Author: Lisa Mungovan

As the weather cools down, hundreds of millions of birds are beginning their migration south, to find warmer temperatures. There are so many birds, that they show up on weather radar. 159 doppler radars across the United States provide data that the Cornell Lab of Ornithology analyzes. They publish their findings at birdcast.info.

During the recent U S Open, 70,000 tennis balls were used. 300,000,000 tennis balls are made every year, and most end up in landfills after they go flat. Belgian artist Mathilde Wittock, designs furniture, made from the used fuzzy balls. Her team can hand-carve 1,800 balls each day, to create colorful chairs and benches.

Today is Live Creative Day. Use your imagination, to create art, music, stories, or an interesting outfit! It’s also Coloring Day, so color a picture with crayons, or make a tie-dyed shirt! Do colorful experiments using food coloring, like adding drops to a saucer of milk, then touching the center with dish soap.

Today is Gobstopper Day! If you like your candy to last a long time, get a giant jawbreaker, also known as gobstoppers. The candy ball is too hard to bite, so you can lick it for weeks instead. It’s also Cream Filled Doughnut Day, so stop by the doughnut shop to choose your favorite!

A hoagie is a wonderful thing. You might also know it as a sub, a hero, a torpedo, a po’boy, a grinder, or simply a sandwich on Italian bread. There are as many options to put inside your sandwich, as there are names for it! Today, for Eat A Hoagie Day, make yours perfect.

Scientists are noticing that some parrots in the Amazon, don’t sound quite like they used to. Yellow-naped Amazon parrots have different accents depending on where they live, just like humans. By adapting their shrieks and whistles, the parrots can communicate with parrots from other regions, expanding their chances for survival.

Okay kids, what are we having for dinner tonight? It’s Kids Take Over The Kitchen Day! I suggest preparing something with peanuts, pickles and fortune cookies, because it’s also Peanut Day,  Fortune Cookie Day, and Snack A Pickle Day. Write your own fortunes for the cookies, like, ” Reward your children for making you dinner.”

The Studebaker Company started out, making buggies and wagons in 1852. They switched to cars after automobiles were invented, and stayed in business until 1966. Today is Drive Your Studebaker Day, so keep an eye out, for antique cars. Since it’s also Lacemaking Day, watch a demonstration of someone making lace. It looks confusing.

Today is Roald Dahl Day, in honor of his birthday in 19 16. The children’s author wrote books like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG, Fantastic Mr Fox, and James and the Giant Peach. Roald was also a World War 2 Ace fighter pilot, a spy, a chocolate taste-tester, and an inventor.

Some people think the number 13, breaking a mirror, or spilling salt, is bad luck. These are called superstitions, and are not actually true. Today is Defy Superstition Day, so feel free to walk under ladders, step on all the cracks, and open umbrellas indoors. Just make sure there’s nothing in the way first!