KidsNews

Bushfire Poetry Comp: author Jackie French’s five rules for writing a poem

arts

Award-winning author Jackie French wants kids to discover the healing power of poetry. See her tips for writing a great poem

Female Koala, Annie, with bandaged paws, sitting amongst gum leaves, near vet clinic at Melbourne Zoo. Bushfire affected Koala. Picture: Zoos Victoria

A year of wonderful news at our zoos

animals

Zoos were closed for much of 2020 but the animals’ carers continued their important conservation work around Australia. Here are some of the year’s memorable moments

Cover image for Code Name Bananas by David Walliams. Picture: Harper Collins

Saving the day with a gorilla named Gertrude

just for fun

David Walliams introduces Code Name Bananas, in which an orphaned boy named Eric makes friends with a gorilla named Gertrude and they save the day! With activity sheets to download

**RE-TRANSMISSION OF IMAGE IDS: 20191109001431649354, 20191109001431649365, 20191109001431649376, 20191109001431649397, 20191109001431649736, 20191109001431649748, 20191109001431649760, 20191109001431649772, 20191109001431649784, 20191109001431649796, 20191109001431649809, 20191109001431649910, 20191109001431653089, 20191109001431653101, 20191109001431653113, 20191109001431653125, 20191109001431653137, 20191109001431653259, 20191109001431662157, 20191109001431662169, 20191109001431664788, 20191109001431664800, 20191109001431664812, 20191109001431664824 TO CORRECT BYLINE TO DARREN PATEMAN (NOT SHANE CHALKER)** Firefighters work to contain a bushfire along Old Bar road in Old Bar, NSW, Saturday, November 9, 2019. Two people have been killed and seven others are missing in bushfires in NSW which have also destroyed at least 100 homes. (AAP Image/Darren Pateman) NO ARCHIVING

Kids News launches Bushfire Poetry Competition

arts

Share your experiences of last summer’s bushfires for a chance to have your poem published in a special book commemorating the Black Summer fires

arts

Bushfire Poetry Comp: author Jackie French’s five rules for writing a poem

arts

Award-winning author Jackie French wants kids to discover the healing power of poetry. See her tips for writing a great poem

animals

A year of wonderful news at our zoos

animals

Zoos were closed for much of 2020 but the animals’ carers continued their important conservation work around Australia. Here are some of the year’s memorable moments

just for fun

Saving the day with a gorilla named Gertrude

just for fun

David Walliams introduces Code Name Bananas, in which an orphaned boy named Eric makes friends with a gorilla named Gertrude and they save the day! With activity sheets to download

arts

Kids News launches Bushfire Poetry Competition

arts

Share your experiences of last summer’s bushfires for a chance to have your poem published in a special book commemorating the Black Summer fires

Australia's batsman Steve Smith drives a ball from the New Zealand bowling on the second day of their second cricket Test match at the MCG in Melbourne on December 27, 2019. (Photo by WILLIAM WEST / AFP) / -- IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE --

Steve Smith shares his inside tips on batting and slips catching

sport

Aussie cricket champ Steve Smith knows a thing or two about hitting a great cover drive and taking a spectacular catch. Watch his tips in our special How To video series

Werribee Open Range Zoo
Guardian dog at Skipton release site. Lying in grass looking at camera with sheep in background

Guardian dogs saving bandicoots from extinction

animals

Two very special dogs have a very special job as guardians of some critically endangered eastern barred bandicoots just released into a conservation reserve in western Victoria

Ubirajara jubatus (illustrated) may have used its shoulder streamers and feathery mane for flashy dances and displays. © BOB NICHOLLS/PALEOCREATIONS.COM 2020

‘Lord of the spear’ dinosaur all for show

animals

Scientists may have solved the mystery of the weird body parts of a chicken-like dinosaur called Ubirajara jubatus, which looked like something out of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

his photos taken on Thursday, March 12, 2020 and provide by the Staatliche Naturwissenschftliche Sammlung Bayerns, SNSB, shows a Voeltzkow-Chameleon in Madagascar. Scientists say they have found an elusive chameleon species that was last spotted in Madagascar 100 years ago. Researchers from Madagascar and Germany said that they discovered several living specimens of Voeltzkow's chameleon during an expedition to the northwest of the African island nation. (SNSB/Frank Glaw via AP)

Hope from ‘extinct’ species rediscovered

animals

Earth is going through its sixth mass extinction event but there are moments of hope when species such as Voeltzkow’s chameleon, once thought to have been lost forever, are found alive

This NASA composite image received 22 August 2006, shows the galaxy cluster 1E 0657-56, also known as the |bullet cluster.| A huge collision between two clusters of galaxies has provided the first direct evidence of the existence of the universe's mysterious dark matter, researchers said 22 August.|This is the most energetic cosmic event, besides the Big Bang, which we know about,| said Maxim Markevitch of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This cluster was formed after the collision of two large clusters of galaxies, the most energetic event known in the universe since the Big Bang. Hot gas detected by Chandra in X-rays is seen as two pink clumps in the image and contains most of the |normal,| or b

Listen to the sounds and music of space

space

You can now hear the sounds of space, according to a NASA project that has assigned musical notes and instruments to the goings-on of two supernovas and a colliding cluster of galaxies

HOLD FOR SATURDAY/SUNDAY HERALD SUN PIC DESK------ The Children First Foundation has brought Nichole Jamelo over from the Phillipines to have her spine operated on at Epworth Hospital in Richmond. Nichole back at the retreat after surgery. . Picture: Alex Coppel.

Australian surgeons rebuild girl’s spine

health

Standing straight and walking tall for the first time in her life, 11-year-old Nichole Jamelo can’t wait to take on the world now that two 90-degree bends in her spine have been straightened out

Saturn and Jupiter create special ‘Christmas Star’

space

On December 21, Jupiter and Saturn will come so close they will appear to us as a single planet in an event called a grand conjunction. They haven’t come this close since Galileo was alive in the 1600s

CORRECTS CREDIT TO ADDISON DOTY - This undated photo provided by Forrest Fenn shows a chest purported to contain gold dust, hundreds of rare gold coins, gold nuggets and other artifacts. For more than a decade, the 82-year-old claims he has packed and repacked the treasure chest, before burying it in the mountains somewhere north of Santa Fe. (AP Photo/Addison Doty)

Student solves poem clues, finds treasure chest

just for fun

The identity has been revealed of the person who solved clues written into a poem, then found a famous gold-filled treasure chest hidden more than a decade ago in the wilds of Wyoming

How to talk to your parents about money

money

While some money lessons come from school, most kids get their financial knowledge from their parents. So it’s a good idea to start talking. Here are some conversation starters

How much sleep do I need?

ask healthy harold

Healthy Harold has lots of advice to help keep kids safe, happy and healthy. See his tips for getting a good night’s sleep and his answers to some of your great questions

Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Bat woman by Douglas Gimesy, Australia

Wildlife rescuer and carer Julie Malherbe takes a call to assist the next animal rescue while looking after three recently orphaned grey-headed flying-foxes. This megabat is native to Australia and is endemic to the southeastern forested areas, playing a vital role in seed dispersal and the pollination of more than 100 native species of flowering and fruit bearing trees. Sadly, the species is listed as vulnerable to extinction because of the destruction of foraging and roosting habitats and, more frequently, mass die-offs caused by heat-stress events.

‘Bat woman’ and other incredible wildlife pics

arts

The Natural History Museum is inviting you to vote for your favourite among the finalist entries in this year’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award

(COMBO) This combination of files pictures created on November 4, 2020, shows Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden after speaking during election night at the Chase Center in Wilmington, Delaware; and US President Donald Trump on election night in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, early on November 4, 2020. - Twitter confirmed on November 21, 2020, it will hand control of the presidential @POTUS account to Joe Biden when he is sworn in on inauguration day, even if President Donald Trump has not conceded his election loss. (Photos by ANGELA WEISS and MANDEL NGAN / AFP)

US election, coronavirus top 2020 Google searches

news

It has been a year dominated by crises, from bushfires to coronavirus, yet neither were the most Google-searched terms in Australia. Instead, ‘US election’ was the most searched-for term

Mark Knight's Christmas cartoon. Picture: Mark Knight

Peace and goodwill enduring themes of Christmas

arts

Mark Knight wonders how Santa’s operations might look in the 21st century with social media, job cuts, mass manufacturing and low-cost couriers. At least we can still aim for peace and goodwill

(FILES) This file photo taken on February 7, 2020 from a commercial aircraft shows an aerial view of Mount Everest (C) and the Himalayan mountain range, some 140kms (87 miles) north-east of Kathmandu. - The highest point on Earth got a bit higher on December 8 as China and Nepal finally agreed on a precise elevation for Mount Everest after decades of debate. The agreed height unveiled at a joint news conference in Kathmandu of 8,848.86 metres (29,031 feet) was 86 centimetres (2.8 feet) higher than the measurement previously recognised by Nepal, and more than four metres above China's official figure. (Photo by Jewel SAMAD / AFP)

New height agreed for Mount Everest

mathematics

China and Nepal jointly announced a new and slightly higher official height of 8848.86m for Mount Everest on Tuesday, ending a disagreement between the two nations

(FILES) In this file photo taken on November 9, 2016 Sofiane, or B-boy Soso, from Melting Force dance crew poses in front of the Eiffel Tower on Bir-Hakeim bridge in Paris. - Breakdancing, surfing, climbing and skateboarding : the Olympic Games Organizing Committee (COJO) for Paris-2024 will unveil on February 21, 2019 a list of "guest sports" for the Paris-2024, which still needs to be validated by the International Olympic Committee (CIO), it was announced on February 20. (Photo by Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP)

Breakdancing added to 2024 Paris Olympics

sport

Breakdancing, skateboarding, surfing and sport climbing have been approved for inclusion at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games in a bid to include sports popular among young people

Librarian Julie Zacchei. A booked loaned out by Townsville Library in 1987 has been around the world, before being returned to it's rightful owner. PICTURE: MATT TAYLOR.

Library book returned after 33-year voyage

geography

A book that has travelled the world on yachts with sailors since 1987 has finally been returned to the Townsville library with a note that reads “we are sorry that this book is a little overdue”

Indigenous student Kirrah Stothers, 17, is from Katherine in the Northern Territory and attends prestigious Seymour College in Adelaide on an Australian Indigenous Education Foundation scholarship. She is one of the stars of the Sky News documentary, Changing Our Nation. For Kids News

Education drives Kirrah’s dream

humanities

Meet Kirrah Stothers, one of the stars of an inspirational documentary about young indigenous students following their dreams to change the world

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 30: Mohammad Nabi of the Renegades bats during the Big Bash League match between the Melbourne Renegades and Sydney Thunder at Marvel Stadium on January 30, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)

BBL return marks summer of cricket fun

sport

Big Bash cricket is back — but it will look a bit different this summer. Check out the new rules and download our fun activity sheets and BBL scoreboard

Asteroid sample lands safely in South Australia

space

In a mission described as perfect, a capsule containing a sample of an asteroid that could help unlock some of the mysteries about life on Earth has landed in the South Australian outback

Acropora tenuis colony of coral spawning on Great Barrier Reef during first day of summer 01/12/96.
Queensland / Travel

Great Barrier Reef spawning shown on TV

environment

In an Australian first, the annual Great Barrier Reef spawning has been shown live on TV in the hope the event will bring the country together in awe and inspire people to help protect the reef

Getting their first job is a good time for teenagers to take their financial first steps. iStock image. For Kids News

How to take your financial first steps

money

Are you thinking of getting your first part-time job over the summer holidays? You’ll need to get your money matters sorted. Here’s how

‘Happiness always looks small while you hold it in your hands, but let it go, and you learn at once how big and precious it is’
MAXIM GORKY

Quokkas are the happiest creatures on Earth, according to Aussie animal photographer Alex Cearns.

Snapshots capture happy quokkas

animals

Quokkas are the happiest creatures on Earth, according to animal photographer Alex Cearns, who has captured the loveable marsupials on camera for a new picture book.

Healthy Harold with blue balloon background. For Kids News

Healthy Harold is here to answer your questions

ask healthy harold

Do you have a question about health and safety? Healthy Harold is here to help. Send him your question now.

The Odds by Matt Stanton. Book cover image for Kids News.

Great summer reading with our December book of the month

book club

Top-selling children’s author Matt Stanton is back with a new book just in time for some summer holiday reading. Take a free sneak peek of The Odds

Dr Erich Fitzgerald holding a 3D replica of the Triceratops mandible (jaw bone). Photographer - Benj

Triceratops coming to live in Australia

animals

A very special dinosaur that roamed Earth 67 million years ago is moving to Melbourne. The one-tonne triceratops skeleton has been described as one of the most complete dinosaur fossils ever found

TOPSHOT - This undated handout photo released on April 20, 2016 by XL Catlin Seaview Survey shows a turtle swimming over bleached coral at Heron Island on the Great Barrier Reef. Australia's iconic Great Barrier Reef is suffering its worst coral bleaching ever recorded with 93 percent impacted, scientists said on April 20, 2016 as they revealed the phenomenon was also hitting the other side of the country. / AFP PHOTO / XL CATLIN SEAVIEW SURVEY / STR / -----EDITORS NOTE --- RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / XL CATLIN SEAVIEW SURVEY" - NO MARKETING - NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS - NO ARCHIVES

Great Barrier Reef outlook now ‘critical’

environment

Climate change is increasingly damaging UN World Heritage sites including the Great Barrier Reef, a new report warns, while 2020 is on track to be the second hottest year on record

Mark Knight Cartoon Herald Sun 30th Birthday special.

During fire season, we are all in this together

arts

Mark Knight chooses a favourite cartoon from 2020 and explains the process of starting with a news event, gathering ideas and working towards a drawing to tell even more of the story

Kmart has launched two new Down Syndrome dolls and disability advocates are delighted by the news as it marks greater representation for people with disabilities. Paddington mum Gemma Namey with her daughters Evie Netto, 2, and Isabelle Netto, 6, who has Down Syndrome with one of the new dolls. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Meet Baby Charlie, the doll with Down syndrome

humanities

Kmart has added to its range of inclusive toys with the Baby Charlie with Down Syndrome dolls, just in time for International Day of People with Disability on December 3

An handout picture taken in November 2020 and released by www.ziarpiatraneamt.ro on December 1, 2020 shows a metal pillar on Batca Doamnei hill in Piatra Neamt, Romania. - A metal monolith which mysteriously appeared on a hilltop in northern Romania has sparked curiosity -- and mockery -- online, coming just days after a similar object was found in the Utah desert. (Photo by Handout / www.ziarpiatraneamt.ro / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO /www.ziarpiatraneamt.ro " - NO MARKETING - NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

Shiny metal thing disappears, another appears

arts

Another mysterious triangular metal pillar has been found next to an ancient fortress in the city of Piatra Neamt, Romania, days after one vanished without a trace in the desert in Utah, US

Duelling Dinosaurs
Picture: North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

Dinosaurs’ ferocious fight to the death

animals

An Australian geologist is working to uncover the fossilised scene of a T-rex and a triceratops apparently locked in a ferocious duel, the teeth of the T-rex embedded in the other’s spine

Aussie telescope maps new atlas of the Universe

space

In under two weeks the CSIRO’s world-leading radio telescope in Western Australia has created a Google Maps-like atlas or map of our Universe, in the meantime discovering many new galaxies

Pictured in Cronulla is a socially distanced Santa with local girl Edie Docherty (7).
Children have had their minds eased knowing that Santa will go about his Christmas 2020 duties in a socially distanced fashion.
Picture: Richard Dobson

Santa gets special permission to travel at Christmas

news

The coronavirus pandemic continues to disrupt travel around the world but the Prime Minister has confirmed that no matter what happens to Australia’s borders Santa will be able to do his job

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