Innholdsfortegnelse for July/August 2023 i Spider Magazine Stories, Games, Activites and Puzzles for Children and Kids

“THE CITY!” DANDELION Pinkley cried as her uncle’s little convertible whizzed across the enormous orange bridge and shot into a nearby parking garage. “We’re here!” shouted her brother, Doodlebug, as they all climbed out. After a scenic drive, Dandelion, Doodlebug, and their cousin Rudyard were excited to experience a real big-city adventure. “Yippee!” Rudyard exclaimed as his dad led them out into the chaotic city morning. All around, crowds of people hurried by on foot. Buses bustled up and down every street. Cars and motorcycles filled the air with the noise of roaring engines and honking horns. A dog yowled. The air was soaked with a swirl of smells, too. A lady’s strong perfume. Exhaust fumes. Chocolate from a candy store. All the kids’ eyes widened as Rudyard pointed and…

THERE WAS ONCE a king who ruled over vast lands. Every summer, he journeyed round his kingdom to visit his people. A long, hard journey it was. For many days, the royal coach jolted along a bumpy road that wound through forests, inched over hills, and splashed across streams. Always the king arrived home weary and worn. At the end of one such trip, he sighed and said, “Oh, what a fine reward I would give to anyone who could shorten my journey.” Sir Highfeather Bragg, the vainest man in the kingdom, pictured himself wearing a great glittering medal. “What you need is a new coach, Sire,” he said. “I will have one made for you.” The following July, Sir Highfeather drove an elegant open carriage to the palace. Narrow…

City song—busy beat,Syncopation in the street.Sunrise washes wispy raysThrough the morning traffic maze. Skyward buildings, stately steeple.Dogs on leashes walk their people.Bagels bake in sidewalk shops.Eat one at the subway stop. Buses rumble, big trucks pound,Saxes hum, sirens sound.Bikers pedal, workers hurry,Vendors holler, pigeons scurry. Over harbors, bridges stretch.Sunny spaces—kids play catch.Feed the pigeons, they will stay.Run and wave, they fly away. With the sunset, neon lights,Jazzy notes, dizzy heights.Through the night and all day long,Listen—feel the city song.…

IT’S HARD TO imagine a car that doesn’t have rubber tires. But without the discoveries of Charles Goodyear, we wouldn’t have them. Before Charles Goodyear began experimenting with rubber, it was known only as a sticky substance that came from the sap of the rubber tree. In cold weather, it was brittle. In hot weather, it melted into a gooey, soft mess. Goodyear knew that there had to be a way to make rubber useful, but how? In 1834, Goodyear began experimenting, but nothing worked. Finally, in 1844, he had a lucky accident. He had started adding sulfur to the rubber. One day, a fistful of sticky, gummy rubber landed on a hot stove. Part of the charred rubber was dry and springy. This was the first example of weatherproof…

Missing Sock Lyla G., age 7 Ocean City, Maryland My Sock that Traveled SomewhereI once had a pair of socks, and they were my favorite pair. One night, I was going to a party and got dressed in clothes that matched my socks. So I got one out. I looked in my drawer everywhere, and my other sock was missing. My mom said, “It’s almost seven o’clock, sweetie! We need to get going.” I asked Mom to give me a few more minutes, and I looked in my laundry basket and saw a note that read: Dear Human, I traveled to Sockland for ten days. I’ll be back on the twenty-first, soon. I needed a break from your smelly feet, and I am traveling. P.S. Find some other pair! Olive…

A game for two players RACE TO BE the first to finish constructing a rad racetrack. Watch out for wild twists and turns on your journey. What You’ll Need: scissors What to Do: 1. Cut out the square road pieces on the left and the two game boards below. 2. Put the road pieces facedown in a pile, and mix them up. Shuffle the two game boards facedown, and set one in front of each player. 3. Turn the game boards over. Whichever player has the game board with the red race car goes first. 4. On your turn, flip over one piece from the pile. Add it to either end of your track so that the sides of the road line up. 5. Keep taking turns with the goal…

SUMMER MEANS STRAWBERRIES! Surprise your family and friends with this healthy treat. What You’ll Need: 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin 1 tablespoon water 2 cups fresh or thawed frozen strawberries 1 tablespoon sugar large mixing bowl potato masher large saucepan wooden spoon container with lid What to Do: 1. Put the gelatin in the bowl. Pour water over the gelatin. Then set aside. 2. With the potato masher, mash the strawberries in the saucepan. 3. Stir the sugar into the mashed strawberries. 4. Cover the saucepan. Ask an adult to cook it on low heat for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent burning. 5. Pour the strawberry mixture into the bowl of gelatin and water. Stir. Then mash again with the potato masher. Cool slightly. 6. Pour into the container and…

BUILD A SUPER slope. Then challenge your pals to a high-speed game. WHAT YOU’LL NEED: big cardboard box small cardboard box duct tape scissors wrapping paper paper cups marker little toy cars racing pals WHAT TO DO: 1. Tape shut the small box. Flatten the big box. Tape over the flat box’s gaps from its flaps. 2. Tape the flat box to the small box at an angle to make a ramp. 3. Cover the ramp with wrapping paper. Tuck and tape the wrapping paper underneath the boxes. 4. Cut a cup in half longways. Line up the bottom of a cup half with the bottom of the ramp, and tape down. Keep cutting and taping until there’s a line of cups all the way across the ramp. 5. Write…