Author: Lisa Mungovan

Gather all your teddy bears and a basket of food, and head outside. It’s Teddy Bear Picnic Day! You should probably bring some honey for your bears. Speaking of honey, watch out for bees, especially since it’s Don’t Step On A Bee Day! You don’t want to squish any awesome pollinators, or get stung!

A cat in New Zealand spent 2 weeks, with his head stuck in a peanut butter jar. He somehow survived, without food or water, and only a little air. The poor kitty was finally captured, 3 miles from where he’d originally been spotted! Rescuers named him Peanut, and he’s recovering nicely.

When 6-year-old Reagan Votaw went fishing in Maryland, she made the catch of the day. Reagan reeled in a working cellphone! After letting it dry in a bed of rice, they let 8th-grader Preston Shapiro know, they’d found his phone! He’d lost it while kayaking a year earlier, and was shocked it still worked.

Sydney, the largest city in Australia, reached a huge milestone. They now get 100% of their power, from 2 solar farms and a wind farm. That means all the city’s energy is green and clean! Cities produce 70% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, so Sydney’s massive carbon reduction sets a great example for everyone on Earth.

Astronomers are spotting strange new signals, with their radio telescopes. They’ve found 4 circular objects, that are brighter at the edges. Astrophysicist Ray Norris, has nicknamed them ORCs, which is short for Odd Radio Circles. They could be star-forming galaxies or planetary nebulas, but it’s more likely they’re something entirely new. It’s a space mystery!

Today is Sugar Cookie Day. Find an easy recipe online, or buy a roll of dough if that’s easier for you. Sugar cookies are the best, because you can decorate them with sprinkles, icing, or food dyes. Use cookie cutters to make different shapes, or make one cookie as big as your head!

Bianca Hayes went for a little bike ride in Canada. She started in Vancouver British Columbia, and ended in Halifax Nova Scotia, 20 days later. The 3666-mile trip set a record, for the fastest woman to cycle across Canada. Bianca raised $22,000 for ovarian cancer research, in honor of her sister Katrina.

Want to smell like outer space? Astronauts have described the aroma as a “mix of gunpowder, seared steak, raspberries, and rum.” NASA mimicked the smell, to help astronauts prepare for outer space. Now they’re releasing it to the public, in a fragrance called Eau de Space. You can pre-order it on Kickstarter.com.

A plant named Sprout will be blooming soon, at Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania. Sprout is a corpse flower that blooms once every 7 years, and smells like rotting flesh! The 8-foot tall flower only lasts 48 hours, and opens at night. Catch a glimpse of the Titan Arum, and marvel over the awful stench!

Freezer pops are a great summertime treat, and they’re easy to make. For Freezer Pop Day, pour your favorite liquid in a cup, stick a fork in it, and pop it in the freezer! You can add fruit bits to make it even better. Since it’s Great British Pea Week, put peas in it!