Author: Lisa Mungovan

Have you ever seen the Orionids meteor shower? The meteors are created by dust and debris left by Halley’s Comet, which burn up in our atmosphere. The best time to see them, is just before dawn. They’ll peak on October 21st, but will also be visible for days before and after.

12-year-old Phoenix Browne, of Chesapeake Virginia, took on a challenge this summer. The Raising Men Lawn Service offered a new lawnmower, to young people who mowed 50 lawns for free. Phoenix cut grass for the elderly, veterans, people with disabilities, and single parents. He used any tips he received, to buy pizzas for homeless people.

As people continue to get sick from COVID-19, here’s a helpful tip to practice with your family. Since the disease can cause breathing problems, work on strengthening your lungs. Do lots of aerobic activity, like running around or climbing stairs. Anything that makes you breathe harder, will exercise your lungs, helping you fight infection.

The Franklin Park Zoo in Massachusetts, recently welcomed its first baby pygmy hippo. Pygmy hippos are much smaller than regular hippopotamuses, but he still weighed 13 pounds. There are fewer than 2,500 pygmy hippos left in their native habitat, the West African rainforests. This little guy and his mom, Cleopatra, will be well-cared-for at the zoo.

If you see some of your favorite bearded people looking less hairy today, it might be because it’s No Beard Day. Imagine Gandalf, Hagrid, or Santa Claus without beards! At least they wouldn’t get chocolatey beards, for Chocolate Cupcake Day! Do you bite into a cupcake, or lick the frosting off first?

The Iceland supermarket chain wanted to celebrate its 50th birthday, with a momentous event. They decided on sending a chicken nugget to space. The nugget was launched into the stratosphere from Wales, using a meteorological weather balloon. The first chicken nugget in space’s 110,000-foot journey above the Earth, was documented on video.

Trick-or treating might not be possible for many kids this year, because of the pandemic. That doesn’t have to stop the fun! Have Halloween pizzas all month long, with creepy toppings. Make spiders out of pepperonis with pepper strip legs. Fresh mozzarella with olives look like eyeballs. Search Halloween pizzas online, for more inspiration.

Playing cards is fun, especially with an unusual deck. There are cards shaped like pizza slices, cards with Star Wars characters, and clear cards for playing around a campfire. For Playing Card Collection Day, show off your favorite deck, while learning a new card game, like 52 Card Pickup. Ask your parents how it’s played!

Celebrate National Pasta Day with this fun fact: Kevin Cole holds the record for the Longest Spaghetti Nasal Ejection. He put a strand of spaghetti in his mouth, then blew it out his nostril 7 1/2 inches! He can also suck spaghetti in one nostril and pull it out the other, to floss his nose.

The stores are full of Halloween candy, but you don’t have to wait until Halloween to satisfy your sweet tooth. Today is Sweetest Day! Created by a candy company in 1921, it inspired people to give out boxes of candy, and make it the sweetest day of the year! Have a sweet day!