How to Be an Inventor
Have you ever thought ‘There MUST be an easier way to do this’? If you have, you are not alone. People around the world invent and re-invent products all the time. Some of them are professional, and inventing is part of their job. Others are just normal people who had a bright idea.
There are many clubs and societies which you can join and learn to invent or develop your curiosity and talent for science and invention. All inventors start somewhere, and most of them start when they are very young. Young people have the best imaginations so if there is something you think is a good idea and you want to try and create, why not join up with other young creative people and work together.
Do Home Educated Kids Have Friends?
‘Do home educated kids have friends’, may sound like quite a rude question to ask, but according to 14 year old Iona, this and other questions are asked of her when she says that she doesn’t go to school.
She answers common questions in our article about the reality of home ed.
How Do We Know How Old an Artifact Is? A Kid-Friendly Introduction of Carbon Dating
What can we tell from the study of BONES? According to Tina, we can tell an awful lot about a person by studying their bones – even centuries after they died. This process is called CARBON DATING.
The Best Urban Beaches
Who else is looking forward to the summer? Whether you call your summer break a ‘vacation’ or a ‘holiday’, there is a good chance that some of you are heading for the beach.
Did you know that around the world there are hundreds of artificial beaches. Some are near the coast, but others are miles away from the seaside – perfect for those who don’t or can’t travel far.
City beaches are sometimes called ‘urban beaches’ like the one above in Cologne, Germany. This can involve the delivery of hundreds of tonnes of sand, to a place where there is no sand.
Islands Brygge, Copenhagen, Denmark
There is no sand here, but it is an oasis of fun in the middle of the city. For many years, this area was run down and neglected, but after a regeneration project, new life is blossoming. Who wants to jump off this diving board?
Festival of Love Beach, South Bank, London UK
This beach is all about relaxing and digging your feet into the sand. No pool (and the chilly Thames is certainly no alternative!) but great views over London, and the South Bank centre often has great activities for kids on offer. Check out their website for details.
Paris Plage, France
The capital city of France can get really hot and muggy in the summer months, so what better way than to cool off at an urban beach? Check out the huge showers in the picture!
Bundek Lake, Zagreb, Croatia
In the south of the city of Zagreb, this park was brought back to life after many years of neglect. It is a popular spot for locals and tourists alike, hoping to cool off in the hot Croatian summers.
Baby Plage, Geneva, Switzerland
Baby Plage, Geneva
This might be the MOST fun urban beach for kids in the world. The huge trees are festooned with old tyres and bicycle tubes, knotted together to create ladders and swings.
San Alfonso del Mar, Chile
Ok, this is a bit of a cheat, cause it isn’t an urban beach, but it is the biggest swimming pool in the world, so we had to include it! It is 8 hectares, and holds 250 million liters of water. That is equivalent of 6,000 familiar 8m long pools! It is part of a privately owned complex in South America.
BONUS BEACHES
Now, don’t tell your parents that we showed you this, and don’t try it out at home, but how awesome does this look? We can’t help thinking that this would be VERY messy, but it looks so relaxing and fun!
The artist Justin Kemp created home sandbox for under his desk.
This was built in Japan in 1993 – an artificial beach with a retractable roof. It was not commercially successful and closed over 10 years ago. Which is a real shame, because it looks really amazing.
Featured Image – Cologne KM689 Beach Bar in Germany