Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2024 i Click Science and Discovery Magazine for Preschoolers and Young Children

Animals move from place to place for many reasons—to look for food or a good place to sleep, to get away from danger, to find a friend or a mate. How do they do it? Some leap. Do you see what hares, grasshoppers, frogs, and other animals that are good at jumping have in common? Long back legs that push them up and forward! And some creep. Lizards, tortoises, and alligators are all reptiles. The name reptile comes from an old Latin word that means creep or crawl. Some ride. Many animal parents, like this swan, carry their babies. But grown-up animals get rides too. Often, the smaller animal helps the bigger animal carrying it. Remora fish, for example, eat pests that can bother a shark’s skin. And oxpecker birds…

If you were a cat, you’d have . . . • back legs longer than your front legs to help you leap and pounce. • thick pads on your paws to cushion them and help you move quietly. • a long, bendy spine to help you twist and turn and stretch. • sharp hook-shaped claws you pull in when you walk or stick out to help you climb. Can you bend your back like a cat? If you were a kangaroo, you’d have . . . • a long, strong tail that props you up when you’re standing and helps you balance when you’re moving. • long back feet and legs that move together, not one at a time. You can’t walk; you hop. • ankles, knees, and hips that…

“But you said it yourself,” Hana argued. “Horses are made for running! So why can’t Chick and I run?” Rochelle laughed. “Heels down,” she instructed. “Shoulders straight. Nice light hands—very good!” Rochelle watched Hana closely as she rode around the ring on the little gray pony. “Horses are made for running,” she agreed. “They don’t have sharp claws or teeth, so they use speed to escape danger. But you and Chick aren’t quite ready. Can you count out his walk for me? How many beats?” Hana sighed. This was too easy. “Walking is four beats,” she said, “because Chick moves each leg one at a time.” She felt Chick’s sturdy legs moving beneath her and tried to count four separate hoofbeats as the pony circled the ring. “One, two, three,…

“Hey, Grandpa! A little worm dropped on your hat,” says Yo. “It must have been eating my blueberry bush,” says Grandpa. “It’s not a wiggly worm,” says Yo.“It kind of folds up in the middle.” “It’s an inchworm,” says Grandpa.“An inchworm doesn’t need to wiggle because it has little feet.” “The front feet hold on while the back end catches up.” “Then the back feet hold on while the front end pushes forward.” “I bet I can do that,” says Yo. “My hands will be my front feet and my back feet can catch up.” “Now my front feet walk ahead.” “This is harder than it looks,” says Yo, “but I bet it’s easier for inchworms.” “What’s it doing now?” asks Yo. “Maybe looking for my blueberry bush,” says Grandpa.“But…

Lots of animals are said to fly. But the only animals that can truly fly are birds, bats, and insects. True fliers use their muscles and flap their wings to lift themselves into the air. Flying squirrels, frogs, and lizards don’t fly. They glide. Instead of wings, they have flaps of skin connecting their legs or toes. When they spread the flaps and jump from a high point, the stretched-out skin acts like a parachute or kite and helps them gently float through the air.…

You can watch a cheetah run or an inchworm crawl by making your own flip book. Cut out all 40 cards. Stack them in order, from 1 to 40, with 1 on top. Be sure all the numbers face up. Fasten the stack with a small binder clip. Hold the stack by the binder clip and flip through all the cards. If you start with the top picture, you will see the cheetah run and run. Or flip it over and watch the inchworm crawl. CLICK TAKEOUT PAGES Please remove carefully at fold.…