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Facts about Gravity for Kids

Gravity is a force which pulls us back toward the Earth as we jump.

If you trip and fall and scrape your knees, you can blame gravity!

  1. If there was no gravity and you didn’t encounter any forces (friction, resistance of the air), you could jump and move upward forever.
  2. Astronauts on the space station in outer space can float through the air. There is less gravity because the astronauts are far away from the Earth.
  3. The more matter something has, the greater the force of its gravity.
  4. Who discovered gravity?
    • For a long time, scientists knew that there was some mysterious force that keeps us on the surface of the Earth.
      • In 1666, Isaac Newton mathematically described the force of gravity, laying the foundation for his laws of universal gravitation. Legend has it that his inspiration came from watching an apple fall from a tree. He began to wonder what force caused the apple to fall downward instead of floating away.
      • Another renowned scientist, Albert Einstein, expanded on Newton’s ideas about gravity with his groundbreaking theory of relativity.
  5. Weight depends on gravity, as it measures the force of gravity acting on an object. For instance, your weight on Earth represents how strongly gravity pulls you toward the planet’s surface.
  6. Facts about Gravity
    • In outer space, there is no gravity, which means you would experience weightlessness while floating around!
    • In physics, weight is defined as a force and is measured in Newtons. And do you know who this unit is named after? That’s correct—Isaac Newton, the brilliant scientist who uncovered the laws of gravity.
    • Objects are slightly heavier at sea level compared to the top of a mountain.
    • According to Scientists, earth’s gravity holds in the mixture of gasses we call air forming the atmosphere.

Source: Cool Facts

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Chemistry and Physics, Education, Science Facts

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Understanding Mammals: Key Features Explained

Facts about mammals:

  1. They are warm-blooded. They stay warm even when their surroundings are cold.
  2. They have a backbone (unlike worms).
  3. They breathe with lungs (not with gills like a fish or through skin like worms).
  4. They have hair or fur (not feathers like birds or scales like snakes).
  5. Females usually give birth to live babies (not born from eggs like turtles).
  6. Females feed babies their milk (unlike birds that feed babies food such as insects, worms, berries, and seeds).

Did you know humans are mammals? Feel your forehead. Unless it is an extremely hot day outside, your forehead is warmer than the air around you, because you are warm-blooded. Feel your back and find your backbone. Feel the hair on your head. When human babies are born, they are born alive and often crying and wiggling. Many human mothers nurse their babies with their milk.

Links to more facts about various mammals (animals).

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Burdock Facts for Kids

Arctium, better known as burdock, is a group of plants that live for two years and are part of the Asteraceae family, which also includes daisies. Originally native to Europe and Asia, burdock has spread across the globe and can now be found in various regions worldwide.

One fascinating thing about burdock is how its seeds cling to surfaces. This impressive sticking ability helps the plant disperse its seeds and even inspired the creation of hook-and-loop fasteners, like Velcro!

About Burdock Plants

Burdock plants have dark green leaves that can grow up to 70 centimeters (about 27 inches) long. The leaves are usually big, rough, and oval-shaped. The ones closer to the ground are often heart-shaped and feel fuzzy on the underside. The stems that hold the leaves are usually hollow.

Burdock plants typically bloom from July to October. Their flowers are very important for honeybees. In August, when other flowers like clover start to fade, burdock flowers provide lots of pollen and nectar for bees. This helps bees get ready for winter before other plants like goldenrod start to bloom.

Burdock’s sticky burrs are great for spreading its seeds. They easily attach to animal fur or people’s clothes, helping the seeds travel to new places.

Arctium lappa (greater burdock)
A man holding a Burdock
Close up of burdock burrs
A very close picture of a bur, showing its sharp hooks

source: Burdock facts for kids Kids Encyclopedia Facts

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Education, Facts about plants, Science Facts

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Facts about Squirrels for Kids

Squirrels are tree-dwelling rodents with bushy tails that typically eat nuts and seeds.

Facts about squirrels:

  1. Squirrels are animals, mammals, and vertebrates (they have backbones).
  2. Whether you live in the country or in a downtown apartment, you probably have squirrels living near you. Squirrels can live almost anywhere. There are 200 species of squirrels worldwide. They live in almost every country but Australia.
  3. Squirrels are ‘omnivorous’ which means they eat both plants and animals. They eat plants such as nuts, seeds, and fruits. Some squirrels also eat insects, eggs, small birds, snakes, and small rodents.
  4. Squirrels gather food year-round and bury food for winter.
  5. Some squirrels hibernate (sleep during winter), waking every few weeks to feed. Other squirrels, such as gray squirrels, stay awake all winter.
  6. Squirrels have litters of three to nine babies. The babies are born blind. They stay in a burrow or nest until they are three months old.
  7. Squirrels are in the rodent family.

Types of squirrels in the US include gray squirrels, red squirrels, fox squirrels, ground squirrels, and flying squirrels.

  1. Gray squirrels bury nuts all over the place and sometimes forget where they buried them. This helps new trees grow.
    • These squirrels are not gray in color; they are actually a mixture of black, browns and whites. They are actually banded with whitish ends, due to which they assume a grayish look.
  2. Red squirrels store a big pile of nuts in one place.
    • The American Red Squirrel is the smallest tree squirrel in North America, known for its feisty nature, bright reddish coat, and impressive ability to thrive in coniferous forests. Unlike the bigger Eastern Gray Squirrel, Western Gray Squirrel, or Fox Squirrel, Red Squirrels are fiercely territorial and have adapted perfectly to life in the tough northern forests and mountain regions of Canada and the northern United States.
    • Most people call this species the “American red squirrel.” 
    • The other red squirrels are small, tree-climbing rodents native to Eurasia. These squirrels have long bushy tails and pointed tufts of fur over their ears.
  3. Fox Squirrels are the largest tree squirrel found in North America, admired for its reddish-gray fur and bushy tail. 
    • Native to North America, fox squirrels are commonly found in the eastern and central United States, extending into Canada and parts of Mexico. They prefer open woodlands and forests but have adapted well to suburban and urban areas, often spotted in parks and neighborhoods.
  4. Flying squirrels
    • Did you know that flying squirrels don’t actually fly? Instead, they soar from tree to tree with the help of a built-in parachute. Their ‘parachute’ is a thin flap of skin stretching between their wrists and ankles.
  5. Ground squirrels
    • Have you ever noticed those busy little critters scurrying along hiking trails or popping out of burrows in open grasslands? Ground squirrels are a fascinating example of nature’s brilliance in adapting to life underground, though they’re often mistaken for their tree-dwelling relatives or written off as mere “prairie dogs.”

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Education, Facts about Mammals, Science Facts

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Facts about Rodents for Kids

Rodents are a very successful group of mammals. They belong to the animal group called the order Rodentia.

Rodents have four special incisor teeth at the front of their mouths. These teeth never stop growing! To keep them from getting too long, rodents must constantly gnaw or chew on hard things. This is how they got their name. The word “rodent” comes from the Latin words rodere, meaning “to gnaw,” and dent, meaning “tooth.”

This picture shows a typical rodent tooth system. The front of the incisors is made of hard enamel. This forms a sharp edge above the softer dentine as the teeth wear down.

Most rodents are small, and you’re likely familiar with common ones like mice, rats, chipmunks, and squirrels. Some small rodents kept as pets include guinea pigs, hamsters, and gerbils. However, there are also larger rodents, such as porcupines and beavers. The largest living rodent is the capybara, which can grow 105 to 135 cm (about 40-55 in) long and weigh 35 to 65 kg (about 75-140 lbs). Incredibly, nearly half of all mammal species are rodents! Other examples include voles, prairie dogs, groundhogs, and chinchillas.

A harvest mouse
Capybaras
A Golden-mantled ground squirrel showing a typical rodent shape: a sturdy body, short legs, and a long tail.

People often mistake rabbits, hares, and pikas for rodents because their teeth keep growing. However, in 1912, biologists placed them in their own group, Lagomorpha, due to the presence of two extra incisor teeth in their upper jaw. Similarly, shrews may resemble mice, but they aren’t rodents either—they belong to a group called Insectivora.

source: Rodent facts for kids Kids Encyclopedia Facts

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Facts about Trees for Kids

Trees are plants. Trees often have a central wood trunk supporting branches and leaves

Facts about trees:

  1. Trees are some of the oldest living things on Earth.
    • God made plants on day third day. This was before animals and after the creation of light and the atmosphere. (Click here to read more about the week of Creation)
  2. All sorts of living things thrive in trees, including insects, lichens, birds, and squirrels.
  3. Trees are a Perennial plant (that means it is a plant that persists for several years, usually with new herbaceous growth from a part that survives from growing season to growing season)
  4. There are several parts that make up a tree.
    • The main parts of a tree include roots, trunk, branches and leaves.
    • The roots of a tree are underground. They help support the tree and feed it nutrients, like water.
    • The trunk of the tree starts at the ground and rises upward. The trunk transport nutrients from the roots to the rest of the tree. It also helps the branches and leaves overtop other plants and get as much sunlight as possible.
    • The branches extend out from the trunk in all directions. Leaves and stems grow from the branches covering as much area as possible that contains sunlight.
      • The leaves are used to create energy from sunlight, a process known as photosynthesis.
  5. How trees reproduce (make a new tree).
    • Trees reproduce by pollination, which can occur through insects, wind, or animals.
    • Trees produce seeds that can grow into a separate adult tree if the conditions are right.
    • Trees have various ways to spread their seeds. Wind carries winged and plumed seeds, while animals help disperse seeds found in edible fruits. Some seeds rely on gravity, simply dropping to the ground.
  6. Trees are useful in many ways.
    • Trees generate oxygen, a vital resource for the survival of humans and animals. Take a moment to breathe deeply and be thankful for the oxygen produced by trees.
    • Trees are the primary source of lumber used by humans to build things, like a home or wooden boat. Trees are also used to create decorative art and furniture, like a table or statue.
    • The wood for trees can also be used as fuel for a fire, both for warmth and cooking.
    • Trees are also the source of food, like fruit and nuts. The sap from some trees is used to create syrups.
  7. Trees don’t belong to any official taxonomic group. The term “tree” is simply used to describe various plant species that share certain physical traits.
  8. Several popular species of trees include the red maple tree, the oak tree, the magnolia tree, the sugar maple tree, the sweetgum tree, the cherry blossom tree, the palm tree, the sequoia tree, the dogwood tree and the pine tree.
  9. Total Species: Between 60,000 and 100,000
  10. There are 3+ trillion trees in the world.
  11. Trees are found Worldwide (except Antartica).

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Facts about Wasps for kids

Facts about wasps

  1. Wasp Facts Overview
    • Habitat: All terrestrial habitats except Antarctic
    • Location: All continents except Antarctic
    • Lifespan: From 2 months to 2 years
    • Size: From less than 1mm to 12.5 centimetres (5 in) long
    • Weight: Up to 28 g (1oz)
    • Colour: Usually dark, reddish or black, sometimes blue or yellow-black
    • Diet: Nectar, insects, fruit,
    • Predators: Birds, bats, predatory insects, spiders,
    • Top Speed: 40 kph (25 mph)
    • No. of Species: Likely around 1 million
      • Wasps aren’t just one kind; there are over 30,000 species around the world. Each has its own unique behaviors and important roles in nature.
  2. Insects like wasps can be grouped into two main types: social and solitary. Social wasps create nests and live together in colonies, while solitary wasps prefer to live alone and don’t build shared nests.
  3. Many wasp species prey on other insects, helping to manage pest populations. This natural form of pest control is crucial for maintaining healthy gardens and supporting agriculture.
    • Wasps play a vital role in keeping insect populations in check, which helps agriculture and cuts down on the use of chemical pesticides.
  4. Although not as effective as bees, some wasps also help pollinate plants. As they collect nectar from flowers, they unintentionally carry pollen between them.
  5. Wasp nests come in a variety of designs depending on the species, with some building complex, multi-chambered structures that dangle from trees, while others prefer to dig their nests underground.
    • These nests can accommodate thousands of wasps and are commonly constructed in sheltered areas, such as beneath eaves or within dense vegetation.

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Insect Facts for Kids

Facts about insects:

  1. Insects are animals like cows, birds, and humans.
  2. Insects are invertebrates (they have no backbone).
  3. Insects have a hard outer shell called an exoskeleton.
  4. Nearly all insects have antennae.
    • Two antennae for sensing the world
  5. All insects have 6 legs.
  6. Three body parts including the head, thorax, and abdomen (see the labeled ant insect below)
  7. Female insects lay eggs. Their young are not born alive.
  8. Insects walk, fly, and/or swim.
  9. Many types of insects live alone, but some live in large groups (e.g. bees in a hive).

Links to more information about various insects

Other information

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Understanding Animal Migration: A Seasonal Journey

 Migration is the seasonal movement of animals.

Facts about migration:

  1. Every year, certain groups of animals migrate from one location to another. Some travel thousands of miles in the spring and return the same distance in the fall. These incredible journeys are known as migrations.
  2. Why do animals migrate?
    • Animals migrate as the weather and seasons change, seeking warmer climates, better food sources, or a safe place to give birth to their offspring.
  3. How do animals know when and where to migrate?
    • Changes in weather, daylight length, or food availability can signal to animals that it’s time to move. How they know which direction to go remains a mystery. Some scientists believe animals are born with this knowledge, learning it “genetically” from their parents. This innate behavior is also known as instinct.
  4. How do they find their way?
    • Animals don’t rely on the internet, GPS, or maps to find their way, yet they travel thousands of miles across land and sea each year. They’ve developed unique ways to navigate the Earth. Some use the Sun and stars to determine direction, while others rely on wind patterns or landmarks like mountains, rivers, and lakes. Some even possess a special sense that helps them detect the Earth’s magnetic field to guide their journey. It’s incredible what animals are capable of!
  5. Migrations on the land
    • Caribou live in the snowy tundra of the far north. In North America, they migrate each spring to the northern coast to give birth to their calves in the summer. When fall comes, they head back south below the Arctic Circle. Some caribou herds travel up to 3,500 miles, covering as much as 35 miles a day.
    • Zebras and wildebeest – Every year, zebra and wildebeest herds in the African savannah embark on a massive clockwise migration. They’re always on the move, following the rainy seasons to find areas where food is abundant.
    • Emperor penguins, who are excellent swimmers, walk across 125 miles of ice each year to the place where they birth their chicks.
  6. Migrations in the air
    • Arctic terns -Arctic terns hold the record for the longest migration of any animal on Earth. Every six months, they journey from the Arctic to Antarctica and back again, covering an astonishing roundtrip distance of nearly 50,000 miles. Thankfully, these strong and speedy birds can complete the trip in just about 40 days.
      • The average arctic tern will travel the equivalent of going around the Earth 60 times in their lifetime.
    • Canadian geese – Every year, Canadian geese migrate south to escape the freezing winters that ice over lakes and ponds. In the summer, they head back north to breed and nest. Their iconic V-shaped flight formation helps them conserve energy, enabling them to travel up to 600 miles in a single day.
    • European White Storks – Migrating flocks of European white storks can stretch for lengths of up to 125 miles.
    • Insects such as butterflies migrate.
      • For example, monarch butterflies migrate in groups. No single butterfly makes the whole journey. The butterflies go through multiple generations to reach their destination.
  7. Migrations in the water
    • Gray whales – Gray whales migrate between the chilly northern waters of the Bering Sea during summer and the warm waters of Baja California in winter. They give birth to their calves in the winter before heading back north in early spring. Their migration spans an impressive 5,000 to 6,000 miles.
    • Salmon – Salmon have a fascinating one-time round-trip migration in their lifetime. They hatch from eggs in fresh water, grow, and eventually swim downstream to spend most of their lives in the ocean. When it’s time to spawn, they return to their birthplace to lay eggs, after which they die. Some salmon travel hundreds of miles upriver, with Chinook salmon covering 900 miles and climbing nearly 7,000 feet in altitude to complete their journey home.
    • Sea Turtles – Sea turtles migrate back to the same beach where they were born to lay their eggs.
  8. Fun Facts about Animal Migrations
    • Many animals get ready for migration by building up energy reserves and strengthening specific muscles to ensure they’re fit enough for the journey.
    • Birds save energy and are able to travel great distances by riding the air currents.
    • Male and female walruses migrate in separate herds.
    • Birds migrate when they fly south in fall and north in the spring.
    • Fish migrate through the water to feed or spawn (lay eggs to make baby fish).
    • Other animals such as mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and crustaceans also migrate.

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Education, Facts about insects, Facts about Mammals, Science Facts

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Pumpkin Facts for kids

Pumpkins are the fruit of a squash plant.

Facts about pumpkins:

  1. Pumpkins are fruits not vegetables
    • It’s a widespread misunderstanding that pumpkins are vegetables, and there’s actually a good explanation for it.
    • In many cuisines worldwide, pumpkins are treated as vegetables and included in savory dishes since they aren’t as overly sweet as other fruits.
    • Since they grow from flowers and contain seeds, they are classified as fruits botanically, regardless of what culinary experts might claim.
  2. Pumpkins grow from tiny fruits attached to flowers which grow off long vines.
    • Pumpkin plants have really long vines
  3. Not all pumpkins are orange!
    • Have you ever seen a pumpkin in a color other than orange, like green or blue? And if you have, have you ever wondered why they aren’t more common?
    • The color of a pumpkin is determined by its genetic makeup. Through natural or artificial cross-breeding and hybridization, pumpkins can come in a variety of colors, including red, white, orange, yellow, or bluish-grey, often with mottled or speckled stripes.
    • It’s not easy to come across these exotic colors in most markets since they’re rare and highly sought after. If you do spot them, make sure to get your parents’ permission before buying, as they can be quite pricey.
  4. Almost all parts of a pumpkin are edible
    • People eat pumpkin shells, seeds, flesh, and flowers. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin soup, and pumpkin muffins are popular items made from pumpkin.
  5. Pumpkins are native to North America
    • Recent studies suggest that pumpkins first originated in North America, particularly in northeastern Mexico and the southern United States, with the oldest pumpkin seeds discovered in Mexico.
  6. Many people carve pumpkins into Jack-O-Lanterns for Halloween.
    • Carving pumpkins on Halloween was an old Irish tradition.
      • Have you ever thought of jack-o-lanterns being made from anything other than pumpkins? Hard to imagine, right? Surprisingly, carving pumpkins is a fairly recent tradition. According to an old Irish folk tale, Stingy Jack was a cunning man who tried to trick the Devil for his own benefit. After his death, he was denied entry to both heaven and hell, leaving him to wander the earth and haunt people. To keep Jack away, the Irish began carving demonic faces into turnips. When they immigrated to America, they switched to pumpkins, which were native, larger, and easier to carve.
  7. Some people compete to grow ‘Giant Pumpkins.’ The largest Giants can weigh more than 2000 pounds, close to what a small car weighs.
  8. Other people build machines to throw pumpkins in pumpkin chunking contests. The team with the machine that throws the pumpkin farthest wins.
Pumpkins on the vine.

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