What is Saint Nicholas Day?

December is here and children all over the world are getting excited about their favorite holidays!  Christmas will take place on the 25th... Boxing Day will take place on the 26th... Kwanzaa will begin on the 26th and will last until January 1st... and... Hanukkah often falls during this month. But... there is another holiday in December that takes place on the 6th... Saint Nicholas Day!  Have you ever heard of Saint Nicholas Day?  Who is Saint Nicholas?  What did Saint Nicholas do to deserve his own special day?  What are some of the traditions associated with Saint Nicholas Day? Keep reading to learn more!

Fun Facts About Axolotls

In the game Minecraft, there are cute little axolotls that children love to collect. They come in a variety of colors... gold, brown, pink (leucistic), cyan, and blue... and can be found swimming in the clay pools found in lush caves. Many children are surprised when they find out that axolotls are animals that exist in real life and not just in the Minecraft realm. What are axolotls like in real life? Keep reading to find out!

Fun Facts About the Platypus

The duck-billed platypus is an unusual-looking animal that has captured the interests of people from all over the world. It has feet like an otter, a tail like a beaver, and a bill like a duck. It lays eggs like a bird and can be venomous like a snake! Read on to find out more about these fascinating creatures.

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Why Do People Celebrate Pesach - Passover?

Passover... also known as Pesach... is a major Jewish holiday that is celebrated on the 15th day of the Hebrew month Nisan. It is celebrated to commemorate the Exodus of the Israelites out of Egypt. What is an Exodus? How does the food eaten during Passover (Pesach) symbolize its significance to the Jewish people? Keep reading to learn more!

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Five Fun Facts About Dandelions

Dandelions are plants that people often take for granted.  Children love them and call them flowers.  Some grown-ups despise them and call them weeds. Regardless of how we feel about dandelions, they play an important role in our ecosystem. Here are five fun facts about dandelions you can share with the children you work with.

Fun Facts About Sloths

Last week, I wrote a blog post about Slothee Wants Coffee, a children's book by Nikki Pezzopane and Cameron Fica.  In Slothee Wants Coffee, a sloth named Slothee traveled the world in search of the perfect cup of coffee.  Today's blog post is full of fun facts about sloths like Slothee.  Keep reading to learn more about these fascinating... and absolutely adorable... animals!

Where Does Coffee Come From?

If you were to ask a child where coffee comes from, you might get an answer like Starbucks, Dunkin,' or... my personal favorite place... Tim Hortons.  But... if you were to follow up that question and ask where the coffee comes before it gets to Starbucks, Dunkin', or Tim Hortons... you may get a blank stare.  Have you ever wondered where coffee comes from?  Keep reading to find out!

The inspiration for this blog post came from the children's book Slothee Wants Coffee by Nikki Pezzopane and her son Cameron Fica.  Slothee Wants Coffee is about a sloth named Slothee who travels the world in search of the perfect cup of coffee.  

Disclosure: Affiliate links to Amazon are included in this post.

Fun Facts About Sled Dogs

A few months ago, I wrote a blog post about Run Like a Sled Dog and Black Bear Goes to Washington by Denise Lawson.  (Run Like a Sled Dog and Black Bear Goes to Washington are two children's books inspired by a retired sled dog that Denise Lawson adopted.)  That particular post generated some interest in my readers to learn more about the lives of sled dogs.  What are sled dogs like?  What do sled dogs eat?  How do sled dogs manage in the Arctic cold?  Keep reading to learn the answers to these questions and to learn more about these magnificent creatures!

Fun Facts About Cicadas

It's summer 2021... the year of the Brood X (Brood Ten) cicada!  At the time of this posting, billions of cicadas have already emerged from the ground in Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington DC and are singing their mating songs, hoping to find a mate.  Do you live in an area that has been inundated with cicadas?  Have you ever wondered what the life of a cicada is like?  Read on to learn some interesting facts about these noisy insects!

What is Memorial Day?

Memorial Day in the United States is a public holiday celebrated on the last Monday in May. On this day, we honor the men and women who died while serving in the military. Memorial Day also marks the unofficial beginning of summer. Here are six fun facts about Memorial Day for you.

Fun Facts About Camels

Happy Wednesday!  It's Wednesday-Hump-Day... the halfway point of the workweek.  The phrase 'Hump Day' became popular during the 1960s and since then the camel has been the unofficial Hump Day mascot.  How much do you know about camels?  Why is the camel the Hump Day mascot?  Keep reading to learn more about these fascinating animals!

Six Fun Facts about Groundhogs

Groundhog Day is an American tradition that takes place every February 2nd. Large crowds of people gather in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to watch a groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil come out of hibernation. If Punxsutawney Phil comes out of his den and sees his shadow, legend has it there will be six more weeks of winter.  If he doesn't see his shadow, then we can expect an early spring.  What do we know about groundhogs?  Are groundhogs magical creatures who can predict the weather?  Or... are they just regular critters who go about doing normal critter things?  Keep reading to find out!

Disclosure: Affiliate links to Amazon are included in this post.

Fun Facts About Valentine's Day

I'm a little Valentine

all red and white.

With ribbons and lace,

I'm a beautiful sight!

I can say I love you

on Valentine's Day.

Just put me in an envelope

and give me away!

Happy Valentine's Day, friends!  Here is a quick blog post about the history of Valentine's Day.  I've also included a fun valentine for you!  💓💓💓💓💓

Disclosure: Affiliate links to Amazon are included in this post.

Fun Facts About Reindeer

There are 22 days until Christmas!  Children all over the world are getting excited about Santa loading up his sleigh with toys and goodies.  They sing songs about his reindeer and imagine them flying through the night sky as they pull Santa's sleigh.  Do Santa's reindeer really fly?  Are the reindeer who pull his sleigh male or female?  Can reindeer really have a red glowing nose?  What do they eat?  Read on to learn the answer to all of these questions and more!

Disclosure: Affiliate links to Amazon are included in this post.

Fun Facts About Rhinoceroses

September 22 is World Rhino Day. World Rhino Day was started in 2010 by the World Wildlife Fund as a way to celebrate the rhinoceros and to teach people around the world about them.  Several species of rhinoceros are critically endangered and need our help.  Read on to learn some fun facts about these amazing gentle giants and how we can help them.

Disclosure: Affiliate links to Amazon are included in this post.

What is Labor Day?

Labor Day in the United States is a public holiday celebrated on the first Monday in September.  It honors American workers who contribute to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.  It is also a federal holiday that marks the unofficial end of summer.  Here are five fun facts about Labor Day for you.

Disclosure: Affiliate links to Amazon are included in this post.

Five Fun Facts About Honey Bees

August 18 is National Honey Bee Day.  This day was designed to bring awareness to these little insects who do a big job.  Did you know that these insects are responsible for pollinating up to 1/3 of the world's food supply?  Without them, we could have a critical food shortage around the globe.  Read on to learn more about honey bees and what they can do!

This is an updated version of a blog post I wrote in 2018.  Disclosure: Affiliate links to Amazon are included in this post.