Winter Wonderings – Why Does Frost Make Patterns?
The third #winterwonderings post from our Science Correspondent, Samantha, we take a look at why frost makes patterns. Many countries have a mythical figure like Jack Frost, who draws in the ice and frost in winter, but what really causes these gorgeous natural designs.
Egg Box Gardening
I started a little experiment of my own this spring. I wanted to find an easy way of sowing seeds for growing vegetables at home. I have a small veggie patch, but I worked out last year that I could grow a lot more, if only I had many more seedlings to plant out.
But sowing seeds can be a bit fiddly, and then you’ve got to plant out each tiny plant. That takes a lot of time. I wanted more veggies for less work, so I collected as many egg boxes as I could find, and sowed seeds into each egg holder. The pictures show the planting and growing on of broad beans, but I have also used the egg boxes for runner beans, radishes, beetroots, spinach, tomatoes, rocket, pak choi and patty pans.
And it’s not too late to start growing your own right now. You don’t even need a veggie patch in the garden; plant the egg boxes into a pot or container for your window sill or patio.
How Much Sleep Do Kids Need?
Julianne Robertson investigates the world of snoozes, forty winks, cat naps and snoring. What is SLEEP, why do we need it, and how much sleep do kids need?
A couple of nights ago I was feeling really, really tired, so I went to bed early. I slept soundly, without even dreaming, until about 5am, when I woke up. It felt like I’d only been sleeping for about 5 minutes! After that, I fell back to sleep but had lots of vivid dreams and when I woke up a couple of hours later, it felt like I’d been asleep for a long time. After all that I still felt well-rested and was ready for the day.
All this made me wonder – what IS sleep? Why is it that some nights we feel like we’ve had a really good nights’ sleep, while other nights we still feel tired when we wake up in the morning? Here’s what I’ve discovered about sleep…
JUMP! Around the World – Ayşe in Turkey
Have you ever wanted to know what it is like to grow up in another country?
We continue our Jump! Mag tour of the world in Turkey, where seven-year-old Ayşe lives.
Hello Ayşe, How do I say hello in Turkish?
Merhaba Annie!
What are your favourite subjects at school?
That’s hard… I think most of all I like learning Turkish language and…….music.
What kind of music do you like listening to?
I like to dance to pop music like Rhianna and Adele but I like Turkish music too, I like a rock band called Duman.
What games do you like to play with your friends?
Mostly street games like Tag and hide & seek, it’s fun to chase each other around.
What do you like most about being a girl?
…….I think maybe because…you can have a baby… Also at school at playtime, the boys are always chasing each other and fighting and being a bit rough, and they can be like that with each other but not with us, they can’t be so rough with us. I like wearing dresses also and dressing up!
What are your favourite words in your language?
I love you…….mum.
If you could choose any country in the world to visit, which would it be and why?
I want to go to America, to visit my Aunt in San Fransisco, I want to swim in the sea in Mexico because my Mum has told me all about it. I’d also like to go to Africa, to visit the different native tribes that live there.
How would you describe your village to someone who wanted to visit here?
I live in a fishing village, it is very sunny, there’s no snow here! We have the sea, which I like to go swimming in and I like to go walking up around the mountain near the sea which is beautiful.
Annie-May Gibb is a freelance writer, who is passionate about creating a better world.
She mainly works on projects that work to instil equality and confidence in young people. She is also passionate about using tabasco liberally on most foods.
Here is some more information about Turkey
Turkey is a large peninsula that bridges the continents of Europe and Asia. Turkey is surrounded on three sides by the Black Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Aegean Sea. Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey, is built on land in the Bosporus seaway. The city is partly in Europe and partly in Asia. Turkey is larger than the state of Texas.