Hoopla 12: Sport Stars!

ISSN 3 049-52 96

Craft racing cups Tasty berry baskets!

Test your body

for cu e n i z a g a The happy m

HOOPLAMAG.COM issue 12

rious kids

Obstacle course fun!

Welcome to Put on your running shoes and get set for a fun-filled sporty issue of Hoopla!

You can also craft some cute running cup animals and bake delicious berry baskets!

Make an awesome obstacle course in the garden, learn to train like a sport star and put your heart and lungs to the test.

We’d love to hear what you think of Hoopla. Turn to page 35 to find out how to take our survey.

Tara

Meet the Hoopla gang!

Whirl Jem

Callie

Tanj

Get in touch hello@hooplamag.com hooplamag.com facebook.com/hooplamag instagram.com/hooplamag x.com/@hooplamag

!

Subscribe HOOPLA is only available by subscription.

If you haven’t subscribed yet, simply go to hooplamag.com and sign up to get HOOPLA magazine delivered straight to your door.

Activities should be done under close adult supervision and are done at your own risk.

Launchpad Publishing Ltd cannot accept liability for damage done.

is made by: Editor-in-Chief: Jenny Inglis Editor: Tara Pardo Illustrator: Clive Goodyer Designer: Rachael Fisher Creative consultant: Tammy Osborne Page 28-31 © Storytime Magazine Ltd, 2025.

All rights reserved. Illustrator: Serena Lombardo.

Unit 7, Global Business Park, 14 Wilkinson Road, Cirencester, GL7 1YZ Printed in the UK by The Magazine Printing Company using only paper from FSC/PEFC suppliers www.magprint.co.uk

© 2025 Launchpad Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the whole or any part of the contents of HOOPLA without written permission is prohibited. Illustrations: © 2025 Clive Goodyer

CONTENTS

8 10 12

ART PROJECT

Craft cute cup animals, wind up their wheels and watch them go!

OUTDOORS

On your marks... create your own obstacle course and get racing!

FOOD

These berry baskets with cream are a perfect summer treat.

THINK ABOUT... CHALLENGE

Do you like a challenge? Find out how a goal ladder can help.

16

AWESOME ANIMALS

18

SNAP HAPPY & COLOURING

20

Marvellous meerkats are the ultimate team players!

See the sensational Simone Biles, the most successful gymnast ever.

© Shutterstock.com

6

See Tobi’s awesome arm, plus a 17-year-old sets a Rubik’s record.

DISCOVERY

How to train like a sport star, plus test your heart and lungs.

24

PUZZLES & RIDDLES

26

YOUR JOURNAL

28

STORY

32

LETTERS & COMPETITION

33

QUIZ

34

ANSWERS

Get set to solve some fun puzzles and ridiculous riddles!

Write and draw about your thoughts and feelings.

Tall and small twins are put through their paces.

Share what you’ve been up to and win a prize.

Can you remember the answers to our sporty picture quiz?

Find all the answers to our quizzes, puzzles and riddles.

© Shutterstock.com

© Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust

4

GOOD NEWS

Good NEWS ANYONE FOR PUDDING?

Rubik’s record

There’s a reason we always have room for dessert.

m

ck.co

rsto

utte

©

Sh

ut

te

rs

to

ck

.c

om

Student Aidan Grainger, 17, from Royal Wootton Bassett in Wiltshire, set a new world record by completing the 12-sided Megaminx puzzle in just 22.89 seconds.

The teenager is now set to represent the UK at the Rubik’s World Championships in Seattle, USA, this month.

Have you ever been so full you couldn’t eat another bite, but then you’re offered dessert and you suddenly find room?! Now, scientists think they’ve worked out why. A new study shows that the same brain cells that make you feel full also make you crave sugar. In the part of the brain that controls hunger, a sugar-craving circuit can override the fullness circuit. When you eat sugar, your brain produces signals of pleasure. The researchers think this is what makes sweet things so appealing – even when we’re full. © Sh

A teenager has become the fastest to solve a 12-sided version of the Rubik’s cube.

© Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust

Tobi’s awesome arm An eight-year-old boy has a new LEGO®-inspired arm!

Tobi, who was born with a limb difference, helped to design his new prosthetic arm with the team at the Portsmouth Enablement Centre. Tobi loves LEGO® and the team even embedded two real LEGO® pieces into the arm.

Tobi’s mum Debra said: “The care Tobi receives from the team is phenomenal. They really listen to what Tobi wants and do everything they can to make it happen.

His new arm has been amazing – not only is it helping with everyday tasks, but he loves showing it off.”

Glitter could help save water voles!

Endangered water voles in Wales are being fed edible glitter!

© Shutterstock.com

The secretive mammals are hard to track in the wild, so the Initiative for Nature Conservation Cymru is giving them food covered with sparkly edible glitter to eat. When they poo out the glitter, researchers will be able to spot it and track the small animals. Then they will be able to better protect their environment.

Different colours of glitter could be used to track different families of water voles.

pl n et e h t r o F E WS

Good N

From S mBentley

Teen’s big prize!

Water boost

A student won $100,000 for making a medicine using corn.

Adam Kovalčík from Slovakia won the prize for inventing a cheaper, faster way to make antiviral drugs out of corn husks. Adam entered a competition in the USA called the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair. He shared his project with judges and other young scientists from all over the world, winning first place! Adam found a cheaper and faster way to make a medicine called galidesivir, which is used in vaccines to fight viruses like COVID-19.

Usually, this is really expensive to make, costing around $75 per gram – a similar price to gold! But Adam used corn husks to reduce the cost to just $12.50. This could make the medicines more widely available across the world.

The outer layers are the corn husk.

@s mbentley

Engineers have discovered a new material that can create water from thin air!

The team at the University of Pennsylvania, USA, accidentally made the discovery when they were investigating the material, which has lots of tiny holes called nanopores. These holes are small enough for air to pass through, but water vapour (which makes up to 4% of air) gets stuck in them. The water can then be collected and used.

While similar technologies already exist, they usually require electricity – but this doesn’t need anything to power it. This new material could be helpful in dry places where clean water is hard to find. In the future, it might be used to keep electronics cool or water plants and crops in hot places.

HOOPLAMAG.com 5

Get cre tive!

g n i n Runn ! s l a m i n a cup

These cute cup animals can really move! You could make two and race them against each other.

You will need For each cup animal:

• Two paper cups • Some paper • Felt-tip pens • A glue stick • Two bottle tops,

roughly 3 cm wide

• Sticky tack • Sticky tape • An elastic band • Scissors

1

Draw your design on one of the cups. If the cup is a bit shiny, you can draw your animal face on paper and glue it to the cup. You could stick on other paper details, such as ears.

6 HOOPLAMAG.com

2

3 Put a big blob of sticky tack into a plastic lid, put another lid on top and then join them together using sticky tape to make a wheel.

Make two short cuts about 2 cm apart on each side of the cup and roll up the section between them.

5 Put a second paper cup inside your cup animal (to make it stronger) and then loop the elastic band over the two rolled-up pieces of the outer cup.

6

With the animal face towards you, turn the wheel away from you lots of times to twist the rubber bands. Now hold the wheel still as you press the cup down on a flat surface and let go of the wheel. Let go of the cup and watch your cup animal race off!

4

Loop the elastic band around the wheel and tape it in place on both sides.

Ask your adult to take a photo of you with your cup animal and send it to hello@hooplamag.com – you might see it in a future issue!

HOOPLAMAG.com 7

Great outdoors

The g a rden Get ready to run, jump and crawl your way through a super fun obstacle course!

Lay out your course and then race against a friend or in teams.

Zig zag Line up some items that you have to zig zag through. You could use stones, garden pots or plastic cups. How fast can you weave through the course?!

Hula hoop Jump into the hoop, pick it up and get hula-hooping! Make the hoop go around three times without dropping before you can move on.

Tunnel crawl Come up e with som s more idea of your own!

8 HOOPLAMAG.com

Place two garden chairs facing each other with a gap between them and tape bamboo canes to the seats.

When you get to this obstacle, you have to crawl through the tunnel under the canes. To make it harder, you could use two large buckets instead of chairs!

n g a mes!

We’d love to see your obstacle course! Ask your adult to send a photo of you with your course to hello@hooplamag.com

If you don’t have a garden, you can create a course at the park.

Stepping stones Use something flat to create stepping stones, like paper plates or newspaper. Place them far enough apart that you have to jump from each one to the next, before racing over the finish line!

Sh dow m tch

Keepy-uppy

Draw a line from each trophy to its shadow. Check your answers on page 34.

Bounce a ball on your knee or head five times without dropping it, or you could use a bat or racquet with a tennis ball or shuttlecock instead.

Hit the target Mark a line on the floor with a stick or skipping rope and place an empty bucket or garden pot a few metres away. You have to stop at the line and throw a beanbag or a balled-up pair of socks into the bucket before you can move on to the next obstacle.

HOOPLAMAG.com 9

NO M

NO M !

Summer berry basket Serve up a delicious fruity treat inspired by the most popular snack at the Wimbledon tennis tournament!

You will need • Ready-rolled puff pastry • A little milk • Summer fruits, such as strawberries, raspberries or blueberries

• Strawberry or

raspberry jam

• Cream • Icing sugar for dusting (optional)

!

ADULT HELP NEEDED

1

Ask your adult to preheat the oven to 220° C. Cut a square piece of baking parchment that measures about 12 cm x 12 cm (it doesn’t have to be too exact!).

Lay it on your pastry and ask your adult to help you cut around it.

You can leave your pastry on its backing paper.

10 HOOPLAMAG.com

2

Cut four strips of pastry about 2 cm wide and 12 cm long.

4 3

5

Pour a small amount of milk into a bowl.

Using a pastry brush or your finger, brush a little milk onto the edges of your pastry square.

Brush a little milk on the top of the pastry strips. Use a fork to prick a few holes in the base – this is to stop the base from rising too much.

Carefully peel your pastry strips off the backing paper and lay them on the edges of the square.

6

7

Ask your adult to bake the basket in the oven for 10-12 minutes until it’s golden brown. Allow it to cool completely.

If the middle has puffed up, press it down gently with a fork.

Spread some jam inside the base of the basket.

8

Fill your basket with the berries.

Dollop on some cream and dust with icing sugar if you like!

Strawberry maze!

START

Find a way from the start to the finish and then check your answer on page 34.

FINISH

Did you know...

Every year at Wimbledon, nearly 2 million strawberries and 10,000 litres of cream are served to hungry fans! That’s about 200,000 portions of strawberries and cream during the two-week tournament.

HOOPLAMAG.com 11

e g n e k l l a n Ch Thi

About

We all face challenges in our life. These challenges can be small, big, planned or arrive all of a sudden.

There are times when we want to set ourselves a challenge, like competing in a sport. At other times, one will find us when we least expect it!

What are you finding a challenge right now in your life?

Do you think it is a big or a small challenge?

Big

Will the size of the challenge change over time?

Yes

Small

ll a m s S U S BIG VER A B C D F G H I J Running a race

Flying into space

Learning to play an instrument

Making a new friend

BIG 12 HOOPLAMAG.com

No

Challenges come in all shapes and sizes.

Sort these challenges into big or small by putting the letters into the spaces.

Painting a self portrait

Getting on well with people

small

Disagreeing with someone

Listening carefully

Taking a test

E

Learning to speak another language

E chord?

More like easy chord!

k n i h T challenge

Is it the challenge itself or is it the person taking it on who decides if it’s a big or small one?

Can you explain what makes the difference between a small and big challenge, for you?

I think…

Because...

Chanegningeg chall

Whatever you are finding a big challenge right now would not have been a challenge for you when you were a baby. A baby has other challenges to focus on – learning to eat solid foods, sit up, crawl and then walk and talk!

Oo-ga!

Boo-da!

Some challenges seem to be about something new or difficult that needs a lot of effort and determination to succeed.

Some other challenges include taking part in a contest or competition or challenging an idea or opinion.

Which type of challenge do you think is the most challenging and why?

1 2 3

Taking on something new Taking part in a contest or competition Questioning an idea or opinion that someone else has

HOOPLAMAG.com 13

Do we all find the same things

Some people might enjoy competing in a competition because it motivates them and inspires them to do their best. Some people may be quite happy with taking a test at school. Some people thrive on taking on new challenges like learning a new language or skill.

CHALLENGING?

Bonne chance, Callie.

That means good luck!

Some people feel comfortable with challenging other people’s ideas, views and opinions (with good reasons of their own) because they understand that politely disagreeing with someone is okay and we don’t all have to think in the same way.

For each of these things, one person may feel excited, while another person may feel worried or uncomfortable. Our feelings towards a challenge may even change from day to day – one day we might not want to try something new but another day we might be excited and eager to do so!

14

Some challenges can be hard work or scary and it’s tempting to give up. But they can also be life-changing and exciting. If we make a big challenge into a number of smaller challenges, we might be more likely to keep going and conquer it.

We can think of this as a goal ladder

My goal is to learn to play the piano.

1 First, think of a challenge you would like to take on.

Perhaps it’s learning a new skill, improving at something or doing something differently.

2 Write your challenge down at the top of a piece of paper. Now draw a picture of a ladder underneath it, filling the page all the way to the bottom.

3 4

Starting at the bottom of the ladder, think of the first step you need to do to start your challenge. Write it down on the bottom rung.

Now think of the next step and write that on the rung above. Keep going until you have written something on as many rungs as you need.

Some challenges will take lots of steps, others may take just a few. For each rung of the ladder you complete, you could give yourself a small reward. You could stick your goal ladder on your wall where you can see it regularly to help motivate you to keep going!

Take my exam!

Practise for 15 mins a day Have another lesson Learn all my scales Have another lesson Practise for 10 mins a day Have another lesson Practise for 10 mins a day Have another lesson Practise for 10 mins a day Buy some music books Have my first lesson Find a teacher

HOOPLAMAG.com 15

e m o s Awe

S L A M ANI

Amazing meerkats

as a team.

These desert dwellers love to work

Big family

These small mam mals from the mongoose fam ily live in burrows and rock y crevices in the hot deserts an d plains of southern Africa. Th ey live in groups of up to 30 meerkats.

p e e d g n i g g Di

s, harp claw s , g n lo e hav oil.

Meerkats e sandy s h t in g in r digg two perfect fo ens with r r a w e g dig hu nces.

They can s of entra t lo d n a s vels , their ear or three le g in g ig d e y ar t When the il and dus o s p o t s to can close side. getting in

Desert diet On the menu for meerkats are insects, spiders, frogs, small birds and even some plants. They also work as a team to tackle more dangerous creatures like deadly scorpions and venomous snakes.

16 HOOPLAMAG.com

A group of meerkats is called a mob!

eerkat ’s m a ’s t a Wh game? e t i r u o v fa d s e e k! n a w o r r Bu

The adults take turns babysitting the pups

ck.com

Meerkats often stand up on their back legs as they scan the area for dangers, such as eagles, jackals and foxes.

There is always at least one meerkat from the pack on guard duty. If they spot danger, they make a loud barking noise to warn everyone to race back to the burrow.

Pho tos © Shu tte rsto

Ha ha!

Looking for trouble

Meerkat maze Can you help the meerkat find the pups?

Check your answer on page 34.

HOOPLAMAG.com 17

Super Simone!

This is Simone Biles, who is the most successful gymnast ever. She has won the most medals in both the World Championships (30 medals) and Olympic Games (11 medals), including the all-round title in 2024. She has performed some of the most difficult gymnastics routines ever attempted!

© Shutterstock.com

P A N S Y P P HA

Colouring calm Pens, pencils or crayons at the ready.

Chill out and colour in these summery sweet treats!

m van Why did the ice crea break down? y road!

Because of the rock

Ha ha !

HOOPLAMAG.com 19

s rt o p s a e B Discovery a r! t rs e p u s DEN Do you dream of winning a gold medal? rn some Or lifting a trophy with your team? Lea t! training tips and put your body to the tes

How did the football pitch end up a triangle?

Somebody took a corner!

Train like an athlete Do lots of different kinds of exercise. Different

exercises train different muscles and body parts.

For example, running improves stamina and is good for your heart and lungs, while lifting weights builds strong muscles. You don’t need to lift giant dumbells – exercises like squats, lunges and press-ups are weightlifting that use your own body as the weight!

Warm up – start gently to avoid straining your muscles.

Drink plenty of water before and during exercise.

Eat a healthy diet. Your body makes energy from

food and feeding your body is called nutrition.

It’s important to eat a balance of different food types.

The main food types are carbohydrate, protein and fat.

Protein is important for building muscles, carbohydrates provide energy and healthy fat helps your brain work fast.

Think like a winner! Set yourself realistic targets and believe in yourself!

Scrambled sports The sport names are all jumbled up! Unscramble the letters and write the sports in the spaces. Check your answers on page 34.

20 HOOPLAMAG.com

TOOBFALL CRETICK MINONTDAB CIE SIGTANK

FURSING BENTALL FLOG NETSIN

Mighty muscles Your muscles are like machines that contract (shorten) to pull on your bones. They are attached to your bones by rope-like tendons.

Stretchy ligaments hold the joints between your bones together.

have You ast at le 650 ! les musc

Your heart is a muscle, too!

Can you feel it pumping – thump, thump?! Every heartbeat sends blood around your whole body, making your arteries bulge a little bit (called a pulse). You can feel this bulging with your fingertips!

Feel You will need the •• beat • Your body!

A timer or stopwatch

A pencil

1 2 3 4 5

Sit down and relax for five minutes!

Rest one or two fingers gently on the inside of your wrist – not in the centre, but just below your thumb. Can you feel your pulse?

Set a timer for 15 seconds and count the number of beats you feel during that time.

Write the number down and then multiply it by four to find the number of beats per minute.

Now run, jump, hop or dance around for five minutes! Repeat steps 3 and 4.

Did you notice any changes? Your heart works harder when you’re exercising and, just like your other muscles, you can make your heart fitter and stronger by exercising.

What’s so great about sport?! muscles, Exercise is good for your but bones, hear t and lungs, that’s not all!

It makes you smile!

Sport is fun and it causes your body to produce chemicals called endorphins, which make you feel happy.

You will

sleep better.

ke Exercise can ma ore you fall asleep m a quickly and have better night’s You’ ll get sleep.

ill less often.

Studies show that regular exercise can cut down the number of colds you get by boosting your immune You’ll feel system. invincible!

Exercise is a great way to remind yourself how amazing you are and boost your self-confidence!

You can make friends.

Playing sport can help you meet new people and be pa rt of a team.

It’s good in. for your bra

d proves bloo Exercise im r brain and flow to you e release of th s te la u m sti at builds a protein th ells. new brain c

Feel the heat

Out of breath

Have you noticed that exercising makes you hot and sweaty? Our bodies make heat all the time as we use energy to move, breathe, digest our food and even think!

e faster when You also breath is is because you exercise. Th s oxygen to your body need ergy so make and use en ing more when you are us d more energy, you nee oxygen.

When we exercise, our muscles work hard and use more energy, creating more heat. Try running up a hill or doing 10 star jumps and you’ll soon be feeling warm.

Sweating helps to cool you down. As the sweat evaporates, it takes heat energy from your skin.

? s g n lu r u o y e r a ig b w Ho Test your lungs to see how much air you can breathe in and out.

1 2 3 4 5

Take a balloon and blow it up to stretch it out (ask an adult to help if you need to).

Let it go down, then take a very deep breath and blow up the balloon as big as you can.

You will need

• Balloons (the normal round kind)

• A tape measure • Paper and a pencil

Hold or tie the end closed, then measure the balloon’s circumference – the distance all the way around the middle.

Write it down, along with your name, age and height, which you can also measure with the tape measure.

Ask friends or family members to do it too and write down the results.

22 HOOPLAMAG.com

Name

Age

Height

Balloon

circumference

Different people can blow different amounts of air into the balloon.

What makes the most difference?

Does it depend on age, height or other things?

Ha ha!

Why do golfers w e ar two pairs of trou sers?

In case they get a hole in one!

Hands and feet Which hand do you use to write with? Drop a ball on the ground and kick it. Which fo ot did you use?

You can be right-h anded and left-footed! Around 90% of people are right-han ded, but only 80% of people are right-footed.

Sport the difference!

Jem’s clearing away the kit!

Can you find 10 differences between the two pictures?

Circle any that you find and check your answers on page 34.

HOOPLAMAG.com 23

On your

marks...

y these super sport . e lv o S ! o g t, se 34 ...get nswers on page a r u yo k ec ch d n puzzles a

On the ball!

Find a way for Callie to run through every square of the field without crossing her own path or entering the same square as the other team’s players.

Riddles!

1) What can you catch but never throw?

24 HOOPLAMAG.com

2) I can be served but never eaten .

What am I?

Odd one out Which one doesn’t have a matching pair? Circle your answer.

n 3) A man ca core predict the s t match of any cricke rts. before it sta How is this possible?

Spor t search Circle the sports in the grid, then write down the leftover letters to find the answer to this joke: Why are basketball players always wet?

_ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _

_ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ !

_ _ _

The words might be written horizontally, vertically or diagonally.

A

R

C H

E

R

Y

S

N

I

F

S

U

R

F

I

N G C O

E

C

O

J W E

C

I

A

I

T

T

T

E

L

S

T N

E

E

B

S

I

F

K N A

K

L M L

C

L

N

L

A

E

O U

U

I

T D O C M E A

G

B

B

O

Y

A

C

T H D H

I

D

I

L

T

L

R

T

A

I

B N B

S

L

I

L

A

B

I

C N R

U G

B

Y

N

T

C

S

G

N G H O C K

E

Y

R

G G

Y M N A

S

I

K

I

go a e r o Sc

S

I

ARCHERY ATHLETICS BADMINTON CRICKET CYCLING FOOTBALL GYMNASTICS HOCKEY ICE SKATING JUDO NETBALL RUGBY SKIING SURFING SWIMMING TENNIS

al!

SH FINI

Find a route into the goal, making sure to follow the direction of the arrows.

START

BEING me My name is

My mood journal The date ate is

is...

A sport or game I like to play Write about it or draw a picture

There are lots of different ways to be a winner.

This is what it means to me... me...

because... because ...

26 HOOPLAMAG.com

These are words I associ ate with sport...

Tick as many as you like

Challenge

Tr ying

Ef f o r t

Winning

L os in g

Exciting J oy

Teamwork

Fun

Healthy

Smiling Competition

I stay strong and healthy by...

H e r o ic

My favourite race at school sports day is the sack race!

HOOPLAMAG.com 27

Story corner

Team small and tall

By Chris James

Jonas was really, really small, but his twin sister Grace was the tallest child in the class. Not just the class – the whole school!

In school photos, Jonas had to stand at the front so he could be seen, but Grace stood at the back and was always a whole head taller than everyone else.

“You’d never believe they were twins!” said one of the teachers, laughing. People said this all the time, along with, “Hasn’t she grown?” or “He’s so cute!” The twins hated it.

“It’s not fair,” said Jonas. “Grace always gets picked first in PE. I put my hand up, but nobody picks me. I wish I was tall.”

Grace rolled her eyes. “But I can’t stand running around and getting sweaty! I’d rather be short.” The trouble was, Grace’s legs were so long, she came first in every race without even trying.

28 HOOPLAMAG.com

“You won’t grow forever, Grace,” said Dad. “At some point, you’ll slow down and everyone else will catch up. And that includes you, Jonas. You just have to be patient.”

The twins scowled. They didn’t feel like being patient.

At school the next day, they had a new PE teacher, Mr Groves.

“Who’s played basketball before?” he asked.

Nobody had, but Jonas groaned. “Basketball’s for tall people,” he thought.

“Right, I’ll split you into teams. You’ll love it.” Mr Groves sorted out teams.

For the first time ever, Grace and Jonas were put together. Their teammates looked delighted to be playing with Grace, but their smiles soon faded when Jonas walked over.

He went bright red.

First everyone had a go at dribbling the ball by weaving it in and out of cones.

Jonas found it easier than he expected, but Grace kept tripping over her own feet.

HOOPLAMAG.com 29

Next, they tried shooting the ball through a hoop. The hoop looked so far away to Jonas, it might as well have been on the Moon, but Grace swished the ball through the basket every time.

Mr Groves blew the whistle. Jonas soon got hold of the ball and, though the bigger kids tried to block him, he was just the right size to twist, turn and scoot by before they could stop him.

“Time for a game!” said Mr Groves.

When he passed the ball to Grace, she shot it straight through the hoop with no problem at all.

Before they knew it, they had won the match – and the next one, and the one after that. They were the class champs!

Grace and Jonas’s team was up against the sportiest kids in the year. Mr Groves came over for a pep talk and Jonas was sure he was going to ask him to sit on the sidelines.

“Just do what you were doing earlier, Jonas,” said Mr Groves, “and you’ll easily dribble that ball across the court.” Jonas couldn’t believe it. He was allowed to play!

“And you,” he said to Grace, “stay by that basket and keep shooting hoops. Work together as a team.”

“Congratulations!” Mr Groves cheered. “Brilliant teamwork and special praise for Jonas, our speedy dribbler, and Grace, for scoring so many baskets.”

Everyone high-fived Jonas and Grace.

When Dad met them after school, they couldn’t stop talking about PE.

“And then I passed the ball to Grace and she scored another basket.

It went whoosh! It didn’t even touch the sides of the net, Dad!” “But I couldn’t have done it if you hadn’t dodged past the other team like that. You were like a rocket – they couldn’t keep up with you!” said Grace, grinning.

Dad laughed. “It sounds like you two make a great team. Maybe if you were the same height, you wouldn’t have worked together so well.”

Grace and Jonas smiled. Perhaps being small and tall wasn’t so bad after all. Especially when you’re Team Small and Tall!

HOOPLAMAG.com 31

L e t t e rs

Hi, I’m Tanj! Write to me or send me a photo of your artwork, craft or activity to hello@hooplamag.com and it might appear on this page next month plus, you might win a prize!

O w e n, 5 , enjoyed a trip to th e beach!

melie, 9, Fleur, 6, and A g th e enjoyed makin oodles five-flavour n ith their from issue 9 w Grandad!

Grandma and ns, you’ve Congratulatio m e b o o k! won this aweso

Wi n!

Email us a photo of your makes or bakes, your artwork, a poem, story or a photo of yourself with your magazine to be in with a chance of winning an awesome prize!

Send your photo to hello@hooplamag.com or post it to us at Hoopla magazine, Unit 7 Global Business Park, 14 Wilkinson Road, Cirencester, GL7 1YZ. Don’t forget to include your name, age and address.

Photos may appear in the magazine. Prize winners will be chosen at random.

An A to Z of Monsters and Magical Beings

by Rob Hodgson and Aidan Onn Have you always wanted to learn the difference between a hobgoblin and an imp, and do you know the secret to avoiding the sharp claws of the ancient Eloko monster?

Learn all these brilliant facts and more in this fun guide to monsters and ancient mythical beings!

Qu iz 1

Get set to answer some spor ty questions!

What attaches your muscles to your bones?

4

a) Tendons b) Joints c) Sticky tape

Answer:

What is a group of meerkats called?

How many portions of 5 strawberries and cream are served at Wimbledon?

a) A party b) A mob c) A gaggle

a) 200,000 b) 20,000 c) 2,000

Answer:

All photos © Shutterstock.com

3

What sport does Simone Biles compete in? a) Boxing b) Gymnastics c) Tennis

Answer:

What are researchers feeding water voles in Wales?

Wales ? a) Ice cream sundaes b) Chips c) Edible glitter

Answer:

2

Check your answers on page 34.

Answer:

6

Why do you sweat when you exercise? exercise? a) It helps to warm you up b) It helps you to breathe faster c) It helps to cool you down

Answer:

If you need a hint, take a look at these pages: 1) 21 2) 16 3) 18 4) 5 5) 11 6) 22

HOOPLAMAG.com 33

A ns we r s Page 9 S hadow search These are the trophies’ shadows:

Page 20 Scrambled sports

The jumbled-up letters spell: FOOTBALL, CRICKET, BADMINTON, ICE SKATING, SURFING, NETBALL, GOLF, TENNIS.

Page 23 Sport the

difference!

Here are the ten differences:

Page 24 Riddles

1) A cold 2) A tennis ball 3) Because before it starts, the score is always 0-0.

Page 25 Sport search

The leftover letters spell out: Because of all the dribbling!

A

R

C H

E

R

Y

S

N

I

F

S

U

R

F

I

N G C O

E

C

O

J W E

C

I

A

I

T

T

T

E

L

S

T N

E

E

B

S

I

F

K N A

K

L M L

C E

O U U

I

T D O C M E

Page 11 Strawberry maze

This is the way across the strawberry:

Page 24 On the ball

This is one way Callie can run to avoid the players:

A

This is the route to the pups.

34 HOOPLAMAG.com

Page 24 Odd one out This ball doesn’t have a matching pair.

B

B

O

Y

L

N

L

A

A

C

T H D H

I

D

I

L

T

L

R

T

A

I

B N B

S

L

I

L

A

B

I

C N R

U G

B

Y

N

T

C

S

G

N G H O C K

E

Y

R

G G

Y M N A

S

I

K

I

S

I

Page 25 Score a goal

This is the route to the goal: START

SH FINI

Page 33 Quiz Page 17 Meerkat maze

G

1) a – T endons attach your muscles to your bones.

2) b – A group of meerkats is called a mob.

3) b – Simone Biles competes in gymnastics.

4) c – T hey are feeding water voles edible glitter.

5) a – 2 00,000 portions of strawberries are served at Wimbledon.

6) c – S weating helps you to cool down.

Coming in next month’s

CRAFT R A SUPE T A SAILBO

C R E AT E A RT O N T H E BEACH!

Holiday fun!

MAKE R E F R E S H IN G L O L L IE S !

M ee t th e kids fr om th e FL AG GY FR ID AYS cl ub !

Wh t do you think of Hoopl ?

We’d love to hear what our lovely readers think of the magazine! Which sections do you like the most and are there any that you are less keen on? What do you think of how it looks?

Do you have ideas of things you’d like to see in the magazine? Ask an adult if you can fill in our quick online survey.

Go to bit.ly/3zjP2jG or scan the QR

a W hy i s ll f o o tb a m so s ta d iu cool? e of B e c au s fans! all the

© Shutterstock.com

y Quirk s ble t o u Q

Where do r u gb y p l ay e r s b u y their kit?

Ne w Jerse y!

Why shouldn’t you nap during a match?

If you snooze, you lose!

Everyone is an individual, everyone is different, but there’s a sport out there for everyone.

Former Paralympics swimming champion Ellie Simmonds

Why did the neighbours ut complain abo the tennis? e B e c a u s e o f th racquet!

What anim al is g o o d at c r icket?

A bat!

How did the hairdresser win the race?

He knew a shor tcut!

Mindful mo ments Try saying these at the start of each day to help you find fun and happiness…

• My brain and body are powerful.

• I am proud of myself.

• Challenge helps me to grow.

Bring a burst of happiness into your home each month with a subscription to the magazine for kids who want to have fun!

With a subscription to Hoopla, you’ll never be bored again!

Get your fix of happy news, art, science, outdoor fun, wellbeing and more delivered straight to your door each month!

Subscribe Today at HOOPLAMAG.com