Kids News - Current Events

Tomorrow is April 1st or as it is better known, Fools' Day! This is the day when pranksters come out in full force to have some light-hearted fun at the expense of some unsuspecting souls. Though the origin of this age-old tradition is not known for sure, some trace it back to 1582, the year when the Julian calendar (which began the New Year in April), was replaced with today's Gregorian calendar. Others believe it was to mark the change of seasons. No matter what started it all, April Fools' sure is a fun tradition....

The fact that trees are vital to our well-being is no secret. They provide us with food, wood and most importantly, oxygen. Now there is one more thing you can add to this already lengthy list - filtering out harmful bacteria from water....

Online gaming has made the world much more exciting almost everywhere except in the classroom. While we now have access to computers and even tablets that feature all kinds of educational games, teachers still use old-fashioned incentives to encourage students. Sure you can get some extra credit by spending copious amounts of time doing challenging problems, but it's not fun and more importantly, cannot be achieved by students that find the subject challenging....

The five-second rule has been around for many years. According to age-old adage it is okay to pick up food that has touched the ground, as long as it is done within that time frame. But is it really? Depends on which scientific study you want to believe....

For winter buffs, the onset of spring means that their days of frolicking in the white powder are drawing to a close. However, before you tuck away that winter gear, here is an idea - How about some snowshoe baseball? Sounds a little crazy? Don't tell that to the residents of Lake Tomahawk, Wisconsin. They have been playing it since 1961!...

On Saturday, March 29th, millions of people in more than 7,000 cities and over 150 countries will do something radical - Switch off all lights and electronic devices from 8.30-9.30pm local time! Why? Because believe it or not, this minor action that has become known throughout the world as 'Earth Hour' will help make a dent in the fight against climate change....

The next time you moan and groan about being asked to take a shower, think about this statistic - there are about 1.2 billion people in the world that do not have access to sanitation facilities. Even more shocking is the fact that many of them live in developed countries. Now, San Francisco-based startup Lava Mae, is trying to change that with a simple but brilliant idea - transforming decommissioned buses into mobile showers for the homeless....

On February 24th, 2014, the managers at UK's Legoland Windsor Resort sent out an unusual casting call across the nation. They were seeking a parrot that would 'shiver their timbers' for their new Pirate Shores attraction. Pet owners were asked to apply by sending a photo and a short convincing essay on why their bird was the 'Ultimate Parrot Pirate'....

Even in this day of digital gaming, solving the Rubik's cube as rapidly as possible, remains a challenge most people can't seem to resist. While humans have been doing it ever since the 3x3x3 cube came to market in 1974, even robots are now getting into the fray....