Category: Kids News

More than a year ago, the Educational Passages project helped a junior high science class in Maine, build a 6-foot boat. The students filled the boat, named Rye Riptides, with art and trinkets, and launched it into the Atlantic Ocean. 462 days later, a boy in Norway found it, after an 8,000-mile journey!

Did you know asteroids, can have moons? Astronomers discovered that one asteroid, named Elektra, actually has 3 moons orbiting around it. Elektra is located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, and is only 160 miles wide, so it was hard to detect its small companions. I wonder if the moons have moons.

Today is World Pangolin Day! Pangolins live in Asia and Africa. They are the only mammal with scales. The nocturnal animals can have tongues that are longer than their bodies! They curl into balls for protection, but it doesn’t work against humans. Pangolins are endangered, and are the most smuggled animal in the world.

Today is International Tug-of-War Day. It’s an ancient game of strength that used to be an Olympic sport, where 2 teams pull on a rope in opposite directions. The Vikings used to play tug-of-war over a fire pit! Give the winner a box of Thin Mints, because it’s also Chocolate Mint Day. Yum!

Scientists have discovered a fascinating thing about weight-lifting. They found that lifting weights for even 3 seconds a day, builds muscle strength. In fact, doing one downward bicep curl, using the heaviest weight you can handle, increased strength by 11% within a month. Just don’t drop it on your toes.

Cadbury Creme Eggs are a sure sign that spring is coming. This year, the candy eggs could also bring cash for some lucky chocolate-lovers. If you unwrap one that’s half white chocolate, half chocolate, it could be worth over $13,000. The only catch is, you can’t eat it. Keep your eyes peeled for winners!

Today is Battery Day. Alessandro Volta built the first electrochemical battery in 18 hundred. Count all the things in your house that use batteries. Battery University experts have advice for charging your phone correctly. Remove it from the charger as soon as it’s near 100%, plug in a few times-per-day, and always keep it cool.

Poor little Pluto. It used to be one of the 9 planets in our solar system, until it got down-graded, because it can’t clear it’s neighborhood. It’s now classified as a dwarf planet, along with Ceres, Makemake, Haumea, and Eris. But at least Pluto gets its own day to celebrate. Happy Pluto Day!

Today is No One Eats Alone Day. If you’re doing virtual learning, have lunch with a friend by facetime, or put them on speakerphone. Does your cafeteria have a table where kids can go to find a lunch buddy? Suggest one, so that no one ever has to eat alone!

Godzilla smashed his way through Tokyo in the movies, but in real life, Catzillas are invading Japan. A restaurant in Osaka has a miniature railroad, with buildings and bridges. When the owner took in a stray cat and her kittens, the model village became the perfect location for monster-sized cats to lounge!