Bushfire Poetry Comp: author Jackie French’s five rules for writing a poem
artsAward-winning author Jackie French wants kids to discover the healing power of poetry. See her tips for writing a great poem
A year of wonderful news at our zoos
animalsZoos 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
Saving the day with a gorilla named Gertrude
just for funDavid 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
Kids News launches Bushfire Poetry Competition
artsShare your experiences of last summer’s bushfires for a chance to have your poem published in a special book commemorating the Black Summer fires
Bushfire Poetry Comp: author Jackie French’s five rules for writing a poem
artsAward-winning author Jackie French wants kids to discover the healing power of poetry. See her tips for writing a great poem
A year of wonderful news at our zoos
animalsZoos 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
Saving the day with a gorilla named Gertrude
just for funDavid 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
Kids News launches Bushfire Poetry Competition
artsShare your experiences of last summer’s bushfires for a chance to have your poem published in a special book commemorating the Black Summer fires
Special Features
The Prime Minister's Spelling Bee will be back in 2021. Stay tuned for more information in Term 1.
Join our book club to receive discounts on new books and fantastic prizes
Do you know your landmarks, are you a sports nut and have you been reading this week's Kids News stories? Try to beat the Quiz Word clock.
Congratulations to everyone who took part in this year’s short story competition and especially to the amazing young writers who caught the eye of the judges. Read their winning stories here.
Latest Stories
Steve Smith shares his inside tips on batting and slips catching
sportAussie 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
Guardian dogs saving bandicoots from extinction
animalsTwo 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
‘Lord of the spear’ dinosaur all for show
animalsScientists 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
Hope from ‘extinct’ species rediscovered
animalsEarth 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
Listen to the sounds and music of space
spaceYou 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
Australian surgeons rebuild girl’s spine
healthStanding 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’
spaceOn 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
Student solves poem clues, finds treasure chest
just for funThe 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
moneyWhile 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 haroldHealthy 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
‘Bat woman’ and other incredible wildlife pics
artsThe 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
US election, coronavirus top 2020 Google searches
newsIt 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
Peace and goodwill enduring themes of Christmas
artsMark 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
New height agreed for Mount Everest
mathematicsChina 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
Breakdancing added to 2024 Paris Olympics
sportBreakdancing, 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
Library book returned after 33-year voyage
geographyA 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”
Education drives Kirrah’s dream
humanitiesMeet Kirrah Stothers, one of the stars of an inspirational documentary about young indigenous students following their dreams to change the world
BBL return marks summer of cricket fun
sportBig 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
spaceIn 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
Great Barrier Reef spawning shown on TV
environmentIn 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
How to take your financial first steps
moneyAre 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
Snapshots capture happy quokkas
animalsQuokkas 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 is here to answer your questions
ask healthy haroldDo you have a question about health and safety? Healthy Harold is here to help. Send him your question now.
Great summer reading with our December book of the month
book clubTop-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
Triceratops coming to live in Australia
animalsA 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
Great Barrier Reef outlook now ‘critical’
environmentClimate 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
During fire season, we are all in this together
artsMark 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
Meet Baby Charlie, the doll with Down syndrome
humanitiesKmart 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
Shiny metal thing disappears, another appears
artsAnother 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
Dinosaurs’ ferocious fight to the death
animalsAn 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
spaceIn 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
Santa gets special permission to travel at Christmas
newsThe 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