Author: Lisa Mungovan

NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity, has been exploring the Red Planet since 2012, and it’s continuing to surprise scientists. It recently found evidence, that Mars once had open lakes and ponds. Ripples on the surface, similar to Earth’s sandy lakebeds, would have formed by the wind blowing water back and forth 3.7 billion years ago.

Meow-meowey meow-meow-meow. I think that means, “No, you can’t use my beanbag as a litter box just because it’s softer.” Today is Answer Your Cat’s Questions Day, so when your cat meows at you, answer back! It’s also Hot Sauce Day, so if your cat asks to have a taste, warn him it’s spicy!

Today is Polka Dot Day. It was created to celebrate Minnie Mouse, who’s famous for her dotted dresses. It’s also Blonde Brownie Day. Sometimes called blondies, they use a recipe similar to brownies, but replace the cocoa with brown sugar. Give your blondies polka dots, made of white chocolate, butterscotch chips, or nuts.

Taking photos of yourself can be entertaining, but today is meant for more studious selfies. It’s Library Shelfie Day. Arrange all your favorite books on shelves behind you, and then pose with them. You could even visit an actual library, and get a group shot with your favorite author’s books. Smile and say “Reed!”

The United States is experiencing some frigid temperatures this week, but the Minnesota Ice Festival doesn’t mind. It helps keep the world’s largest ice maze, from melting. The maze has 8-foot-high walls created from 3,452 blocks of ice, weighing 425 pounds each. It covers18,148 square feet, so dress warmly in case you get lost.

Scientists have reached what they believe to be the world’s oldest ice. They drilled nearly 2 miles down, removing an ice core that reached the bedrock below the Antarctic ice sheet. The core gives an unbroken history of Earth’s climate change, that dates back at least 1.2 million years.

It’s Squirrel Appreciation Day! Over 200 squirrel species fit into 3 different types. There are ground, tree, and flying squirrels. The African pygmy squirrel is only 3 inches long, while the Laotian giant flying squirrel is 3 1/2 feet long! Squirrels are great reforesters. They plant thousands of trees every year by forgetting where they buried their nuts!

Did you ever have a big pot of soup, that everyone got tired of eating? Other people might have the same problem. Luckily, it’s Soup Swap Day! You can trade some of your soup, for some of theirs, and everyone can sample soup for days. Since it’s also Sweatpants Day, wear your comfiest sweats.

It’s Hugging Day! Hug your parents, your pet, or your pesky brother. It’s also Playdate Day, so invite a friend over, or meet at a park. Make sure you snack on some granola bars, to celebrate Granola Bar Day. Nuts and grains will give you energy, to play for hours!

A couple of ping-pong players nicknamed the Spin Duo, have set a new world record for the longest table tennis rally. Emil Ohlsson and Fredrik Nilsson hit the ball back and forth without missing, for 13 hours, 37 minutes, and 6 seconds. They trained for 4 months, and even perfected eating while playing.