Apps For Kids

If you come across mysterious holes, in freshwater riverbanks, they could be from catfish. Wildlife officials have found many examples, in Florida. Sailfin catfish, also known as plecos, use the burrows for nesting sites to protect their young. Unfortunately, plecos are an invasive species, and the catfish condos destabilize banks and disrupt ecosystems.

Today is Okapi Day, celebrating an unusual-looking animal. Do you know what they look like? The okapi is the only relative to the giraffe, but they live in forests. They have long necks, zebra-striped legs, reddish bodies, and prehensile tongues. Fewer than 10,000 wild okapis remain in their native Democratic Republic of Congo.

If you see some of your favorite bearded people looking less hairy today, it might be because it’s No Beard Day. Imagine Gandalf, Hagrid, or Santa Claus without beards! At least they wouldn’t get chocolatey beards, for Chocolate Cupcake Day! Do you bite into a cupcake, or lick the frosting off first?

The sawfish, a type of ray, was once nearly extinct in parts of the world. In 2023, a scientist caught a 13-foot-long sawfish in Florida, and last year, a sawfish was found in South Africa. The fish with a nose like a chainsaw, may be increasing in numbers. That’s great news, for Sawfish Day!

Have you ever waited so long to take a bath, you grew algae? That’s what a sloth does! It hangs upside-down in trees, moving incredibly slowly, growing algae for camouflage, and coming down once a week to poop. Start growing your fingernails into long claws, for next year’s International Sloth Day!

Celebrate National Pasta Day with this fun fact: Kevin Cole holds the record for the Longest Spaghetti Nasal Ejection. He put a strand of spaghetti in his mouth, then blew it out his nostril 7 1/2 inches! He can also suck spaghetti in one nostril and pull it out the other, to floss his nose.

Playing cards is fun, especially with an unusual deck. There are cards shaped like pizza slices, cards with Star Wars characters, and clear cards for playing around a campfire. For Playing Card Collection Day, show off your favorite deck, while learning a new card game. Ask your parents how to play 52 Card Pickup

Today is Wear Something Gaudy Day, so get out your brightest, showy clothes! A neon shirt with sparkly pants and polka dot socks would be perfect! It’s also Pay Back A Friend Day. If you borrowed money from someone, pay them back today. If someone played a prank on you, it’s also payback time!

When you break a toy, do you throw it away, or do you fix it? Today is International Repair Day, so practice fixing something broken. YouTube videos give you step-by-step instructions to fix cars, appliances, and even dolls. By repairing items yourself, you’ll save a lot of money, and keep stuff out of landfills.