Kids' Corner
Snow Island: The Christmas craft workshop
One morning, all the children on Snow Island between the ages of six and 12 gathered in the school gymnasium for a Christmas decoration workshop led by two dynamic art students, Maeva and William.
“Your challenge is to make a Christmas tree ornament that symbolizes your personality and interests,” Maeva explained.
“In other words, people should think of you as soon as they see your ornament,” William added. “You can use any of the materials we brought.”
“You have three hours to create your masterpiece,” Maeva said. “Off you go!”
Orion and Capella were very excited. Frantically rummaging through the art supply bins, the eight-year-old twins gathered materials: pom-poms, feathers, sequins, ribbons, pipe cleaners, and more. With their hands full, they headed back to their table to begin.
“What are you going to make for your ornament?” Capella asked.
“Since I love outer space, I’m going to make mine into a rocket ship,” Orion replied. “And since everyone knows I love lemon yellow, the whole thing will be yellow! What about yours?”
“I’m obsessed with chocolate and math, right? So I’m going to make a chocolate bar with mathematical symbols carved into each square,” Capella explained.
The twins enthusiastically set about making their decorations. However, over by the craft bins, two of their friends weren’t having as much fun.
“Gosh, I have no ideas,” Sylvio lamented.
“I don’t know what to make either,” Jasmine admitted.
Suddenly, Orion and Capella had an idea about how to spark their friends’ creativity. The siblings took turns asking them a variety of questions without giving them time to answer.
“What’s your go-to song?”
“Do you have a pet?”
“What sports do you play?”
“Do you like to read?”
“What food do you like best?”
Gradually, the children’s faces lit up. With the help of the twins, they’d finally found their inspiration. Thanking them, Sylvio and Jasmine headed off to create ornaments in their image. The boy made a pineapple-shaped hot air balloon, and the girl decided on a guitar-playing penguin.
That evening, families across Snow Island hung all sorts of unusual ornaments on their trees: a rainbow snowboard, a tractor with wings, a cat curled up in a bird’s nest, a puzzle piece with an elephant trunk on it, a sailboat with Viking symbols, a dinosaur wearing overalls — what a sight!
Inspired by their creativity, many of the children’s parents, including Orion and Capella’s, decided to make their own personalized decorations. After all, who said crafts are only for kids?
THE END
By Johannie Dufour and Sarah Beauregard
Translated by Katya Teague
Kids' Corner
Send secret messages with invisible ink
Do you like playing spies with your friends or siblings? Want to be able to write secret messages? Here are a few ideas for making invisible ink to create top-secret notes.
Heat-activated
Mix together milk and white vinegar or lemon juice in a small bowl. Get a sheet of white paper and a writing utensil like a cotton swab or a small paintbrush. Soak the tip of the writing utensil in the liquid, then write your secret message.
The invisible ink must dry completely before you try to decode it. The person who receives the message must place the paper over a heat-producing light bulb or another heat source. If using a candle, do so only with permission and adult supervision. The heat will reveal the hidden text.
Liquid-activated
Combine equal parts of water and baking soda in a small bowl. Dip your writing utensil in the mixture and create your message. Once the invisible ink has dried completely, explain to the person receiving it that they need a paintbrush and a glass of grape juice. The hidden text will appear when they cover the paper in a thin layer of juice.
You can also write your message with a white pencil or wax crayon and replace the grape juice with water-based paint to achieve the same effect.
Kids' Corner
3 kids that made history
Some people are destined for greatness. Here are three children who’ve made history in their own way.
1. Anne Frank
Born in 1929, Anne was only 13 years old when she was forced into hiding with her family during World War II. During this difficult time, she wrote a diary about her daily life, thoughts, and feelings. The Diary of Anne Frank became a worldwide bestseller and is a stark reminder of the dangers of discrimination and antisemitism.
2. Budhia Singh
Budhia Singh was born in 2002 in India. He was just two years old when his mother sold him to support herself. His local judo coach discovered Budhia’s hidden talent when he punished him by having him run. In 2006, Budhia ran 40 miles in seven hours. By the age of four, he had already completed 48 marathons.
3. Greta Thunberg
Born in 2003, Greta Thunberg is an environmental activist who fights against climate change. In 2018, at the age of 15, she started a school strike that spread worldwide. She has given speeches at major events in Poland, the UK, France, and several other countries. In 2019, the prestigious TIME magazine named her Person of the Year.
Do you want to learn more about these famous children? Do some research on the internet or visit the library with your parents.
Kids' Corner
Create your own book in 5 steps
Do you have a story you want to share with your friends and family? Here’s how to make your own book in five steps.
1. Write the story
Write down your story in a lined notebook, on a scrap piece of paper, or on the computer. Your story should have:
• An introduction establishing the location and characters
• A trigger like an unexpected or surprising event
• A plot, including the obstacles that the characters must face and overcome
• An ending that explains how the hero or heroine solved the problem
2. Revise the grammar
Every published book goes through a revision process. Therefore, ask a friend, parent, or teacher to help you correct your grammar.
3. Make a cover
The cover of your book should contain a title, the author’s name, and an illustration. You can paint or draw your own book cover or use a printed photo.
4. Format the book
Print or transcribe your text on paper; if you want, create a thank you page and dedicate it to the people who helped you make your project come to life.
5. Bind the book together
Bind the pages of your book together in the correct order. You can use staples or string. If your book is thick, staple small stacks of pages together and then use decorative tape to secure them.
Lend your book to friends and family while you write the next one.
Kids' Corner
Do you know Louis Braille?
Louis Braille was a famous French inventor. Having become blind at the age of three, he later invented a system of writing to enable blind or visually impaired people to read.
The system is called “Braille code,” or simply “Braille,” after its inventor. It uses raised dots, or little bumps, arranged in different combinations. Each combination represents a letter of the alphabet, a punctuation mark, a numeral, a mathematical symbol, or a music note.
So, when a sight-impaired person slides their fingertip over these bumps, they recognize the different arrangements. That’s how they know that they’re touching an “A” or a “4,” for example. Isn’t it amazing?
Kids' Corner
5 tips for camping in your backyard
Do you love camping but can’t wait for your family to go on vacation? It’s easy to recreate the experience at home with a little help from your parents. Here are five tips for making it happen.
1. Pack your luggage as if you were leaving. Pack your sleeping bag, pillow, sketchbook, headphones, and whatever else you need for a camping trip. Think about what you’ll need to eat too, and fill a cooler with sandwiches, juices, and snacks for the whole family.
2. Pitch a tent or build one out of blankets and tarps. If the weather isn’t cooperating, move your campsite indoors.
3. Install lanterns or hang strings of lights. This will help create a magical, starry-night atmosphere.
4. Set up folding chairs to watch the sunset. If you can’t hear woodland noises in your backyard, search for nature sounds online to give you the feeling of being in the great outdoors.
5. Entertain yourself. You can play games by the light of the lantern or gather around a fire to tell stories.
Happy camping!
Kids' Corner
3 ways to have fun with soap bubbles
Are you looking for a way to make soap bubbles even more fun? Here are three things to try this summer.
1. Infinity serpents
Ask an adult to help you cut the bottom off a plastic water or soda bottle. Put a stocking on the bottle to cover the hole. Secure it with a rubber band and tape. Then, dip the stocking-covered bottom into soapy water. When you blow into the neck of the bottle, you’ll make bubbles shaped like long snakes. Just be careful not to inhale so you don’t swallow the soap.
2. Exploded art
Pour soapy water into several containers and add different food coloring shades to each. Blow bubbles onto a large sheet of paper. As the bubbles burst, they’ll leave unique and colorful patterns. Hang your artwork on the fridge or use the paper for gift wrap and other crafts.
3. Friendly competition
Hold a contest with your siblings or friends to see who can make the biggest bubble. You can also try creating a track on a piece of cardboard to see who can make their bubble go the farthest without bursting.
Blowing bubbles is a simple activity that can provide hours of fun!
If you want to make extra-large bubbles, pass a rope through two straws to create a square form. Blow soapy water through this form and watch what happens!
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