Indholdsfortegnelse for May/June 2023 i Spider Magazine Stories, Games, Activites and Puzzles for Children and Kids

Spider Magazine Stories, Games, Activites and Puzzles for Children and Kids|May/June 2023

Doodlebug & Dandelion The Drum Circle

“ARE WE REALLY doing this?” Dandelion Pinkley asked her brother, Doodlebug. She was doubtful. Doodlebug and his best buddy, Bog, looked up at her. They’d been making signs all morning to alert the neighbors about a celebration they’d planned for the next evening—in the Pinkleys’ backyard. Bog was usually Doodlebug’s partner in crime, and things didn’t always go well. “You’ll love the drum circle, Dandelion,” Bog said. “Yeah, it’s to celebrate the summer solstice,” Doodlebug added. “How many people? It could get pretty crowded back there, you know.” “Who cares? Mom said we could.” “Of course, she did,” Dandelion replied. Their musical mother owned almost every instrument in the world. She’d never turn down a chance to drum with a group. “The solstice is the longest day of the year,”…

4 min

Spider Magazine Stories, Games, Activites and Puzzles for Children and Kids|May/June 2023

KOREAN WATERMELON PUNCH

ON A HOT day, kids in Korea love a cool drink of subak hwachae (watermelon punch). This recipe makes 4 servings. WHAT YOU’LL NEED: 2 cups watermelon2 cups honeydew2 cups ginger ale2 cups milk ice other fruits (optional)2 tablespoons honey (optional) mint (optional) WHAT TO DO: 1. Wash the watermelon and honeydew. Have an adult help you cut both melons into bite-sized cubes and remove the seeds. (You can also use a melon baller.) Save as much juice as you can. 2. Put the watermelon and honeydew and their juices into a large bowl. (You can also use a carved-out watermelon or honeydew half!) 3. If you want, add other fruits, like clementines, grapes, or strawberries. 4. Pour the ginger ale and milk into a separate bowl. Add a little…

1 min

Spider Magazine Stories, Games, Activites and Puzzles for Children and Kids|May/June 2023

Music-Loving Dragon

Elsie Lloyd, age 10Woonsocket, South Dakota Gray, age 9Alexandria, Virginia I Love Rock! Eleanor R., age 9Knoxville, Tennessee Elizabeth L. Mumme, age 8Hillsdale, Michigan Beckett M. J., age 8Vancouver, Washington Wings of Music Brayden Heimbecher, age 10Green Bay, Wisconsin Disco Dragon! Sarah Rosenburg, age 12Bellingham, Washington The Dancing Dragon Lyla G., age 7Ocean City, Maryland Aqua Ingrid D.-L., age 7Madison, Wisconsin Dragon Scales Cecilia B., age 12Boiling Springs, South Carolina Piper C., age 8Raceland, Louisiana Blues Dragon Declan K., age 10Brighton, Massachusetts Dragon Hip-Hop Brian Lloyd, age 6Woonsocket, South Dakota…

1 min

Spider Magazine Stories, Games, Activites and Puzzles for Children and Kids|May/June 2023

Splendid Spin Drum

What You'll Need: empty canister with metal bottom (the kind 8 to 12 ounces of nuts or cocoa mix come in) construction paper scissors empty paper towel tube markers ruler 2 balloons (12-inch size) curling ribbon (balloon string) 4 pony beads masking tape glue What to Do: 1. With a grownup’s help, cut off the narrow part of each balloon. Dispose of the two narrow pieces and the canister’s lid. Ask the grownup to stretch one balloon over the canister’s open top and one over the metal bottom. 2. Cut a strip of paper the width of the canister. Decorate the strip and the paper towel tube. Glue the strip around the canister’s side. 3. Cut two 10-inch pieces of ribbon. Thread a bead through a ribbon. Slide it to…

1 min

Spider Magazine Stories, Games, Activites and Puzzles for Children and Kids|May/June 2023

Listen to the Story of the Drum

PUT YOUR HAND over your heart, and sit very still. Thump, thump, thump. You may notice that the sound of your heartbeat is similar to the steady beat of a drum. Your heart starts beating before you are born and continues throughout your entire life. For this reason, the beating of a drum signifies the rhythm of life for many people around the world. In Ghana, a country in Africa, many schools use drums, instead of bells, to signal the beginning and ending of class and recess. Through the drum, the children of Ghana also learn about their history and culture. They hear ancient stories passed down through the music of the drum—just like nursery rhymes and folk tales. The stories of the drum also teach children basic games, rules,…

4 min

Spider Magazine Stories, Games, Activites and Puzzles for Children and Kids|May/June 2023

Mr. Xi’s Fruit Trees

MR. XI LIVES next to me in my new neighborhood. His name sounds like “Mr. Shee.” Mr. Xi grows fruit in his big garden. He gives the fruit to everyone he sees. “I have only one stomach!” he laughs. “I cannot eat all this fruit!” Mr. Xi likes to say, “Méi guanxi.” It’s pronounced like this: “May gwon-shee.” Everyone is always saying he should sell his fruit. “You’d make a lot of money at the farmer’s market,” they say. “Méi guanxi!” he replies. One weekend, Mom has to work. She has to work more now that we live in a new house in a new city, without Dad. She asks Mr. Xi to watch me. “I’m so sorry,” she says. “But we don’t know our other neighbors yet.” “Méi guanxi!”…

5 min

Spider Magazine Stories, Games, Activites and Puzzles for Children and Kids|May/June 2023

Spider's mailbox

Dear Sam, I like cats. Will you adopt one of my kittens? My imaginary cat Rosepaw had kittens. Their names are Petalkit, Flashkit, Bloomkit, and Blossomkit. If you want Petalkit, you have to take Flashkit, too. They are best friends. You can give Bloomkit and Blossomkit to Spider and Bill. I have read the Warriors/Warrior Cats book series. That’s where I got the names. Harriet S., age 9 Vermont Dear Spider, I have a gift for you! It is a dragon named Baley. Can you ask Miro if he can make me some cookies? This is how you write dragon in Chinese. Love, Amelia Boerne, Texas P.S. Baley’s bed will be there in one day. Dear Amelia, Thanks for the gift! Miro is baking persimmon cookies, but I bet Bill…

3 min

Spider Magazine Stories, Games, Activites and Puzzles for Children and Kids|May/June 2023

Buggy Bulletin

Answers to Flower Scour Mind-Buggler Puzzled Pomelo The sweet solution to a juicy riddle is hidden within this mysterious citrus. As you move clockwise, write every other letter in the spaces below. Need a hint where to start? Look at the beginning of the word pomelo for help. What do you need to tell a funny joke about fruit juice? A good — — — — — — — — — ! Q. Which purple fruit fixes broken toilets? A. A plum-er. Send your favorite jokes to spider@cricketmedia.com! Answer: Punch time…

1 min

Spider Magazine Stories, Games, Activites and Puzzles for Children and Kids|May/June 2023

The Tiger and the Persimmon A Korean Folk Tale

LONG AGO IN Korea, a boy lived with his mother in a village nestled between thickly wooded mountains. The boy loved to explore the valley and care for his favorite ox, but most of all he loved to eat the dried fruit of the persimmon tree that grew in the garden. Soft and sweet, with a fragrance like honey, the little morsels in shades of cheerful orange were just right after a day outdoors. One afternoon, the boy hurried home for a bite to eat, the taste of dried persimmons already on his tongue. He searched the cupboards, but there were no persimmons to be found. Had they finished them? His mother told him to see to his chores. Perhaps there were more persimmons stored away. She would search for…

5 min

Spider Magazine Stories, Games, Activites and Puzzles for Children and Kids|May/June 2023

Work in Progress

My father’s first job was a big waste of time. He failed to fix secondhand clocks. And his gold mining stint didn’t ever pan out. In a rush, he found nothing but rocks. Things began to look up at the telescope store. But sadly, the stars weren’t aligned. He loathed serving coffee despite all its perks. He dreaded the slow daily grind. His pilot career never really took off. He winged it a bit as he steered. He assisted magicians but went through a stage. His love of the show disappeared. The railway was fun, but he ran out of steam. He couldn’t get back on the rails. He built wooden ships, but his company sank. He never produced any sails. At last, my old man settled down to plant…

1 min

Spider Magazine Stories, Games, Activites and Puzzles for Children and Kids|May/June 2023

Spider's corner

Contest Rules Write a poem about growing fruit. Here are the only rules: 1. Your poem should be 10 lines or fewer. 2. Your entry must be signed by a parent or legal guardian, authorizing its publication in print and/or online and saying it’s your own idea. 3. Be sure to include your complete name, age, and address. 4.Your entry must arrive by May 25, 2023. We will publish our favorites in the October 2023 issue of Spider. Email your entry to spider@cricketmedia.com, or send it to Spider’s Corner, P.O. Box 300, Peru, IL 61354.…

1 min

Spider Magazine Stories, Games, Activites and Puzzles for Children and Kids|May/June 2023

El Tigre

HAVE A ROARING good time looking like a big cat. Create this purr fect tiger mask, and prowl around the jungle! What You’ll Need: scissors tape yarn or string sharp pencil What to Do: 1. Cut out both mask parts along the solid lines. Cut out the eyeholes (figure 1). 2. Cut the numbered slots in the mask. Reinforce the circled Xs with tape. Then make a hole in each with a pencil (figure 1). 3. Insert tab 1 into slot 1. Do the same for the rest of the numbered tabs and slots (figure 2). Tape the tabs to the back of the mask (figure 3). 4. Fold the nose in along the dotted line. Tape down on the back. 5. Push the strings through the X holes, and…

1 min