Wondrous World
Okay, how do you tell the difference between a Bullfrog and a Green Frog? They both inhabit some of the same ponds and bogs. They are both approximately 6-9 cm in size, but the Green Frog displays a distinct ridge running down each side of its back, and the Bullfrog does not.
How about telling the difference between a male and female Green Frog? That’s a bit more difficult. You have to be able to examine them very closely — the male Green frog has an eardrum two times the size of its eye, whereas the female’s eardrum is about the same size as her ear. So, now you know!
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Fun & Games
When nice summer weather comes, there are lot of ways to have fun outside.
Try making your own colorful sidewalk chalk to produce beautiful art on your sidewalk or driveway. The best part is, you can wash it away when your done, and it doesn’t make a mess. Here’s our recipe for your own unique chalk:
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Fun & Games
This is a fun project and a very easy one to do. In honor of Lei Day, you can make a lei for all of your friends and people you love. This is a memorable way to bring some of the soft, colorful magic and history of Hawaii into your life.
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Fun & Games
Now that spring is upon us, it’s time to get outside. And what better activity to do outside then to plant a sunflower garden? The best part about sunflowers is that they can be grown in all different climates. We’ll give you instructions on how to grow your sunflowers, then you can go out and do it!
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Holidays & Seasons
You’ve probably heard about May Day, perhaps you’re even making a May basket or something related to May Day in school. But, have you ever heard of Lei Day? Like May Day, Lei Day is celebrated on May 1st, but instead of a May pole and baskets, people give leis to one another. Where do you suppose this holiday is celebrated? Hawaii of course!
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Arts & Culture
Ever get tormented by a bully? We all know how terrible it feels to be laughed at, teased or even pushed around by someone who is bigger and badder than we are. Well, bullies have been around for a long, long time. In this novel, which is set in 1918 Vermont, a bully named Aden makes a boy named Mason’s otherwise peaceful existence miserable. Then one night, when Mason is in trouble, the bully risks everything to help Mason out. Baffled by this display of kindness, Mason does not thank Aden, nor does he tell anybody what happened.
Not long afterwards, Aden goes to fight in the brutal war raging in Europe. When the Armistice, or peace treaty, is announced, the people of this small Vermont town rejoice by taking turns ringing the church bell. When Mason notices Aden’s mother standing alone mourning, he discovers that Aden has been killed in action. She finds deeper sorrow in the fact that no one joins her in mourning her son’s death. Mason shares with the grieving mother that Aden had once done a good thing for him, and that her son’s death will not go unnoticed.
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Food & Recipes
The Jewish holiday of Passover begins on Wednesday, April 19. During this eight day observance, matzo is generally eaten in place of leavened bread. Matzo is a thin and crunchy food, similar to the taste and texture of crackers. Matzo is eaten during this time to remind people that when the Jews left the slavery of Egypt they did not have time to let their bread rise. Instead, they took the raw dough with them on their journey and cooked it in the hot desert sun into a type of cracker. Try this fun and tasty recipe that is cooked with matzo. This is generally a breakfast food, but it can be eaten at any time of the day. Make sure you ask an adult for help with the stove.
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Fun & Games
Another tradition during Easter has been to wear new clothes to celebrate the coming of Spring. Tradition says that the wearing of three new things during Easter assures good luck during the following year. The Easter bonnet is also a tradition during this time of year. Easter bonnets are generally round and filled with ribbons, flowers and leaves. The circular shape of the Easter bonnet symbolizes the circular shape of the sun and the full-circle return of the beginning of Spring.
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Holidays & Seasons
Decorating and painting eggs have been a tradition associated with the Easter holiday for hundreds of years. Different types of decorated and edible eggs are also given as gifts during this time of the year.
But did you know that the most famous decorated Easter eggs were created in Russia over 100 years ago? These elaborate and beautiful eggs were made by Peter Carl Fabergé who was a well-known goldsmith in Russia in the late 1800s.
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Arts & Culture
The Barn by Avi takes place in 1855, when the United States were not fully formed, and life enjoyed a different pace. Ben, the main character, is attending boarding school when he receives news that his father has been felled by palsy-which we now call having a stroke. Ben is only nine, but he is smarter than most kids, and possesses a good chunk of determination.
Ben quickly surmises that his father’s dream of building the barn that he had been planning before his stroke will provide his father with a reason to live. He enlists his sister Nellie-asking her to postpone her wedding and help with the building of the barn. Everything revolves around the barn for Ben. Maybe it is becoming a little too important in the scheme of things.
This short book offers an enthralling and intense look into time where building a barn with your own two hands can become almost as important as life itself. Take a look into the past-maybe you’ll discover something about yourself at the same time.
Fun & Games
Do you live in a foggy area? Is there no fog at all in area? Either way, you might find it fun to create some of your own fog and take it around with you in a jar. Follow these directions for a foggy experiment.
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Wondrous World
If you thought that corn snakes were given their name because they eat corn, think again! These constrictor snakes were spied in the United States by early European settlers who thought that the snakes hiding out in corn cribs and fields were snacking on their crop too.
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