scientists think, the deep-sea squid traps its victims using light-producing organs on the ends of two of its arms, stunning them with blinding flashes.

These organs, about the size of lemons, are called photophores. They are the largest photophores found in the animal kingdom and can be opened and closed like eyes.

The squid were filmed at depths of 780 to 3,100 feet (240 to 940 meters) during an expedition led by Tsunemi Kubodera of the National Science Museum in Tokyo, Japan. Kubodera�s team also captured the first-ever images of a live giant squid, also known as Architeuthis, in 2004.

The team says the Dana octopus squid also glowed when it wasn�t hunting. The researchers think these glows are used for communication, such as to warn other squid of danger or for attracting a mate.

Experts say the new video footage backs up what scientists previously thought about the way this glowing squid behaves.

�It�s nice to have some evidence,� says squid researcher Michael Vecchione of the Smithsonian�s National Museum of Natural History. �Mostly it�s been speculation up until now."

The footage also shows the Dana octopus squid is a powerful and agile hunter.

�Some people have said all deepwater squid are pretty sluggish because their muscles are not real firm when you catch them,� says Vecchione. �But this particular family has got very muscular fins, and that�s what it�s using for swimming.�

The squid is thought to be one of the world�s five biggest squid. The largest recorded specimen was caught in fishing nets off the coast of Maine in the United States in 1993. It weighed 135 pounds (61 kilograms) and measured 7.6 feet (2.3 meters) long. But living adults had never been seen until now.

The Japanese researchers followed sperm whales to track down the mysterious creatures because these whales love to eat big squid. Dead sperm whales have been found with hundreds of hard squid beaks inside their stomachs. Whales obviously find monster glowing squid a lot less scary than most humans do!

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Unique Bad Posture Means Pain�Ergonomics and YouPlace

Kids should carry backpacks that weigh less than 10 to 15 percent of their body weight.

Stop! Freeze right there! Now, without moving a muscle, check out your posture. If you're like a lot of people at the computer, you are sitting sort of slumped over, leaning toward the computer with your shoulders rounded instead of sitting up straight.

Ergonomics refers to the study of the relationship between people and their surroundings. If you are slumping at the computer, you have poor ergonomics.

It might not seem like such a big deal, but think about how much time you spend sitting at the computer. And then you might go on to spend a little more time slouching in front of the TV playing video games. And then you get up to go to school the next morning and find yourself leaning forward to balance a very heavy backpack crammed with books.

Add all that up, and you get a lot of hours of sitting or standing with poor posture. When you don't practice good ergonomics, that's when the pain sets in.

James Melody of Houston, Texas, is the last person you might expect to be affected by a little thing like posture. James, 14, is an excellent athlete. He plays baseball and basketball and wrestles. But last spring when baseball training started up, he noticed pain in his back around his shoulder blades.

"At first I thought it was just sore, but the pain gradually built up into something more," he remembers. The pain got so bad that his mother took him to see a physical therapist, an expert who can help with pain in joints and muscles.

When ergonomics expert and physical therapist Bill Case saw James in his office, he realized that baseball training wasn't the cause of the discomfort. "He was in tip-top shape, but I saw his rounded shoulders right away, and asked his mom if he sat at the computer a lot." When James practiced pitching, the pain he felt came from muscles that were already strained by poor ergonomics.

Case wants kids to understand what he explained to James: You can end the pain or avoid it altogether with a few small changes. He even has a computer workstation set up in his office so he can show patients how to sit correctly.

"It is just great how these problems can be reversed," says Case. "I tell kids that when the way they sit feels good, it is probably wrong!" He means that sitting up straight will seem weird at first, but after a week or two you will feel the benefits.

James has a tip: Make sure the chair is close enough to the computer table, or else you won't be able to help leaning forward. "Sometimes it slips your mind, and you fall back into the old way for a while," he says. "But when I feel stiffness in my back, I correct for it now."

James also learned to wear his backpack correctly. He used to find himself leaning backward because his pack was too heavy and his straps were too loose.

Lots of kids think hanging a backpack off one shoulder or letting it dangle on long straps looks cool. But there's nothing cool about being sidelined by pain.

So besides being mindful of good posture when playing video games or surfing the Internet, James says, "Now I pack the heavier stuff closer to my body, and raise the pack on my back with the adjustable straps." And that's just what the physical therapist ordered.

James has been feeling great ever since he made a few changes, and you can too. Just follow these tips:

Good Ideas for Gaming and Computer Use

• Sit up straight with your shoulders back.
• Make sure your feet are on the ground.
• Take frequent breaks; walk around and stretch.
  

Better Backpack Strategies

• Carry less. Buying an extra set of books to keep at home is less expensive than doctor visits.
• Tighten straps so the weight is close to your body, and don't let the backpack ride below the waist.
• Put the heaviest items closest to your back and the pack will be less likely to pull you out of balance.
• Kids should not carry backpacks that weigh more than 10 to 15 percent of their body weight. So students weighing 100 pounds (45 kilograms) should not carry more than 10 to 15 pounds (4.5 to 6.8 kilograms) in their packs.

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