Oats for breakfast

You might feel that oats for breakfast are boring, but they are packed with a lot of nutrients that help you stay mentally and physically active throughout the day.

What are the benefits of eating oats?

  1. Oats are among the healthiest grains on earth. They’re a gluten-free whole grain and a great source of important vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants.
  2. A cup of oats has 13 grams of fibre. Having it for breakfast can help your brains work actively throughout the day. Health benefits of oats include weight loss, lower blood sugar levels and a reduced risk of heart disease.
  3. Oats contain a large amount of beta-glucan, a type of soluble fibre which has numerous benefits. It promotes healthy gut bacteria and increases feelings of fullness.
  4. You can get creative with your oat meal in the morning by adding some honey, chopped apples, strawberries, sliced bananas or crushed nuts like raisins or cranberries to it. These would increase the nutritional value of the meal and brighten up your day!
  5. You should have oats as often as you can. No need to skip other breakfast options. Though having one cup of oatmeal serving is essential. Having 13 grams of fibre in a day is a healthy habit.

High Fibre Foods Benefits

What does fibre do for your body?

We need fibre to keep things moving in our digestive tract. It helps make us feel full. A daily diet rich in fibre helps prevents us from having constipation problem. They are also good sources of nutrients and vitamins which may help reduce risk of heart disease and certain type of cancer and obesity.

What are good sources of fibre?

  • Whole-grain breads and cereals
  • Fruits like apples, oranges, bananas, berries, prunes, and pears
  • Vegetables like green peas, broccoli, spinach, and artichokes
  • Legumes (split peas, soy, lentils, etc.)
  • Almonds

How much fibre should kids get?

  • Toddlers (1-3 years old) should get 19 grams of fiber each day.
  • Kids 4-8 years old should get 25 grams a day.
  • Older girls (9-13) and teen girls (14-18) should get 26 grams of fiber a day.
  • Older boys (9-13) should get 31 grams and teen boys (14-18) should get 38 grams per day.

Looking for more Health Tip articles? Go to: Ask Coley for Kids.

Mullah Nasruddin: Milk for the Maula

Here’s another hilarious Mulla Nasruddin story.

One day Mulla Nasruddin was going somewhere when he met a man who was carrying a large milk can. The man wished Mulla Nasruddin and said, “Mullaaji, I have a problem. Would you be kind enough to provide me a solution?” Mullaa Nasruddin willingly consented to hear him out as he was eyeing his big container of milk.

The man said, “Whenever I get up in the morning, I feel intoxicated. My head spins around and I feel as if I have a hangover. I don’t understand what could be the problem.”

Mullaa Nasruddin asked, “Hmm! This is a serious problem, indeed! Let me think. What do you generally eat or drink before you go to sleep?”

The man said, “I drink a big glass of milk.”

The Mullaa said, “Now, I have found your problem! The milk that you drink in the night causes the intoxication.”

The gullible man asked, “How is that, Mullaaji?”

Mullaa explained to him, “You drink milk before sleeping. In your sleep, when you toss in your bed, the milk gets churned. It turns into butter. When butter gets churned, it turns into fat. Fat gets churned, it turns into sugar. Then the sugar gets churned and turns into alcohol. So, finally you wake up with alcohol in your stomach in the morning, and that is why you feel intoxicated.”

“So what do I do?” asked the man in simplicity.

The clever Mullaa said, “The solution of your problem is very simple. Don’t drink milk! Here, give it to me.” Mullaa took away the milk can from the man and walked away from there.

The poor man stood there bewildered.

For more interesting Mullah Nasruddin Stories, go to: Mullah Nasruddin Stories.

For other interesting stories for kids, go to: Stories for Kids.

Why do we like something?

What you like and what you don’t like?

  • We like something because we get a certain amount of pleasure and happiness from it.
  • We like something based on how we see, hear or feel it and what we believe that thing to be
  • If you see shrimp as a slimy yucky sea creature, you won’t like to eat it.
  • But if you see shrimp as a tasty delicacy, you will like to eat it for sure!
  • Our likes and dislikes are initially shaped by our parent’s likes and dislikes.

It is a psychological function!

Liking something is a psychological function which is associated to many conditions like:

Familiarity:

You tend to like something that is familiar to you

Reference:

You tend to like something because you have liked something in reference to it before.

Association:

You might like something because you associate it with a good memory but are unaware of it.

Now, let’s see why do some people like somethings which other people don’t?

Why do some people like scary or tragic movies?

Because they feel it will help them prepare to deal with pain and fear later in life.

Why do some people like spicy food?

It is because of the delicious moment of escape it provides when the heat subsides.

Why do we like something a lot and then after a few years don’t like it at all?

Sometimes we get very attached to something because of the memories associated with it, but as we grow older it becomes less important to us.

What are the benefits of eggs?

Why eggs are good for you?

Eggs are considered to be “Super food”. Why? Because they are loaded with nutrients and are so easily available.

Health benefits of eggs

Proteins: Eggs have full array of amino acids and is considered the most perfect protein. Amino acids are important for healthy immune system, metabolism and lean body tissue development.

Omega 3 fatty acid: Eggs contain Omega-3 fatty acid which help develop our brain and our cognitive memory.

Lutein and Zeaxanthin: The essential dietary component, Lutein and Zeaxanthin sharpen our vision. Our body does not create these components on its own. The yolk in the eggs are rich resource for this.

Looking for more Health Tip articles? Go to: Ask Coley for Kids.

Why is junk food unhealthy?

Bumbley – A dollop of ice-cream, a piece of chocolate, pizza, macaroni and cheese! Ooh how I love fooood.
Coley – That is not food. That is junk food! And you know that junk food is unhealthy, right?
Bumbley – I know, I know. But why? I mean how can something that tastes so good, be so bad for us?
Coley – It is quite simple Bumbley. We need food to supply us with nutrients. Nutrients which are used to build our body and fuel it.
Bumbley– Why can’t junk food do that for us?
Coley – Because junk food doesn’t have enough nutrients in it. It does not give you energy to play or stay strong.
Bumbley – I don’t mind not playing if I can have an extra burger.
Coley – Really? No play for a burger?
Bumbley – Actually, I won’t mind both. Play and junk food.
Coley – You can have both. You can have your burger if you eat fruits too. That way you are giving your body enough nourishment too.
Bumbley – I am sleepy now.
Coley – Oh, yes. Junk food makes you sleepy and tired too. You can sleep if you want. I am gonna go and play basketball.
Bumbley – Hey, wait for me! I promise, I will eat fruits and veggies too. Because I wanna play and have fun!

Watch our video to know why food spoils.

Why is ‘abbreviation’ such a long word?

Abbreviation: Origin and History

Em: Emma, I was wondering, how come abbreviation is such a long word?
Emma: Because “Abbreviation” is not an abbreviation, Em.
Em: Ha ha very funny. I’m sure there is more to it than that.
Emma: Actually I did read something about the origin of the word being fairly short. It started with “brevis” which is Latin for “short” and also the root of “brief”
Em: Then how did it get sooo long?
Reason: “Ab” was added to “breviare” to make it “abbreviare”, a verb meaning “to shorten”; then it got converted to a noun by adding “-ionem” at the end becoming “abbreviationem” which means “something that has been shortened”. Then the “em” was removed and voila!
Em: That explanation was way too long for the word abbreviation.
Reason: NO popcorn for you.

Why is an idea mostly associated with a light bulb?

Why does a light bulb represent an idea?

  • When active, Our brain produces electrical currents due to nearly 100,000 chemical reactions occurring in it per second.
  • These chemical reactions are carried out in our brain by tiny cells called neurons.
  • Neurons process and transmit information through electrical and chemical signals that they pass on to each other.
  • They pass this information at the speed of 420 km/hr.
  • Which is faster than the speed of a race car!
  • After processing this information, when we arrive at an insight, our brain literally lights up!
  • That is why an “idea” is usually associated with a light bulb.
  • The moment when we get an idea, is also referred to as an ‘Aha’, ‘Eureka’ or ‘light bulb’ moment.

More Information –
Click here to know how a light bulb works.

The Story of Holi

Why Holi is Celebrated?

Holi gets its name from Holika, demon king Hiranyakashyap’s sister. Hiranyakashyap had got a boon from Lord Vishnu that he would not be killed by man or animal, at day or night, inside or outside, above or on the ground.

So Hiranyakashyap said that only he should be worshipped, not God. His own son, Prahlad continued to worship Lord Vishnu. This made his father angry. He asked Prahlad to jump from a mountain, but he remained unhurt.

Even when Hiranyakashyap made Prahlad jump in a well, he was unharmed.

Hiranyakashyap tried to poison Prahlad. The poison turned to nectar in Prahlad’s mouth.

Then, Hiranyakashya ordered that wild elephants should trample Prahlad, but he was not hurt.

Next, Prahlad was put in a room with poisonous, angry snakes, but still nothing happened to him.

Finally, Hollka made Prahlad sit on a pyre with her. She was protected by a shawl that kept her from being burnt. The shawl flew from her to Prahlad. So, Holika burned, Prahlad was safe.

Lord Vishnu appeared as half-man, half-lion and killed Hiranyakashyap at dusk, on his porch steps.

A Holika bonfire is lit every year to remind us of the victory of good over evil. Holi is celebrated on the day after the bonfire.

Click here to watch the story of Holi in Hindi!

Related Articles

What to do when you don’t get what you want?

How to get what you really want?

What to do when you don’t get what you want?
Everyday, you have something you would want or like to do.
‘want + Getting what you want = Happiness

But not everyday do you get to do that, do you?
‘want’ + Not getting what you want = Sadness

So, what do you do when you don’t get what you want?
The first emotion you feel is anger. Allow yourself to feel it completely. No need to act on it. Decide that you will not do anything until the feeling of anger has a lesser grip on you.

Once you allow yourself to feel angry completely, you will feel tired. Do something that helps you relax. Something that will distract you from what you are not able to get.
‘Want’ + Something you already have = Happiness

Find something you already have and let yourself indulge with it.

It takes time to get what you want. Sometimes a lot of time. But in the meantime you can still be happy instead of angry. Eventually you do end up getting what you want.

What you really really wanted.

For more such interesting General Knowledge articles and videos for kids.

Banana – An energy-booster

What are the health benefits of one Banana a day?

Most of us might not like this wholesome fruit, but did you know that a banana a day can also help you keep the doctor away? Bananas make our bones stronger, prevent anemia and most importantly power our brains. If you are running low on energy, have a banana and get that instant energy rush. Bananas are very rich in vitamins and minerals. A medium sized banana contains almost 420 mg of potassium which helps greatly in bodily functions.

Are bananas good for weight loss?

If you are worried about your weight, eating a banana will satiate you for a longer duration. This you can cut down on the junk you might have in between meals. An added advantage of a banana is, if you rub the peel on your teeth, it will make them white instantly!

Panchatantra: Who will Bell the Cat


Once, a great number of mice used to live in a grocer’s shop. They ate the fresh, tasty wheat, rice, bread, cheese and biscuits that were kept in the shop. They were having a great time and living easy, comfortable lives, growing fatter day ......

Once, a great number of mice used to live in a grocer’s shop. They ate the fresh, tasty wheat, rice, bread, cheese and biscuits that were kept in the shop. They were having a great time and living easy, comfortable lives, growing fatter day by day.

But the grocer was concerned about the losses that he was suffering because of the damage done to his stock by the mice. So, he thought of a solution and bought a big, fat cat to keep in his shop.

From that day onwards, the cat began to catch the mice every day. The mice were terrified of even stepping out of their holes. They could not reach the food anymore. This was a great cause of worry for them. They decided to call a meeting of all the mice in the shop to discuss this problem.

They got together and started thinking. One of them suggested that they must get rid of the fat cat but no one could think of a way of doing so. So they kept thinking of other ways. Finally, one mouse spoke up, “We should tie a bell around the cat’s neck. That way, whenever the cat is near or is coming in our direction, we would get to know by the ringing of the bell and we can quickly run back to our holes.”
This idea was much appreciated by the other mice. They thought that this was the best plan. They began dancing and celebrating with joy. But their celebrations did not last very long for soon an old and experienced mouse said, “You fools! Stop celebrating and first tell me: who will bell the cat?”

None of the mice had an answer to this question. They had not thought about this major problem in their seemingly perfect plan. This is why it is said that making a plan is one thing but executing it is an entirely different thing.

For more interesting Panchatantra stories for kids, go to : Panchatantra stories

For other interesting stories for kids, browse though our huge collection of short stories here : Stories for Kids

Cobras Facts

16 Amazing Facts about Cobras

  1. Cobras are one of the most feared snakes in India.
  2. Cobras are worshipped in many Indian religions – known to be one of the Avataars of Gods.
  3. They are known for their threatening hood at their neck which they spread out when they feel threatened or angry. This hood is made up of flaps of skin attached to long ribs.
  4. Due to their striking pose, even when they lift their heads high up off the ground to search for food, they look scary. Especially when they hiss loudly to scare off potential predators.
  5. The cobra is found more in hot tropical climates- like the Philippines, Southern Asia and Africa.
  6. With more than 270 species; they are usually brown, brownish-black or a dull grey and their venom fangs are half an inch long.
  7. The largest cobras found are the King Cobra.
  8. They are found on land, trees and also in water in tropical climates of Asia.
  9. They generally have a life span of 20 years.
  10. The King Cobra preys on lizards, birds, rodents and even on other snakes. Baby Cobras itself have a length of 18-22 inches.
  11. The smallest cobras are the Mozambique Spitting Cobras.
  12. The spitting cobra can spray venom upto more than 1.8 meters, or 6 feet. They have such perfect aim that they will spit venom straight into the eyes of their prey.
  13. Cobras have excellent night vision and detect their prey with their keen sense of smell.
  14. Their jaws are flexible allowing them to open up the mouth really wide to swallow their prey easily.
  15. Their metabolism is so slow that they need to eat every couple of months.
  16. Cobras are used by snake charmers because they respond well to visual cues. These charmers specialize in getting the Cobra to rise up and “hood-out” to please tourists.

Related Articles – 

What makes stamps valuable?

Why do we need stamps?

The first stamp was issued in 1840 in England. Up until then the postage price was paid by the receiver of the mail. However it got difficult to collect money from receivers who refused the mail. What a waste of time, energy and effort! That’s when the idea of a stamp sparked as it ensured the prepayment of mail.

Why do people collect stamps?

A stamps later became something like time capsules. They carried a little information about the history, geography, art and culture of a particular time. So, a good stamp collection gives you a view of the world from any era you would want.

The value of a stamp

The value of a stamp is defined by

  • Age of the stamp
  • Place where it is issued
  • Condition of gum on the stamp
  • And the perforation

Stamps become more valuable once they are discontinued. The lesser the total number of a stamp available in the market, the more valuable it is to collectors.
Stamp collections give us a sense of belonging. It helps us to share the history of the world with each other.

International Folk Tales: How the Dragon Came to be

In a small village of China, lived a boy named Chi Yu with his mother. They lived in a tiny house surrounded by lovely green meadows covered with fresh, green grass.

Every morning Chi Yu would go out in the meadows, cut the green grass and put it in a basket. He would then take it to the farmer Hieun Tse, who fed his cows with it. In return, Chi Yu got a jar of rice from the farmer.

Suddenly, there were no rains in the region for two years in a row. All the green grass of the meadow turned brown and dry. Chi Yu looked everywhere for some green grass for the farmer’s cow, but couldn’t find a single blade of grass anywhere.

One day while searching for grass, he noticed a patch of fresh green grass in the field behind the tall hills. He immediately cut the green grass and took it to the farmer. Every day he would come there and cut the grass and it would grow back the next morning.

A few days later, while slashing the grass he noticed a small shiny golden bead in the grass. Fascinated by its beauty, he took it home and hid it in an empty rice jar.

Next day, he was surprised to see that the empty jar of rice was now filled to the top! Every time Chi Yu emptied the jar, it would fill up again.

Chi Yu understood that the bead was the reason behind this miracle. He was very kind so he shared the rice with the entire village.

All the people in the village were happy except for the farmer.

His cows were starving without the grass and he wanted the golden bead for himself.

He offered Chi Yu all his money, farm and house in exchange for the bead. But, Chi Yu did not agree.

Hieun Tse, then, decided to steal the bead of gold. One night, while Chi Yu was sleeping, the farmer quietly entered his house and was about to steal the jar when Chi Yu woke up at the sound. Chi Yu rushed to the jar and swallowed the bead immediately.

Chi Yu still did not feel better; he became hotter and hotter and started breathing fire. Yellow and orange flames came out of his mouth.

Chi Yu did not realize that it was an extremely unwise thing to do. The bead started burning inside him and he felt extremely thirsty. He drank up all the water in the house. He then drank up all the water from all the houses of the village. He then drank up all the water from the pond. He emptied the lakes and swallowed the entire river.

Gradually, he changed into a creature that breathed fire. Unfortunately, he could no longer live in the village and had to go far far away.[/tab]

For more interesting Indian Folk Tales for kids, go to : Indian Folk Tales

For other interesting stories for kids, browse though our huge collection of short stories here : Stories for Kids

How to Draw a Cake

There is no party without a cake! In next 2 minutes you can draw your own from this step-by-step video.

4 Steps to draw a Cake

  1. Draw two small ellipses. Connect them by drawing straight line on right and left side of the ellipses.
  2. Draw two medium ellipses below the small ones. And two big ellipses at the bottom.
  3. Draw curvy lines on each pair of ellipses like you would decorate a cake.
  4. Now fill the colours and make merry!

For more such cool How To Draw videos go to : Drawing for Kids

Evolution of Language

Where did language come from?

Language developed as the human species evolved. Development of language sets us apart from our closest relatives, the chimpanzees.

No other natural communication system is like human language.

Human language can express thoughts, convey information, ask questions and give orders.

In contrast, animal can only communicate immediate issues such as food, danger, threat, or reconciliation.

How did language evolve?

Did a bunch of cavemen hold a conference and decide to make up language?

Obviously not.

One theory is that hominids (our human ancestors) started by grunting, hooting and crying out, and this gradually developed into the language we use today.

But apes could grunt and hoot as well. Why did their grunting not evolve into a ‘language’?

Because 6 million years ago the hominid and chimpanzee lines diverged.

The size of the hominid brain increased and developed over time, while chimpanzee brain remained the same.

Another theory is that language began as sign language and then switched to the vocal modality.

Did languages develop simultaneously all over the world?

Some have argued that language evolved independently in different parts of the world.

While a recent study shows that all languages in the world evolved from one prehistoric language first spoken in Africa tens of thousands of years ago.

And it spread across the world with the migration of our ancestors when they left Africa 70,000 years ago.

Do languages stay the same over the generations?

Languages change as they are handed down from generation to generation due to change in culture and influence of other languages. That is why the English spoken in the Elizabethan Era is way different from the English we speak today.

The subject of language and its evolution is still undergoing lively investigation among linguists, psychologists, and biologists.

Note – Read more about the history of Sanskrit, Latin and Greek language.

How to Draw a Train

Pack your bags and get ready to take the train! In the next 2 minutes learn how to draw a train from this simple step-by-step interactive video.

6 Steps to draw a Train

  1. First draw a rectangle, like a train engine.
  2. Draw three small ellipses inside the left side of the rectangle, like a face of the engine.
  3. Draw small one square on top of the rectangle and two rectangles on top of that small square.
  4. Draw one rectangle and two squares in the straight line. Draw small squares inside these shapes like a window.
  5. Draw wheels on the bottom and connect all these shapes like the way train compartments are connected.
  6. Now fill the colours and start your train. Choo Choo!

For more such cool How To Draw videos go to : Drawing for Kids

How much does the sky weigh?

Or is it weightless?

The sky does have weight. It is made of air and air is made of all kinds of gas molecules. Those gas molecules have weight!

If sky has weight, then how is earth carrying that weight?

Weight of the air is evenly distributed over the earth’s surface. Since air moves around easily, it presses on us from all the directions. If it was to be only on top of our heads, it would knock us down to the ground.

How much does air weigh?

The average weight of air that presses down on us (called air pressure) is 14.7 lbs (6.6 Kg) per square inch of earth’s surface. Which is roughly more than 11 billion billion pounds (5.2 million billion metric tonnes)

This means the sky weighs 14.7 lbs per square inch of earth surface which is roughly 11 billion billion pounds.

So, you can say that sky weighs one millionth of the mass of the Earth.

Which equals to 570,000,000,000,000 adult Indian elephants!

Tenali Raman: Tenali Raman And Two Thieves

One summer night, when Tenali Raman and his wife were about to sleep, he heard a rustling sound of leaves coming from outside.

There was not even a slightest breeze blowing at the time, so he presumed that there were some thieves hiding in the bushes. He figured that they must be planning to rob his house in the night.

He thought of a plan and said to his wife, “My dear, I have heard that some notorious thieves are on the loose in our neighborhood. So, let’s hide all the jewellery and money that we have in the well.

A little later, Tenali Raman and his wife came out of the house carrying a big trunk, and dropped it into the well. Then they went back inside the house, and pretended to be asleep.

The thieves waited for a while and then started drawing water from the well.

They hoped to empty the well and get the treasure. The thieves kept drawing out water the entire night. Towards daybreak, they managed to pull out the trunk, and when they opened it, they were extremely shocked and disappointed to see only some big stones in it.

They understood that it was Tenali Raman’s plan to outsmart them. Just then, Tenali Raman came out of his house and said, “Thank you friends, for watering my plants. I must pay you for your labour.”

Hearing this, the thieves fell at Tenali’s feet for forgiveness. They promised not to steal or rob anyone ever again. Tenali decides to let them go.

Moral- Keeping cool and using your wit in dire situations can help you get out of them.

For more interesting Tenali Raman stories for kids, click here.
For other interesting stories for kids, browse though our huge collection of short stories here.

How to Draw a Mouse

It’s fun rooting for the underdog. Wouldn’t you want the mouse to win in a cat and mouse chase? Have fun by learning to draw a mouse. You just need a pencil and a paper to start drawing a mouse in next 2 minutes!

12 Steps to draw a Mouse

  1. Draw a slightly s-shaped curve.
  2. Draw a big circle around the upper part of the curve like a face.
  3. Draw three strokes across the curve within this circle, descending in size.
  4. Draw a smaller circle around the bottom part of the curve.
  5. Draw two small circle on left and right top side of the big circle like mouse’s ears.
  6. Outline the small circle and the big one like a face.
  7. Draw eyes on the first stroke drawn within the big circle, nose on the second stroke and mouth on the third stroke.
  8. Draw ears in smaller two circles.
  9. Erase the strokes and the outline.
  10. Connect the upper circle with the lower one.
  11. Erase the lower circle. Draw legs, hands and tail.
  12. Now fill the colors and play with the mouse.

For more such cool How To Draw videos go to : Drawing for Kids

How to Draw a Football

In this simple step by step guide learn how to draw a Football in a simple and interactive way. You just need a pencil and a white paper to start drawing a Football in next 2 minutes. And then, it’s a goal!

6 Steps to draw a Football

  1. Draw a circle.
  2. Draw two triangles with slightly curvy lines. (it should not touch the circle)
  3. Draw curvy lines connecting corners of these two triangles to the circle.
  4. Draw pentagons around each visible corner of the triangles.
  5. Erase lines inside the pentagons.
  6. Color the pentagons in black colour.

For more such cool How To Draw videos go to : Drawing for Kids

Panchatantra: How Monkeys Got Their Red Bottoms

Once upon a time, there was a village called Dancing. A group of young girls and boys lived in that village. Every night after dinner, they would light a fire and dance around it.

One evening a monkey came to the dance, wearing smart clothes and a stylish hat. He came and sat in a corner on a stone. No one recognised that he was a monkey. He also played melodious music with his drums.

Every night, the monkey would come and play and the girls dance with him happily. The girls loved him more each day. They also started showering him with gifts. One of them gave him a ring, the other gave him cookies

The boys were extremely jealous, as the attention of all the girls was always focused on the monkey.

“Who is this new fellow and what is he doing in our village?” the boys asked one another, and decided to keep a close eye on him. That night they watched him quietly from a distance.

The boys simply could not believe their eyes when they saw that the person the girls loved so much was a monkey in reality. It had a hairy body and a long tail.

That night the guys laughed their hearts out and finally slept peacefully.

The boys decided to play a prank on the monkey. They burnt some wood and put it around the stone where the monkey sat every day, and covered it with leaves.

Like every evening the monkey came and sat on its usual place, only this time it did not feel the same. “OOOUUUUCHHHH!” screamed the monkey and jumped up from its seat. The hot stone had burnt his bottom through his pants. The monkey jumped into a bucket full of water to comfort himself.

But it was too late. The monkey had already left the village to never come back.

Ever since, monkeys have had red bottoms.

For more interesting Panchatantra stories for kids, go to: Panchatantra stories

For other interesting stories for kids, browse though our huge collection of short stories here: Stories for Kids

Christmas Celebrations in different countries

How is Christmas celebrated around the World?

Christmas is the time for celebrations, gifts, fun, family, food, prayers and wishes. Christmas is usually celebrated among the Christians but since the world is becoming a global village, Christmas is now celebrated in every part of the world. The traditions, the festivity or even the dates might differ, but Christmas remains the festival of spreading love and joy. Let us see how Christmas is celebrated in different parts of the world.

1. Christmas in Bethlehem

Let us start with the little town of Bethlehem, Israel, where baby Jesus was born. Every Christmas the city is adorned with flags and beautiful decorations. Here Christmas is not observed on a particular day since people of Bethlehem come from various Christian backgrounds. While the Roman Catholics and Protestants celebrate Christmas on 25th December; the Greek, Syrian and Orthodox Christians celebrate it on 6th January, while the American Christians here celebrate it on 18th January. A cross is painted on the doors of every Christian home and scenes from the Christmas story are depicted in every household. A parade takes place where galloping horsemen and police mounted on Arabian horses, followed by solitary horsemen carrying a cross, followed by Churchmen and Government officials.

2. Christmas in Australia and United States of America and Britain

The Christmas traditions are more or less similar here with only one exception- Christmas in Australia is never white as it hardly snows there during that time. While the other nations enjoy a white, snowy Christmas, Australia is filled with bright sunshine and warm climate. Candles, Christmas trees, gift giving and feasts with delicious turkey and plum cakes are the most popular way of celebrating Christmas in these nations.

3. Christmas in China

In China Christian children decorate the Christmas trees with colorful ornaments in the shape of flowers, chains and lanterns and these ornaments are made of paper. They hand long, old stockings and expect the Santa Claus, whom they call ‘Dun Che Lao Ren’ or the ‘Christmas Old man’ to come and fill them with gifts. In China, children are the main focus of Christmas celebrations. This day they also worship their ancestors.

4. Christmas in Japan

Japan has only 1% Christian population and for them Christmas celebration is not about family and gifts but more about helping the community and doing nice things for others, like helping the poor or sick people. Their Santa Claus is a Buddhist monk called Hotei-osho.

5. Christmas in India

Christians in India are found in every community and state. Usually the Indian Christians decorate mango and banana trees. They decorate their houses with mango leaves and lamps made from clay. Churches are decorated with lights and candles and people flock the well lit streets to celebrate the Christmas festivities in the evening.

6. Christmas in Egypt

Christmas in Egypt is celebrated on 7th January. They are usually Coptic Christians who observe a fast for forty days during which they do not eat meat, poultry or dairy products. They meet during the Christmas day and after the prayer ceremony at the Church they go home and eat their special meal known as ‘fata’. They visit friends and neighbors and gift them ‘kaik’ a shortbread which is eaten with a drink called shortbat.

7. Christmas in Russia

Here Christmas is celebrated as the ‘festival of winter’. People start fasting for 39 days until January 6th, when the evening star appears in the sky. After which they start their festivities with a twelve course meal which mainly consists of fish, beetroot soup, and cabbage stuffed with millet and most importantly cooked dry fruits. Babushka, meaning grandmother, is their traditional Christmas figure who distributes gifts to children.

8. Christmas in Romania

Carols form a very important part for the Romanians. Romanian carols are not just simple songs, but a way to allow people to surpass all difficulties in life. Children move from one house to another singing Christmas carols and narrating legends. The leader of the group carries a large wooden star, covered with shiny paper and decorated with bells and ribbons. The main attraction of their feast is a Pig which is nicely cleaned and cooked.

Christmas Related Articles :

How to Draw a Santa Claus

In this simple step by step guide learn how to draw a Santa Claus in a fun and interactive way. You just need a pen and a paper to start drawing a Santa Claus in the next 2 minutes!

13 Steps to draw a Santa Claus

1. Here comes Santa clause, here comes Santa clause! First draw small
oval for Santa’s face, then starting mid way through the first oval
draw another large oval for Santa’s body.

2. Draw the letter W at the base of the large oval for Santa’s legs.

3. Draw a vertical and horizontal line across the face to position the
facial features of Santa.

4. Three semi circles on top of the small oval with a small circle
makes the cap of Santa.

5. Starting from the side of the cap right down to the stomach of
Santa, in the shape of a leaf make Santa’s beard.

6. On the small oval draw two small leaves either side, one small
circle to join the two thus forming Santa’s moustache.A curved line
under the leaves will form the mouth of Santa.

7. Erase the lines as shown

8. With the help of circles draw the eyes for Santa and don’t forget
about the glasses.

9. Two straight lines on either side of the stomach will be the arms for Santa.

10. Now draw two concentric circles with two straight lines on either
side to make the belt.

11. Draw two L’s below the buckle of the belt to form Santa’s coat.

12. Draw two boots for Santa’s legs .

13. Finally colour your Santa and watch him HO HO HO!

Click here and learn how to draw a Christmas Tree in a fun and interactive way.

How to draw a Christmas Tree

In this simple step by step guide learn how to draw a Christmas tree in a fun and interactive way. You just need a pen and a paper to start drawing a Christmas tree in the next 2 minutes!

13 Steps to draw a Christmas Tree

  1. Ho ho ho! Get ready to welcome Santa Claus by drawing a Christmas tree for him. First, let’s draw the pointy top of the tree. Draw a line at an angle downwards, make leaf marks and draw a line at an angle again to meet the point you started with.
  2. Draw another, bigger similar layer below this one, to continue and make the tree’s middle. Like this, draw one more, still bigger layer, so that there will be room for presents under your tree!
  3. Draw a couple of straight lines to make the trunk of your Christmas tree. What is your tree standing on? Make some wavy lines below the trunk to indicate snow.
  4. Now, it’s time to decorate your tree! Start at the bottom left end and make standing jagged semi circles, from the last pointy part to the penultimate one, for snow. Now, skip to the right side of the second layer to do the same.
  5. Now, draw some streamers at the tree’s top. Make curved ribbon like shapes at the start and end of the tree top.
  6. Lights time! Draw semicircles hanging from the first layer for them. Draw a curved diagonal line across the second layer. Like this, draw lines across the third and fourth layers too, starting from the right side.
  7. Draw small circles on these lines for the lights.
  8. Draw a stocking in the middle left of the tree and decorate it.
  9. Draw a candy cane on the other side, in the next layer.
  10. You can draw a bow below the candy cane, in the final layer.
  11. Draw a star below the stocking.
  12. Colour your tree! You can alternate light and dark shades of green in your tree layers. Colour the lights and star yellow. The other decorations can be red. Colour the snowy parts white to make the tree look real.
  13. You can add stars at the pointy end parts and on top of the tree to finish it off!

For more such cool How To Draw videos go to our Drawing page.

Christmas Story Song

The Shepherds and Angels

In Bethlehem, on a winter night

Were shepherds with their sheep so white
When suddenly came down the rays
of an angel singing praise

Chorus:

“Guess who’s born, ‘Jesus Christ’
Lose your troubles, give a high five
Have no fear, Go and see
The Son of God, the little baby”

Now, 3 wise men saw a star,
Glowing brightly from so far
On their camels travelling
They carried gifts for a king

Chorus:

Singing “Guess who’s born, ‘Jesus Christ’
He is God’s beloved child
He’ll bring peace to one and all,
Let’s go meet the baby small”

They found him in a stable cold
Just like the angel had told
With his loving Ma and Pa
Underneath the shining star

Chorus:

Singing “Jesus Christ, the prince is here
Joy and happiness is near
Sing and dance, have some fun
Merry Christmas every one!” X2

To read and download more Merry Christmas related articles, free wallpapers, greeting cards and coloring pages please visit this page.

Ramayana – The Story of Diwali

The Story of Ramayana

Diwali is a festival of joy and prosperity, and a celebration of the victory of good over evil. This is the story of Ram and Ravan. A story related to this festival.

Thousands of years ago, in the city of Ayodhya, there was a wise and good king named Dasaratha who ruled along with his three queens and four princes.

The eldest, Ram and his beautiful wife, Sita, lived happily along with his other prince brothers and their wives. But one of King Dasaratha’s wives was jealous of Ram and demanded that he be exiled to the forest for 14 years so that her son, Bharat, be made king.

Having once promised his wife to fulfil any wish of hers, the helpless king exiled Ram to the forest. And so, Ram set off on foot accompanied by his loving wife Sita, and loyal younger brother, Lakshman.

A few years into their exile, a demoness named Surpanakha saw Ram and fell for his looks. She asked Ram to marry her. Ram refused and asked her to go to Lakshman instead.

But Lakshman also refused. Enraged, Surpanakha showed her true form and Lakshman cut off her nose and ears.

The demoness went wailing to her brother who was none other than Ravan, the demon King of Lanka. Ravan was furious and swore revenge.

With the help of another demon who took the form of a golden deer, he distracted Ram and Lakshman and kidnapped Sita from their hut.

When Ram and Lakshman returned, Sita was missing! They realised that something bad had happened while they were gone and immediately rushed to find her.

On their way, they came across an army of monkeys and bears that agreed to help them. Among them was a monkey named Hanuman who had once vowed to be at Ram’s service.

Now Hanuman was no ordinary monkey. He could fly over mountains, change size at will and had super-human strength. He had the power to leap across oceans in a single stride. So obviously, he ended up being Ram’s strongest ally.

It was Hanuman who finally found Sita, imprisoned in one of Ravan’s beautiful gardens. Hanuman reassured Sita that Ram would be here soon to rescue her.

He came back to Ram with Sita’s whereabouts and the army of monkeys, bears and men marched to Lanka.

Soon, a great battle started between to two mighty armies and Ram’s soldiers managed to kill all the demons, except one – Ravan.

The battle was now between Ram and Ravan. He gave Ravan one last chance to apologise and return Sita. Ravan instead rained down weapons on him. Ram too fought back relentlessly but despite all his efforts, nothing seemed to kill Ravan. Finally, Ravan’s brother Vibheeshan told Ram that Ravan’s weakest point was in his navel. Using an arrow given to him by the gods, Ram shot Ravan in the navel and killed him instantly.

And so, Ram and his love,Sita, were finally reunited.

Soon after, upon completion of their 14 years in exile, Ram, Sita and Lakshman returned home to find the entire city waiting for them! The streets were decorated with flowers and lamps and there was happiness everywhere

And this is why every year on Diwali Festival Facts, you see the streets, homes and offices lit up with lamps, like the city of Ayodhya, in celebration of Ram and Sita’s homecoming.

Facts about the different celebrations of Diwali – https://mocomi.com/different-celebrations-of-diwali/

Tenali Raman And The Greedy Brahmins

A Lesson to the Greedy Brahmins

There is another great story about the wisdom of Tenali Raman.

The King, Krishnadevaraya’s mother was a very pious and orthodox lady. She had visited all holy places and given much of her treasures in charity to temples. Once she showed the desire of giving away fruits in charity and her son, the king, obliged.

Krishnadevaraya immediately got many mangoes from Ratnagiri. He respected his mother a lot and never let her down. Unfortunately, before the auspicious day could arrive, his mother died.

Krishnadevaraya followed all religious rites. They went on for many days. On the last day, the King called some Brahmins and said, ‘my mother’s last wish was to offer mangoes to Brahmins. But she could not fulfil this wish and died. What can I do so that my mother’s last wish could be fulfilled and she can rest in peace?’

The Brahmins were greedy. They said that only if the King would give each Brahmin a gold mango, would his mother be able to rest in peace.
Krishnadevarya on hearing this immediately ordered some gold mangoes to be made and presented them to the Brahmins, thinking now his mother would be happy and peaceful.

Tenali Raman heard about this and he called those Brahmins to his home to perform the last rite ceremonies of his own mother.

When the Brahmins came to Tenali’s house Tenali closed all the doors and windows and stood in front of them with a red hot iron rod. The Brahmins were taken aback but Tenali removed their confusion.

‘My mother had knee pains and as a remedy she wanted me to cure her with these hot iron rods. But she died before I could help her. So now I want to fulfil her wish by giving you all this treatment’, Tenali said to the Brahmins.

The Brahmins were shocked and said that it is injustice on them and that they will not be a part of it.

But Tenali said that since they had taken the golden mangoes from the king because that way it could provide peace to his dead mother, this was the way Tenali’s mother could find peace.

The greedy Brahmins understood that they have not done right and they returned the mangoes to the King.

Later Tenali Raman told king Krishnadevarya that the treasure of the palace should not be exploited by giving them to such greedy people. Instead, it should be put to feed and serve the needy.

Moral: You should not be greedy and take more than you need.

Browse though our huge collection of short stories for kids.

The Story of Goddess Durga

Goddess Durga and Mahishasura

Indian mythology is full of tales that inspire awe and wonder. The tale I am about to share is one such story.

Once upon a time, thousands of years ago, there was a tyrant called Mahishasura.

He was part demon and part buffalo.

Mahishasura meditated for thousands of years so he could please Lord Brahma and in return be blessed with immortality and power.

After much penance, his plan worked.

Lord Brahma came to him and said, “I am very pleased with your devotion. Ask me any boon that you desire.”

Without batting an eyelid, the arrogant Mahishasura said, “Lord, I don’t want any man or God to be able to kill me.”

Brahma raised his hand in blessing and said, “Tathastu. So be it, my child.”

A twinkle in Brahma’s eyes gave away the fact that maybe Mahishasura had left a loophole while seeking his blessing. Time would tell.

Armed with this boon, Mahishasura considered himself immortal, as no man or God could lay hands on him. He went berserk. In his rage and pride, he practically destroyed the Earth. The lands were soon covered in his darkness and his massacres were widespread. Not only that, he chased away the Gods out of heaven.

Scared, the Gods went running to Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva and narrated their misfortune.

They pleaded for protection and said that if something was not done soon, the heavens and the earth and all the beings there, would be destroyed.

The lords Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva were hopping mad. They conferred for a moment. And then they held each other and started to radiate a blinding light. A light never seen before. A light so bright, that even the sun paled in comparison. Seeing this, the other Gods also joined in and the light shone even brighter.

Out of this beautiful light, was born the ten armed Goddess Durga, the embodiment of Adi Shakti.

Being a woman, there was nothing stopping Goddess Durga from killing Mahishasura, as his boon only protected him from men and Gods. Such was the cunning and smartness of Lord Brahma.

One by one the gods approached her and gifted her a dazzling array of weapons.

The mighty Sudarshan chakra was given to her by Lord Vishnu.

Lord Shiva gave her a dangerous Trishul.

She got a Quiver full of arrows from Lord Varuna, the God of the Sea.

Lord Yama, the God of Death, gave her a powerful Sceptre.

Lord Indra, a Thunderbolt, to rattle the earth.

Lord Vishwakarma, the Architect of the Gods, a menacing axe.

Kaal, or Time, gave her a sharp sword.

She got a kamandal, or pitcher, from Lord Brahma.

Agni gifted a flaming dart.

Airavata, Indra’s white elephant, gave Goddess Durga a bell.

Its noise helped her confuse the demons.

The mighty Himalayas gave Goddess Durga a lion to ride upon.

Armed with ten weapons gifted to her by the gods, one for each arm, she looked ready to show Mahishasura who the boss was and went into battle with him.

Durga battled Mahishasura for ten whole days.

On the tenth day, she managed to chop off his head with her sword.

At last, the balance of life was restored. Life came bouncing back on the trees, rivers, skies and the heavens.

To celebrate this victory, we perform Durga Puja every year and remember the great heroics shown by Goddess Durga.

Durga Puja is a ten day carnival in Bengal.

On the last day, Vijay Dashami, we celebrate Goddess Durga’s killing of Mahishasura.

This day is also called Dussehra and we celebrate Lord Rama killing Ravana too. Did you know that before Lord Rama went to Lanka, he prayed to Goddess Durga for her protection and blessings?

The Story of Goddess Durga in Hindi : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzJo4hFAi2s

Related Article :

How Ganesha Got His Elephant Head

The Birth Story of Lord Ganesha

“Hi! My name is Ganesha, and you probably see me everywhere. Do you know how I came to be? Well, let me tell you.

Once upon a time, high up in the Himalayas, my mother Parvati lived with her husband Shiva. One day, my mother sat down to make a sculpture of a boy. She carefully moulded the clay and ended up making a cute little boy, with chubby cheeks and everything. She looked at his chubby and roly likeness and was very pleased with her creation.

So, she decided to give it life, and this clay sculpture- me- came to life. We were both ecstatic. Since my mother had got dirty from making me, she decided to take a bath. As my father, the great Shiva, was away, she told me to guard the door and not let any strangers in.

Now, I had never seen Shiva, as I was just born. I sat outside, playing with a stick and minding my own business, when a large man, all blue and cool, came up to the hut. Not knowing who he was, I yelled, “Stop!” and he replied, “How dare you? I, am Shiva.”

With that, he raised his trishul and swiped off my head. Hearing the noise, my mother came running out of the hut and shrieked, “What have you done to our son? I made him out of the earth, with such love! And you have gone and chopped his head off?”

Boy, was Shiva in trouble. He promised my mother that he would find a suitable head for their little boy. So, off he went into the forest. Bish, bash, boom! We heard a cacophony of sounds and then an elephant trumpet.

Shiva was back in no time, with the head of an elephant, which he fixed on to me. He then patted me and told me how proud he was of me, for fearlessly obeying my mother’s orders and gave me blessings of prosperity and intelligence.

Since then, I’ve been known by many, many names, like Vighnaharta, Siddhivinayak, and Vakra Chandra.And I, am the remover, of all obstacles.

Learn How to Draw Lord Ganesha using our fun drawing video
For more such interesting General Knowledge articles and videos, visit: GK for Kids.

Plaster of Paris Idol Immersion Affect on Environment

How does Immersion of Idols Pollute Water?

  • Water pollution caused by immersion of plaster of Paris idols into natural water bodies.
  • Water pollution caused by chemical paints used on these idols.
  • The waste generated by non-biodegradable accessories used during the worship.
  • Noise pollution
  • Traffic congestion
  • If you do celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi, please immerse the idol in a water tank available in your city instead of into natural water bodies.
  • Use only natural clay idols.
  • Immerse a symbolic representation of the idol like a betel nut and reuse the same idol every year.

To read and download more Lord Ganesh related articles, free wallpapers, greeting cards and coloring pages please visit this page.

For more environment related articles and videos, visit: https://mocomi.com/learn/environment/.

How to Draw Lord Ganesha

In this simple step by step guide learn how to draw Lord Ganesha in a simple and interactive way. You just need a red pen and a paper to start drawing Lord Ganesha in the next 2 minutes!

43 Steps to draw Lord Ganesha

  1. Get ready for Ganesh Chaturthi by drawing Lord Ganesha. Start by drawing a medium sized circle in the middle of your page, towards the top.
  2. Keep a little gap and draw another, bigger circle below the first one, for the body. Draw a small dot towards the end of this circle, on the right.
  3. Draw a horizontal oval overlapping the body, on the left.
  4. Use the dot to draw a similar oval on the right.
  5. Draw a line in the gap between the two circles.
  6. Draw two slightly curved lines on either side, to join the line you drew before to the body.
  7. Draw Lord Ganesha’s arm and hand on the left.
  8. Draw a semi circular line from the arm, to the face, ending just above the right side oval.
  9. Draw Lord Ganesha’s other arm with him holding a laddoo.
  10. Draw a small semicircle on the left oval. Add lines for his feet.
  11. Erase the first line that you drew.
  12. Erase other lines as shown.
  13. Now, you have room to draw his necklace. Draw a small semicircle and a bigger one below it, on his upper body. Draw small circles in the necklace for decoration.
  14. Draw the top of his dhoti, that is belt shaped, towards the bottom.
  15. Draw his left hand fingers. Draw a bracelet and an armband on both sides.
  16. Erase lines as shown for right hand fingers.
  17. Draw a line across his body, below the necklace, for the sacred thread.
  18. Draw a dot at the beginning of the left oval.
  19. Use it to extend a line below and repeat to show folds of his dhoti, similarly for the right side.
  20. Draw his toes.
  21. Now it’s time to draw his face.
  22. Draw a round shape in the bottom part of the first circle. Extend it in a trunk shape.
  23. Draw the tusks.
  24. Erase lines as shown.
  25. Draw folds in his trunk.
  26. Draw a dotted line across the top part of the face.
  27. Draw a dotted vertical line bisecting it.
  28. Draw ovals for the eyes.
  29. Make his eyebrows.
  30. Erase the dotted lines.
  31. Draw elephant ears.
  32. Make an earring on the right one.
  33. Shade the eyes.
  34. Add a white touch to make it look real.
  35. Draw a little hair.
  36. Erase lines as shown.
  37. Make a turban.
  38. Complete the right hand.
  39. Colour the turban, hair, earring, necklace, bracelets, arm bands, dhoti, eyebrows.
  40. Draw a shape as shown around the figure for his throne.
  41. Draw shapes for his arm rests and colour them.
  42. Draw more laddoos on the right side.
  43. Make cut outs on his throne.

Why does Lord Ganesha have an elephant’s head?! Click here to find out!
For more such cool How To Draw videos go to our Drawing for kids page.

Eco Friendly Holi

INTRODUCTION

Colours used in Holi are meant to reflect the various hues of the spring season. Holi, as you already know, is a celebration of the arrival of spring.

The colours used during Holi once upon a time were prepared from the flowers of trees that blossomed during spring. Most of these trees also had medicinal properties and the colours obtained from them were highly beneficial to the skin.

With the rapid commercialization of this festival, and a strong demand for other colours, manufacturers started producing artificial colours, which are not only more sought after, but also inexpensive as compared to natural colours.

What people tend to ignore is that these artificial colours consist of a large number of chemicals, which can have severe ill-effects on your health.

To give you an insight into what chemical is present in each of these colours, and what effects it can have on your health, refer to the chart below :

COLOUR – CHEMICAL – HEALTH EFFECTS

Black – Lead oxide Renal – Failure
Green – Copper Sulphate – Eye Allergy, Puffiness and temporary blindness
Silver – Aluminium Bromid – Carcinogenic
Blue – Prussian Blue – Contact Dermatitis
Red – Mercury Sulphite – Highly toxic can cause skin cancer

Now that your aware of the chemicals present in colours and the several health-impacts it can have, would you still want to play with them? Or would you now rather opt for some natural colours?

While natural colours are easily available in the market, you can as an activity, make these colours yourself. Here’s what you need to do.

GREEN
Mix two teaspoons of mehendi in one litre of water and stir well. Alternatively, you could also mix some henna powder with an equal quantity of any flour.

BLUE
Take a few Jacaranda flowers, have them dried and then grind them to get a beautiful blue coloured powders. Store this in an airtight bottle. Flowers from the hibiscus plant can also be dried and powdered to get a blue colours.

RED
Take some dry red rose petals and spread them out on a newspaper and leave them out in the sun to dry. Once the petals have dried up, grind them and use the red powder obtained to smear the faces of your friends. Boiling two teaspoons of red sandalwood powder in five litres of water and then later diluting it in about twenty litres of water will give you a great red water solution. Water can also be boiled with pomegranate peels which also give a good red colour.

SAFFRON
Grind dried or fresh mehendi leaves to get a green-coloured powder. This can be used to make into a paste by mixing some water which will give it an orange tinge.You can also add a little turmeric and sandalwood powder to rose water and make a saffron colour solution.

YELLOW
Mix two teaspoons of turmeric powder with four teaspoons of gram flour. This will give you a vibrant yellow powder. Dry the petals of flowers like Amaltas, marigold or yellow chrysanthemums and grind them to yield different shades of yellow color powder. They can be used separately or can be mixed with gram flour to add bulk to the powder. Boil one teaspoon of turmeric in two liters of water to yield deep yellow color. Dilute to the desired color strength.

As already mentioned, all the ingredients used to make natural colours are medicinal in nature, and have no harmful effects to your skin or health. If you had this notion that making natural colours would be difficult, shed those inhibitions and prepare some colours yourself today with these easily available ingredients, many of which you will find at home.

We at mocomi, wish all of you a very safe and happy Holi!

Want to read more about Holi?!

The Story of Holi

 For more environment related articles and videos, visit: Environment for Kids category.

How to Draw a Mermaid

In this simple step by step guide learn how to draw a mermaid in a fun and interactive way. You just need a pen and a paper to start drawing a mermaid in the next 2 minutes!

15 Steps to draw a Mermaid

1. Draw a long curved line as the body of the mermaid.

2. Then draw a circle as the head of the mermaid and an other circle
which has to be over lapping the top circle..

3. Next draw a plate, an oval and another plate which will be the body
of the mermaid, like shown above

4. Finally a rough sketch of the tail..

Now time to do the final drawing.

1. Draw a Large circle which will fit both the head and face circles in it.

2. Erase the lines as shown above.

3. leave a small gap and outline the circle to form the hair.

4. Now draw the ears and with the help of semi-circles draw the pretty
eyes.Draw the mouth of the mermaid and a star on the head.

5. Outline the torso (Body).

6. Erase the lines as shown above.

7. Now outline the tail and erase as shown above.

8. With the help of straight line draw the mermaid’s hands.

9. With the help of curved lines extent the length of her hair.

10. Draw two clams for the mermaid.

11. Erase some of her rough lines.

For more such cool How To Draw videos go to our Drawing for kids page.

How to Draw a Cow

In this simple step by step guide learn how to draw a cow in a fun and interactive way. You just need a pen and a paper to start drawing a cow in the next 2 minutes!

13 Steps to draw a Cow

  1. First draw a rectangular circle for the cows body.
  2. On top of the body draw a circle for the head of the cow.
  3. Then draw the horns and the ears on top of the head for the cow.
  4. After that draw the mouth and erase the lines as shown above.
  5. Now its time to draw the legs.
  6. First draw two legs and then erase the line of the first leg to show that the leg is in the front.
  7. Then draw the udder of the cow.
  8. Finally finish off by drawing the remaining two legs of the cow.
  9. Now design the cow by adding spots where ever you like.
  10. After that draw the eyebrows and then the eyes of cow.
  11. Now draw a bell on the cows neck for the cow to ring it!
  12. Finally at the end of the body draw a curved line which will represent the tail for the cow.
  13. Now colour your cow and watch it moooooo!

For more such cool How To Draw videos go to our Drawing for kids page.

How to Draw a Peacock

In this simple step by step guide learn how to draw a peacock in a fun and interactive way. You just need a pen and a paper to start drawing a peacock in the next 2 minutes!

10 Steps to draw a Peacock

  1. First draw a small circle as the head of the peacock then draw a larger circle below the head to form the body.
  2. Then draw the neck by drawing two lines connecting the head to the body.
  3. After that draw the legs of the peacock and then draw it’s feet.
  4. When that’s done draw the beak of the peacock.
  5. Then draw two circles which will represent the eyes of the bird.
  6. After that draw 3 feathers on top of your peacock.
  7. Draw it’s folded wing.
  8. Finally to draw it’s beautiful feathers you have to first draw one big feather and add a design to it, then draw a smaller feather with the same design.
  9. Like that draw eight big feathers and and seven small feathers.
  10. Now colour it and see your peacock come alive!

For more such cool How To Draw videos go to our Drawing for kids page.

Top 10 Carnivals around the World

Best Carnival Celebrations around the World

1. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The city’s mayor hands a giant silver and gold key to crown the Fat King, thus marking the beginning of the carnival in Rio. The Samba parade is the major attraction in which almost 5000 dancers dance to loud music and parade on the long road especially built for the carnival.

2. Venice, Italy

In this carnival, the city of Venetia is filled with groups of people dressed up in elaborate costumes and masks. They wear masks because of the tradition to treat everyone, rich or poor, as equal.

3. Nice, Southern France

The tradition here is to make almost 500 big, paper mache heads, paraded on the first day of the carnival. The carnival holds a ‘battle of flowers’ where many multi-coloured flowers are thrown on the public.

4. Santa Cruz, Spain

The Tenerife Carnival in Spain is also known as the ‘Festival of International Tourist Interest’ and is attended by thousands of people from all over the world. They come to the streets, dressed in various fancy dresses and dance until dawn.

5. Basel, Switzerland

People, not only from Switzerland, but also from Germany and Austria, come to Basel in disguise for the carnival here. Groups of people wear holy masks, play flutes and walk around the streets of Basel.

6. Goa, India

This four day carnival was started by the Portuguese who settled in India and the tradition continues till today. The carnival starts by selecting a ‘King of Chaos’ and the red-and-black dances are the most important part of the carnival.

7. Quebec, Canada

Quebec is famous for holding the Winter Carnival at -30 degree Celsius and it goes on for 17 days. A snow castle and a snow amusement park is the center of attraction. A snow queen is selected who roams around in a snow float. The streets are lined with ice sculptures and a canoe race is held on the frozen ice river!

8. Binche, Belgium

The Gilles, or clown like performers, dress up in vibrant wax masks and wooden footwear and are all male. Only the original inhabitants of Binche can take part. They dance to the sound of drums to ward off evil spirits and march in the town with baskets of oranges.

9. New Orleans, USA

The New Orleans Carnival celebrates Mardi Gras with a masked ball and purple, green and gold colours . The rich ride on floats and throw money, beads, toys and jewels to the poor people.

10. Barranquilla, Colombia

The carnival holds dances like the Spanish Polatio and African Congo. It is a beautiful fusion of European, African and Indian cultures lasting for 4 days.

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Indian National Movement

The Indian National Movement –

The British started a program of reforms where they tried to integrate high-caste Indians and rulers into the government. They stopped confiscation of lands, advocated religious tolerance and allowed the Indians to join the civil service in subordinate roles. They increased the number of British soldiers and only they were allowed to handle artillery. In 1877, Queen Victoria was bestowed the title ‘Empress of India.’

The British felt that they could ‘civilize’ the people of India by getting them to convert to Christianity. These efforts however failed. The other alternative was education. A westernized system of education was introduced and a new educated class of Indians emerged. They became the mediators between the British and the rest of Indian society. This class of people found their way into government as lawyers, businessmen, journalists and teachers.

Even though the British tried to convert Hindus to Christianity, Hinduism survived and in fact, achieved a revival despite their best efforts. Indians who were trained to believe in western ideals of justice and freedom, started protesting against the discrimination by the British.

These protests led to the formation of the Indian National Congress in 1885. This party was created to address charges against British officials who prevented Indians from assuming control over their own affairs. The Congress eventually became the driving force behind Indian nationalism and the freedom struggle.

Indian efforts against the British initially was not well organized. This led to the rise of a rebel group of extremists who gave Indian nationalism a distinct Hindu orientation, which alienated the Muslims.
This alienation led to the formation of the All India Muslim League in 1906. The league promoted loyalty to the British and the advancement of Muslim political interests.

Some Muslims however began to feel isolated, especially as the British promoted Christianity. More Muslims started to join the Congress party. In 1916, the Congress and the Muslim League signed the Lucknow Pact. The Lucknow Pact united the two parties in their cause of driving the British out of India. An important member of the Congress was Muhammad Ali Jinnah who worked towards a separate State for the Muslims, Pakistan. This caused major issues between the two religious groups which led to violence and bloodshed later.

Soon after, there was a rise in the number of radicals similar to the group led by Bal Gangadhar Tilak, who believed that Swaraj was every Indian’s birthright. Tilak wanted to assault the British directly. Other Bengal rebels carried out a campaign of terror and assassination against the British. In 1905, the British partitioned Bengal and this led to the first major resistance to foreign rule.

The Swadeshi movement was born, and the Indians protested in various ways- boycott of foreign goods, strikes, non-cooperation, non-violent resistance, etc. Finally, the British revoked the partition. Their motive had been to divide the Hindus who dominated West Bengal, and the Muslims who were a majority in East Bengal.

Related article

Quit India Movement – 1942

When was the Quit India Movement started?

The Quit India Movement was launched by Mahatma Gandhi in 1942 in protest against sending Indian troops to fight in World War II and demanded the immediate independence of India from the British.

The Quit India movement was endorsed after talks between the Congress and the British had failed. Indians were urged to act as an independent nation and not follow orders of the British. Gandhi and other senior Congress leaders were imprisoned. Mass protests broke out all over the country which were followed by bomb attacks, sabotage and violence.

The Muslim League declared its support for the British and by doing this were able to spread the message of Islam freely.

The British responded to the protests by staging mass arrests, implementing heavy fines and airdropping of bombs. The rebel movement which had resorted to violence to gain independence was now working against Gandhi’s principles of non-violence. This left the movement leaderless and fizzled out over the next year. In 1946, the Royal Indian Navy called a strike and Indian sailors too, mutinied.

The strike spread and the Indian population supported it. Soon, the Air Force and the local police forces joined in. There were more riots and revolts.
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10 Most Haunted Places in the World

10 Most Haunted Places around the World and their Stories

1. The White House, United States

The home of the presidents of the United States is believed to be haunted by the ghosts of some of the ex-Presidents like William Henry Harrison, Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln.

2. Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh, Scotland

This magnificent castle of the medieval ages is said to be one of the favourite hangout spots of ghosts. The visitors swear to God to have seen the ghosts of a spooky dog, a headless drummer, and prisoners of the French war and the American War of Independence.

3. Dominican Hill, Baguio City, Philippines

According to the native people of the Philippines, the ghosts of people who were killed during the war frequently visit this place.

4. Bhangarh Fort, Rajasthan, India

Bhangarh Fort near the city of Jaipur in Rajasthan holds the record for being the scariest and most well-known haunted place in India. According to the legend, nobody who stays at the fort after dark returns alive. The Government of India has also put a warning sign in front of the fort which says- ‘Staying after sunset is strictly prohibited in this area.’

5. Screaming Tunnel, Niagara Falls, Ontario

According to a hair-raising story about this tunnel, if you stand in the middle of the tunnel at midnight and try to light a match, it will get extinguished on its own and you will hear a girl’s frightening cry.

6. Ohio University, Athens, Ohio

According to the British Society for Psychical Research, Ohio University is one of the eeriest places in the world. The brave students of the university have witnessed numerous ghost sightings till date.

7. Changi Beach, Singapore

The Changi Beach in Singapore is said to be haunted by the ghosts of the Chinese soldiers who died in the Second World War. Some people vouch to have seen the heads of the Chinese soldiers flying in the air and headless bodies walking around the beach.

8. Monte Cristo, New South Wales, Australia

The Monte Cristo Mansion, haunted by the ghost of its owner, Mrs. Crawley, is reputed to be one of the spookiest spots in Australia. It is said that those who enter the house see strange apparitions and hear frightening voices. Some of the daredevils who tried to spend the night here mysteriously turned purple and almost died.

9. Waverly Hills Sanatorium, Louisville, Kentucky

This two-storey hospital is hyped as being one of the scariest places in the United States. It was seen on ABC/FOX Family Channel’s program ‘Scariest Places on Earth’ as well as on the Sci Fi Channel’s ‘Ghost Hunters’.

10. The Tower of London, Central London, England, United Kingdom

One of the most famous historic monuments in London—The Tower of London—is touted as haunted. The most popular ghostly occupant of the Tower is the spirit of Ann Boleyn, wife of Henry VIII. In 1536, she was beheaded and now her ghost roams around in the castle, carrying her severed head in her hands.

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Top 10 Castles in the World

Castles, as we know, were homes of Prince and Princess, of Kings and Queens in many fairy tales. They are located in a far away magical land of Sleeping Beauty or Snow White. They are huge, massive structures which show the architectural brilliance. But these castles are not only present in the fairy world but can be seen in the real world as well.

Castles were built during the middle ages in Europe and the Middle East. Castles, unlike palaces, were basically fortified structures, meaning they were designed for military and warfare. Castles provided a base for protection of people against the enemies.

Here’s a list of 10 best Castles in the World

1. The Potala Palace

It is one of the greatest monumental structures in Tibet. 13,00 years old, this 17th century castle was built by Emperor Songtsen Gampo. It is located on the Marpo Ri Hill, 130 meters above the Lhasa Valley. The construction of the entire structure began during the reign of the fifth Dalai Lama. It has 1000 rooms and was previously a monastery but later became the seat of the Tibetan Government and also the winter home of the Dalai Lama.

2. Castillo de Coca

This is one of the most beautiful castles around the world. It was the birthplace of the Roman Emperor Theodosius. Set in the city of Coca, this beautiful castle is well known for its western and Moorish military architecture. Entirely made of brick with the color of sand, the walls are lavishly decorated. Currently the castle serves as a training school.

3. Neuschwanstein Castle

This is a fairytale castle built for Louis II of Bavaria, Germany. It is a spectacular castle, seen mostly in fairy tales, with huge towers and spires. It is the only castle built in the medieval period which had modern amenities like running water on all floors, a heating system for the entire castle and even an automatic flush for the toilets in every room. The sleeping beauty castle in Disneyland is a replica of the Neuschwanstein castle.

4. Hunyad Castle

This castle in Romania is famous for keeping Dracula as a prisoner for seven long years. Vlad III was commonly known as the Dracula around 1460’s and was held prisoner by John Hunyadi of the Hunyadi dynasty. The building is large with tall, dark colored roofs and towers, while the walls are decorated with stone carvings. The castle is famous for its 30 meters deep well dug by Turkish prisoners. The castle is now a museum telling us about medieval life and architecture.

5. Alnwick Castle

Remember the Hogwarts scenes in the Harry Potter series? This was the castle where the film scenes were shot and it has become immensely famous since then with more than 800,000 visitors per year! It is located in the town of Northumberland, UK. It was built in 1096 with beautiful Gothic architecture for the Duke of Northumberland. Even today the current Duke and family stay in a part of the castle, while the rest of the castle is open to tourists during summers.

6. Windsor Castle

The Windsor castle in England is one of the most famous castles. It has its association with the British Royal Family. Built in the 11th century, this magnificent structure has since then been the longest occupied castle in the World. The castle survived the English Civil War and also served as a prison for Charles I. During the bombings of the Second World War, Windsor castle served as a place of refuge for the Royal Family. It is now the official residence of Queen Elizabeth II who spends many weekends here and is also a tourist spot in England.

7. Edinburgh Castle

Built on the remains of an extinct castle, this castle is located in Scotland. The huge castle dominates a large part of the city of Scotland. It is situated on an extinct volcanic cliff. The first castle was built here around 11th century A.D. The castle continued to be a residence till 1603. From then onwards it was used for war purpose. Wars of Scottish Independence were a large part of the castle. The castle now is part of Historic Scotland and a tourist destination.

8. Himeji Castle

This is Japan’s most beautiful castles. It is one of the few structures in Japan that was able to survive the devastation caused by bombings, earth quakes and the civil war. The beautiful castle is known for its brilliant white exterior. Its structure goes back to 1333 when a fort was built on top of the hill top. It was later dismantled and then rebuilt in 1346 and again remodeled after two centuries. In 1993 the castle was registered as the first UNESCO world heritage sites.

9. Mehrangarh Fort

The fort of Mehrangarh stands out among all forts and castles in India. Situated in the city of Jodhpur, this fort is the largest in India and is situated 400 feet above the city. The thick boundary walls cover the several palaces situated inside, with elaborate carvings and large courtyards. The fort also holds a museum stocked with royal selections. The fort was originally started by Rao Jodha in 1459 but inside the fort the carvings date back to the period of Jaswant Singh from 1638-78.

10. Malbork Castle

This is the largest castle in the world. It is also the largest brick building in Europe. It is located in Poland and was founded in 1274 by the Teutonic Knights. It was built as a fortress to defeat the Polish enemies. As the number of Knights increased, the castle grew in size. The castle was declared as the World Heritage Site in December 1997 by UNESCO.

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Strange Festivals of the World

Top 10 Unusual Festivals around the World

1. Boryeong Mud Festival, South Korea

Smear yourself with vitamin enriched mud from the Buryeong Mud Flat in July. Paint yourself with mud at the Mud Square, become a scientist and invent soap and aroma oil at the Experience Booth; shoot down the elongated slide and plop yourself into the trickling mud pool or just gear up and engage in rigorous combat action at the Namgok-dong Foreshore Experience Arena.

2. Battle of Oranges, Ivrea, Italy

Herald the brave lady who chopped off her assailant’s head; and wear your warfare suit and hold those tight oranges (bullets) in your hand. The Orangiere (snob royals) on their carri de getto (horse wagons), will fire oranges at the revolting masses; who will retort back with courage and gallantry.

3. Songkran, Thailand

Eradicate your sins, and drench yourself with pure water, squirting out from the elephant’s trunk in April. Throw those water laden balloons at everyone you see, or try to duck from the gargantuan water outpour from others.

4. El Colacho, Spain

One year old brave babies, all tightly wrapped are laid on the ground; and Colacho men in red and yellow attires, jump over them (no harm) and thus carry away the evil.

5. Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling and Wake, England

A 9lb round chunk of double Gloucester cheese rolls down the Cooper Hill, and people scramble, revolve and orbit down to catch the running cheese. What a splendiferous way to celebrate the birthday of a New Year!

6. Monkey Buffet Festival, Thailand

10,000 kilograms of luscious food are generously fed to the good luck bringers, or the Crab eating Macaques monkeys in November by resplendent people dressed as monkeys.

7. Night of the Radishes, Mexico

Colossal sized radishes are displayed in Zocalo, Oaxaca City; and fervent artists intricately carve out strange figurines with manifold adjuncts from them, on 23rd December at sunset. Isn’t it a jocund way to encourage farming?

8. Running of the Bulls, Spain, July

What a novel way to gain blessings and guidance from the Lord San Fermin, by engaging in a dangerous race; where you are chased down the streets by raging bulls!

9. Moose Dropping Festival, Alaska

How do you attract tourists? You collect the icky and gross moose (animal) droppings, bake them, glaze them and drop them on your desired targets from a hot air balloon!

10. The Thaipusm Festival, Kerala

Imagine pulling a heavily loaded tractor which is tied to a hook pierced in your body; which has already been intensely pierced with metal pins in every shape and size in almost every part of your body? The lord will now bless you.

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Sharks : Facts and Information

10 Interesting Facts about Sharks

  1. Sharks have been around for nearly 400 million years and were about 200 million years older than dinosaurs.
  2. Out of over the 350 different species of sharks that we have, only about 30 of these species have ever attacked humans.
  3. To protect their eyes from attack, a shark can roll them back into its head.
  4. A shark’s mouth has up to six rows of triangular teeth. Some sharks have as many as three thousand teeth.
  5. Sharks cannot chew their food. If the meal is too large to swallow, they shake it from side to side to saw it into chunks.
  6. Sharks eat even other sharks.
  7. Sharks never sleep and don’t stop swimming, as they do not have air balloons like other fish in them which makes them sink.
  8. Sharks have the same five human senses like us. Besides this they have two more senses.
  9. One is a lateral line, that runs down each side of the shark’s body. This is a line of pressure – sensitive points under the skin. These help the shark sense small vibrations in the water.
  10. The second, is that sharks have tiny pores on their head, called the ampullae of Lorenzini. This allows the shark to sense the faint electrical charges given off by all living things.

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Super Senses of Animals

8 Amazing Facts about Animal Super Senses

  1. Ants have a ‘super-sense’ of smell, which directs them to food from several metres away.
  2. A starfish uses its arms to see. There are small spots located at the ends of the starfish’s arms that help it to know the difference between light and dark.
  3. Snakes use their tongues to smell. At night, they use their special infrared sensory organs to locate and hunt their warm-blooded prey.
  4. Crickets use their legs to hear.
  5. Butterflies use their feet to taste the nectar of the flowers.
  6. Crocodiles have thousands of small receptors around their jaw line that allow them to sense the presence and location of animals around them from a long way off.
  7. Pigeons have something like an in-built compass which allows them to find their way using the knowledge of the Earth’s magnetic field and the position of the sun. That is why they were used to carry messages from one place to another in ancient times.
  8. A catfish has tiny hair on their bodies that are extremely sensitive to vibrations. So much so, it is believed that the catfish can detect earthquakes days in advance.

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Tenali Raman : The Secret of Weaving Invisible Fabric

The capital of Vijayanagar was ruled by King Krishna Deva Raya. The usual activities of the day were halted as a gorgeous woman entered the royal court.

After the formal greetings, she took out a small box. From it, she took out the most delicate sari that would hardly cover the tip of a finger!
After showing the sari to the royal court attendants, she addressed the king, “Oh great king! I have a group of very talented weavers who know the secret of weaving this beautiful, most delicate and thinnest celestial fabric which cannot be seen by the naked eye.”

She continued, “With your blessings and financial support, these weavers can work wonders and exhibit before the honorable king!”

The king was impressed by the exhibit and believed her. After allotting the funds, the king asked the lady to get the work done with thorough research in one year.

Over the span of a year, the beautiful lady and the workers lived in the royal guest house and enjoyed the royal treatment extended by the king. However, even after one year there was no news of the research and neither was any fabric exhibited by the weavers.

The anxious king ordered his men to check on the progress of the celestial fabric that was fit to be worn by the gods and sent some of them to the guest house to inspect the weavers.

The inspectors were greeted by the lady and she took them to the location where the weavers were working. They seemed to be working so seriously that they didn’t even notice the presence of guests in the room.

To their astonishment, the inspectors found that there were no looms, thread spools or even a string of thread in the room. All the weavers sitting in the room seemed to be pretending to draw out the thread and weave. The inspectors stood there confused and inquired about the situation. The lady smirked at them, and in a very husky voice, told them, “Gentlemen, the invisible or celestial fabric is only seen by the pure-hearted along with the purity of their parents. I am very sure that you can see the intricacy of the fabric and the details of the design created by our weavers!”

Fearing that they might be branded as sinners if they spoke the truth, the inspectors decided to act as if they could see the fabric. They even appreciated the delicacy and beauty of the work done. They conveyed the same to the king as well, keeping up with their act in the guest house.

Listening to such praises of the work being done by the weavers, the king became even more enthusiastic to see greatness of the fabric.
After few days, the king ordered his men to bring the weavers to his court along with the finished product.

The royal court was packed with spectators wanting to have a look at this celestial fabric.

As a part of their introductory speech, the weavers addressed the gathering and said, “Divine material has been used in making of this fabric.
Hence, it is only visible to the ones with a pure heart along with the purity of their parents.”

Silence echoed all around the royal court as no one could actually see any fabric in front of them. But in order to save themselves from the embarrassment, they all said that they were able to view the exhibit, and started applauding its beauty and praising the weavers.

Finally, the king, accompanied by Tenali Raman, entered the court to witness the exhibition. The weavers again repeated the same phrases. King Krishna Deva Raya stood there in astonishment and said to Tenali, “Tenali! I am afraid I only see the empty hands of those weavers! I wonder whether it is a result of my heart’s impurity or that of my parents’!” Tenali replied, “My lord! There is nothing visible except thin air! These weavers are cheating us with their deceptive but effective speech”

This made the king suspicious and he asked Tenali to make public the cheating of the weavers.

Instantly, Tenali devised a plan. He turned towards the gorgeous lady and with an inquisitive tone, said to her, “A true work of beauty, my lady! The king of kings is eager to see you adorned in such a glorious fabric”

The lady was now aware that Tenali had uncovered her deceitful plan. She was in a position where she could neither refuse the king’s orders nor stand nude in front of such a huge crowd.

After a moment of silence and confusion, the lady fell on the king’s feet and begged for pardon.

Once again, Tenali and his quick wits proved to be contributory to the king’s rule!

And ever since, nudity is referred to as wearing divine clothes!

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Penguins : Facts and Information

11 Fun Facts about Penguins

  1. Penguins are beautiful black and white birds. They are loved by all children. They waddle around. They are the most social and friendly birds. Penguins stay together in large groups of thousands. They are not afraid of human beings.
  2. They cannot fly like other birds. They flap their wings. They swim in water at a speed of 15miles/hour.
  3. Penguins cannot breathe underwater. They hold their breaths for a long stretch of time in water. They spring out of water to catch a breath of air before diving back in. But even then they spend three fourths of their time in water.
  4. They are warm blooded birds with body temperatures of around 100 F. But they stay in cold weathers like the Antarctica. They have a layer of fat called the blubber, under a thick layer of feathers, which helps in keeping their body warm. They also huddle together to keep themselves warm. But some penguins flap their wings to keep themselves cold in warmer temperatures.
  5. A gland below their tails, excrete oil which helps in keeping the shine on the penguins’ bodies. Penguins loose their feathers once a year.
  6. Penguins eat fish and shrimp. They have a hook near their bill which grabs the fish. They have bristles on their tongue which helps prevents the slippery fish from escaping. Large penguins can carry 30 fishes in their mouths at one time. Penguins also eat stones, as these help in digestion.
  7. They drink salt water as fresh water is not available where they live. A special gland in the penguin’s body removes the salt out of the water.
  8. Penguins mate and raise children in an area called rookery. The male penguin calls out aloud and struts his wings about when he wants to attract the attention of a female mate. Penguins sing to each other to familiarize themselves with each other’s voices.
  9. Penguins bounce over the rocks for fun. Penguins also love to slide on their ice using their bellies as toboggans. Penguins jump from high ice cliffs and dive into the water for fun.
  10. Penguins use rocks to make their nests on the grounds. Male and female penguins take turn in guarding the eggs. Female penguins go out in search for food and come back after two weeks. Then the male penguin ventures out to search for food. When the baby penguin or the chick is born, she sings to familiarize its voice to her parents. The chicks stay together in a group while their parents are out hunting for food.
  11. Penguins fall prey to many animals and birds like the Australian sea eagle, the leopard seals, foxes, cats and snakes. The white bellies of the penguins make it impossible for underwater killers to see them.

Did You Know?

  • There are seventeen types of penguins.
  • The Adelie penguin, the smallest of the penguins, has a black head and a white circle around its eyes; which distinguishes it from other penguins.
  • African penguins have an upside down black “U” on their front with black dots.
  • Chinstrap penguins have a black band that runs across their chins.
  • Gentoo penguins have a thick white band running across their heads.
  • The largest variety of penguins is the Emperor penguins, which have orange blushes on their cheeks. They are almost four feet tall and weigh 45 kilograms. Emperor Penguins have been featured in the English movie “Happy Feet,” and around thirty countries have used Emperor Penguins on their stamp photos.
  • The Macaroni penguins have black and yellow feathers sticking out from the sides of their heads. This inspired the nursery rhyme “Yankee Doodle went to town…stuck a feather in his cap and called it Macaroni.” There are over 11,654, 000 pairs of Macaroni penguins.
  • There are only 5000 Yellow Eyed penguins living in the world, making it the rarest type of penguins.

Where do Penguins live?

Penguins are found in the southern hemisphere like Antarctica. Global warming, and oil expulsions into the sea is making if difficult for penguins to survive. Penguin fossils show that penguins existed sixty million years ago.

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The Big Bang Theory Facts

The Universe is vast of which our galaxy is only a small part. We have the sun, planets, stars; every planet has a different number of moons, asteroids and meteors. But have you ever wondered how did it all begin? How the Universe did come into existence? This Universe is governed by laws and rules that hold the solar systems together. Without the Universe we would not have had Physics or Chemistry or any kind or law or life. It is the curiosity of humans that give them the ability to look beyond the present.

What is the Big Bang Theory?

The Big Bang Theory is an explanation that shows the origin of the stars, planets, galaxies and the Universe as a whole. Scientists believe that the Big bang was the very beginning of the creation of this Universe. Scientists state that the Big Bang occurred about 13.73 billion years ago.

Scientists believe that the Big Bang started with nothing- no space, no matter, no time and no energy. There was a very tiny, hot point, consisting of matter which had the potential to become something. This point then burst into the creation of the Universe. This Bang started time, created space and energy. Atoms began to form as soon as the point burst. After a certain period of time, galaxies begin to form. Some billion years later planets began to form and after some more millions years later, life started to form on Earth.

Scientists like Stephen Hawking, George Ellis and Roger Penrose have studied and researched on the Big Bang Theory. They believed that Big bang was the reason why space and time were created. These three scientists created and performed mathematical calculations to prove their theories.

Some other scientists believe that maybe there was a Universe before the Big Bang as well. Since Universe has the capability of expanding and contracting, this old Universe might have collapsed and later might have bounced back with a new Big Bang. No one knows for sure the real time when the Universe came into existence or when the Big bang happened. But one thing that scientists know for sure that something created a very hot spot to burst and expand into this Universe that we are in today.

What happened at the time of the Big Bang?

The moment the Big Bang happened it let loose a large amount of energy into the Universe. The Universe started expanding and getting bigger and bigger, making more space. Electrons and protons came into existence. Gravity came into existence. The protons and electrons which got lost in space, bound together to form hydrogen atoms. These atoms formed nebulas, a group of atoms and molecules, which then developed into stars.

5 Interesting Facts about the Big Bang Theory

  1. Our Universe is just a small part. There are many other Universes’ that exist. We live in a Multiverse. This idea came from the Big bang which might have given rise to bubble like structures which expanded in their own time.
  2. Astronomer Edwin Hubble, in 1920’s, discovered that the Universe is not static. It is expanding and contracting continuously.
  3. There is a dark energy that is making the Universe expand and accelerate at a larger rate than it did many years ago. There are many galaxies apart from our Milky Way that are moving further and further away.
  4. The Universe is infinite. It has no end. Thus scientists believe that the Universe is not a closed sphere but as flat as a sheet of paper and has no boundaries.
  5. According to the scientists the planets, stars and galaxies include only 4% of what a Universe consists of. 96% of the things in the Universe cannot be seen.

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Deep Sea Creatures

5 Amazing Facts about Deep Sea Creatures

  1. The Sunlit Zone is about 500 feet deep from the surface. Most of the sea creatures live here.
  2. The Twilight Zone reaches down to about 3300 feet.
  3. The Midnight Zone can be as deep as 9,800 feet. Deep sea creatures live in this zone.
  4. Most deep sea creatures have a cell in their body that enables them to make light to survive here. This is known as Bioluminescence.
  5. This light enables the creatures to find their way and attract prey.

3 Strange Deep Sea Creatures

The Angler Fish– An angler fish has a long fishing rod fin with a light at the end. So smaller fish think it is food and swim towards it.

The Giant Squid– None of them have been seen alive. We only know about them from their dead bodies that have been washed ashore or have been caught in fishing nets. They have sharp beaks.

The Vampire Squid– Its arms are covered with sharp tooth-like spikes. It can extend its arms to twice its body length to catch prey. When threatened, it can draw its arms up over itself and form a defensive web.

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The Story of Onam Festival

What is Onam?

Onam is a harvest festival in Kerala. Here’s the story behind it.

Story of King Mahabali and Vamana Avatar

Once upon a time, the demon king Mahabali ruled Kerala. He was a wise and fair king. Mahabali worshipped Lord Vishnu.

His power extended to Patala, the netherworld and the heavens. The gods grew jealous of Mahabali. They asked Lord Vishnu for help.

Lord Vishnu took the avatar of a Vamana, a brahmin dwarf. He approached Mahabali for alms. He only wanted the land that he could cover in three steps. Mahabali agreed.

The Vamana began to grow in size. With one step, he covered the sky. With his second step, Lord Vishnu covered the netherworld.

Mahabali realised that Lord Vishnu’s third step would destroy the earth. So, he offered his head for Lord Vishnu’s last step.

When Lord Vishnu placed his foot on Maha Bali’s head, it pushed him to the netherworld. Before taking the third step though, Lord Vishnu granted Mahabali a boon.

Mahabali wished to visit Kerala once a year. Onam is the day Mahabali returns home.

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How to Draw a Pig

In this simple step by step guide learn how to draw a pig in a simple and interactive way. You just need a pen and a paper to start drawing a pig in the next 2 minutes!

7 Steps to draw a Pig

1. Draw a rectangle shape which is beveled at the edges.
2. Draw an enclosed shape to define a nose. Give this nose some detail by adding nostrils. Above this nose, draw two circles that will define the eyes.
3. Draw the ears using some curved lines.
4. Draw the pig’s legs using straight lines as shown in the above video. Erase all the extra lines.
5. Draw a quirky smile and a cute little piggy tail.
6. Give the eyes some detail by adding pupils.
7. Add the color of your choice and this pig is ready to roll in the mud!

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How to Draw a Monkey

In this simple step by step guide learn how to draw a monkey in a simple and interactive way. You just need a pen and a paper to start drawing a monkey in the next 2 minutes!

7 Steps to draw a Monkey

1. Draw three circles of different sizes as shown above.
2. Draw an oval shape around the two smaller circles. Draw rest of the face using some curved lines.
3. Draw another circle to define the torso. Join this circle with rest of the face using some curved lines.
4. Draw its limbs using curved lines and circles as shown in the video. Erase all the extra lines.
5. Draw adjoining hands and feet too. Make it interesting by adding some bananas in the monkey’s hands.
6. Draw the details such as the defining the ears and the facial features. Don’t forget to give this monkey its tail!
7. Color it and this monkey is ready to jump all over the trees!

For more such cool How To Draw videos go to our Drawing page.

6 Unsolved Science Mysteries

Unsolved Mysteries of the World

  1. In the Earth’s outer core, there is liquid iron. Its motion generates a magnetic field. Every few hundred thousand years, the poles interchange. How? Why? We don’t know.
  2. The Wow! Signal – Jerry Ehman, while working for the Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence in 1977, got a 72 second signal from the constellation Sagittarius. No one knows who sent the signal.
  3. Death Valley in California – The place is a big patch of dry earth. Stones somehow manage to slide on this dry earth surface by themselves.
  4. A pure and 300 years old aluminum wedge was found in Transylvania, in 1975. Aluminum is always found mixed with other elements. This wedge was found before 1885(when aluminum started being produced).
  5. Scientists unearthed an iron screw inserted in a rock in Moscow, in 1998. This screw was probably 320 million years old, but at that time, not even dinosaurs existed.
  6. Arkansas witnessed tons of dead black birds falling from the sky, in 2012. No one knows why this happened. Tens of thousands of fish also died in that place, that year.

For more such interesting General Knowledge articles and videos, visit: https://mocomi.com/learn/general-knowledge/

How to Draw a Star

In this simple step by step guide learn how to draw a star in a simple and interactive way. You just need a pen and a paper to start drawing a star in the next 2 minutes!

6 Steps to draw a Star

1. Draw a square.
2. Divide it into six parts using two horizontal lines and one vertical line.
3. Draw the star shape using these divided parts for symmetry. Erase all the extra lines.
4. Decorate the star by making eyes and a smile using some curved lines.
5. Draw a cloud behind it.
6. Fill up the star with vibrant colors. It is ready to shine!

For more such cool How To Draw videos go to our Drawing page.

Hypnotism : Art of Mind Control

12 Interesting Facts about Hypnotism

  1. Hypnotism is a natural state of human mind and all of us experience hypnosis minimum two times in a day.
  2. In 1892 the British Medical Association (BMA) officially recognized the applications of hypnosis in modern medicine.
  3. In World War I and II, hypnosis was used to treat soldiers suffering from combat neuroses. It was also used as a substitute for anesthetics when the supplies were low.
  4. Fifteen minutes of hypnosis is equivalent to three hours of sleep.
  5. Every human being can be hypnotized.
  6. No one has ever got stuck in hypnosis.
  7. The practice of hypnotism is more than 3,000 years old. The earliest description of hypnosis was found written on papyrus in an Egyptian tomb dating back to 1500 BC.
  8. Egyptians, Romans and Greek used hypnotism for medical and religious purposes.
  9. Hypnotism can be used to eradicate bad habits.
  10. Mandrake, the main hero of a famous comic strip by Lee Falk, used the power of hypnotism to battle the baddies.
  11. A person under hypnosis does not forget anything, unless he or she agrees to forget.
  12. You cannot remain hypnotized for more than a few minutes unless you want to.

For more such interesting General Knowledge articles and videos, visit: General Knowledge for Kids.

Fun Facts about Spiders

19 Interesting Facts about Spiders

  1. Spiders are not insects. They belong to the arachnid family that includes scorpions, mites and ticks.
  2. Spiders are found on every continent of the world, except Antarctica.
  3. There are approximately 40,000 different species of spiders.
  4. Spiders can produce silk which they use to create spider webs and capture prey.
  5. Abandoned spider webs are known as cobwebs.
  6. Most spiders are harmless to humans but a few species, like the Brazilian wanderer and the black widow, can cause human deaths.
  7. The fear of spiders is called “arachnophobia”.
  8. The large hairy spiders that you see in movies and challenge shows on television are tarantulas.
  9. The skeleton of a spider is located outside its body.
  10. Spiders do not have a nose or ears. They are able to sense vibrations, touch, and sounds through the tiny hair that cover their bodies.
  11. Along with their muscles, spiders use their blood pressure as well to move.
  12. A female spider may lay up to 2000 eggs at a time.
  13. Spiders have also been sent to the space. Even in the absence of gravity, they built perfect webs.
  14. The largest spider in the world is the Giant Bird-eating spider. It can be as big as a dinner plate.
  15. The smallest spider is the Patu Marplesi.  You can easily fit 10 of them on the end of a pencil.
  16. Spider silk is one of the strongest materials in the world!  Scientists believe that it is even stronger than steel!
  17. Some spiders may have as many as eight eyes. Common spiders have only six eyes, while the cave-dwelling species have no eyes at all.
  18. Spiders can’t digest solid foods. They must turn the meal into a liquid form with the help of digestive juices.
  19. People in South America eat tarantulas as they are a rich source of protein.

For more such interesting General Knowledge articles and videos, visit: General Knowledge for Kids.

How to Draw an Owl

In this simple step by step guide learn how to draw an owl in a simple and interactive way. You just need a pen and a paper to start drawing an owl in the next 2 minutes!

8 Steps to draw an Owl

1. Draw a circle to define the face of the owl.
2. Draw the owl’s body using a curved line underneath the face. Touching the bottom part, draw the feet using some more curved lines.
3. On the top of the circle, which is the head of owl, draw two ear-tufts.
4. In order to make the eyes, divide the face into four parts and delete all the extra lines. Draw two big circles on each side of the face division.
5. Make a cute beak in the lower middle region of eyes.
6. Using circles and curved lines, go ahead and define the eyes and eyebrows. Delete all the extra lines.
7. Color your art according to your own creativity.
8. Voila! The owl is ready to hoot!

For more such cool How To Draw videos go to our Drawing page.

7 Real Life Superheroes

7 Outrageous Real Life Superheroes with Amazing Superpowers!

1. Mister Eat-it-all

Superpower: Can eat everything and anything
Michael Lotito or ‘Monsieur Mangetout’ from France has eaten everything from rubber to glass, bicycles, television and even an entire plane!

2. Ice Man

Superpower: Resistant to cold/ ice
Wim Hof is a human ice cube who doesn’t feel cold at all. He climbed Mount Everest, at a temperature of minus 35 degrees, wearing only a pair of shorts!

3. X-Ray Girl

Superpower: Piercing X-ray vision
Natasha Demkina from Russia is believed to have detected cysts, ulcers and cancers in people just by looking at them with her eyes.

4. Lion Whisperer

Superpower: Can magically play with lions
Kevin Richardson has a unique superpower. Not only lions, but he can play, cuddle, sleep and spend time with cheetahs, leopards and hyenas as well; without the danger of being eaten up.

5. Incredible Insomniac

Superpower: Can stay without sleep… forever!
Ngoc Thai from Vietnam hasn’t slept since 1970! No matter how much rice he eats, or how much work he does or how many sleeping pills he has… nothing can put him to sleep!

6. Battery Man

Superpower: Can survive high voltage without getting hurt
Can you heat a cup of water with your hands without using a microwave or a gas stove? Well, Slavisa Pajkic can. He can light up a bulb, cook sausage and set things ablaze using only his hands!

7. World’s Strongest Man

Superpower: Can rip and bend anything
Dennis Rogers can rip phone books in seconds and bend hammers and frying pans like they are pieces of soft board. He can even stop aircrafts from taking off- all with the strength of his bare hands!

For more such interesting General Knowledge articles and videos, visit: General Knowledge for Kids.

India’s Achievements in Space

India became the fourth country to reach Mars with Mangalyaan

Aryabhatta was the first satellite developed by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), in 1975. It was covered with solar cells, which generated electricity in sunlight.,

In the 80s, the Insat 1-B satellite helped spread TV signals all over India. It also became easier to forecast the weather using the images taken by this satellite.

India built its first spacecraft, Chandrayaan I, which orbited around the moon, in 2008.

In 2013, the Moon Impact Probe separated from Chandrayaan and reached the moon. India became the fourth country to put a device on the moon’s surface. The other three are the US, Soviet Russia and Japan.

Data sent from Chandrayaan helped proved that there was water on the moon. The moon probe took measurements to prepare for a rover to land on the moon. This mission is planned for 2016.

In 2013, India launched the Mars Orbiter Mission or Mangalyaan. It is set to enter Martian orbit on 24 September, 2014.

For more such interesting General Knowledge articles and videos, visit: General Knowledge for Kids.

How to Draw a Bird

In this simple step by step guide learn how to draw a bird in a simple and interactive way. You just need a pen and a paper to start drawing a bird in the next 2 minutes!

7 Steps to draw a Bird

1. Draw a circle.
2. Intersecting the circle, draw an oval shape to define the body of the bird.
3. Draw the legs using curved lines and arcs as shown above.
4. Draw the wings of the bird using curved lines as shown above.
5. Divide the bird’s face into 4 parts. Draw two circles to define the eyes. Along with it, draw circles inside these already drawn circles to define the pupils of the bird. Delete all the extra lines.
6. Using some curved lines, draw the mouth and eyebrows completing the face.
7. Fill in the colors and the bird is ready!

For more such cool How To Draw videos go to our Drawing page.

Western Dance Forms

5 Types of Western Dance

1. Hip-Hop Dance

This is done to hip-hop music. It is a street dancing style. This dance has moves which are close to the ground. Balancing your body on your hands and head is an essential part of this dance.

2. Break Dancing

This was made famous by Michael Jackson. It consists of many acrobatic and gymnastic movements.

3. Ballet

Ballet originated in Italy in the fifteenth century. The dance is performed on classical music. It involves dancing on your tip-toes, known as pointe work.

4. Salsa

The Salsa originated in Cuba and Puerto Rico. It is performed on salsa or Latin-American music. Salsa dancing involves the shifting of body weight using the feet. The upper body remains straight

5. Tap Dancing

A tapping sound is created by the metal plates on the dancer’s shoe, in the ball and heel position. Dancers move on a hard surface to make different sounds. So, they are also thought to be musicians. This dance was first performed in the 1800s.

Click here to discover the health benefits of dance.

The Indian Army

6 Interesting Facts about the Indian Armed Forces

  1. The history of the Indian Army dates back to more than ten thousand years. The concepts of our ancient epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata, form the framework of the Indian Army.
  2. Today, the Indian Army is the third biggest military force in the world, USA being the first and China, second. There are 1,129,900 active troops and 960,000 reserve troops in our army.
  3. The Indian Army has three strong wings – Land force, Air force and Naval. These three wings have three Chiefs who work directly under the President of India.
  4. The Siachen glacier is the world’s highest battlefield, at 21,000 feet. Soldiers are taught to survive first and then fight. Soldiers are trained at Siachen Battle School for three weeks in icecraft before they go there.
  5. Soldiers walk for two weeks from the base camp to get acclimatised. When the glacier moves, crevasses form, so they are trained in using ladders to cross them. Food, fuel for heat and fibre reinforced plastic huts are constantly flown in by helicopters.
  6. The Indian army also plays a very important role in fighting terrorists within the nation in areas like Jammu & Kashmir, Assam and Jharkhand. The army is using the world’s hottest chilli, Assam’s bhut jalokia to fight terrorists.

For more such interesting General Knowledge articles and videos, visit: General Knowledge for Kids.

Species in Western Ghats

Facts about the Endangered Animals in the Western Ghats

  • The Western Ghats have nearly 5000 different types of flowering plants and hundreds of species of birds and animals.
  • The Great Hornbill can live for nearly 50 years.
  • The Umbrella tree is an African species, also found here because 200 million years ago the Western Ghats was part of Gondwanaland.
  • Crimson-backed sunbird defends its feeding territory, especially on plants with a lot of nectar.
  • There are 6000+ insect species in just the Kerala part of the Western Ghats.
  • Only 2500 lion-tailed macaques are left.
  • There are 6000+ Asian elephants here.
  • The black panther and leopard can climb a tree even when it is carrying a heavy carcass.
  • The largest number of tigers in India, outside the Sunderbans, are here.
  • The primitive burrowing snake family Uropeltidae is mostly found here.
  • The endangered purple frog was found here in 2003 as a living fossil.
  • The fish Denison’s barb is only found here.

For more such Geography articles and videos, visit: https://mocomi.com/learn/geography/

How to Draw a Flower (Sunflower)

In this simple step by step guide learn how to draw a Sunflower in a simple and interactive way. You just need a pen and a paper to start drawing a Sunflower in the next 2 minutes!

7 Steps to draw a Flower (Sunflower)

1. Draw a circle.
2. Make the flower petals around the circle covering the entire Circumference.
3. Draw a stem with the help of some curved lines erasing the excess extruding lines, as shown above
4. Draw a ground level for this flower using some curved lines.
5. Draw leaves on the sides of the stem, again, using some curved lines.
6. Divide the main circle into 4 parts so that a cute face can be drawn out of it, erasing all the excess lines.
7. Fill the flower with vibrant colors of the sunflower and there you go! All set to show off this beautiful flower to your friends.

For more such cool How To Draw videos go to our Drawing page.

How to Draw a Rose

In this simple step by step guide learn how to draw a Rose in a simple and interactive way. You just need a pen and a paper to start drawing a Rose in the next 2 minutes!

4 Steps to draw a Rose

1. Draw 3 oval shapes, one inside another and then draw two curved lines for the rose.

2. Then to make the rose look nice and pretty draw a couple of petals using even more curved lines.

3. Then draw the stem of the rose and then later carefully draw on the leaves!

4. After that draw some pretty eyes and a nice smile for your rose and then finally color it to see it come alive!

For more such cool How To Draw videos go to our Drawing page.

Ever wondered why roses have thorns? Read more to find out.

Tenali Raman : Tenali Raman and the Red Peacock

Krishna Deva Raya’s greedy minister, Chatur Pandit, arrives at the court with a red peacock.

Krishna Deva Raya: I have never seen such a creature!

Courtiers: We agree!

Chatur Pandit: Please accept this gift, Your Majesty! My servants searched the jungles of Madhya Pradesh to find this creature.

Tenali Raman (thinks): How can a bird so bright survive in the jungle? Other animals will easily be able to see it and kill it.

Krishan Deva Raya: Thank you, Chatur Pandit! How can we reward you?

Chatur Pandit: Your Majesty, a 100 gold coins will be enough, as I spent that to get the bird.

Tenali Raman: Your Majesty, I think we should observe this peacock for a while before we give Chatur Pandit his reward. I will go to Madhya Pradesh to get more birds like these.

Krishna Deva Raya: Alright, Tenali. You have 2 weeks.

Tenali Raman did not go to Madhya Pradesh.

Tenali (to his spies): Look for the person who has painted that peacock red.

Spies: Yes, sir!

The spies found the painter.

Tenali (to the painter): Don’t worry, I won’t punish you. Just paint another 10 peacocks the same colour.

Painter: Ji, huzoor.

Tenali Raman takes the peacocks to the court, two weeks later.

Krishna Deva Raya: Bravo, Tenali. Treasurer, give him a 1000 gold coins.

Tenali Raman: That is not what they cost, Your Majesty.

Krishna Deva Raya: What is your price then, Tenali Raman?

Tenali Raman: A bucket of water, a bag of red paint, and a gold coin for this artist.

Krishna Deva Raya (angrily): Chatur Pandit, I sentence you to…

Tenali Raman: Your Majesty, your desire for fame led you to believe a red peacock could exist. For a long time, there has been needless spending on such curiosities.

Tenali Raman: It is better that your subjects be prosperous, rather than a display of wealth. I request you to let Chatur Pandit go and reward the artist for highlighting this matter.

Krishna Deva Raya: You’re right, Tenali.

Chatur Pandit (falls at the king’s feet): Your Majesty, please forgive me.

Krishna Deva Raya: I will do so, but you are banished from the court for a month. And you must return the gifts you got earlier.

The monsoon arrived and the peacocks danced. The rain washed off their red colour.

Krishna Deva Raya (laughs): Look, Tenali!

Tenali smiles.

The people of the kingdom danced in the rain.

The people (to each other): We are lucky to have a king who is not afraid to admit his mistake.

Chatur Pandit walked home alone in the rain.

For more interesting Tenali Raman stories for kids, click here
Browse though our huge collection of short stories for kids.

5 Strange Places on Earth

List of Mysterious Places around the World

1. Stonehenge

This place is in England. It was built in 3000- 2000 BC. How were these huge rocks brought here? Why? It could be a burial place or a ceremonial site. Maybe, it was used to predict eclipses.

2. Nazca Lines

These are huge ancient drawings on the ground, that can be seen from aeroplanes or tall watch towers. They are located in the city of Ica, 200 miles south of Lima, in the Peruvian desert.

3. The lost city of Atlantis

The island of Atlantis was once populated by simple, holy people. It is believed that the city and its people became corrupt. this angered the Greek God Zeus. So, he made the oceans swallow the entire city and its people.

4. Jatinga

Jatinga is a small town in Assam, India. Every year during September and October, birds become disoriented in the monsoon fog. They fly low, towards lights on a particular strip in the town.

5. John Day Fossil Beds

The painted hills of John Day Fossil beds are found in Oregon, USA. Tectonic forces and constant erosion results in colourful patterns. The hills are almost 35 million years old.

For more interesting Geography articles and videos, visit: https://mocomi.com/learn/geography/

Michael Schumacher F1 Racing Records

15 Interesting Facts about Michael Schumacher

  1. Michael Schumacher is the only Formula 1 world racing driver to win 7 championships.
  2. He has won 91 races.
  3. Schumacher is also known as Schumi, and he is from Germany.
  4. His first go-kart race was at the age of four when his father managed a track for him.
  5. Schumi got a driver’s license at Luxembourg at the age of 12.
  6. Schumi has a lucky pendant and he never drives without it.
  7. Schumacher began racing with F1 with the Benetton F1 team in 1991.
  8. He won 8 out of 14 races in his first F1 win (1994).
  9. In 1996, he switched to the Ferrari team and was with them till 2005.
  10. Michael and his brother Ralf Schumacher placed first and second in the same race, five times.
  11. Michael Schumacher was the winner of 13 races in a single season in 2004.
  12. He holds F1 records for most career wins, most wins in a season, most points during a season, most consecutive race wins, most fastest laps and many others.
  13. He returned to racing in 2010 with Mercedes GP team, but he did not win any races. He retired in 2012.
  14. He loves designing cars and has done some designs for the Ferrari Enzo.
  15. In a skiing accident in 2013, Michael Schumacher had a severe head injury. He has been in a coma since then.

To read more interesting Sports for kids articles, CLICK HERE

Refraction of Light in Glass of Water

REQUIREMENTS

  • A piece of paper with an arrow drawn on it.
  • 1 glass
  • 1 glass of water.

WHAT TO DO

Draw an arrow on the piece of paper.

Then put the empty glass in front of the piece of paper with the arrow on it.

Finally pour water into the glass and watch in amazement as the arrow changes its direction!

WHY THIS HAPPENS?

In the experiment light traveled from the air, through the glass, through the water, through the back of the glass, and then back through the air, before hitting the arrow.

When the light passes from one material, into another, it bends or refracts i.e. refraction of light.

For more such science experiments and articles, visit Science for Kids.

How to Draw a Tree

In this simple step by step guide learn how to draw a Tree in a simple and interactive way. You just need a pen and a paper to start drawing a Tree in the next 2 minutes!

5 Steps to draw a Tree

1. First things first, you have to draw two circles, one on the top and one on the bottom. Then draw the bark of the tree.

2. Next draw a circle on top of the tree and then draw two more circles.

3. Then draw on some branches for you tree with the help of some curved lines.

4. Later draw on some leaves for your tree like above and then erase those two circles to define your tree even more.

5. Finally if you like you can create a design on your tree’s bark and then finally color it!

For more such cool How To Draw videos go to our Drawing page.

Ladonia – A Micronation in Sweden

10 Interesting Facts about the Micronation of Ladonia

  1. Ladonia is a micronation in Sweden. It is 1 square kilometre in size.
  2. You will know you are in Ladonia when you see these sculptures– Nimix and Arx.
  3. The local Swedish council declared Nimix to be a building, which was not allowed in the nature reserve in 1980.
  4. The artist, Lars Vilks, went to court, but lost.
  5. In 1996, Vilks, declared the area around the sculptures to be Ladonia, in protest.
  6. In 1999, Vilks created another sculpture, Omphalos. Again, the council wanted it removed. Vilks said that he would blow it up on the 100th anniversary of the Nobel Prize, with 100 tons of dynamite.
  7. Before he could do that, the council removed Omphalos secretly. Vilks wanted to create a memorial to Omphalos. He got permission, but the monument could only be 3 inches high.
  8. Ladonia has two national anthems, one of which is the sound made by throwing a stone in water. The other is a song on Ladonia’s freedom.
  9. The Ladonian language has only two words- “waaaall” and “ÿp.” The official language is phrased Latin. As its 17,000 citizens are across the world, English, Swedish, German, and French are also accepted.
  10. Ladonia has a queen and a president. The queen, Ywonne I, disappeared in 2011. A new queen, Carolyn I, was crowned from the Council of Ministers.

For more such interesting General Knowledge articles and videos, visit: General Knowledge for Kids.

What is a Venn Diagram

What is Set?

In our daily lives we see so many things around us: clothes, shoes, food, animals, birds, people and so on. All these things around us can be placed in groups. For example: a group of fruits, a group of vegetables, a group of pants, a group of girls etc. This grouping and collection of things, in mathematical terms, is known as a set. These sets can be used to show the relationships between two or three groups. Sets are used to illustrate a logical relationship between groups. For example: A set of whole numbers: {0, 1, 2, 3….} or a set of the names of boys in a class: {John, Jimmy, Alex, Sam, Brad}.

Examples of Sets

Let us see the relationship between two sets. For example: A set of girls playing tennis {Ritu, Tanu, Anita, Sita} and a set of girls playing Basketball {Tanu, Sonal, Anita, Meera}. A set of girls playing Tennis or Basketball is: Tennis Union Basketball {Ritu, Tanu, Anita, Sita, Sonal, Meera}

From these two sets we can see that there are some girls who play both- tennis and basketball. Thus we can make a new set: Tennis Intersection Basketball {Tanu, Anita}.

Venn Diagram : Definition

Sets can be easily understood and represented by a Venn diagram. Venn diagrams are graphical or pictorial representation of relationships between different groups of things. They were invented by John Venn around 1880. Venn diagrams are also called set diagrams. Venn diagrams give a logical representation of the groups or sets. Relationships between two or three sets can be easily understood with the help of Venn diagrams.

How to draw a Venn Diagram?

Step 1 : Draw a rectangle. This is known as the ‘Universe’. Here the Universe is everything that a set is dealing with. For example, if you are dealing with a set of games like Basketball, Football, Hockey, Table Tennis, Badminton, Cricket, Chess and Video games then ‘Games’ will be your Universe.

Step 2 : Let us further take the example of Games and let’s say we want to classify the games into indoor games and outdoor games. Make two small circles, intersecting each other, inside the Universe. Circle ‘A’ represents Outdoor games and circle ‘B’ represents Indoor games.

Step 3 : Now you have to fill in the circles according to the categories. This process of filling in is known as ‘populate’. Thus, fill in circle A with Football, Hockey and Cricket. Fill in circle B with Table Tennis and Chess.

Step 4 : Now you see, you are left with Basketball and Badminton because these are games that can be played both indoors and outdoors. Thus these two games fit in the intersection, or the overlap of the two circles A and B.

Step 5 : Now you are left with Video Games, which is a game but is very different from the indoor and outdoor games mentioned here. Thus, Video games will fall outside the two circles but inside the Universe.

Venn Diagram Facts

  1. John Venn used the term ‘Eulerian Circles’ to name these diagrams.
  2. Sometimes Venn diagrams can be represented by more than 3 sets, in the form of intersecting spheres.
  3. Venn diagrams are not always made in circles but also in other different shapes.
  4. Complex Venn diagrams are used in probability, computer science, statistics and logic.
  5. If Circles do not intersect, then it is not a Venn diagram.

For more interesting Maths worksheets and lessons, go to : https://mocomi.com/learn/maths/

How do 3D Films Work?

Your eyes are about 50 mm to 75 mm apart.

Try closing your eyes one at a time and looking at an object. The right eye will see a little more of the right side. The left eye will see a larger version of the left side.

Stereoscopic Vision

Merging the two visions at the back of the brain forms a stereoscopic vision.

3D films use a similar technique. During shooting, two cameras are kept so that the distance between their lenses is similar to the distance between your eyes.

Then, polarising filters are used. They only let light in which vibrates on one plane.

How does a Polarising Filter work?

If you look at a Venetian blind, you will see slats which allow the light, coming from various angles, to filter through on just one level. Polarising filters function similarly.

How do 3D Glasses work?

Via 3D glasses, the left eye sees one frame of the film polarised to a horizontal plane. The right eye sees the next frame of the film polarised to a vertical plane.

The combination of these images in the brain, creates the magical illusion of a 3D movie.

Note: Don’t forget to check out related video History of Movies.

For more interesting and informative technology articles, visit: https://mocomi.com/learn/science/technology/

How to Draw a Cat

In this simple step by step guide learn how to draw a Cat in a simple and interactive way. You just need a pen and a paper to start drawing a Cat in the next 2 minutes!

4 Steps to draw a cat

1. First draw a circle for the cats head. Then draw some fur for the cat around the circle.

2. Then to draw the face you have to draw a cross on the head of the cat. Then draw the eyes and the eye brows, then draw the nose and the mouth by drawing couple of curves and then finally erasing the cross on the cats face.

3. Then to draw the body, draw a circle for the cats body and then connect the body with the head by drawing a line. After that carefully draw legs for your cat and then draw ears for your cat.

4. Finally draw a curvy tail for your cat and then color it to see it run around and come alive!.
For more such cool How To Draw videos go to our Drawing page.

9 Oldest Cities in the World

The World’s Oldest Cities

1. Varanasi, India

Varanasi, India is 5000 years old. “Benares is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together,” said Mark Twain. Lord Shiva founded Varanasi, according to legend.

2. Xian, China

Xian, China came up around 3000 B.C. The Silk Road begins from here. Xian is home to the Terracotta Army, a collection of sculptures showing the 1st Chinese emperor’s army.

3. Gaziantep, Turkey

Gaziantep, Turkey (King’s Land) was settled in 3650 B.C. by the Hitties, who lived during the Bronze Age.

4. Istanbul, Turkey

Guess which city is partly in Europe and partly in Asia? Istanbul, Turkey was established in 3000 B.C too. Istanbul was the capital of four empires, Roman, Byzantine, Latin and Ottoman.

5. Jerusalem, Israel

Jerusalem, Israel arose in 3000 B.C. It was attacked 52 times, restored 44 times, and demolished in full twice.

6. Damascus, Syria

Damascus, Syria is 11,000 years old. It became important because it is located between Africa and Asia.

7. Zurich, Switzerland

Which city’s old and rich? Zurich, Switzerland has been around since 3000 B.C. The Romans used to collect tax at Zurich from ships carrying goods on the Limmat river.

8. Athens, Greece

Where did democracy begin?Athens, Greece, came up in 1400 B.C. Athens is called the cradle of western civilization.

9. Rome, Italy

Which is the world’s only city to have a state within its borders, Vatican City? Rome, Italy, was founded in 753 BC by the twins Romulus and Remus, according to legend.

For more such interesting history articles and videos, go to History for Kids.

16 Fun Car Facts You Should Know!

16 Interesting Facts about Cars

Nuts and Bolts

1. 165,000 cars are produced every day.

2. There are more than thirty thousand parts in a car.

3. At a speed of 95 km/hr in your car, you would reach the moon in six months and in another 150 years you would reach the sun.

4. Sugarcane produces the car fuel ethanol.

Firsts

5. Levers were first used to drive a car, and not steering wheels.

6. The dashboard was first built on a horse carriage, and it would prevent the driver from getting muddy by the horse’s trotting and splashing mud all over.

7. The first set of car tires was white.

8. Roads were first built for cyclists to use.

9. Jamshedji Tata was the first Indian to buy a car.

Records

10. The lowest car is the Flatmobile and is only 19 inches high.

11. The longest car is a Cadillac limousine, and is 100 feet long and has 26 tires.

12. The most expensive car was the Bugatti Royale Kellner Coupe and sold at $8.7 million.

Did You Know?

13. A woman had invented windshield wipers.

14. British policemen carry teddy bears with them to give to kids involved in car accidents.

15. The Saab brand of cars has an inbuilt ping pong game in its computer board.

16. Adolf Hitler, while serving his punishment in prison; had requested for a car loan to buy a Mercedes car.

For more such interesting General Knowledge articles and videos, visit: GK for Kids.

Fun Facts about Food

10 Food facts you should know!

  1. The oldest soup had the meat of hippopotamus and sparrow as ingredients. It was made in 6000 BC.
  2. An average ear of corn has an even number of rows, usually 16.
  3. Coconut water can be used as blood plasma.
  4. Apples, pears and plums are a part of the rose family.
  5. The Maya Indians and the Aztecs used cocoa beans as currency.
  6. Tomato ketchup was once used to treat diarrhoea.
  7. Why do apples float? 25% of their volume is air.
  8. Which vegetable contains 91% water? Cabbage.
  9. There are no words that rhyme with orange.
  10. The temperature inside a cucumber can be up to 20 degrees cooler than room temperature. This was the origin of the phrase “cool as a cucumber.”

To read and watch more such such interesting General Knowledge articles and videos, go here.

How to Draw a Horse

In this simple step by step guide learn how to draw a Horse in a simple and interactive way. You just need a pen and a paper to start drawing a Horse in the next 2 minutes!

5 Steps to draw a Horse

1. First draw four circles like shown above. Then with a line connect all those circles and stop when you reach the end of the body. Now move your pencil to the first 2 circles and draw slight bumps over them, that is your body.

2. Now to make the mouth draw the shape of an almond near the head and then add a bump in the almond shape to make its tongue. Next to make his body more defined, draw another line connecting the circles and then erase the circles.

3. Draw small circles to make the horses eyes and then two small curves to make the eyebrows. To make the nose draw those same circles on the mouth of the horse. Pencil in some curved lines for the ears of the horse and make a small tuft of hair to complete the head.

4. To make the tail, draw a thick curved tail, then add some legs for your fast horse. To connect that tuft draw a mane on the horses back and erase the line passing through the mane.

5. Finally colour your horse drawing in and watch it move!

For more such cool How To Draw videos go to our Drawing page.

11 Animals Used in War

List of Animals That Went To War

Humans have enlisted animals to help fight their battles since the dawn of war, and today’s militaries use an even wider range of creatures for everything from bomb sniffing to coastline patrolling.

Horse:

Early mounts could pull a chariot or carry lightly armored skirmishing forces. the horse-mounted cavalry became the most prestigious military arm in Europe for several centuries.
A knight’s warhorse was trained to bite and kick.

Elephants:

As early as 1,100 B.C they were trained to serve as mounts, or for moving heavy loads.

Camels:

Camels who can withstand traverse sandy deserts were employed in both world wars and still used by Indian Army.

Dogs:

During the Middle Ages, their large size was used to scare horses to throw off their riders or to pounce on knights on horseback, disabling them until their master delivered the final blow.
Canines were also used with explosives strapped to their backs as anti-tank.
In recent times they were trained to spot trip wires, as well as mines and other booby traps.

Pigs:

Elephants became scared by the squeal of a pig and would panic, bringing disaster to any soldiers who stood in their path of flight

Mules:

Mules are used to carry supplies and equipment over difficult terrain.

Pigeons:

US in World war II used Pigeons to guide bombs apart from carrying war messages.

Rats:

Rat carcasses were filled with plastic explosives, and when these were disposed by shoveling into the furnace, they bombs exploded devastating boiler explosion.

Dolphins:

Dolphins use their sophisticated biological sonar to search for mines based on the concept of echolocation.

Sealion:

The U.S. Navy has accordingly trained sea lions as minesweepers that can locate and mark mines few also carry cameras that provide live underwater video

Stinger Bees:

The ancient Greeks and Romans used the insects as tiny weapons of war to deter enemy troop.
Animal-borne bombs have been used by modern terrorists and insurgents in the Middle East, who have affixed explosives to animals, sometimes left wandering alone, and other times ridden by suicide bombers, in modern insurgent attacks in the Middle East.

To read and watch more such such interesting General Knowledge articles and videos, go here.

Top 10 Fastest Cars in the World

List of World’s Fastest Cars

  1. Bugatti Veyron Super Sport

    This is the fastest car in the world, covering 268 mph or 431 km/hr. It can speed up from zero to 60 miles per hour in just 2.4 seconds. It is sold with a speed limit of 258 mph- beyond which the tyres might explode.

  2. Ultima GTR

    The Ultima GTR is the ultimate race car considered fit for driving on the roads. It can speed up from zero to 60 mph in just 2.6 seconds.

  3. Hennessey Venom GT

    Speed – 266 mph, 428 km/hr. The Hennessey Venon, costing $1 million, is till date the fastest car on the road after the Ultima GTR.

  4. Koenigsegg Agera R

    Speed- 260 mph, 418 km/hr. Fit for driving around not only on plain roads, but also in snow with winter tyres.

  5. SSC Ultimate Aero

    This car has been named twice as the fastest car in the world with a speed of 412.28 km/hr between the years 2007 and 2010. They are working towards getting their old title back from Bugatti.

  6. McLaren F1

    At a speed of 240 mph, 386 km/hr, and with doors like a bat’s wing; this car might be next on Batman’s list.

  7. Porsche Carrera GT

    This car is one of the most technically advanced GT cars till date. A GT car is a luxury car capable of high speeds. It has a speed of 205 mph, 330 km/hr with incredibly powerful brakes.

  8. Pagani Huayra

    A beautiful, environment friendly car from Mercedes reaching a top speed of 230 mph, 370 km/hr. Its name suggests ‘The God of wind’.

  9. Noble M 600

    Speed- 225 mph or 362 km/hr. It has a cool exterior as well as interior.

  10. Ferrari Enzo

    Out of all Ferraris this is the fastest, also known as the roadgoing rocket. It is one of the series of super cars developed by Ferrari which has the top speed of 219 km/hr.

To read and watch more such such interesting General Knowledge articles and videos, go here.

Fun Facts about Dinosaurs

10 Interesting Facts about Dinosaurs

  1. The word dinosaur means terrible lizard and comes from Greek.
  2. Scientists divided dinosaurs into two groups according to the shape of their hip bones.
  3. They were called lizard hipped (or saurischian) or bird hipped (or ornithischian).
  4. The heaviest dinosaur was Brachiosaurus. Its weight was equivalent to 17 African elephants.
  5. There has been much speculation about this, as one more dinosaur Argentinosaurus is assumed by scientists to be bigger and heavier.
  6. There is also an asteroid in the solar system named after Brachiosaurus.
  7. Megalosaurus was the first dinosaur to be formally named, in 1824.
  8. Ashok Sahni, famous Indian paleontologist, discovered one of the earliest known dinosaurs- Rajasaurus narmadensis- from the banks of river Narmada. He also discovered the country’s earliest known bird fossil- the Vastanavis.
  9. The Dinosaur Provincial Park in Canada is considered as the world’s greatest dinosaur graveyard as nearly 40 kinds of dinosaurs have been found there.
  10. The dinosaur wall in Utah (Western USA) has hundreds of dinosaur fossils on a ledge of sloping rock.

To read and watch more such such interesting General Knowledge articles and videos, go here.

Best Amusement Parks in the World

World’s Top 10 Amusement Parks

1. Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida, USA

This is the largest theme park in the world. . It is also the most visited amusement park in the world. It has four different theme parks inside. The Cinderella Castle is a famous attraction.

2. Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia, Florida

This park has 18 roller coasters, more than any other amusement park in the world. . It has the world’s tallest and fastest roller coaster . Kingda Ka riders move at 128 mph and a height of 456 feet.

3. Everland Resort, Yongin, South Korea

This park gives an actual feel of what a mini tsunami would feel like.

4. Discovery Cove, Orlando, Florida

Kids can play with dolphins and snorkel through coral reefs.

5. Ocean Park, Hong Kong

Ocean Park has the world’s largest aquarium dome where more than 5000 species of fishes can be seen.

6. Hershey Park, Pennsylvania, USA

This amusement park has streetlamps shaped like Hershey Kisses. The park also has the Great Bear roller coaster ride, with twisted steel coasters that loop and turn.

7. Efteling, Netherlands

The park is situated in a real forest setting. It is divided into four sections- fairy realm, travel realm, rough and other. Every section has different rides, haunted houses, magic carpets, beautiful gardens and water bodies. Here, fairy tales are brought to life.

8. Dreamworld, Gold Coast, Australia

You can find the Sumatran tiger here and more than 500 species of wild animals. There is plenty of action with the Tower of Terror roller coaster.

9. Legoland, California

American landmarks have been reproduced with the help of Lego blocks. The safari trek of the park has all different animals from zebras to lions, all built from Lego blocks. The park also has a Lego Driving School for kids.

10. Islands of Adventure, Orlando, Florida

The Marvel Superhero Island here has comic book style architecture. You can see Hogwarts Castle in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter section here.

To read and watch more such such interesting General Knowledge articles and videos, go here.

5 World Famous Art Thefts

Art Thefts around the World

  1. The Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci was stolen from the Louvre Museum, France in 1911. Vincenzo Peruggia, who used to work at the Louvre, hid in a closet and walked in the room where the Mona Lisa was kept, when it was empty. He took the painting off the wall and out of its frame. Then he hid the painting under his painter’s smock and walked out. He was caught after two years.
  2. A man rented a store near a museum, in Paraguay. He dug an underground tunnel, probably with accomplices. He entered the museum in July 2002 and stole famous art pieces.
  3. In December 2000 in Sweden, thieves set off bombs at opposite ends of the city. This diverted the police while they stole valuable works of art. They escaped by motorboat.
  4. In 1990, people disguised as cops with fake moustaches knocked at a Boston museum door, at 1:30 am. The guards let them in and the thieves stole $300 million worth of art.
  5. How did thieves steal Henry Moore’s Reclining Figure, which weighed over 1814 kilograms? They used a crane-equipped truck. It took them just ten minutes to steal the gigantic sculpture.

To read and watch more such such interesting General Knowledge articles and videos, go here.

Harry Houdini – The World’s Handcuffs King

11 Interesting Harry Houdini Facts

  1. Harry Houdini was from Hungary.
  2. His first performance was in 1883, at age 9. He picked up pins with his eyelashes.
  3. Houdini challenged the police of England, Scotland, the Netherlands, France, Germany and Russia. The police would search him and then handcuff him in chains. Houdini would free himself easily.
  4. Houdini was buried alive in a 6 foot deep pit.
  5. He has even escaped from the belly of a whale.
  6. In his most famous stunt, he was sealed in a casket which was then submerged in water for an hour.
  7. Houdini explained that many locks could be opened by applying force properly. Other locks could be opened with shoestrings.
  8. Often, he would swallow small keys and bring them up when he needed them.
  9. When he was tied down, he would keep some room to wiggle. He would puff his chest and move his arms a little away from his body.
  10. He could hold his breath for three minutes.
  11. Funk and Wagnall’s ‘New Dictionary’ turned the name Houdini into a verb. ‘Houdinize’ means ‘to release oneself from confinement and bonds by wriggling out.’

Top 10 Famous Magic Tricks

List of Famous Magic Tricks of all time

1. Just imagine you are swimming in a pool and floating deep under the water. Suddenly you see someone walking on the water. Who is it? How is he just walking on the swimming pool water? It is Criss Angel, one of the greatest magicians, who is performing his famous trick of walking on the water without any support.

2. David Copperfield’s Death Saw magic trick is shocking but yet fascinating to see. A huge ragged saw made of steel is seen chopping off a human’s body in half. The two parts are separated. And yet they are joined together again and mysteriously the human is unharmed.

3. Would you be able to stand in a block of frigid ice for 63 hours, 42 minutes and 15 seconds? That is more than a few days. Blaine in his Frozen Time magic trick performed this stunt in New York City.

4. What is you sneezed and your head fell off? Yes your head falls off from your shoulder. Cyril Takayama had performed this magic trick in front of the live street audience who were left gaping.

5. The magician David Blaine pulls out a couple of your teeth, and you are standing in shock. He then blows at you and whoosh! Your teeth have appeared again and are back where they belong.

6. Paul Daniels had performed a great magic which has the audience glued to the ball, which would be placed in a clear cup and then it would be placed in his pocket. But when he again lifted the cup, the ball was there still. Where ever he took the ball, it would always mysteriously come back to remain under the cup.

7. You light a cigarette, and ignite a flame of fire in your hand. And as you lift the flame, a pigeon mysteriously comes out of your hand and flies away. Maybe the pigeon emerged from the fire? Well we would have to ask William Lance Burton that.

8. Those nasty shoe laces keep opening and you keep tripping. Well there are those self tying shoe laces that with a wiggle of your feet and a jiggle, will magically tie themselves up on their own. Jay Noblezada had performed this trick on the road.

9. Richard Ross had one alarm clock in his small box. But yet every time he would take the clock out, and insert his hand again inside the box; another alarm clock would emerge out.

10. We all need electrical points for a light bulb to light up. But Harry Blackstone Jr had magically shown his audience a light bulb that would light up without being connected to any battery or any plug point. The bulb was even flying in mid air!

For more such interesting General Knowledge articles and videos, visit: GK for Kids.

Tenali Raman : Tenali Raman in the Delhi Durbar

When Krishna Deva Raya used to rule in Vijaynagar, Babur ruled Delhi. Babur wanted to meet Tenali Raman asa he had heard a great deal about Tenali’s quick wit.

Babur’s messenger arrived in Krishna Deva Raya’s court one day. He said, “Greetings, King Krishna Deva Raya. Emperor Babur wishes Tenali Raman would visit Delhi.”
Krishna Deva Raya replied, “So be it.”

Tenali Raman reached Delhi and settled in the guesthouse.
Meanwhile, Babur spoke with his courtiers in court. He had a plan. “No one will laugh at Tenali Raman’s jokes tomorrow! I want to see how he will make us laugh then.”
The courtiers chorused, “Yes, Your Majesty.”

The next day, Tenali Raman arrived in the court.
Tenali Raman started to narrate one of his jokes. “Once there was a …”
The courtiers cut him off by yawning profusely.

On the sixteenth day, Tenali Raman stopped going to the court.
Tenali Raman thought to himself, “Let me follow Babur to see where he goes everyday.” He wore such clothes that no one wold be able to see his face.

Babur and his minister would walk by the Yamuna every morning.
Babur said, while giving gold coins to beggars, “There you go! Make good use of them.”

Tenali Raman thought of a plan.

The next day, Tenali Raman disguised himself as an old man. He also had a spade and mango sapling.

Tenali Raman thought, “Let me wait for the king here.”
Seeing the king approach,, Tenali began planting the sapling.
Babar said, “You’re old, you won’t be alive when this tree bears fruit. Why are you planting it?”

Tenali Raman said, “Your Majesty, I tasted the fruits of trees my forefathers planted. Similarly, my grandchildren will enjoy the fruit of this tree.”
Babar exclaimed, “That is a noble thought!”

Wanting to reward the old man, Babar took a bag and and said, “Here, take this bag of gold coins.”
Tenali Raman replied, “Thank you, Your Majesty. You have given me the fruit of planting this sapling before it has grown.”

Babar, pleased with this answer too, said, “Well done, again. Take this second bag of gold coins.”
Tenali Raman said, “A tree gives fruit once a year, but I am getting the fruit of my labour twice, Your Majesty!”

Babar again appreciated this clever reply. He said, “Bravo! This third bag of gold coins is also yours.”
Babur’s minister whispered to him, “Your Majesty, at this rate you will give all your wealth to him. Let’s go.”

Babar, laughing, agreed.
Tenali Raman took off his fake beard and called out to them as they were going, “Your Majesty, please look at me.”

Babar was astounded at Tenali Raman’s intelligence. He said, “Tenali Raman, you are truly a great wit! Come back to court for more rewards.”

Tenali Raman went back to Babar’s court and entertained him for many days. Finally, he returned home.
Krishna Deva Raya said, “You have brought glory to the kingdom, Tenali!”
Tenali Raman flashed back, “Your Majesty, then I deserve a reward from you too!”

Krishna Deva Raya said, laughing, “Yes, indeed. Here are 10,000 gold coins.”
Tenali Raman replied, “Thank you, Your Majesty!

The videos you are watching from our Tenali Raman series are inspired by the Kathputli style of puppet theatre in India.

The puppets are usually made out of wood, metal and cloth with exaggerated facial features which have been painted on. The movement of the limbs are controlled by string or in some cases, metal rods. The use of puppets can be seen as one of the oldest forms of entertainment and storytelling in India. The stories performed were not just for amusement – they were also a form of moral and social education for the masses, covering subjects such as illiteracy.

For more interesting Tenali Raman stories for kids, click here
Browse though our huge collection of short stories for kids.

How to Make a Naked Egg

Egg without Shell Experiment

Have you ever seen an egg naked, without its thick white outer coat? Is it possible to see an egg hold steady while its outer shell has just disappeared? I will demonstrate how to do it.

Take a clear glass and fill it with clear vinegar. Now place a raw egg inside it. The egg should immerse completely inside the vinegar. Cover it and leave it aside for 24 hours. You will see frothy bubbles appearing of top of the glass. Change the vinegar and keep it intact for 7 days. After 7 days, wash the egg gently and remove the white powdery substance. Now you are holding a translucent egg. When you flash a light at it, it will shine through the egg. The egg is now soft but will harden once it reacts with the carbon dioxide in the air.

The egg has expanded or swelled a bit, through the process of osmosis; where the membranes of the egg have allowed water to permeate in. The shell of the egg is composed of calcium carbonate (a base), which simply dissolves in the vinegar (acetic acid). The bubbles that you observed appearing were actually carbon dioxide that had formed in the chemical reaction. The calcium is the white substance that is let loose from the egg shell in the reaction.

You can add some coloring and make colored eggs also. Or you can just roll with the egg and play with it. Or if it breaks, the yellow liquid inside will mix with the vinegar; and you have an egg pickle!

For more such science experiments and articles for kids, visit https://mocomi.com/learn/science/

Hottest Place on Earth

What is the Hottest Place in the World?

If you thought that there could be no other place hotter than Delhi with temperatures soaring up to 48 degree Celsius, you will change your opinion by the time you are done reading this article. There are certain places on Earth that are far, far hotter than Delhi in May and where the temperature gets too extreme to bear. The World Meteorological Organization has officially recognized Death Valley as the world’s hottest place on earth.

Where is Death Valley Located?

Death Valley is a desert valley located within the Mojave Desert in California. It is a vast expanse of land covering about 3000 sq miles. The area was conferred with the title of ‘Death Valley’ during the California Gold Rush in 1849 by the travellers who were trying to cross the valley to reach the gold fields. The extreme temperature and harsh environmental conditions at the valley probably made it so difficult for people to survive the journey that at the end of the journey, one of the harassed travellers blurted out inadvertently, “Goodbye, Death Valley,” and his words became immortal in history.

How Hot is Death Valley?

Death Valley has such an arid climate because it is surrounded by mountains on all sides. Hot and dry air gets trapped in the valley, converting it into a natural furnace. Because of this reason, high temperatures are pretty common in this area. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Death Valley was 134°F (57.1°C) at Furnace Creek on 10th July, 1913.

Interesting Facts about Death Valley

Death Valley has certain salt pans also which indicate that the area was once a large inland sea during the ancient times. As the Earth began to warm up in the due course of time, the lake in Death Valley evaporated to what it is today.

A name like Death Valley can trigger your imagination, making you believe it to be a place with a highly dangerous environment where survival is a real challenge. Can you imagine living in an area that experiences just a miniscule half an inch of average annual rainfall? In 1929, the valley did not experience any rainfall at all. Actually what happens is that most water from whatever clouds pass through this region, gets evaporated before reaching the ground because of the immense heat.

Death Valley brims with more life than you would ever imagine! Most of the vegetation in Death Valley consists of Joshua trees and bristlecone pines that are found near Death Valley’s higher locations. Death Valley is generous enough to give shelter to some small mammals, birds and reptiles.

Death Valley mammal residents include bighorn sheep, bobcats, coyotes, kit foxes and mountain lions. An intriguing lodger of this valley is the Death Valley pupfish which survives in the small water bodies present in the valley.

Death Valley is also home to the most iconic of desert birds—the roadrunner, the loveable star of the ‘Loony Tunes’ show. This bird is a major tourist attraction at the Death Valley National Park Visitor Centre, where you can see these enigmatic birds from large glass windows. The glass windows are necessary from a safety point of view, because unlike their cartoon counterparts, the real life roadrunners are skilled hunters that are always looking to get some fresh meat. Scary, isn’t it?

The main human inhabitants of Death Valley belong to the Native American Timbisha tribe that first settled here over a thousand years ago, and still continue to live there. These people earn their living by engaging in silver or borax mining, small-scale ranching and gardening, and some indigenous handicrafts.

If you think that no person in his right mind would ever want to visit a place with such a frightful name as ‘Death Valley,’ you are wrong! Every year, thousands of people visit Death Valley to come face to face with the extreme limits of nature. Death Valley has the most amazing landscapes in the world.

In 1994, President Clinton signed an Act which changed the status of Death Valley to a national park. Mosaic Canyon that is covered with multi coloured, layered rocks is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Death Valley. Then there is ‘Devil’s Golf Course’, a unique ‘salt pan’ region, where groundwater continually seeps to the surface and evaporates immediately, leaving behind salt crystals. Walking across a terrain like this is a real ankle buster, and what a nightmare it would be for golfers to play here!

‘Bad Water’ is the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere where water is extremely saline. When in Death Valley, you must also visit some of the famous ancient structures that were built around the 1920s, like Scotty’s Castle. Death Valley’s Racetrack is another location that enraptures the tourists’ attention. It is a place where rocks weighing several hundred pounds skid as far as 600 feet or more across the smooth surface, forming interesting tracks.

Artist Palette is a place where you would get to see an amazing display of all kinds of colours. As the old rocks wither away, their sediments splash the area with a wonderful variety of vibrant hues of green, purple, mustard, and orange. There are many more such interesting places to visit in the Death Valley, so do not ever get intimidated by Death Valley’s name. It is a ‘must-see’ place!

For more interesting Geography articles and videos, visit: https://mocomi.com/learn/geography/

10 Mysterious UFO Sightings

Unidentified Flying Object

UFO stands for ‘Unidentified Flying Object.’ Official records suggest that a UFO sighting occurs somewhere on the Earth at every three minutes! While most of the UFO sightings witnessed by individual persons are dismissed as some confusion or delusion, it is difficult to disregard the sightings that occur in public places and are witnessed by a large number of people.

Winston Churchill, the former Prime Minister of Great Britain, had seen a strange airborne vehicle hovering over Kent in England on October 14, 1912. It was the first ‘officially’ registered case of a UFO sighting. The first photograph of a UFO is believed to have been taken in 1883 by Jose Bonilla, an astronomer in Zacatecas, Mexico.

10 Most debated Mass UFO Sightings from around the World

1. Tennessee College Campus, 1853

On the early morning of June 1, 1853, a gleaming airship-like object was seen floating over the Tennessee college campus by a number of resident students.

2. The Aurora Texas UFO Crash, 1897

On April 17, 1897, the citizens of Aurora, a small town in Texas, were awakened early in the morning by a loud noise coming from a mysterious aircraft that suddenly appeared out of nowhere and crashed into a windmill. The debris of the plane was spread over several acres and the body of the pilot was badly disfigured, but whatever was left of him, clearly showed that he was not an inhabitant of this world.

3. Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence, Italy, 1954

On October 27, 1954, a crowd of around 10,000 people had gathered to watch a football match. All of a sudden, the stadium was flooded with dazzling lights, strangely resembling Cuban cigars.

4. Levelland, Texas, 1957

On the evening of November 2, 1957, many residents of the city of Levelland in Texas saw a mysterious torpedo-shaped flying object in the sky.

5. The Hudson Valley, New York , 1983

On March 24, 1983, over 300 residents of the Hudson Valley in New York reported that they had seen gigantic V-shaped lights moving slowly through the sky.

6. Ruwa, Africa, 1994

On September 16, 1994, around 62 school children from Ariel School in Ruwa, Africa, saw three shining silver balls swiftly moving around in the sky.

7. Nevada and Arizona, 1997

On the evening of 13th March, 1997, thousands of people in Nevada and Arizona reportedly saw a weird V-shaped airborne object outlined by seven lights in the sky.

8. The O’Hare Airport, Chicago, 2007

On November 7, 2007, several employees and travellers at Chicago’s O’Hare airport saw a weird saucer-shaped metallic aircraft in the sky.

9. Stephenville, Texas, 2008

On the evening of January 8, 2008, about 40 local residents of Stephenville witnessed a brightly lit UFO hovering over the city for five minutes before disappearing into the night sky.

10. Indo-China border, Ladakh Sector, 2013

On the evening of August 4, 2013, Indian Army troops reported the sighting of an illuminated flying saucer in the sky.

For more such interesting General Knowledge articles and videos, visit: https://mocomi.com/learn/general-knowledge/

10 Interesting facts about Clowns

Colorful hair, a big red mouth, cherry red nose and a white face… where have we seen such a man? In circus or birthday parties or even in films and television shows entertaining young kids. Yes! It’s a Clown!

Did you know that the clowns that we see today are an extremely modified version of what they used to be during ancient times? But the purpose of clowns for centuries till date remains the same- to entertain us all, especially children.

The History of Clowns

The first ever clown sightings can be recorded as the court jesters in the courts of kings and royal families. The court jesters entertained the Pharaohs of Egypt and the Emperors of China. The Egyptian clowns came around 2500 B.C and were known as Pygmies.

They were playful and could comment on any policies made by the king, without facing any consequences. Their comments were taken as jokes. The clowns or court jesters used to turn serious matters into funny situations.

Ancient Greek comics show bald headed and larger than normal figures playing the role of court jesters. They also appeared in the plays of the great playwright Shakespeare and often had an important role. They were famous in England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth.

It was not until 1768 that clowns became famous in the circus. Court jesters were now turned into comic fools who provided entertainment to travelers and guests. Clowns in the circus started working on their slapstick comedy skills which would include playing tricks on their counterpart, carrying a bat and hitting with it- missing the target often, throwing pies at each other, juggling and other hilarious acts. Clowns usually do not speak but act out their stories in the form of skits.

The oldest and the classic type of clown is the whiteface clown who, as the name suggests, uses white makeup to cover his face. They were famous in the Greek theatres during the middle ages. This type of clown used to wear extremely bright and strange costumes because they helped him get attention from the crowd.

They performed tasks and actions which were loud, such as jumping and tumbling in a comic manner or playing tricks on their partners. Everything that a whiteface clown did or wore was exaggerated. His pants, shoes, ears, nose was larger than normal.

During the 1860s came the Auguste clowns who were supposed to be the least intelligent of all. Their makeup was limited to their eyes and mouth while they wore a colorful wig on their head. They wore oversized, balloon shaped costumes and behaved in a very clumsy manner. They performed more physical comedy acts such as slapping their partners or throwing pies at each other.

The Tramp or the Hobo clown came during the 19th century when the Auguste and Whiteface clowns started working very well together. These are also known as character clowns who behave as their characters.

They use their facial features like beard, hair, eyebrows, head, and nose in order to create humor about themselves. They use dark makeup and impersonate characters like policemen, tramps, cowboys or firemen. They either appear very happy or very sad but in any situation their main purpose is to make everyone laugh.

Even though clowns have entertained and made everyone laugh, from many centuries, some people hate them and also develop a fear of clowns. This is known as caulrophobia. Sometimes theatre plays and movies have shown the dark side of clowns, instigating the fear of clowns in people.

Interesting facts

  1. In the early 1970s, Patch Adams, a doctor, started the culture of clowning for patients in hospitals. This helps patients recover faster and brighten the gloomy hospital mood.
  2. In the German language the word clown means ‘don’t leave the kids alone with that one’!
  3. Around 300 B.C the Emperor of China wanted to paint the entire Wall of China white, but he was stopped by his court jester; thus saving the lives of many slaves.
  4. Clowns have their own set of rules to follow- namely, the Clown Code of Ethics.
  5. The National Clown Week, started in 1971 by Richard Nixon, is celebrated in America in the first week of August every year.

For more such interesting General Knowledge articles and videos, visit: https://mocomi.com/learn/general-knowledge/

Football Fun Facts

10 Interesting and Unknown Facts about Football

  1. Football was first played in London’s Newgate Prison. Here the prisoners whose hands had been mercilessly chopped off, invented a game where the ball could only be kicked with their feet.
  2. Football was made of paper mache originally, before people realized that rain damaged the ball. Then, they changed its material.
  3. 149-0 was the highest score in a football game played between AS Adema of Madagascar and Stade Olympique de L’emyrne. It was all scored as penalties!
  4. A teenage boy called Ronaldinho scored the entire 23 goals in a football game! His remarkable accomplishments with the football earned him one million viewers in the YouTube video of his feat.
  5. 20 red cards were issued in the game between General Cabellero and Sportivo Ameliana! We wonder how many players were left to play.
  6. The Indian football team did not play in the World Cup in 1950; as FIFA did not allow barefoot play.
  7. Guiseppe Meazza’s shorts fell off as he was taking a penalty shot for Italy in the World Cup semi finals of 1983.
  8. Ion Radu from Romania was sold for a measly 500 kgs of pork to another team.
  9. The war between El Salvador and Honduras happened because the former had beaten the latter in a football game, and had thus advanced to the World Cup.
  10. A lightning bolt killed an entire football team in the Republic of Congo. The other team was completely unharmed. 30 others had burn injuries.

To read more interesting Sports articles for kids, CLICK HERE

The Great Barrier Reef Facts

6 Facts about the World’s Largest Coral Reef System

  1. The Great Barrier Reef is the largest living structure in the world. It can be seen by astronauts from outer space. It is composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands, that stretch over 2,600 kilometres.
  2. The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland in Australia.
    Australia broke away from the Gondwana land mass some 65 million years ago. Australia drifted northward to warmer tropical waters. These waters supported the formation of the coral reefs.
  3. The Great Barrier Reef began to grow 18 million years ago.
  4. Billions of coral polyps, which are tiny organisms, form the structure of the coral reefs. The polyps which make up the current reef attached themselves to the ocean floor near the shoreline, 10,000 years ago, in the Ice Age.
  5. After they died, they left behind their hard skeletons made of calcium. This formed a base for the next generation of polyps. So, only the top layer of a coral reef has living polyps.
  6. Coral polyps have a symbiotic relationship with tiny plant-like organisms called zooxanthellae. Zooxanthelae live in the cells of the polyp where they can get sunlight. They use the sunlight for photosynthesis and to make food. They share this food with the coral.

For more interesting Geography articles and videos, visit our Geography for Kids category.

Weird Days that People Celebrate

20 Weird celebrations around the World

People around the world celebrate some very funny and weird days. Let us learn about some of the most interesting ones.

  1. Step in a puddle and splash your friends day – This day gives you a perfect excuse to have some fun with your friends by jumping into a puddle of mud and spoiling their clothes. This day is celebrated on January 11 every year.
  2. Dress up your pet day – Well, this day, as you can rightly guess, is meant to dress up your pets in a dress of your choice. It is celebrated on 14 January.
  3. Read in a bathtub day -‘Read in a bathtub’ day is celebrated on February 9. It is a day meant for relaxing in style, in your bathtub while scouring through the pages of your favourite novel.
  4. Get a different name day -‘Get a different name’ day is celebrated on 13 February. It is a day meant for those who are not very happy with their names. On this day, they can change their name to whatever they wish, but of course, just for one day.
  5. Napping day – Napping day is the most favourite day for the people who love their sleep. This day is celebrated on 11 March and it gives an opportunity to the people to doze off anywhere they want to, even at odd hours.
  6. Pillowfight day – Thousands of people enthusiastically take part in pillow fights on this day. This day is celebrated worldwide on April 6.
  7. No housework day – ‘No housework’ day is celebrated on 7 April every year. This day is basically celebrated by the housewives who postpone all their household chores until the next day.
  8. Lost sock memorial day – Admit it, all of us have lost socks, but we keep that one sock with us safely in the hope that one day we will find its buddy. The ‘Lost sock memorial’ day demands that we give up the hope of finding that old sock and get rid of all the single socks that we have in our almirah . This unique day is celebrated by people around the world on 9th May.
  9. UFO day – UFO Day is celebrated on June 2. On this day, people get together and observe the skies keenly in the hope of spotting some flying saucers.
  10. Fresh breath day – Nobody likes to sit next to the person whose breath stinks of garlic and onions. Fresh breath day is celebrated on 6 August to promote dental hygiene and the need of maintaining a fresh breath.
  11. Comic book day – This day is celebrated on 25 September by all the comic lovers in the world. It is a day set aside to enjoy a good comic book.
  12. Hug a vegetarian day – ‘Hug a vegetarian’ day is celebrated to appreciate the vegetarians for their eating habits by giving them a hug. It is celebrated on 27 September every year.
  13. Mud pack day – Mud pack day is celebrated on September 30. On this day, women make different types of mud packs and apply them on their faces to keep their skin soft and supple.
  14. Balloons around the world day – On the 2 October, people make different types of animals and things out of balloons.
  15. Deviled eggs day – On 2 November, all those who are fond of eating eggs, make deviled eggs, a delicious dish made out of boiled eggs.
  16. Tongue twister day – On Tongue twister day, people get together and try to say different types of tongue twister phrases to check their command on their tongues. This day is celebrated on the 10 November in many parts of the world.
  17. Clean your fridge day – 15 November is celebrated as ‘Clean your fridge’ day and it urges all the people who keep postponing the cleaning of their fridges, to get up and just do it!
  18. Wear brown shoes day – This day is celebrated on 4 December to motivate people to go in for some change and wear brown shoes instead of their regular black shoes.
  19. No interruptions day – On 30 December, you are allowed to put up a ‘Do not disturb’ sign wherever you want, because it is ‘No interruptions day’!
  20. Tick Tock day – People celebrate ‘Tick Tock day’ on the 29 December to review the goals that they has set for that particular year and start working to turn them into a reality! Tick Tock day is a reminder to people that they still have two days left to fulfil their New Year resolutions.

For more interesting festivals for kids, visit: https://mocomi.com/learn/culture/festivals/

Famous April Fools Pranks

All set to play pranks on April Fools’ Day? What were the biggest and best April Fools’ Day pranks of all time? Here are five of the craziest pranks played, a couple by well known news channel BBC! Would you have fallen for any of these?

1. Where are the White Lions?

On April 1, 1860, many Londoners received this invitation: ‘Tower of London: Admit Bearer and Friend to view the Annual ceremony of- Washing the White Lions. Admission at White Gate.’ This created mayhem as hundreds of visitors gathered outside the Tower. They came to know that the Tower never kept any kinds of lions! Little white lies for April Fools’ Day.

2. Spaghetti grows on trees:

The BBC in 1957, showed harvesters growing spaghetti trees! It fooled hundreds of people who called the channel asking them how they can do it. BBC asked viewers to put noodles in a can of sauce and grow a spaghetti tree.

3.Big Ben- Big hoax:

In 1980, BBC announced that the great Big Ben clock was going digital and that its hands were up for sale in an auction on April 1. Many people protested against the change. A Japanese man, who was in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, on hearing the news, immediately placed a bid.

4. Float on Earth

On 1 April 1976, astronomer Patrick Moore announced on BBC Radio that at 9:47 AM the planets Pluto and Jupiter would be aligned with the Earth. A once in a lifetime situation, it would cause anyone who jumped on Earth at that time, to experience a feeling of floating in air! Many people called and claimed they did feel the floating sensation.

5. Water on Mars!

In 2005, NASA posted on their website the news that water has been discovered on planet Mars. The readers were all excited but when they scrolled down to read further they found a picture of a glass of water placed on top of Mars Chocolate!

For more interesting festivals for kids, click HERE

Sounds from Wine Glasses

REQUIREMENTS

  • 4 wine glasses
  • Water

WHAT TO DO

  1. Arrange the four wine glasses in a line on a table.
  2. Pour water in them, so that all four have different levels of water. The water levels should be in descending order. So, the first glass should be three fourths full, the next a little more than half full. The third should be a little less than half full, and the last one should be a quarter full of water.
  3. Now, dip your finger in the water in the first glass, holding it steady with your other hand. Rub your wet finger along the rim of the glass a few times, in a vigorous manner.
  4. Repeat for the other three glasses.
  5. What are the different kinds of sounds you hear? Which one is of a higher pitch?

WHY THIS HAPPENS

Sound travels through water at approximately 1,440 meters per second while it travels through glass at approximately 4,500 meters per second.

The different levels of water reduces the speed of sound, thus creating different pitches.

TRY THIS Do this experiment with sounds from wine glasses. You will find out what happens.

For more such science experiments and articles, visit https://mocomi.com/learn/science/

Magically blow up a balloon

Have to blow up balloons for a party, but don’t feel like wasting your breath? Read on for a shortcut. Bonus- it can serve as a party trick too!

REQUIREMENTS

  • Balloon
  • Vinegar
  • Baking Soda
  • Bottle/Funnel

PROCESS

  1. Pour the baking soda in the funnel.
  2. Next, add the vinegar.
  3. Cover the mouth of the funnel with the balloon.
  4. Watch the balloon inflate!

WHY THIS HAPPENS?

The baking soda and the vinegar create an ACID-BASE reaction and the two chemicals work together to create a gas, carbon dioxide.

Gases need space to move and therefore the gas moves into the balloon and inflates it.

TRY THIS

Do this experiment with Baking Soda, Vinegar and Balloon. You will find out what happens. Can you write the chemical equation for this process? What are the uses of baking soda and vinegar? How are they used in cooking? How is carbon dioxide useful and to whom?

For more such science experiments and articles, visit https://mocomi.com/learn/science/

Raw and Boiled Egg Spinning

REQUIREMENTS

  • Table
  • Hard-Boiled egg
  • Raw Egg

HOW TO DO

  1. Keep the eggs on the table.
  2. Spin the raw egg on the table first.
  3. Now. spin the hard boiled egg on the table.
  4. Which one spins longer and faster?

WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN?

Hard-boiled eggs are solid inside, and therefore the hard boiled egg keeps spinning at a very fast pace.

In the raw egg, the liquid inside the egg slides about and this prevents the egg from spinning as fast.

TRY THIS: Do this experiment with raw and boiled eggs spinning. You will find out what happens. What other experiments have you tried? DO you like doing experiments? Do they always turn out like they are supposed to? Tell us in the comments. You can also try out the experiments in the Kitchen Science section of Mocomag. Read the previous issues and tell us how many you tried.

For more such science experiments and articles, visit https://mocomi.com/learn/science/

Glass and Candle Experiment

REQUIREMENTS

  • A candle
  • Kitchen lighter/matchbox
  • A Glass

HOW TO DO

  • Light the candle. Take the help of an adult to do so.
  • Place it on the flat plate.
  • Cover the candle with the glass.
  • The candle goes out.

WHY THIS HAPPENS?

Fire needs oxygen to sustain itself. The glass prevents the fire from consuming any more oxygen.

Once the fire in the glass has consumed all the oxygen inside the glass, the fire goes out.

Can you think of other things that need oxygen? What about plants? Do they need oxygen the same way we do? What would happen if there was no oxygen? Who discovered oxygen? What are the other gases in the atmosphere? How is oxygen created? What does it look like? The air is composed of gases other than oxygen. Find out the percentage of oxygen in air. Also find out the percentage of the other gases in the atmosphere.

TRY THIS Do this experiment with a glass and candle. You will find out what happens.

For more such science experiments and articles, visit https://mocomi.com/learn/science/

Singing Wine Glass Experiment

REQUIREMENTS

  • A wine glass
  • Water

HOW TO DO

Pour some water in the wine glass, till it is more than halfway full. Dip your finger in the water and rotate it to make sure it is completely wet. Now, rub the rim of the glass well, a few times, with your wet finger.

Try filling different levels of water and see what happens. You could even line up some wine glasses and make sounds from them in succession, to hear the varying noises. In case your parents won’t let you use wine glasses, you can use ordinary transparent glasses too.

WHY THIS HAPPENS?

This happens because when your finger rubs along the rim, a stick and slide action occurs. This action occurs in very short lengths and produces vibrations.

These vibrations cause the crystals in the glass to rub against each other, therefore producing a sound.

TRY THIS Do this experiment with a wine glass. You will find out what happens.

For more such science experiments and articles, visit: https://mocomi.com/learn/science/

Light and Shadow Experiment

REQUIREMENTS

  • A torch
  • A book
  • A cup
  • A glass
  • A dark room

HOW TO DO

In a dark room, take an object and place it near the wall. Shine a torch against the object. Put different objects one by one and shine the torch to see the varying effects. What happens when you place a book? Or a tea cup? Or a glass? Can you think why these shadows differ?

WHY THIS HAPPENS

The cup and the book are opaque and so these stop the spread of light.

The glass being transparent allows the light to pass through.

TRY THIS

Do this experiment with Light and Shadow. You will find out what happens. You can find out more about Refraction in a glass of water by watching our video on that topic. Do you know how rainbows are formed? They also have to do with light. What else can you think of that is influenced by light? How long does it take light to travel from the sun to us?

For more such science experiments and articles, visit https://mocomi.com/learn/science/