Apps For Kids

Truphena Muthoni, broke a world record last year, by hugging a tree for 48 hours. The Kenyan environmental activist wanted to reintroduce humanity to the Earth through a simple act. She broke it again, wrapping her arms around a tree for 72 hours, proving her enduring commitment to caring for the Earth.

Have you ever heard of a woylie? They’re cute little marsupials, that live in Australia, and they’re making a comeback. Woylies eat roots and tubers, and their digging is important to the ecosystem. A conservation program to protect the woylies from foxes and feral cats, is helping their population grow again.

Isn’t it great, to have a toilet in the house? Although Thomas Crapper did not invent the toilet, he made indoor plumbing fashionable. His products were used by the British royal family, and his name was on the toilets. Celebrate Thomas Crapper Day, by cleaning your toilet, to make it your bathroom throne!

On January 27th 18 88, a group was founded for “the increase and diffusion of geographical knowledge.” It’s National Geographic Day, so grab the magazine with the yellow border, and learn something about the world around you. You should celebrate their 138th birthday with a piece of chocolate cake, since it’s also Chocolate Cake Day! Yum!

Today is Plan For Vacation Day. If you’re a 4th grader, you can make your summer vacation a little cheaper for your family. You can get into any US National Park for free! The Every Kid Outdoors program, lets you print a free annual pass, good for everyone in the car, at Every-Kid-Outdoors.gov.

Today is Australia Day. The country was founded as a British colony in 17 88, but it had disastrous effects on the Indigenous people living there. Celebrate the fascinating land itself, by learning more about its unique animals, like koalas, kangaroos, quokkas, and numbats, as well as corals in the Great Barrier Reef.

Did you know it’s Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day? The engineers who invented bubble wrap first tried to sell it as wallpaper, then greenhouse insulation. It wasn’t commonly used for packaging until 1961. But I’ll bet people were popping it from the very beginning! Have a popping party! The sound’s only annoying if you’re not participating.

Today is Green Juice Day. Smoothies made with spinach or kale, green grapes, and other fruits and vegetables, might surprise you with their deliciousness! It’s also Peanut Brittle Day. The buttery hard candy is full of peanuts, and can stick in your teeth, so you can wash it down with your healthy green juice!

The Blue Spring State Park, in Florida, is a popular hangout for manatees. Cold waters elsewhere, drive the manatees to the spring’s constant 72° Fahrenheit temperature. Manatees are mammals that don’t do well in water below 68°, so unusually cold temperatures are hard for them to handle. You can watch them at ManaTV.org.

Most pitcher plants are carnivorous. They trap and digest insects for nutrients. Some species of pitcher plants, however, have evolved to digest animal poop instead. The plants get a hefty dose of nitrogen from the droppings of shrews, rats, and bats, while the animals eat carbohydrates off the plant lids. Everyone’s happy.