Innholdsfortegnelse for July/August 2020 i Spider Magazine Stories, Games, Activites and Puzzles for Children and Kids

“BEES ARE DYING!” Doodlebug Pinkley cried, thrusting his latest copy of World of the Weird at his sister Dandelion. His favorite magazine had a lot of strange content. But occasionally it highlighted less strange, more important topics. This month it was insects in danger. The number of certain bugs, including bees, was falling sharply all over the world. “It’s terrible!” Dandelion replied, after reading the article. They were sitting on the outdoor patio of Cool Yule’s Ice Cream Shoppe, waiting for their orders. “That’s why Mom and I planted milkweed in the backyard. It provides food for bees and butterflies.” “Maybe we could make a bee roof garden, too—like in this article,” Doodlebug suggested. “But where?” “How ’bout right here?” Yule said as he set down their yummy-looking banana float-boats.…

I LOCKED EYES WITH the fish as I tapped flakes of food into his tank. He stared blankly at me through the glass. Not exactly my idea of a perfect pet. I’d begged my parents for a dog or a cat. Even an iguana would have been better than a fish. But they showed up one day with a bright gold fish swimming around in a plastic bag. They beamed at me and expected me to be ecstatic. For a fish. A silly little fish. In protest, I named him Dog. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got nothing against fish. They’re perfectly fine animals. But I wanted a pet that would do tricks and greet me when I entered a room. A pet that would show affection, like a tail…

WE’RE NOT CLOWN-FISHING around! These savory treats will make a big splash at lunch or snack time. What You’ll Need: What to Do: 1. Let cream cheese come to room temperature in a small bowl. Add one drop of blue food coloring for each ounce of cream cheese. Mix. 2. With an adult’s help, cut the veggies into small leaf-shaped pieces. 3. Split each mini bagel in half. Spread blue cream cheese on top. Arrange the veggie pieces and fish-shaped crackers to look like a little aquarium. *Knife is for adult use only.…

THERE WAS A time, many moons ago, when humans and coyotes lived in harmony. People told stories of the great trickster Coyote and how he brought fire to humans, winter to the world, and stars to the Milky Way. They honored coyotes with dances and songs. They even saved the best scraps of meat for them. But as the years passed, people’s relationship with the land changed. They plowed the prairies, chopped the forests, and paved the deserts. They even found new animals to adore . . . Dogs! The people oohed and aahed over pugs and Chihuahuas, Shih Tzus and terriers, retrievers and cockapoos. Their hearts became so filled with dogs that there was no room left for coyotes. “The people have forgotten us,” Chief Coyote said one day.…

THE SUMMER SUN is hot, but can it cook a pizza? Yes! This tasty experiment uses heat-trapping cardboard, reflective foil, and light-absorbing black paper to harness the sun’s energy into a solar-powered pizza oven. On the next hot, sunny day, cook your own pizza with sunlight and science! What You’ll Need: 1 cardboard pizza box 1 defrosted frozen pizza plate scissors glue clear tape black construction paper clear plastic wrap aluminum foil newspaper ruler pencil What to Do: 1. Draw a square on the lid of the pizza box 1 inch from the edges. Cut along three lines of the square, leaving the fourth line at the back of the lid uncut. Fold the lid back and crease the cardboard along the fourth, uncut line to make a flap. 2.…

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS IS a big city—not the sort of place you’d expect to find wild predators. So when people started spotting coyotes in downtown Chicago, they had lots of questions. Scientists already knew that coyotes could survive in suburban neighborhoods, where there are open spaces for them to hunt. But they didn’t think coyotes could live in the middle of Chicago. Coyotes naturally live in prairies, forests, and mountains across North and Central America. They form tight-knit family groups and use their strong senses of smell and vision to protect their young and find food. They eat small animals like rabbits, mice, and birds, which can be hard to find among sidewalks and skyscrapers. Wildlife biologist Dr. Stanley Gehrt and his team decided to find out what was going on.…

ONA BLAZING hot summer day, the Johnson family piled into their rusty, old station wagon. Behind Mom and Dad sat Joseph and Jeffrey. Then Julie and Jolene in the row in between. Next came Jocelyn, Justin, and Jackson, all crowded in back. They were headed to Zindel’s Ice Cream Shoppe. When they got to Zindel’s, they joined the end of a long line winding halfway down the block. “What flavor ice cream are you going to get?” asked Dad. Joseph answered right away, “Luscious Red Licorice!” “My favorite, Caramel Apple Nut,” said Jeffrey. Julie exclaimed, “I’m going to have Peppermint Crunch.” Jolene said, “Minty Minty Chocolate Chip for me.” “Strawberry Cheesecake is my favorite!” said Jocelyn. Justin sang, “I can’t live without Cherry Berry!” Jackson thought and thought. Everyone turned…