World’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge opens
newsWould you be brave enough to walk across this bridge with its wobbly, see-through pathway 174m above the ground?
National Final here we come, say top scorers
spelling beeHow do you spell success? Just ask the crop of super spellers who have won their way into the National Final of the Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee in perfect 30/30 form
NRL hero backs local sports boost
sportInjured Roosters star Luke Keary loved his junior rugby league days and is excited more local sports are sharing the spotlight in a new campaign to boost community competitions
Trillions of Brood X cicadas about to hatch
explainersCicadas are about to emerge from the soil in a hatch so big, noisy and incredible the whole world has been eagerly waiting for it to happen. Kids News researches whether this is as scary as it seems
World’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge opens
newsWould you be brave enough to walk across this bridge with its wobbly, see-through pathway 174m above the ground?
National Final here we come, say top scorers
spelling beeHow do you spell success? Just ask the crop of super spellers who have won their way into the National Final of the Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee in perfect 30/30 form
NRL hero backs local sports boost
sportInjured Roosters star Luke Keary loved his junior rugby league days and is excited more local sports are sharing the spotlight in a new campaign to boost community competitions
Trillions of Brood X cicadas about to hatch
explainersCicadas are about to emerge from the soil in a hatch so big, noisy and incredible the whole world has been eagerly waiting for it to happen. Kids News researches whether this is as scary as it seems
Congratulations to the students progressing to the National Final on Thursday, May 27.
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Charlotte still queen of the playground
just for funThe 2021 Baby Names Report is out, which analyses trends over the past decade. For the eighth time in 10 years, Charlotte is the top girls’ name with Oliver also consistently number one for boys
Other story puts Federal budget in shade
civicsThe Federal budget is the biggest day of the year in the nation’s capital, yet the size of the pile of money Josh Frydenberg has to manage is dwarfed by the wealth of two other people in the news
Aussie attempts planking world record
sportLiving with chronic pain from childhood has inspired one South Australian man’s world record bid for the longest abdominal plank.
NASA probe ‘touches the Sun’
spaceNASA’s Parker Solar Probe has broken its own record as the fastest man-made object in history as its speed brings it closer and closer to the Sun.
Sherpa Kami summits Everest for record 25th time
humanitiesNepalese Sherpa Kami Rita has set a new record for the most Everest ascents, reaching the summit of the world’s highest peak for the 25th time
Top award for a dog named Zero
animalsHis name may be Zero, but this four-year-old black labrador has scored top marks as a companion canine in the courtroom, winning a Premier’s Excellence Award in South Australia
Siblings share Down syndrome message
humanitiesA 12-year-old Adelaide boy is preparing to embark on an epic waterskiing journey on the Murray River to wash away myths about his little brother’s Down syndrome
Sniffer bees busy on COVID test training
scienceScientists have trained bees to identify COVID-19 in test samples, providing results almost instantly instead of waiting hours for regular test results to come through
State and territory winners announced
spelling beeCongratulations to all the students who competed in the State/Territory Finals of the Spelling Bee, and especially to the super spellers who will progress to the National Final. See their names here
Found: early explorer’s lost marker tree
historyResearchers have used modern technology to find a carved marker tree used by explorers during an 1891 expedition in the South Australia outback
The Great Aussie Coin Hunt is here
moneyThe Great Aussie Coin Hunt is back at Australia Post, with the new A-Z of $1 collectable coins from the Royal Australian Mint full of fun and surprises
Heaviest moth in the world found at primary school
animalsBuilders have found a giant wood moth as big as two adult human fists while working at a Queensland school, sparking a creative writing story in which the teacher is eaten by moths
Helping Aussies leave the kitchen table
newsDespite new childcare subsidies intended to make it cheaper for adults to go back to workplaces, Mark Knight wonders whether anyone actually wants to get out of trackpants and slippers
Why pranks can be good for you
just for funPlaying tricks can relieve stress and raise a smile – and kids who share their funniest prank could end up with a character named after them in the next Funny Kid book!
World’s widest plane aces test flight
spaceTwo years after its first flight, the gigantic Stratolaunch aircraft took to the skies for a second time above the Mojave Desert in the US.
Parrot flies back from brink of extinction
animalsFive years ago, scientists faced the prospect of the critically endangered orange-bellied parrot “going extinct right in front of us”, but now those same scientists are grinning from ear to ear
Sleep just as good as exercise to keep kids trim
healthSleeping an extra 52 minutes has the same benefit on a child’s Body Mass Index as exercising 17 minutes more a day, new Aussie research has revealed
Some good news for endangered Sumatran rhino
animalsWith only an estimated 80 Sumatran rhinos left in the wild, the results of a new study deliver welcome hope for the survival of the species.
Visitors to see Colosseum as gladiators saw it
historyRome’s famous Colosseum will soon have a floor again, allowing the 7.6 million people who visit each year to stand where gladiators stood before they went into battle 2000 years ago
Weird fish makes comeback in Murray River
environmentScientists have found a spooky-looking, bloodsucking, critically endangered native fish in record numbers in the Murray River system, which is great news for the environment and lamprey fish
Creepy-crawlies on the menu
healthBugs like witchetty grubs, bogong moths and green tree ants could soon be on Australian dinner plates under a plan to grow our edible insect industry
Kanye West’s sneakers sell for record $1.8 million
just for funKanye West’s Nike Air Yeezy sneakers have smashed the record sale price previously set by a pair of Air Jordans
Do you have a question for author Emily Rodda?
book clubBecome a Kids News reporter and ask author Emily Rodda a question. And while you’re at it, get a sneak peek of her new book, Eliza Vanda’s Button Box
Farewell Michael Collins, Apollo 11 astronaut
historyUS astronaut Michael Collins, who piloted the Apollo 11 command module while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first people to walk on the Moon, has died aged 90
Just three per cent of Earth untouched by humans
environmentA new scientific study has found as little as 3 per cent of the world’s land surfaces are still home to their full range of native species and remain unspoilt by human activity
Quick decision by ScoMo not a surprise to cartoonist
newsVisual metaphors can help illustrate complex political situations. With air travel to India ceasing suddenly due to the coronavirus disaster there, Mark Knight needed an aviation metaphor
Group spends 40 days in French cave for experiment
scienceImagine 40 days in a cave without light, clocks or technology. That’s what a group of 15 volunteers has done for a scientific experiment in France
Hawk’s in the running for best teammate
sportJunior footballer Hawk Hodkinson was so determined not to let his team down he ran 7.5km to his match after his coach forgot to pick him up
Fitbits for Phillip Island penguins
animalsPhillip Island’s little penguins are small but mighty adaptable, according to a new scientific study using custom-made ‘fitbits’.
What it takes to be a YouTube star
just for funSo, you want to be a famous YouTuber? Aussie teen ‘Reekid’ reveals how he did it, and the down side to his success
Game on for girls’ cricket, footy and basketball
sportA study of Australian sporting participation records shows an increase in the number of girls playing club sports traditionally played by boys, but fewer boys aged 5-14 are playing sport
Bushfire Poetry Comp winners impress judge Jackie French
artsYoung writers have used the power of simple words and real experiences to win over renowned author and Kids News Poetry Competition judge Jackie French. See the winners and runners-up