Week of February 3, 2008

Test Your Vision

Put your peepers to the test in Pattern Wizardry at
www.brooklynkids.org/
patternwizardry. Introduce yourself to different kinds of patterns like those in snail shells and honeycombs. Ready to create some patterns of your own? Play BorderLiners or KaleidoDraw to discover how colors and patterns can tempt you into creating your own work of art. Try out your virtual sewing skills in Quilters, where creativity and symmetry are prized above all. Before you leave, take a virtual tour of the exhibit featuring perfect patterns at their best.

Nominate a cool Web site at https://4Kids.org/nominations/

The Fungus Among Us

Discover the Fun Facts About Fungi at
http://
herbarium.usu.edu/fungi/
FunFacts/factindx1.htm. Click on What are Fungi to learn all about this fabulous funky stuff that is neither quite plant nor animal. This fruit of the “hidden kingdom” comes in many tantalizing forms. For example, truffles can sell for around $400 a pound! Maybe you are in the mood for morel mushrooms, a springtime delight for delicate palates. Whether you are searching for tasty treats or are on the lookout for fairy rings, this site will amaze and educate you.

Gladiators Get Going!

Tough times await young fighters at You Wouldn't Want to Be a Gladiator, www.salariya.com/web_books/
gladiator. Use your mouse to roll over the images and discover the trials and tribulations these strong men went through as they prepared for battle. Get captured in Gotcha! and say goodbye to your former life as you march hundreds of miles to the Roman Empire. Once you are sold to the highest bidder, you head off to gladiator school to learn how to fight. When you are fully trained, step into the arena. Stick around to discover if you will win or lose the fight of your life!

	Get Hopping! Jumping rope is a great way to get some exercise! Not only is it fun, it also helps build endurance, which is important in many sports. That's why tennis players, boxers, wrestlers and other athletes will jump rope as part of their training. After playing tennis over the years, I have become pretty good at jumping rope. It might sound easy, but there are a lot of challenging ways to jump rope. My favorite technique to jump rope is on one foot. To learn some challenging single rope stunts, hop over to www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/ hopping/onerope.html. Still need more of a challenge? Try timing yourself with a stopwatch while you jump. You can either time how long you have been jumping in total or how long you can jump without tripping the rope. The best part about jumping rope is that it's easy and cheap. All you need is a jump rope and some exercise shoes. You can also hop anytime of the year! If it's too cold to jump outside, you can always jump rope indoors, too. Just make sure you have enough room to jump safely. Hop to it! —Amy Ask Amy a Question

Copyright ©2008 4Kids.org All rights reserved. Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate