Chillkids 2015 12 north carolina family educational magazine nc triangle

ChillKids

December 2015

Fun Family Educational Resource of Chapel Hill • Carrboro • Durham • Hillsborough • NC Triangle

December Fun in the NC Triangle!

The Nutcracker Ballet

Art Project: Draw a Reindeer

FREE!

Piedmont Electric Membership Corporation A Touchstone Energy Cooperative

This ChillKids magazine belongs to:

READ TOGETHER

December Maze

Help the reindeer find his way out of the snowy maze so he'll be in time for the reindeer games! Learn how to draw this reindeer on page 12.

Educational fun for the whole family!

ChillKids is your LOCAL award-winning educational family resource magazine for parents, grandparents, children, and educators K-5th grade in Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough/Orange County, Durham and the NC Triangle.

ChillKids

HAVE FUN READING & LEARNING with ChillKids, featuring award-winning educational puzzles and games.

Educators can request FREE distribution for your K-5 classroom(s) by calling (919) 951-4410. Read the monthly online edition at www.

ChillKids.com/news.

SUBTRACTION SUDOKU

The ChillKids family educational resource is supported by sponsors who share our mission to promote literacy and a love of learning in our local community. To learn more about supporting our 501(c)(3) nonprofit literacy mission in partnership with the Newspaper in Education Initiative, call us at (919) 951-4410.

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DECEMBER PUZZLE ANSWERS

COIN CAPER ANSWER: 9 ADDITION SQUARE ANSWER 7, 12, 5, 2, 3, 10, 28 ROAD RIDDLE: [รท7 ]

THANKS to all our sponsors for supporting the ChillKids literacy & Newspapers in Education programs in Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough/Orange County, Durham and the NC Triangle!

Piedmont Electric Membership Corporation A Touchstone Energy Cooperative

The

Mardi Gras Bowling Center

2 www.ChillKids.com/news December 2015

ChillKids Chapel Hill/Carrboro/Hillsborough/ Orange & Durham Counties' Fun Family Educational Resource PUBLISHER/EDITOR Kate Look kate@ChillKids.com Cover Art: K. Look Northern Lights watercolor painting.

For Sponsorship Information, or to request (FREE!) K-5 distribution for your school, contact us at: (919) 951-4410 www.ChillKids.com/news ChillKids 1818 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, #210 Chapel Hill, NC 27514 Copyright Š 2015 ChillKids. All rights reserved. No part of this issue may be reproduced in whole or in part in any form without permission of the publisher.

Neither participating advertisers nor the publishers will be responsible or liable for misinformation, misprints or typographical errors. The publishers reserve the right to edit any submitted material. ChillKids is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, artwork, or other material.

Children's art submissions should include name, address, telephone number, and permission to publish signed by a parent or guardian.

Welcome December!

December is here and there are so many fun annual traditions to enjoy in the North Carolina Triangle! Have your picture taken with Santa and enjoy crafts and fun family events at Northgate Mall in Durham (see page 8), and enjoy the beautiful Festival of Lights at Hill Ridge Farms! (See page 10).

Have a ball at the Triangle Youth Ballet's performances of The Nutcracker, at the Robert C. Hanes Theater, Chapel Hill High School on Dec. 6 & 7, and at the Carolina Theater in Durham on Dec. 12. Read all about the Nutcracker Ballet and have fun figuring out the Nutcracker Word Puzzle on pages 6 and 7.

Also make plans to visit Morehead Planetarium & Science Center for a Family-Friendly New Year's Eve celebration and planetarium shows. See page 16 and visit www.moreheadplanetarium.org for tickets and more information.

It's getting cold outside! Learn about how the animals at the Conservators Center near Burlington, NC stay warm even when it snows. You can plan a visit to take a "Winter in the Wild" tour or for the "Tree Toss" at the Conservators Center, and see all of these amazing animals in person! This month we'll also have fun learning how to draw a reindeer (page 12).

During this holiday season, let's all think about ways that we can help others, share with others, and show how much we appreciate our families, friends, and teachers.

Have a joyful December!

Happy Holidays!

WINTER WONDERLAND 1. ___________________________ 2. ___________________________ 3. ___________________________ 4. ___________________________ 5. ___________________________ 6. ___________________________ 7. ___________________________ 8. ___________________________ 9. ___________________________ 10. __________________________

Rearrange the letters in winter wonderland to come up with ten new words.

You do not have to use all the letters. **EXTRA CHALLENGE** Can you come up with 20 words?

77 Vilcom Center Drive Suite 310 Chapel Hill, NC 27514 919-933-1007 www.cliftonandmauney.com

Clifton & Mauney Orthodontics & Pediatric Dentistry

December 2015 www.ChillKids.com/news

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Comets that Graze the Sun - By Katie McKissick,, National Aeronautics and Space Administration

It’s not easy finding comets, especially when they’re near the bright, shining sun. Comets that

approach the sun are called sungrazers. They can be as small as 30 to 150 feet in diameter. That’s the length of a limousine up to half a football field. Out in space, that’s a very small object to find.

Also, some of these comets are only bright for a few hours before they go around the sun and burn up.

So how do we spot these sungrazer comets?

We find them with a satellite that watches the sun from space.

The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), a joint project of the European Space Agency and NASA, was launched in 1995. SOHO’s main mission is to observe the sun and the space around it. It watches the sun for giant explosions called coronal mass ejections. It looks at the constant energy and particles the sun releases that we call the solar wind. It wasn’t built to find sungrazing comets, but it turned out to be really good at it.

SOHO has discovered over 3,000 comets. In fact, it is the greatest comet finder of all time. Before SOHO, only about a dozen comets had been discovered from space. And only 900 had been discovered from the ground. SOHO didn’t find all these comets by itself. It gathered lots of data about what’s going on around the sun, but it took many people looking at the data to spot the sungrazers. The data is available for everyone to see, including citizen scientists. These are volunteers who help out with scientific research.

Lots of people with all different backgrounds helped spot the comets. In all, 95 percent of SOHO’s comets were found by citizen scientists, including teachers, writers, and 13-year-olds.

We can learn a lot from comets. These chunks of ice and rock flying through space can teach us about how our solar system formed. When they get close to the sun, their gas tails light up and blow in the solar wind. Looking at their tails closely, we can learn more about the solar wind and what makes the tails shine so brightly.

The dot in the cross hairs above is a comet streaming toward the sun, as seen on Sept. 14, 2015, by the ESA/NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). This is the 3,000th comet discovered in SOHO data since the spacecraft launched in 1995. The comet was originally spotted by a citizen scientist/comet hunter named Worachate Boonplod of Samut Songkhram, Thailand, by looking through SOHO images. Credits: ESA/NASA/SOHO.

Learn more about SOHO and watch a cool video visualization of the real comets that SOHO has witnessed at http://www.nasa.gov/feature/ goddard/esa-nasa-solar-observatory-discovers-its-3000th-comet.

Want to make your own comet?

Visit spaceplace.nasa.gov/comet-stick

THE ANIMAL HOSPITAL Highest quality veterinarian services, using state of the art technology & techniques * Dog boarding * Cat boarding * Luxury cat condos * Dog self-wash service

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112 West Main St. Carrboro, NC 27510

Happy Holidays!

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ospital Cat

919-967-9261

4 www.ChillKids.com/news December 2015

ANIMAL KINGDOM

The Weather Outside is Frightful …but the animals are so delightful ! at the Conservators Center There’s an old saying that says, "Luck favors the prepared."

It means that if you’re ready for anything, nothing can catch you off-guard! This is a good motto to have when faced with something as unpredictable as winter weather.

Does your family do anything special to prepare for the cold winter months? Do you go into the attic and bring down the boxes of jackets, scarves, gloves, and hats that you packed away in April?

Maybe your parents line the windows to make sure your house stays warm, or start keeping a window scraper in the car for those COLD mornings when frost forms on the glass.

The animal keepers at the Conservators Center (near Burlington, NC) work hard to prepare the critters for winter, too. Here are some things they do to make sure the animals at

the Center stay healthy, cozy, and happy in cold weather:

• Metal troughs are exchanged for heated bowls to make sure the animals always have access to fresh water… instead of a bowl of solid ice!

• Straw, heating pads, radiating heaters, and blankets are packed into den boxes and winter quarters to make sure the critters have a cozy place to escape the chill.

• Generators are tested for reliability to make sure the power will stay on during a winter storm, and de-icing materials are brought in to make sure the animal keepers can walk on the paths without slipping and falling!

• Throughout the season, special attention is paid to the animals’ skin, feet, and joints to ensure that everyone is staying healthy in the icy weather.

When it comes to the cold, we’re all in this together. Now that you know how the animal keepers help the critters at the Conservators Center stay warm and cozy throughout December, January, and February, ask your parents if there is something you can do to help your family prepare for winter!

Bundle up and come out to the Conservators Center for a 'Winter in the Wild' tour or for 'Tree Toss', where you can help Center staff wrap and decorate holiday gifts to give to the lions and tigers! Visit www.zerve.com/BeWilderNC for more information.

Enoch Lion enjoying the snow. Photo: Kim Pyne.

Reno Bobcat on a snowy day at the Conservators Center. Photo: Kim Pyne.

- By Kasey Thornton, Communications Supervisor at the Conservators' Center

Roland Wolf in the snow. Photo: Kim Pyne.

December 2015 www.ChillKids.com/news

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ARTS & DANCE

The Story of The Nutcracker Prince

Based on the story by E.T.A. Hoffmann and the libretto of the Triangle Youth Ballet.

The air is fragrant with the smell of gingerbread and roasting chestnuts on Christmas Eve as members of the Silberhaus family make final preparations for their annual Christmas party. While wisps of smoke rise from the chimneys and colored lights twinkle in every window, festive Christmas music promises magic to come.

Clara and Fritz, the Silberhaus children, are anxiously waiting for the holiday party to begin. Soon, family and friends dressed in their best holiday silks and satins arrive, but they are not alone.

A mysterious dark figure enters the room: Fritz and Clara's eccentric uncle Herr Drosselmeyer. Apprehension gives way to delight as the uncle entertains all of the young guests with magic tricks and life-sized dancing dolls.

Gifts of china dolls, bugles and a drum are given to all the children except Clara. To her, Uncle Drosselmeyer bestows a special, funny-looking wooden soldier painted red, blue and gold with huge teeth. “This is a Nutcracker,” he explains. As Clara joyfully plays with her new gift, an annoyed Fritz grabs and breaks the Nutcracker. Drosselmeyer bandages its wounds and promises to fix it later. After an enchanted evening, the party comes to an end.

Later that night, when everyone in the house is asleep, Clara tiptoes downstairs to check on her Nutcracker. All of a sudden out of the dark, huge mice storm into the room and surround Clara. Rustling and scratching sounds shake the room as the furniture comes alive and dances away. The Christmas tree grows before her very eyes. Clara’s now life-sized Nutcracker defends her from the mice and their Mouse King. After the battle, the victorious Nutcracker doll is transformed into a gallant Nutcracker Prince.

With peace restored, Guardian Angels appear. They glide Clara and the Nutcracker Prince to the Land of the Sweets through the Enchanted Snow Forest, where they are charmed by dancing snowflakes and honored by the elegant Snow King and Queen. Approaching the Candy Palace, a bouquet of candy flowers led by the sprightly Dew Drop Fairy swirl about.

The pair arrive at the Palace to be greeted by the Sugar Plum Fairy and her handsome Cavalier who provide an event of sugary sweets and dancing delights. Spanish Chocolate, Arabian Coffee and Chinese Tea add spice to the festivities. Russian Matrioshka dolls, spring and leap to the pleasure of the visitors. Colorful Mirlitons enhance the palette. And last but not least, Mother Ginger waddles across the floor sharing her gift of eight gingerbread cookie boys and girls.

Clara’s beguiling visit eventually comes to an end. However, we are never sure if Clara’s journey is a spell cast by her Uncle Drosselmeyer or simply a dream. Nonetheless, the glorious adventure will live on forever in our memory, for wonderful things will always be seen by those who have the vision to see them.

6 www.ChillKids.com/news December 2015

Nutcracker Ballet Nutty Fun Facts

by Lauren Lorentz de Haas

The story of The Nutcracker comes from a tale written in 1816 by E.T.A. Hoffman called The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.

The original production of The Nutcracker was performed by the Moscow Ballet in the Imperial Theatre in Russia a week before Christmas in 1892. At first, the ballet was not very popular because the lead ballerina didn’t dance enough for the Russian ballet fans so it wasn’t performed often. In 1944 the San Francisco Ballet staged the first Nutcracker performance in America and it has been growing in popularity ever since with hundreds of productions each year in the United States and across the world.

In some versions the little girl’s name is Clara, and in others she is named Marie. In some versions she has a brother, and in others she also has an older sister. In some adaptations Clara takes the place of the Sugar Plum Fairy, and in others there is both a Mouse King and Mouse Queen.

Some take place in more modern time periods, and others take place in alternate locations like the Nutcracker Key West whose Act II is set in an underwater corral kingdom with a sunken treasure ship, King Neptune, the Sea Star Fairy, and Angel Fish.

triangleyouthballet.org

No matter which version you see, The Nutcracker is always about the dreams of children during this holiday season.

Puzzle solution on page 15.

The music for The Nutcracker was composed by Pyotr Iliych Tchaikovsky in 1891. He also composed the music for two other famous ballets, The Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake. Tchaikovsky used a special instrument for the Sugarplum Fairy’s solo called a celesta which looks like an upright piano but sounds more like a glockenspiel. He used the newly-invented celesta to make the music sound like the “sprays of a fountain” as the choreographer, Marius Petipa requested.

These are things you may find in The Nutcracker.

Can you fill all of the words below in the white boxes? Use each word once, and pay attention to letters that are shared.

4-LETTER WORDS ___ DRUM ___ HARP ___ HORN

5-LETTER WORDS 7-LETTER WORD ___ ANGEL ___ TRUMPET ___ BUNNY 9-LETTER WORD ___ CANON ___ SNOWFLAKE ___ CLARA 10-LETTER WORDS ___ FAIRY __ NUTCRACKER ___ FLUTE __ PEPPERMINT ___ FRITZ I am a Gin ___ MOUSE and I danc gerbread Cookie e with Mot ___ TIARA and Cla her

ra and the

Gin Nutcracke ger r Prince.

Color m

e!

Family Friendly Pricing Tickets $10 - $27

Chapel Hill December 5, 2015 at 7:00 p.m.

December 6, 2015 at 2.00 p.m.

Robert C. Hanes Theater, Chapel Hill High School Ticket information 919-932-2676 triangleyouthballet.org Ticket outlets: Balloons & Tunes, Carrboro Cameron’s, Carrboro The Regulator Bookshop, Durham Durham December 12, 2015 at 11:00 am & 3:30 p.m.

Carolina Theatre, Durham Ticket information 919-560-3030 carolinatheatre.org

The Triangle Youth Ballet is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and a member of the North Carolina Center for Non-Profits.

We are a Performing Member Company of Regional Dance America and Southeastern Regional Ballet Association, Inc. Photography by Catharine Carter

December 2015 www.ChillKids.com/news

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8 www.ChillKids.com/news December 2015

Sunday

Monday

Triangle Youth Ballet's

The Nutcracker 15th Season!

Chapel Hill Performances December 5, 2015 at 7:00 p.m.

December 6, 2015 at 2:00 p.m.

Robert C. Hanes Theater, Chapel Hill High School Durham Performances December 12, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. & 3:30 p.m.

The Carolina Theater, Durham

Tuesday

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Story Time

Wednesday Thursday

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Friday

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Ages 3 – 6 Mondays & Tuesdays 10:30 am – 11:00 am and 3:30 pm - 4 pm

Triangle Youth Ballet The Nutcracker

2:00 pm Robert C. Hanes Theater, Chapel Hill High School

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Robert C. Hanes Theater,

Chapel Hill Public Library

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Story Time

Ages 3 – 6 Mondays & Tuesdays 10:30 am – 11:00 am ALSO Tuesdays 3:30 pm - 4 pm Chapel Hill Public Library

(See page 7)

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Free lecture

by Michael D'Aleo

Chapel Hill High School (See page 7)

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7pm

Red Herring Puppets presents Adventures in Folklore at Northgate Mall

Emerson Waldorf School 6211 New Jericho Road, Chapel Hill 919-967-1858. emersonwaldorf.org

Geminids Meteor Shower Peak

(See page 8.)

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Wright Brothers Day

between midnight & dawn Dec. 13 - Dec. 14

spaceplace.nasa.gov/ meteor-shower

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Donna Pruitt Balloon Art Show + coloring sheets at Northgate Mall

The first powered human flight

by Orville and Wilbur Wright at Kitty Hawk, NC in 1903.

22 Story Time

Ages 3 – 6 Mondays & Tuesdays 10:30 am – 11:00 am and 3:30 pm - 4 pm

Triangle Youth Ballet The Nutcracker

11:00 am & 3:30 pm Carolina Theatre, Durham

How Internet Culture, Science, and Technology Can Work for Us or Inhibit Us

14 15

Triangle Youth Ballet The Nutcracker 7:00 pm

Learn all about The Nutcracker on pages 6 - 7.

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Saturday

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Learn how to draw a reindeer like me !

(Page 12.)

(See page 8.)

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Full Moon

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Christmas Day

Chapel Hill Public Library

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Story Time

Ages 3 – 6 Mondays & Tuesdays 10:30 am – 11:00 am ALSO Tuesdays 3:30 pm - 4 pm Chapel Hill Public Library

Family-Friendly New Year's Eve at Morehead Planetarium (See page 16.) moreheadplanetarium.org

SANTA PHOTOS and Holiday Family Fun at NORTHGATE MALL

Make Ornaments with Bull City Craft, Puppet Shows, Balloon Art Show, Coloring Sheets (See page 8.)

NORTHGATEMALL.COM

December 2015 www.ChillKids.com/news

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HEALTHY KIDS SANITIZER COUGHING MEMORIZE BUBBLES SQUAD ELBOW SCRUB DIRTY AVOID GERMS TOWEL PALMS NOSE SOAP

Remember the last time you had a cold or the flu?

It was pretty miserable. You sneezed, coughed and had no energy.

But there’s an easy way to avoid all that: Just join the SCRUB SQUAD. HOW TO JOIN: You join automatically, every time you wash your hands!

Using hand sanitizer shouldn’t be a _________________ for washing your hands with soap and _________. While sanitizer does kill _________, it doesn’t do a very good job of getting rid of __________ dirt. Think of hand sanitizer as just a little “touch-up” ____________ hand washings with good ol’ soap and water.

M O S N A E L C A U R W C I L A N T U B E E R H M Y H O Q B

G L U G S R T N S L D W B U O A S R H E

M E M O R I Z E I S

I N M C W A V O I D

G R E Z I T I N A S

& Adolescents

Use a generous amount of soap.

Liquid soap, powdered soap or bar soap are all great.

Open SEVEN DAYS A WEEK

SCRUB: Get the palms, back of your hands, wrists, under your nails and between your fingers for at least 20 seconds.

including all holidays

Rinse your hands to get rid of the soap (and dirt and germs).

Same-day appointments available

RESTROOM, COOKING, ANIMALS, FRIEND, TRASH

Puzzler Answers /Unscrambled Words: OUTSIDE,

How many hands and bubbles can you find on this page?

When should I wash my hands?

• after playing DISTOUE • after using the STROMORE • before eating or KONCOGI • after petting SANIMLA • before and after visiting a sick DRFNEI • after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing • after taking out the RATHS

S T H G P A O S D B

Chapel Hill Pediatrics

Rub your hands together under warm running water. Make sure to get wet up to your wrists.

Air dry your hands or use a clean towel, either cloth or paper.

Find the words in the puzzle, then find the words in the Scrub Squad activities on this page.

URGENT CARE HOURS AVAILABLE "Walk-in availability" for established patients: Monday – Friday mornings 7:15 – 7:50am & Sat/Sun 9am - 2pm Care from birth through college Comprehensive sports & camp physicals International adoption care Convenient parking

TWO locations welcome NEW and established patients

205 Sage Rd., Suite 100 Chapel Hill, NC 27514

249 East NC Hwy 54, Suite 230 Durham, NC 27713

919-942-4173

www.chapelhillpeds.com

10 www.ChillKids.com/news December 2015

Hidden Picture Puzzle HIDDEN PICTURE PUZZLES

by Liz

How many hidden items can you find?

November 26 - December 27, 2015 7 nights a week

Mon. - Thurs. 5pm - 9pm * Fri. - Sat. 5pm - 10pm * Sun. 5pm - 9pm

Come join us for a magical holiday celebration!

Enjoy an old fashioned covered wagon hayride and magical train ride through our beautiful light show! Covered Wagon Hayride Old Fashioned Candy Store Train Rides Bonfires Giant Slide Visit Santa nightly through Dec. 23rd Smores/Hot Chocolate/Apple Cider Great Food at our Chuckwagon Grill!

hillridgefarms.com

(919) 556-1771 or (800) 358-4170

703 Tarboro Road, Youngsville, NC 27596

December 2015 www.ChillKids.com/news

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Recycling #GreaseForGOOD

The Grease For Good program recycles spent cooking oil from local food service locations to be made into cleaner burning BIOdiesel.

Our mission is that one day BIOdiesel will allow children to breath easier by powering their buses.

And farmers too!

If you help us recruit new places to do GOOD with their grease, we’ll do something GOOD for you!

Win REWARDS by helping spread the word using #GreaseForGood on Twitter & linking us to places that would like to join our cause!

A portion of our profits goes back to support local classrooms with the help of DonorsChoose.org We are looking for partners to match our donations to help us make an even bigger impact! (Tax deductible)

SEE our story from UNC TV! @GreaseForGood /GreaseForGood

bit.ly/Grease4Good

GreaseForGood.com 919-275-5556

bit.ly/Grease4Good See more cartoons at www.andertoons.com

12 www.ChillKids.com/news December 2015

 Math-A-Muse

Look for Math-A-Muse Answers on page 2.

By Evelyn B. Christensen, Ed.D.





   

  



10 – 8 11 – 6

9–8

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8–4 

9–6

13 – 9 12 – 6

8–3

6–4

7–4

15 – 9 10 – 7

12 – 7



    

 

   START

3

9 +8



11 – 5

3

2

x2 13 – 8

9–5

11 – 9

6–3

1

3

2 7–6

8–5

+7

9 7

9–7



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10

8



We make math make sense.

At Mathnasium, we believe every child has the ability to be successful in math—it’s a matter of teaching the way that makes sense to them. When math makes sense, kids excel—whether they’re far behind or eager to get ahead.

Call Us for a NoRisk Assessment!

Exp. 12/15/2015

Mathnasium of North Durham

Mathnasium of Durham-Chapel Hill

mathnasium.com/northdurham

mathnasium.com/durham-chapelhill

3823 Guess Road, Suite H&I Durham, NC 27705

3604 Witherspoon Blvd. Suite 111 Durham, NC 27707

(919) 477-5791

(919) 490-5151

December 2015 www.ChillKids.com/news

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December Word Find Find the words by looking up, down, backwards, forwards, sideways and diagonally.

N S Y M Z O L G G U J X W L S

O S H R O X W E X I V L F U V

R S T O M M M O T C R P N P N

T V Y H O I C S N E R G R A X

December Holidays Northern Lights Reindeer Snow

H S Y A N T R H K S R T E R M

E D C I D O I C F A W E B A S

R I D A E I A N Z N W L M D K

N S R T R R L E G K G L E E B

L A E H C V R O H S B A C S T

Ballet Nutcracker Parades Mittens Scarves

I M T T R C E O H S T B E K R

G Z U J O F X S M O Z A D X N

H N F M R E E D N I E R R P X

T W E T Q E N Y M R R Y U S Z

S T M I T T E N S O F P I S I

S P L A N E T A R I U M L S X

Geminids Meteors Shooting Stars Sungrazer Comets Planetarium

Dot-to-Dot Instructions Connect the dots in order from 1 - 67, then color your picture!

We love to publish your original art work, letters, poems and stories! Ask your parent/guardian to send or email your original art, along with their signed permission to publish, to the ChillKids mailing address on page 2.

5 Rules for Energy Safety

The Mardi Gras Bowling Center

1. Always ask a grown-up for help when you need to use something that uses electricity.

2. Don’t yank or pull cords from a wall. Pulling cords can damage the outlet, the appliance or the plug.

3. Ask a grown-up to put safety caps on all unused electrical outlets. This can also help save energy by stopping drafts.

4. Keep electrical stuff away from water. Water and electricity don’t mix. Most electrical accidents in the home happen when people use electricity near water.

5. Never touch or go near any kind of power line! Stay away from power lines that have fallen down. Never climb an electric tower or pole, or any tree that is near electric lines.

Meet LED Lucy and CFL Charlie and visit www.kidsenergyzone.com for fun games, activities, and Super Energy Saver learning tools.

Piedmont Electric

SAVE 10%

On bowling when you book your Child’s Birthday Party The Mardi Gras Bowling Center Falconbridge Shoppping Center 6118-A Farrington Rd, Chapel Hill, NC 27517 (919) 489-1230 www.MardiGrasBowling.com

Membership Corporation A Touchstone Energy Cooperative TM

www.pemc.coop

Expires December 31, 2015

Does not apply to food & beverage

14 www.ChillKids.com/news December 2015

DECEMBER 2015 Flick Picks Alvin and the Chipmunks: Road Chip

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

(In Theaters: December 18, 2015)

(In Theaters: December 18, 2015)

Through a series of misunderstandings, Alvin, Simon and Theodore come to believe that their human adoptive father/ manager Dave is going to propose to his new girlfriend in Miami…and dump them.

They have three days to get to him and stop the proposal, saving themselves not only from losing Dave but possibly from gaining a terrible stepbrother.

Rated G. (1 hr. 20 min.) 20th Century Fox.

F A

Visit www.triangleyouthballet.org for Nutcracker Ballet dates, times & tickets for Chapel Hill and Durham December 2015 performances.

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Nutcracker Word Puzzle Solution (see page 7)

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KID’S MEALS… more than just yummy!

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"A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away . . ."

The much-anticipated Star Wars sequel arrives in theaters December 18th, starring many of the beloved original Star Wars characters and actors, including Princess Leia (now she's General Leia), Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Chewbacca, R2D2 and C-3PO and many more.) The Force Awakens also features the music of composer John Williams. (John Williams also was the composer for all of the six previous Star Wars films).

The Force Awakens is the seventh Star Wars movie, and it is the first new Star Wars movie for over ten years. (The last Star Wars movie was in theaters in 2005). The budget for the film was reportedly around $200 million dollars, setting the stage for an action-packed blockbuster!

Get your light saber ready to battle the Dark Side, and may the force be with you! Rated PG-13 (for sci-fi action violence). (2 hours, 16 min.)

Lucasfilm Ltd, Bad Robot Productions; distributed by Walt Disney Studios.

Shop at Twig

where it feels good to be green.

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Inspired, beautiful and sensible.

Dream Build Play

• 12 choices!

• Free of: Artificial Trans Fat Processed MSG High Fructose Corn Syrup Artificial Colors & Dyes • Many less than $ .00!

• KID’S MEALS INCLUDE choice of Organic Apple Juice or Organic Milk

3

Magnetic Wooden Blocks

And so much more...

5408 New Hope Commons Dr. 919-493-3350

Mention this ad and receive a free Twig LED flashlight with any purchase.

99 S. Elliott Rd. Chapel Hill, NC (next to Whole Foods) 919.929.8944 www.twigliving.com

Fun stuff with JD Kids! http://www.jasonsdeli.com/JDKids

December 2015 www.ChillKids.com/news

15

By Jan Buckner Walker

The Original Crossword Puzzle for Kids and Their Favorite Adults

™

Kids Across

1. When the holiday season starts, wrapping paper is all over the gifts, but it ends up all over the _______ 4. Smile!: With one click, a ____ captures the smiles of the holiday 9. A stuffed _____ is a pet you will never have to feed 10. According to the Christmas carol, it's the kind of tree in which you might find a partridge 12. These fall from a tree full of needles and look like little trees: ____ cones 14. Here's a homonym for the holidays: A ___ is a popular Christmas tree which sounds like a bear's coat 15. What a kid writes out to tell Santa what she wants (but Santa makes one and he checks it twice) 16. A song of the season: "The ____ Days of Christmas" celebrates the joy of giving 17. Love is a gift you can give for ____

The across clues are for kids and the down clues are for grown-ups!

20. What people will shout at midnight when the year ends when the confetti falls: "Happy ____ Year!"

21. Remember, big things can come in ____ packages 23. A person's hope for the holidays (or what you make when you blow out the candles on a birthday cake) 24. To wind Christmas lights around a tree (or what unwinds as you fly a kite) Parents Down 2. On a final note: It's the last word of "Deck the Halls" 3. Paper slip you'll want to hold on to in case that gift doesn't work for you 4. Writing with wax: What a preschooler might use to put his name on a gift tag 5. Holiday cheer delivered by a postal worker 6. Label that promises that the gift will fit: One size fits ____ 7. If you don't pick a 12A tree,

8.

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13.

16.

18.

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you might choose this "blue" Christmas tree variety (or, when followed by "up," to deck out a home for a holiday party) Handle with care: Easily broken, like a precious ornament 'Tis the season for patience: Winding formations that emerge in front of cash registers everywhere "Animal" name for a random gift exchange which promises inexpensive holiday fun: white ____ Santa's North Pole inventory, mostly Deep fried question: What if the fifth day of Christmas brought five golden onion ___?

A ____ globe is a kitschy gift that bestows the power to control the weather year round: ___ globe It's a goofy present that brings laughter to the holiday kris@kapd.com season: a ___ gift

Bring the family to

• Extended hours, Dec. 21-31 • Special “Family-Friendly New Year’s Eve” (advance ticket sales on Morehead’s website)

• NEW! Hands-on nanotechnology exhibit • Six different planetarium shows • Live science demonstrations CHECK ONLINE FOR DAILY SCHEDULES: www.moreheadplanetarium.org 250 E. Franklin Street • Chapel Hill, NC • 919-962-1236 On the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Happy Holly Days

™

Solution on page 2.

KAPD ebooks now available on www.kapd.com

12/20/15

© 2015 KAPD, LLC