Author: Lisa Mungovan

Today is Carrot Cake Day. The natural sweetness of carrots, makes it one of the few vegetables that sound good in a dessert! You can even make a version for dogs, to celebrate Golden Retriever Day. The gentle dog is one of the most popular breeds for families in the United States. Good doggie!

12-year-old Haddon Haste wanted to break a world record, while he was stuck at home during the pandemic. He decided to assemble a LEGO set as fast as possible. Haddon built a Star Wars Millennium Falcon micro fighter, in under 2 minutes! Haste means excessive speed, so he had to live up to his name!

Let’s celebrate World Wetlands Day! This year’s theme is Wetlands and Water. Wetlands are swamps and marshes that act like a sponge, absorbing water to reduce flooding during wet seasons, and releasing it to delay droughts and water shortages during dry spells. Wetlands are also important animal habitats. Explore some wetlands near you!

It’s Groundhog Day! The official weather-predicting groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, emerged from his burrow and saw his shadow. That means there will be 6 more weeks of winter. But Martinsburg Maxwell, a groundhog with a degree in meteorology, said, “Phil’s only right 20% of the time. It’s impossible to accurately predict weather that way!”

You might know about Groundhog Day, but what about Marmot Day? Marmots are large ground squirrels. There are 15 species of marmot, and groundhogs are one of them! It’s also Hedgehog Day! They look like spiky balls, with quills that feel like toothpicks. Don’t forget Sled Dog Day! Take your dog sledding, and yell “Mush!”

Today is World Play Your Ukulele Day. Ukuleles look like small guitars, but the Hawaiian instrument has unique tuning. Pop some little potato balls in your mouth between songs, because it’s Tater Tot Day too! It’s also Crepe Day. They’re like skinny pancakes, that you can fold around any filling you like!

Snowy owls are common in the Arctic, where their white feathers keep them camouflaged in the snow. They travel further south in the winter, in search of food, but are rarely seen in big cities. Last week however, a snowy owl delighted bird watchers, by showing up in New York City’s Central Park!

Last month in Wales, 4-year-old Lily Wilder found a fantastic footprint on the beach. It looked like it was scratched into the rock, but it was actually a dinosaur track. The fossil footprint is 4 inches long, and possibly left by an 8-foot-long Grallator. It walked on 2 feet during the Triassic period, 215,000,000 years ago.

Today is World Read Aloud Day. Reading books to kids who haven’t learned to read yet is great, but it shouldn’t stop there. Whether someone reads a book to you, you read a book to someone else, or you listen to an audio book, make reading aloud a fun part of your day!

Today is Serpent Day, which celebrates snakes. Out of 3000 species of snakes, only 1/8th are venomous. The longest species, the reticulated python, can grow to over 30 feet long, while the tiny Barbados threadsnake, is like a 4-inch long spaghetti noodle. Snakes smell the air with their flickering tongues. Can you do that?