ChillKids 2020-05 Family Magazine NC Triangle May

ChillKids

May 2020

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

Spring Fun in the NC Triangle

2020-2021 National Geographic GeoBee is Open!

Amazing Honey Bees

New Distance-Learning Options Available Hey fourth graders!

See America’s natural wonders and historic sites for free.

Eastern Box Turtles

at the Piedmont Wildlife Center

www.everykidinapark.gov

NASA Weather Satellites and Pigeon Races

Puzzles Mazes

Hidden Picture Puzzles Dot to Dots FREE!

Kids Across Parents Down Crossword Puzzle

Piedmont Electric Membership Corporation A Touchstone Energy Cooperative

This ChillKids magazine belongs to:

Chapel Hill Pediatrics

&Adolescents

Welcome NEW and Established Patients

• Care from birth through college • Complimentary “meet & greet” sessions • Same-day appointments • Comprehensive sports & camp physicals Appointment Hours 8 am - 5 pm M-F All Locations

Walk in Availability:

Spring Dot-to-Dot STARS Follow the dot-to-dot STARS instructions above.

Connect the dots, then color the picture!

Chapel Hill Office: 7:15 – 7:50 am and 1-7 pm M-F, 9 am - 2 pm Sat - Sun Durham Office: 7:15 – 7:50 am M-F

READ TOGETHER

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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MAY PUZZLE ANSWERS

COIN CAPER ANSWERS: DDNN ADDITION SQUARE ANSWER 2, 6, 11, 2, 10, 9, 27 ROAD RIDDLE: (x – ÷)

919-942-4173 Open daily including weekends and holidays.

Serving you in 2 locations: Chapel Hill: 205 Sage Road, Suite 100 Durham: 249 East NC Hwy 54, Suite 230

www.chapelhillpeds.com

2 www.ChillKids.com/news May 2020

ChillKids Chapel Hill/Carrboro/Hillsborough/ Orange & Durham Counties' Fun Family Educational Resource PUBLISHER/EDITOR Kate Look kate@ChillKids.com

Happy May! This month we'll learn all about honey bees, and how you can plant a bee garden with the kinds of plants and flowers that bees love, and a source of fresh water too, to help the honey bees thrive (pages 4 and 5).

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 © 2020 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.

Hey fourth graders! See America’s natural wonders and historic sites for free.

Learn how on page 7.

On page 6, meet Eastern Box Turtles Vinny and Sheldon and learn about the Piedmont Wildlife Center's Animal Ambassadors and their conser vation mission. Learn how you can help the box turtles with the Box Turtle Connection and the Triangle Turtle Trekker Program (page 6).

The 2020-2021 National Geographic GeoBee is open for registrations, and they have new distance-learning options available. Geography is fun! Learn more on page 11, In May we take time to appreciate and honor some very important people as we celebrate Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, and Teacher Appreciation Week. Draw a picture or write a note letting your teachers know how much you appreciate them.

Write a poem or make something special for your mother on Mother's Day (May 10th this year). Have fun finding all of the hidden pictures in the Mother's Day Hidden Picture Puzzle on page 10! Complete the dot-to-dot on page 14, and color it in!

Have a mar velous May!

Spring Safety Coloring Sheet

Spring Safety Tip: Never climb a tree that has power lines running through it!

Always avoid playing near electrical utility equipment.

Piedmont Electric Membership Corporation

DiscovertheForest.org

www.pemc.coop

A Touchstone Energy Cooperative

May 2020 www.ChillKids.com/news

3

NATURE EXPLORERS

All About Honey Bees

Did you know that honey bees play a very important role in nature? They also are vitally important for our food supply, and even for the air that we breathe. Always Be Kind to honey bees!

Do the Honeybee Math · Bees fly a few tenths of a mile up to 6 miles to gather nectar.

By planting organic home gardens with the kinds of flowers and other plants that honeybees love, we can help the honeybees get the pollen and nectar that they need. Home gardens should be free of pesticides that harm honey bees, for the safety and health of the honey bees, pets, and all of us!

· Bees leave the hive 15 times per day and visit around 100 flowers each time – that’s 1,500 flowers a day!

Also provide a water source on your property – bees love clean water to drink!

· 1 lb of honey = visiting two million flowers and flying 55,000 miles.

Fun Facts About Honey Bees

· Bees can collect up to 4-5 pounds of nectar each day. · 4 pounds of nectar = 1 pound of honey · 8 pounds of nectar = 1 pound of beeswax

· The average worker bee produces about 1/12th tsp of honey in her lifetime.

· Entomologists spell "honey bee" as two words, · The 6 sided hex shape of honeycomb is the strongest but some dictionaries refer to honey bees as one shape per material weight. word ("honeybees.") Entomologitsts are scientists · Bees can not see the color red (it looks green to them), who study insects. but they can detect ultraviolet reflectance.

· Bees pollinate 80% of the world’s plants including 90 different food crops. · 1 out of every 3 or 4 bites of food you eat is thanks to bees. · The honey bee is responsible for $15 billion in U.S. agricultural crops each year. · Honey is the only food that does not spoil (bacteria can’t grow in it, and because of it’s low moisture content and low pH – honey can last indefinitely). · Bees maintain a temperature of 92-93 degrees fahrenheit in their central brood nest regardless of whether the outside temperature is 110 or -40 degrees. · The honey bee is the only insect that produces food eaten by man. · Man’s first alcoholic beverage, mead, is a wine made with honey.

· Americans consume about 1.31 pounds of honey per person annually.

Threats to the Bees Threats to the honey bee include parasites (insect pests) such as wax moths, varroa mites,which bite bees and infect them with fatal viruses, Asian hornets, and the use of pesticides which poison bees, and Colony Collapse Disorder.

Fears about honey bees can also threaten them. “The most common concern about honeybees is bee stings. Honeybees are not aggressive by nature and are unlikely to sting. Only 0.4% of Americans report an allergy to insect stings in the U.S., and almost none of these are caused by honeybees. In addition, less than 1% of the US population is at risk of systemic reaction to stings by honeybees. Severe reactions from the sting of any one insect in a year are 1 in 5,555,556.”

(JustFood.org)

How Do Plants You Spell Honey Bee? Bees Loved

by Honey

Entomologists spell "honey bee" as two words, · Native andrefer old-fashioned “heirloom” but some dictionaries to honey bees as one wordvarieties ("honeybees.") Entomologitsts are · Borage, mint, thyme, lavender scientists who studysage, insects. (and most other herbs too) · Butterfly bush, daisies, honeysuckle, sunflowers, blackberries, raspberries · Pears, peaches, apricots, apples · Maples, willows, poplars, locust trees For more bee-friendly plants and to learn how to plant a bee garden, visit https://thehoneybeeconservancy.org/ plant-a-bee-garden/

4 www.ChillKids.com/news May 2020

Honey Bees (cont.)

Image: NC State Extension <growingsmallfarms.ces.ncsu.edu>

Did you know?

It is said that the honeybee (also spelled Honey Bee) can remember human faces for days after seeing them!

Bees are the only insects that produce food that humans can eat (honey, of course!)

Working bees are strong! They can lift 100% of their bodyweight!

Orchid bees from Panama can lift their own weight and fly around with it.

Bees communicate by dancing!

Instead of talking, bees dance to communicate the location of food. Their dances are so distinctive that humans can learn to understand what the dance movements mean. They do a little waggle when food is far, and they make a circular motion when food is near. They also mark the geographic direction where food is located by dancing in a circle and stopping at a point that shows the direction and angle (if the circle were a clock face, it's as if they are saying "food at 3 o'clock!")

The oldest known bee specimen is around 100 million years old and was found in Southeast Asia in the heart of an amber rock.

3,400 Honeybees have been to outer space on a NASA flight!

Amazingly, the bees kept busy crafting a honey comb over the course of seven days before returning back to Earth.

Image: NC State Extension <growingsmallfarms.ces.ncsu.edu>

An individual honeybee can fly up to 5 miles from the hive to search for food, and a honeybee colony will fly a total of approximately 55,000 miles to make just one pound of honey. A single bee hive can produce as much as 60 pounds of honey in a good year, which is about 25 pounds more than they need to survive in the winter.

Honeybees visit around two million flowers to make one pound of honey.

That's a lot of work!

Habitat They can be found anywhere that is rich in flowers – like orchards and gardens, rainforests, wetlands, fields and grasslands, open woodlands and even desert habitats when in bloom.

Honeybees in the Garden We can all help the honeybees by including in our gardens the kinds of plants that bees love! Some of the flowers that bees love are: Bee balm Blackeyed Susan Stonecrop Goldenrod Butterfly Bush Purple coneflower Joe-pye weed Lavender Teachers and parents: find a list of the Top 25 Native Pollinator Plants for North Carolina at www.carolinapollinatorgarden.org.

Honeybee Body Traits Like all insects they have three body parts – a head, thorax and abdomen. Their head is hairy with large, dark eyes. The thorax is hairy and reddishbrown. The abdomen is striped dark and light – the light rings can be from white to yellowish-orange.

It is also hairy, though less so than the thorax. The abdomen has a venom gland. It supplies the stinger with poison used to attack anything that threatens the hive. They have six dark legs. The back pair has a “pollen basket” where the bee stores collected pollen. They are up to ¾” long (2 cm).

Range Honeybees are found all over the world, though much of their range is due to man introducing them to new places like the Western Hemisphere.

Honeybee on Ironweed Vernonia at the Chatham Mills “Pollinator Paradise” Garden. Visit www. growingsmallfarms.org for more info.

Habits Honeybees live in a colony in a dome-shaped hive. They build the hive in a hollow tree or a rock cavity made out of wax they make.

Bees can communicate with each other using chemical scents. In this way they can tell that a bee belongs in their hive or mark flowers for hive mates to find later. They also communicate by “dancing.”

Diet Young growing honeybee larva are fed pollen, nectar and honey. The worker bees collect pollen and nectar and store food as honey for the winter. While they feed, they are pollinating flowers, so are very important part of plant life cycles.

Excerpted from Amsel, Sheri. "Honeybee" Exploring Nature Educational Resource ©2005-2017. May 8, 2017. < http://www.exploringnature.org/db/view/304 >

Parents and teachers: visit www.exploringnature. com to learn more.

May 2020 www.ChillKids.com/news

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ANIMAL KINGDOM

Eastern Box Turtles

Meet the Wildlife Ambassadors at the Piedmont Wildlife Center

Piedmont Wildlife Center's Educational Animal Ambassadors Piedmont Wildlife Center's educational animals serve as ambassadors for their individual species.

Photos courtesy of Piedmont Wildlife Center.

Eastern Box Turtles are a native species of turtle that is found along the east coast of the United States, including North Carolina.

The Box turtle received its name because it can close completely in its shell.

Box turtles are the only terrestrial turtles in the United States. Terrestrial means that they live on the land rather than in the water.

Box turtles are usually found near wooded areas, but are frequently found crossing streets due to habitat loss.

Their population is in serious decline, but there is a healthy population at Leigh Farm Park in Durham, NC where the Piedmont Wildlife Center is located.

Box turtles' shells have unique markings, with males being more brightly colored than females. Males have brightly colored heads and front legs with red eyes. Females usually have a brown/ tan head and front legs. Occasionally females will have red eyes.

Males also have a slight indentation on their carapace (the bottom side of shell) as well as having flared scutes on the back side of their carapace (the top side of shell).

Meet Sheldon Eastern Box Turtle Sheldon is a rescued Eastern Box Turtle from a group of 100 turtles that were surrendered. All the turtles had been living indoors together for more than 20 years. They currently live in an enclosed area outdoors at the Piedmont Wildlife Center and are doing very well.

All of their ambassadors have permanent homes at PWC, after being rescued or surrendered by their previous owners. Their raptors were all rehabilitated after sustaining extensive Learn more about Eastern Box Turtles injuries, but deemed non-releasable due and the Piedmont Wildlife Center's to their inability to fly.

Each ambassador has an important lesson to teach about wildlife conservation. Their stories inspire all who meet them to make changes to protect our environment and the animals that live in it.

conservation mission at https:// www.piedmontwildlifecenter.org/ conservation.

Learn more about the animals at Piedmont Wildlife Center at https:// www.piedmontwildlifecenter.org/ animals.

Meet Vinny Eastern Box Turtle Vinny was removed from the side of a highway in Virginia. The people who found him saw him on the side of a busy road and thought they were helping him by bringing him back home to where they lived (in North Carolina). Luckily, they did not release Vinny into their backyard.

They researched box turtles, and learned that when box turtles are relocated outside of their (approximately) 1 acre home-range, they spend the rest of their lives trying to get back home. In this time, the turtles will not eat or drink and usually don't survive.

If you see a turtle, don't remove it from its natural habitat. However if you find an injured turtle, you can contact the Turtle Rescue Team at NC State's Veterinary Hospital at: https://cvm.ncsu.edu/outreach/ turtle-rescue-team/.

Box turtles are in serious decline, but you can help! Visit the Box Turtle Connection at https://boxturtle.uncg.edu/ to learn how.

So they called the Piedmont Wildlife Center, who were able to take Vinny in to become a wildlife ambassador. (Vinny could not be returned to his home-range in Virginia because the people who brought him to North Carolina didn't remember where on the Virginia highway they had picked him up.)

You Can Help!

The Box Turtle Connection & Triangle Turtle Trekker Program Piedmont Wildlife Center partners with the Box Turtle Connection (https://boxturtle.uncg.edu/), WildTrack (https://wildtrack. org/), and has a citizen science initiative,Triangle Turtle Trekkers.

These are local North Carolina efforts to investigate the status and behavior of the eastern box turtle, a species in serious decline.

Their goal is to use the data collected from these projects to inform and improve conservation efforts for the Eastern Box Turtle, our state reptile. Learn how to get involved in their Triangle Turtle Trekker program at https://www. piedmontwildlifecenter.org/turtletrekkers.

6 www.ChillKids.com/news May 2020

NATIONAL PARKS Spring is here! The weather is getting warmer and it's a great time to plan a visit to some of the beautiful places in our National Parks.

The "Every Kid in a Park" program offers US fourth graders and their families (including siblings and parents) and fourth grade teachers with their students a free pass to visit all federal parks, lands and waters.

This includes national parks located in North Carolina, for example, the Wright Brothers National Memorial on the Outer Banks in Kitty Hawk, NC.

Explore the Great Outdoors!

Calling All Fourth Graders & Their Families & Fourth Grade Teachers

Get FREE access to all of the federal lands and waters across the US for a full year!

4th graders can get their pass at

www.everykidinapark.gov

With the "Every Kid in a Park" pass, fourth graders and their families can use the pass at more than 2,000-plus federal land and water sites all year, through August 31, 2020. (The pass is valid beginning September 1 and ending August 31 of the studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 4th grade year.) Fourth graders can also take their siblings and up to three adults when visiting these great places!

Fourth graders will be able to learn about their heritage, connect with nature, and ignite a passion for history and culture.

With access to millions of acres of federal lands and waters, this can spark a lifelong commitment to enjoying and saving places that matter.

Parents, teachers and youth group leaders can help their fourth grade students download the pass (and take a field trip!) Visit www. everykidinapark.gov to learn more, print out the free voucher/pass, and learn about all of the beautiful places you can go!

May 2020 www.ChillKids.com/news

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 Math-A-Muse

By Evelyn B. Christensen, Ed.D.

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

   

  

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8–2

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    

5–2

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6–3

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L F F P A U E Q Y Q C T R H O

H W I S A V C H D I E N Y Y R

Every Kid in a Park Cinco de Mayo Honey Bees Flowers

S O O L R N P F N J N O K Y I

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O N N Z D A I C B M T M P Y A

S C L E R L O D J R E D X A L

N P P G Y D I M I F R E K R D

Box Turtle Piedmont Wildlife Center

S A O Q E B M W O K X I Z H A

W E W M Z U E C V E Y P I K Y

G U A I A Q R E D U Z R N J S

K Y N J T H B S S B L W E Q D

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    

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

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THE ANIMAL HOSPITAL

May Word Find E C A L P E C A P S A S A N M

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L R T V S G S J D D F M R U E

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         START   3 3  6

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O S R E W O L F X U I F J V M

B O X T U R T L E W P P X R E

Geography Memorial Day NASA SpacePlace Seasons

Highest quality veterinarian services, using state of the art technology & techniques

* Dog boarding * Cat boarding * Luxury cat condos * Dog self-wash service

North Carolina’s best small animal practice, serving the community since 1974!

112 West Main St. Carrboro, NC 27510

SPRING IS HERE!

Protect your pets against fleas and ticks!

919-967-9261

theanimalhospitalcarrboro.com

8 www.ChillKids.com/news May 2020

Sunday

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Monday

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MAY Tuesday

5 CINCO DE

Wednesday Thursday

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MAYO

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Saturday

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Teacher Appreciation Week

National Pet Week (May 3-9)

(Page 7)

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Happy Mother's Day

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National Dance Like a Chicken Day!

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MEMORIAL DAY

May 2020 www.ChillKids.com/news

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Hidden Picture Puzzle by Liz

How many hidden items can you find?

www.hiddenpicturepuzzles.com 10 www.ChillKids.com/news May 2020

2020-2021 National Geographic GeoBee

KIDS IN THE NEWS Geography is fun!

Registration for the 2020â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2021 GeoBee is open, with new distance-learning options available for schools!

The National Geographic GeoBee is an academic competition designed to inspire and reward students' curiosity about the world.

The annual competition is open to students in fourth through eighth grades (4-8), in public schools, private schools, and homeschools in the United States and its territories, as well as the Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DoDDS).

Nationwide, nearly 10,000 schools participate in the GeoBee each year.

Beginning in Fall 2020, the National Geographic GeoBee is moving to a new model to streamline and modernize the competition to provide more flexibility, accessibility and engagement while also creating a more equitable opportunity for all students.

New this year: For schools practicing distance learning, we are offering the option to administer the school-level GeoBee competition online.

All state-level GeoBee competitions will now be administered online.

All school-level champions will have the opportunity to participate in the online state-level GeoBee competition.

Registration is now free for schoolwide Title I schools, which will automatically be applied during the registration process.

Above: The top 10 finalists of the 2018 National Geographic GeoBee consider a question during the first round of the competition. Jonathan Song of Apex. North Carolina, came in 6th place in the 2018 National GeoBee. He is shown in the bottom row, second from right. Images: Rebecca Hale/National Geographic

Registered schools will receive a suite of curated study resources to help students prepare for the competition and more than 400 school-level GeoBee questions covering geography, world civilizations, habitats, cultures, physical features, and more.

Test your geography knowledge with the National Geographic GeoBee Challenge App, online Activities & Study Resources!

More than 1,300 questions gathered from past GeoBees can be accessed on the National Also included are participation certificates for all students, achievement Geographic GeoBee Challenge App at www.nationalgeographic.org/ certificates for the top 3 students, and education/student-experiences/ a medal for the student who earns first geobee/study/apps/ place.

Each year, National Geographic funds hundreds of research, conservation and education programs around the globe.

For more information, visit http://www. nationalgeographic.com.

Also visit www. nationalgeographic.org/ education/student-experiences/ School registration for the 2020-2021 geobee/study/ for activities and school year is now open! Schools lessons from National Geographic can take advantage of our early-bird that can help students learn more registration pricing of $100 until October Source: https://www.nationalgeographic. about topic areas that frequently org/education/student-experiences/ 1, 2020. The registration fee will appear in GeoBee questions. increase to $120 after October 1, 2020.

geobee/

May 2020 www.ChillKids.com/news

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By Jan Buckner Walker

The Original Crossword Puzzle for Kids and Their Favorite Adults

™

Kids Across

1. 'Tis the season: Many

4.

6.

7.

9.

11.

13.

Americans celebrate _____ de Mayo, a festive holiday that started in Mexico Thirsty at a party? You can dip a long spoon into a big bowl to fill up your cup with this fruit-flavored drink At a party that starts on the night of December 31, it's what everybody shouts at midnight: "Happy New ___!"

What all the guests get together to do when it's time to cut the cake Though I sound like something super cold, I'm actually the creamy topping on a cake. What am I? Smile!: It's the part of your body that might get painted at a party Get the picture?: The ______ on a smartphone gives friends a chance to enjoy the party again long after it's over

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

14. It's your personal portion of a giant cake 15. A surprise in a box, just for you 16. An upside-down cardboard cone that the birthday girl might wear on her head as she blows out the candles 17. Prime suspect: If a piece of cake is mysteriously missing before it's been cut, the person with the 9A around his mouth probably ___ it 21. Looking for a luau? Try going to a Hawaiian ____ like Maui or Oahu 22. A four-legged friend who doesn't mind giving kids a ride at a 12D party 24. It's one of the two best nights to throw a slumber party 25. Fiesta time!: If you whack this colorful object just right, treats rain down for everyone

Parents Down

2. Pre-party welcome notices (to which a response is expected, s'il vous plaît)

HEALTHY KITCHEN

3. Bachelor party bunch 4. Planning ahead: Rocker who decided -- well in advance -to party like it was 1999 5. Festive bits a partygoer needs just a handful of to make it rain 8. Non-crashing wedding reception attendee 10. It's always upon us at the end of a New Year's Eve party 12. Party type that celebrates the anniversary of your arrival 18. Rhythm and rhyme: When the party is over and this group has played, the fun starts for them because they get paid 19. What people do when the lights go out (on the cake, that is) 20. What to do to end the suspense about what's in that box 23. Divisive one at a beach party

Fiesta Time!

™

kris@kapd.com

KAPD ebooks now available on www.kapd.com

5/2019

© 2019 KAPD, LLC

May Maze

Blueberry Sorbet

Find your way to the Cinco de Mayo Piñata!

This easy, two-ingredient recipe inspired by the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council makes a delicious treat! With frozen blueberries and juice on hand, parents can create this icy and refreshing treat in a matter of minutes! For more delicious blueberry recipes, visit www. blueberrycouncil.org.

Instructions 1. (Parent/Grown-up) In the container of a food processor or high-power blender, combine blueberries and apple juice concentrate.

START

Ingredients 4 cups frozen blueberries 1 can (6 ounces) frozen apple juice concentrate

2. (Kids and Parent/Grownups) Eat and enjoy now, or spoon into a 9 X 5-inch loaf pan and place in the freezer to serve within a few days.

To find local blueberry patches in Chapel Hill/ Durham/the NC Triangle, visit www.chillkids.com.

12 www.ChillKids.com/news May 2020

What Causes the Seasons?

Have you ever wondered about what causes the Seasons?

The short answer is this: Earth's tilted axis causes the seasons.

Earth's tilt is the reason for the seasons. View of Earth in relation to sun during each of the four seasons. The hemisphere receiving the direct rays of the sun has summer while the hemisphere tilted away from the sun, thus getting its rays from more of an angle, has winter.

Sometimes it is the North Pole tilting toward the sun (around June) and sometimes it is the South Pole tilting toward the sun (around December).

Throughout the year, different parts of Earth receive the Sun's most direct rays. So, when the North Pole tilts toward the Sun, it's summer in the Northern Hemisphere. And when the South Pole tilts toward the Sun, it's winter in the Northern Hemisphere.

It's all about Earth's tilt!

Many people believe (incorrectly) that Earth is closer to the sun in the summer and that is why it is hotter. And, likewise, they think Earth is farthest from the sun in the winter. Although this idea makes sense, it is incorrect.

It is true that Earth's orbit is not a perfect circle. It is a bit lopsided. During part of the year, Earth is closer to the sun than at other times. However, in the Northern Hemisphere, we are having winter when Earth is closest to the sun and summer when it is farthest away! Compared with how far away the sun is, this change in Earth's distance throughout the year does not make much difference to our weather.

There is a different reason for Earth's seasons.

Earth's axis is an imaginary pole going right through the center of Earth from "top" to "bottom." Earth spins around this pole, making one complete turn each day. That is why we have day and night, and why every part of Earth's surface gets some of each.

Earth has seasons because its axis doesn't stand up straight.

But what caused Earth to tilt?

Long, long ago, when Earth was young, it is thought that something big hit Earth and knocked it offkilter. So instead of rotating with its axis straight up and down, it leans over a bit.

By the way, that big thing that hit Earth is called Theia. It also blasted a big hole in the surface. That big hit sent a huge amount of dust and rubble into orbit. Most scientists think that that rubble, in time, became our Moon.

As Earth orbits the sun, its tilted axis always points in the same direction. So, throughout the year, different parts of Earth get the sunâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s direct rays.

It is summer in June in the Northern Hemisphere because the sun's rays hit that part of Earth more directly than at any other time of the year. It is winter in December in the Northern Hemisphere, because that is when it is the South Pole's turn to be tilted toward the sun. Source: https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/seasons/en/

Related Educational Resources from NASA NASA Seasons Educational Video: https://nasaeclips.arc.nasa. gov/spotlite/seasons/seasons_nasa-spotlite--what-causes-seasonsjuly-2017 NASA Illustrated Lesson About What Causes the Seasons (to go with the Seasons Spotlite video above): https://nearpod.com/t/ science/3rd-grade/what-causes-seasons-L38382171 Sun's Position (NASA Educator Guide to go with Sun's Position Spotlite video): https://nearpod.com/t/science/3rd-grade/sunsposition-L38382283 Sun's Position NASA Nearpod Lesson: https://nearpod.com/t/ science/3rd-grade/suns-position-L38382283

May 2020 www.ChillKids.com/news

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14 www.ChillKids.com/news May 2020

Connect the dots, then color in the picture.

Celebrate Earth Day 2013Mother's Day on May 10th this year!

www.monkeyingaround.com

May 2020 ONLINE Flick Picks Trolls World Tour

SCOOB!

Available April 10, 2020

(Available on DVD, digital, and streaming platforms)

Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake return in an all-star sequel to DreamWorks Animation's 2016 musical hit, Trolls, in Trolls World Tour. In an adventure that will take them well beyond what they've known before, Poppy (Kendrick) and Branch (Timberlake) discover that they are but one of six different Troll tribes scattered over six different lands and devoted to six different kinds of music: Funk, Country, Techno, Classical, Pop and Rock. There world is about to get a lot bigger and a whole lot louder.

A member of hard-rock royalty, Queen Barb (Rachel Bloom), aided by her father King Thrash (Ozzy Osbourne), wants to destroy all other kinds of music to let rock reigh supreme. With the fate of the world at stake, Poppy and Branch, along with their friends set out to visit all the other lands to unify the Trolls in harmony against Barb, who's looking to upstage them all. Trolls World Tour features original music by Justin Timberlake, who earned an Oscar nomination for his song for 2016's Trolls, "Can't Stop the Feeling!" Rated PG. 1 hour, 30 minutes. DreamWorks Animation, Universal Pictures.

Available May 15, 2020 for on-demand rental or purchase

The new Scooby-Doo film SCOOB! is skipping theatrical release and instead will be available on streaming platforms on May 15, 2020 (the same day it had previously been scheduled to open in theaters).

SCOOB! reveals how lifelong friends Scooby and Shaggy first met, and how they joined with young detectives Fred, Velma and Daphne to form the famous Mystery Inc. As they race to stop a global â&#x20AC;&#x153;dogpocalypse,â&#x20AC;? the gang discovers that Scooby has a secret legacy and an epic destiny greater than anyone imagined.

Rated PG. 1 hour, 33 min. Warner Bros. Pictures, Hanna-Barbera Productions.

Basketball Word Find D R I B B L E S T E A M I P O

U J I A R I R P M E F O M G S

N D U J F E Q I Y Q K A R T I

K T O M Y M T H G G C S I D C

S A Y A P D H S A L G N A M Z

H U L Q H B R R L Q Z Q J B S

O P Y N S Z A A H C A O C H A

T W A X O A B L U X C B K L T

H V K V W T T O L G A P L Z T

O Z O P E M S H Z V T E E D M

O M U K A R I C V C Y N R N G

P H S E N S S S T O S I I G K

P A Z U S V S P O B V C W O J

B E F L M Y A P O E A E K H P

W O R H T E E R F X U F E J C

www.monkeyingaround.com Reprinted with permission.

Basketball Camp Coach Free Throw Fun Gym Hoop

Alley-oop Assist Basket Dribble Drive Dunk Shot

Jump Ball Pass Players Point Guard Scholarship Te a m

Follow the STARS instructions above!

Can you guess what this is?

Hint: It is something you might be able to see at the Eno River.

May 2020 www.ChillKids.com/news

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Smartphones and tablets are an inescapable reality of today’s world – we love and need them.

They give us the power to connect with family, friends, and our work.

HOWEVER, when it comes to our children – from birth through to third grade – these devices can become a barrier to direct interaction. It is time to DISCONNECT TO CONNECT.

It's simple...

Young children only learn language through interacting with parents and loved ones who talk, read, and sing to them.

Reading aloud introduces new words, grammar and concepts that may not be used in regular talking. An average children's book may have around 500 words – these add up fast!

There is no substitute for YOU. You are your child's first and most important teacher.

There is no such thing as 'too old' for reading aloud. Don't stop when they start school. Even independent readers benefit greatly from reading aloud with a loved one.

For your child’s sake, make device-free time for your family and be sure to read aloud for at least 15 minutes every day.

Learn more at ReadAloud.org

Learn more at ReadAloud.org