Category Just for Fun

What are 3 interesting facts about Enid Blyton?

Enid Blyton’s birth anniversary was observed recently. Though the British author who has penned more than 600 books has been called out for racism in recent years, the magic she wielded over generations of young readers cannot be disputed. Let’s sift through the pages of six of her famous series.

 

The Secret Seven

The Secret Seven constitute a group of seven adventurous duldren who go about solving mysteries. They have their own set of rules. There is a shed with a door that has “SS” marked on it. This is where the children meet. One can access this space only through a password and one needs to wear badges as well. The group comprises Peter, his sister Janet, and their friends Jack, Colin, George, Pam and Barbara. They hunt for clues and solve mysteries and suspicious occurrings in their local community such as burglaries, cases of missing children and so on. All thanks to the Secret Seven, there are such societies all over the world formed by children inspired by the book series. The series consists of 15 books and the first in the series titled “The Secret Seven” was published in 1949. Time to form your own secret society, is it?

St. Clare’s series

The first St. Clare’s book “The Twins at St Clare’s” was published in 1941. Even today, the books are popular among the children. The plot of the book series revolves around the many adventures a group of girls go through as they navigate life in a boarding school. St Clare’s is a boarding-school for girls and our stories follow the twins Pat and Isobel O’Sullivan, who arrive at the school in the first book. The book follows them from first form and upwards and ends at the fifth form. Amidst midnight feasts, sports matches, exams, and fun and friendship, Enid Blyton weaves a bewitching story that can hook the young readers. Another similar series that you can check out is the “Malory Towers”.

Noddy Series

“The Noddy” series by Enid Blyton is famous to a point that Noddy is an icon. For many children. Noddy is the first character that introduces them to the author’s world. Noddy was created in wood by Old Man Carver. He then goes to Toyland and this is where the adventure starts. The many colourful characters in Toyland, a land that brims with towns and villages populated by toys, add charm to the series and makes it a wonderful read for kids. The first title “Noddy Goes To Toyland” was published in 1949.

The Wishing-Chair

Picture this. A chair which will fly you to wonderful places. The stories revolve around the adventures of Peter and Mollie. One fine day, the duo walk into an antique shop to buy a present for their mother’s birthday. But their lives change with just one visit. They acquire a wishing-chair which develops wings and flies them wherever they want to. They travel to many unique lands and interact with a multitude of vibrant characters who take the children as well as the reader on a journey laden with adventures. The first book in the series “The Adventures of the Wishing Chair’ was published in 1937. Pick up the book and traverse the Land of Dreams, Village of Slipperies and Land of Goodies, besides indulging in the exploits with the children.

The Famous Five

 The Famous Five is a mystery-solving gang of five siblings. They go about on a range of adventures. The famous five includes Julian, Dick, Anne, George and Timmy the dog. They embark on an adventure every school holiday. The first book in the series was published in 1942 and the adventure began with the book “Five on a Treasure Island”. The book became a huge hit and Enid Blyton went on to write 20 more books in the series. Their adventures include finding hidden treasures, stumbling upon secret passageways, caves and so on as the children go about to catch the villains. Here, the children have absolute freedom as they solve mysteries, hopping on from one adventure to another.

The Naughtiest Girl series

There is a naughty girl in every classroom. The spoilt and defiant Elizabeth Allen is every bit the naughtiest girl you will encounter. Tired of her antics, her parents decide to send her off to a boarding school. That’s how the Naughtiest Girl series begins. The first book in the series “The Naughtiest Girl in the School” was published in 1940. Elizabeth hatches a plan to be very rude and disobedient so that the she will get kicked out of the school. But Elizabeth is in for a sweet surprise at the boarding school “Whyteleafe” which is unlike any boarding school one comes across. Join Elizabeth as she embarks on a whirl-wind journey and even starts to enjoy life at the school.

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Is Switzerland known for chocolate or cheese?

From soaring Alps to beautiful lakes, Switzerland has breathtaking scenery. The country has for centuries been a neutral state and is one of the world’s wealthiest countries. Let us find out more about this beautiful country in Europe.

History

The earliest stones discovered in Switzerland are more than 250,000 years old. During the last glacial period in Alpine Europe, the Wurm stage, which began around 70,000 years ago, the region was covered with ice. At about 12,000 BC. Homo sapiens appeared after the melting of the glaciers, Neolithic cultures established com growing and animal breeding in parts of the Rhone and Rhine valleys.

The region that constitutes present-day Switzerland became part of the Roman Empire at the beginning of the 3rd Century BC With the end of the Western Roman Empire. the Roman administration in the region dismantled in the 5th and 6th centuries. In the Middle Ages, the region witnessed migratory flows. Various peoples also settled in Switzerland, bringing with them new ways of life and languages

Switzerland was formed in 1291 and became an independent country in 1815. Though the country faced tensions and armed conflicts like the rest of Europe, it developed its unique characteristic of being neutral in wars. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the country experienced periods of peace and rising prosperity.

Geography

Switzerland is a landlocked country bordered by France, Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein and Italy. It is the nexus of the diverse physical and cultural geography of Western Europe.

It has deep Alpine lakes and grassy valleys with farms and small villages. Among the snow-covered Swiss Alps, Matterhorn is the most famous peak. The highest among them is Dufourspitze at 15,203 feet.

In the past several decades. the country has faced severe environmental stress, resulting in pollution and debates over the exploitation of natural resources. During the 1970s and 1980s. environmental policies were adopted by the municipalities that led to an impressive progress on pollution abatement. For example, air pollution emissions here are among the lowest in industrialised countries.

Flora and fauna

In the warmer months, Switzerland is graced with a variety of flora. The most beautiful blooms can be found high in the mountains.

The vegetation here is a mix of four European climatic regions that converge in the country. It includes the beeches and oaks of the maritime west; hornbeam and larch trees in the more continental east, predominantly in the Engadin and the dry Valais; extensive spruce forests in the northern subalpine region; and chestnut groves in the south. The most famous flower in the country is the edelweiss (native to alpine areas of Europe and South America).

Though the country’s animal life is primarily Alpine, it has a mixture of species familiar to southern and north-central Europe. Here, one can find ibex, which is a species of mountain goat that was hunted to near extinction in the early 1800s. It was reintroduced and more than 15,000 ibex now live in the Swiss Alps. Besides, one can find marmots in the high meadows, and chamois. The forests of Switzerland are also home to deer, rabbits, foxes, badgers, squirrels, and many bird species.

People

Most of Western Europe’s culture has its presence in Switzerland. The Swiss constitution recognises German, French, Italian and Romansh (a Rhaeto-Romance language with Latin roots) as official languages. Though English is not an official language, most of the country’s official documents are in it.

Most of the citizens live in towns and cities. The cities are international centres of industry and commerce.

Since the beginning of the 20th Century, the population of Switzerland has more than doubled. The foreign-born population here increased in the 1990s as it provided refuge to those fleeing the violence in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Kosovo.

The country boasts an impressive list of contributors to the arts and sciences. It has won more Nobel Prizes and registered more patents per capita than any other country.

Switzerland’s neutral stance In wars and laws of political asylum have attracted many creative persons during times of unrest or war in Europe. For example, the rise of fascism in the 1930s and 1940s caused a number of German, Austrian, and Italian writers such as Thomas Mann, Stefan George, and Ignazio Silone to seek refuge in Switzerland.

Traditional Swiss cuisine is marked by important cultural and regional variations. Cheese dishes are an integral part of the country’s cuisine. Its famous and national dish is fondue neuchateloise, which is a mixture of melted Emmentaler and Gruyere cheeses and wine into which bread cubes are dipped.

The Swiss chocolate industry is also world-famous. Meanwhile, the western region of the country is influenced by French cuisine and culture, and in Ticino, pasta, polenta, and risotto from Italy are popular.

Typical Swiss folk culture such as yodeling and playing the alphorn is practised in some rural regions. Folk arts here include music, poetry (usually song), dance, wood carving, and embroidery. The traditions can be seen in the country’s many holidays and festivals. For example, Fasnacht is celebrated in late winter throughout the country. It exhibits regional variations such as in some places people wear masks to chase away evil spirits. Masks are also part of Sylvesterklause (New Year) celebrations, particularly in rural Switzerland.

The country has made a significant mark in science. The famous Swiss scientists include Paracelsus, who introduced chemistry into the field of medicine in the 16th Century. Zurich’s Federal Institute of Technology has produced many Nobel Prize winners, among them physicists Albert Einstein, Wolfgang Pauli, and Heinrich Rohrer. The Swiss are well known for their watches and clocks.

Government

The 1848 Constitution of Switzerland, modelled on the United States, was revised in 1874 and then in 2000. It does not allow for troops to be sent to serve in foreign wars. During both World Wars, the country remained neutral.

One of the unique aspects of the Constitution is that it allows citizens to have a direct say in their own affairs under Switzerland’s system of direct democracy. The citizens can also call a national vote on any issue by collecting 100,000 signatures.

The leader of the government is the President. Both the President and Vice-President are elected by the Federal Assembly from the Federal Council. They serve a one-year term and elections are usually held in December. Ruth Dreifuss was the first woman to serve as President, holding the office in 1999.

Though the country has been a member of the United Nations since 2002, it is not a member of the European Union.

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Ever wondered what the cosmos smells like?

Well, wait, can you smell in space? It is a vacuum, right? The space is empty. And if you were out in space, you cannot risk taking off your helmet and try smelling the cosmos. Our noses wouldn’t work in a vacuum and doing so can lead to a casualty. But we do know what the space smells like. It is metallic.

Astronauts who have been abroad on the ISS have said that they experienced a metallic aroma on the surface of their spacesuits. They can’t smell outer space when they are floating in it. But once the astronauts were back in their space station and removed their helmets, they always said that there was a metallic aroma. Their suit, helmet, gloves, and tools would get permeated with this distinct smell.

Most astronauts have defined the smell as that of burning metal, gunpowder, ozone, seared steak and so on. The smell of outer space is important because it can tell us a lot about the chemical composition of our galaxy. There have been many theories concerning the distinct smell. Let’s learn more about the smell.

Probable explanations

One of the explanations for the smell of space is the chemical reaction (oxidation) that occurs in the spacecraft during re-pressurisation. Oxidation happens when the atomic oxygen (single atoms) clinging onto the spacesuit of the astronaut combines with the O2 in the cabin during re-pressurisation and make ozone (O3).

The other explanation is even more intriguing. It says that the smell is that of dying stars! A lot of energy gets released when a star dies. As a result of this process. Many pungent compounds such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are created and these float around in the universe. The PAHS when combined with air within the spacecraft may be responsible for the unique smell.

NASA’s perfume

Did you know that NASA tried to recreate the smell of space? This happened in 2008 when the space agency contacted chemist Steve Pearce to recreate the smell. It took him four years to come up with the smell. It was used for astronaut training purposes and to get the astronauts accustomed to the smell of space beforehand. Later, a perfume was released in the public domain by the chemist’s company using the formula. The perfume christened “Eau de Space” mimicked the smell of space.

Picture Credit :  Google

What are the the effective ways to make holidays creative?

It is vacation time and this is when every kid indulges themselves to the hilt. Time is at your disposal and there is not a worry in the world about assignments or tuition classes. Be it reading or sleeping in, there are several ways for you to enjoy the holidays. How about making your free time a little more productive? We have put together a set of creative ways to spend your time indoors.

Write a short story

This holiday season, why not try writing a story? Choose the short story format so that you can finish it within the holidays. The first thing you need to do is to identify an idea. It can be inspired by real-life incidents or can be purely fictional. Think about the multiple endings an incident can have. Add in drama and conflict. Bring in the characters, build them up. and identify their conflicts and goals. Try to bring challenges and figure out your story's message. Once you make a note of the ideas, you can start writing the story. If you. have a writer's block and cannot get ahead and want inspiration, try reading the beginnings of a few famous books. You can start writing from anywhere. Just start writing and everything will follow.

Prepare a scrapbook on any issue that's close to your heart

A scrapbook project is a very creative activity you can indulge in during your vacation. Think about a theme or story or some issue that is close to you and start a visual narrative around it. This is your scrapbook album. You might need a few supplies for this such as scrapbooks or pattern papers, tapes, pens, highlighters, and embellishments. With a beautiful scrapbook, you would have preserved a memory in time!

Make holiday cards

Are you missing your friends? Christmas and New Year aren't the only occasions to make holiday cards. You can make these cards for any occasion. Get a cardstock paper and then fix the size of your card. Decide on the theme of the holiday card. Write out the greeting message and then embellish it with foil, sequins, beads, stones, pattern papers, ribbons and so on.

Find out more about your family history

How about learning more about your roots? This vacation, try to know more about yourself and prepare a book with pictures. You can even learn more about the flora or fauna in your neighbourhood. This helps you record people, places and events and can offer in a nutshell every information you need to know. You can try making a family tree even. A family tree is a representation of family relationships in a tree structure. This can help you know more about your genealogy, and even help build connections with long-lost family members.

Write and illustrate a comic book

You must be familiar with superheroes and comic books. How about creating your own superheroes with superpowers? This vacation, unleash your imagination and create a superhero with the superpower you wish you had. Create a supervillain and illustrate a comic book. The characters can be drawn from real life or can be fictitious. Maybe you will end up creating a superhero kid with multiple superpowers who wants to change the world.

Get creative with whatever is available at home

You don't need high-end craft paraphernalia for creativity. Look around. See that old terracotta plant pot idling away. Why don't you add some colours to it and paint it? Embellish it with beads, sequins, and add colour and you get a pretty pot. Now go ahead and plant a sapling in it and keep it on your window sill. You have just made a corner of your home more interesting and creative. Any and every scrap or rag can become a craft piece if you know how to turn it around and use it as an embellishment or as a product for your craft work. Use the old jewellery, party streamers, ribbons, or buttons and stick them onto old pots or onto your journal and make them more interesting. One of the quickest things you can do is make a bookmark. Why not start with that?

Create a puppet show

The time has come to dig out your old socks. Now go ahead and create your own funny puppet characters. Have any demands that need to be met by your friends or parents? Use the puppet to talk to them. It will be a fun way to get your message across and you can always blame it on the puppet if they disagree with your idea or request. You can also create a range of stories with the puppets and this will keep you engaged for hours.

Create your own puzzles and games

We all enjoy playing games and puzzles. But we play according to the rules of the game. Ever wondered about tweaking the rules or the game itself? if this thought occurred to you, then it is time to create your own puzzle or games. Take an old cardboard box, and create your own fun marble puzzle. Or you can even make a kite using the newspapers. If you like doing jigsaw puzzles, then why not create one by yourself? Choose a photo you like, that of a monument or a animal and take a print out. Now create a personalised photo jigsaw puzzle. You can choose the pictures based on the difficulty level you want. Then try putting the photo puzzle together.

Learn a new skill

Why not use your time to learn a new skill? You can learn a creative art form such as dance or playing an instrument, a craft such as paper quilling, decoupage or origami or even a new language Surprise your friends by greeting them in a different language when you see them next in school after the holidays.

Hang a bird feeder

The summers are indeed a time when most water bodies get dried up. So it will be a great help for the birds if you leave a bowl of water outside and set up a bird feeder. It can be near your window sill and should have some shade. The bird feeder should be perched well above the ground so that birds can come and feed from it without worrying about animals such as cats or dogs. Wait for some days and you will be able to see different types of birds coming and feeding from them.

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What are the top toy museums of world?

Museums are treasure troves of history and culture. So how about taking a look at toy museums that can send us on a nostalgic trip down memory lane?

THE NATIONAL FARM TOY MUSEUM – U.S.

An ode to the farming industry, the National Farm Toy Museum in Iowa, U.S., is unique as it celebrates the spirit of farming. The history of agriculture is narrated through thousands of farm toys. The collection includes scale models, replicas, old wood-pressed lithograph farm toys and other toys based on farm equipment.

POLLOCK'S TOY MUSEUM – U.K

This is U.K.'s oldest toy museum. With curios and toys from the past, the Pollock's Toy Museums in central London displays over 20,000 teddy bears, dolls, games, toy theatres and so on. The museum was named after printer Benjamin Pollock. Sadly the museum shut its doors a few days ago with the owners unable to get a fresh contract on the building. Now, they are out with a fundraising appeal.

BRIGHTON TOY AND MODEL MUSEUM – U.K.

With more than 10,000 toys and models, the Brighton Toy And Model Museum in England is a major tourist attraction. Founded in 1991, one of the museum's most prized collections is the model train collection. The large operational model railway layouts and period pieces are exhibits to watch out for.

THE STRONG NATIONAL MUSEUM OF PLAY- U.S.

Be it experiencing the most famous children's television series "Sesame Street' all over again or walking amidst the adventurous world of superheroes or checking out toy artefacts such as paper dolls, yo-yos, wind-up toys or teddy bears, The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York, has everything to transport you to the realm of fun and frolic. It started off as a museum showcasing the personal collection of Margaret Woodbury Strong, the museum's founder. Now, it has a range of exhibits such as unique toy heritage items, vintage paper dolls, early LEGO building sets, Barbie dolls, and so on.

SHANKAR'S INTERNATIONAL DOLLS MUSEUM – INDIA

A museum established by noted political cartoonist K. Shankar Pillai, the Shankar's International Dolls Museum features a grand collection of costume dolls. Located in Children's Book Trust building on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi, the museum has a large array of dolls collected from across the world including authentic Indian costume dolls. The Museum's collection of costume dolls was inspired by a gift. In the early fifties, Shankar received a doll as a gift from the Hungarian Ambassador. The doll was to be given away as a competition prize. But Shankar was smitten by the doll and kept it for himself after taking permission from the Ambassador. Over time, he started collecting costume dolls and holding exhibitions. But the constant travel, packing and unpacking significantly damaged the dolls over time which Shankar spoke about during an exhibition in Delhi that was visited by the then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and his daughter Indira Gandhi who suggested setting up a permanent museum for the dolls. And thus was born Shankars International Dolls Museum.

ST. PETERSBURG TOY MUSEUM RUSSIA

At St. Petersburg Toy Museum, Russia, toys are not just considered playthings but also works of art. Featuring a grand collection of more than 17,000 items, the museum is home to Russian and foreign games and toys that even date back centuries. The collection includes thematic toys, folk toys, artisanal toys, factory toys, and the most famous toys made in Sergiyev Posad- the matryoshka dolls, among others.

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How do erasers remove pencil marks from paper?

When a person writes, graphite particles wear off the pencil tip.

Erasers are used to remove the graphite marks made while writing on paper with a pencil. Erasers are generally made of ‘sticky’ substances like plastic, rubber, vinyl, gum, etc

When a person writes, graphite particles wear off the pencil tip and get interlocked with paper molecules. The soft action of the eraser causes the graphite particles to stick to it instead of the paper, as graphite has a stronger attraction to the eraser molecules than to paper. The ‘dust left over after rubbing consists of worn rubber clumps mixed with graphite particles. Some types of erasers tend to remove the top layer of paper along with the graphite particles and rubbing the same spot repeatedly can make holes in the paper.

Did you know graphite has a stronger attraction to the eraser molecules than to paper?

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