Innehållsförteckning för February 2025 från Spider Magazine Stories, Games, Activites and Puzzles for Children and Kids

FROM THE MOMENT Saikou was born, she was a most marvelous rat. Clearly she was more intelligent, more talented, more compassionate, more creative, and more humble than anyone in all of Japan . . . or the entire universe. Or so her proud parents thought. Because of—or perhaps despite—her mother and father’s constant adoration, Saikou grew up to be a wonderful young lady. Nezumi, who lived on the other side of the wall, also thought Saikou was the most marvelous rat in the world. But he was charmed by her imperfections: the way she joyfully joined the birds in song but sang horribly off-key, how when she nibbled okaki she left behind a mess of crumbs, and that time she tripped over her kimono when she turned back to offer…

What You’ll Need: What to Do: 1. Cut out one side of the carton. Fold it in half lengthwise. 2. Ask an adult to help you hard-boil the egg. (Place the egg in a saucepan. Cover with water. Bring to a boil. Then cover the pan, turn off the heat, and let sit for ten minutes. Then run cool water over the egg.) 3. While the hard-boiled egg is still warm, peel it and put it in the center of the folded carton side. 4. Put the pencil on top of the egg. Wrap rubber bands around both ends of the pencil and carton. Make the bands tight enough that the pencil pushes down on the egg. 5. Let it sit for ten minutes. Then take off the rubber bands…

WE LOVE OUR Aunt Edna. She’s kind and sweet, she brings us doughnuts, and her dog Webster knows cool tricks. But every time she visits, she announces, “It is my obligation to increase your vocabulary.” Translation: she always teaches us new words. Lots of them. When she arrives, she says, “It is time for a familial embrace!” Translation: a hug no matter what, even if she is wearing too much perfume and her buttons poke us in the eyes. When she makes lunch, she says things like, “The legumes are delectable.” Translation: the peas are good, so don’t hide any under your mashed potatoes. She doesn’t teach us manners, oh no. She teaches us to “avoid the social faux pas.” Translation: don’t embarrass her in public by burping on the…

Answer to Valentino’s Valentine Mind-Buggler L U V U “F R O G-E V E R!” Answers to Dandelion’s Secret Code: 1. You Are All My Stars2. I Will Capture You All3. At A Special Event Today4. Are You Ready To Pose? Cupid’s Cute Tongue Twisters This fine valentine of mine kind of rhymes. Little Lottie’s pop lost lots of lollipops. Quickly quit quietly questioning Cupid. Hank handed Sandy cans of candy. Q. What did the hour hand ask the minute hand on February 14? A. Watch-a doing for Valen-time’s Day? Send your favorite jokes to spider@cricketmedia.com! Answers to Pedaling in Sauerkraut 1 J / 2 L / 3 B / 4 F / 5 A /6 K / 7 G / 8 E / 9 D / 10 C…

Adeline S., age 9Fairlawn, Ohio Befriending a Monster There’s a monster under my bed, and I know it for sure.I saw its arms and head peeping at me on the floor!I’m very scared as you probably can guess,but tonight I’m taking a deep, deep breath.I open my bedroom door and get on the floor.I take a quick peek under my bedand sure enough I spot its large head.But this time instead of running away,I keep my head under and whisper out, “Hey.Would you like to be together?We could be best friends forever!”“Sure!” says the monster. “Of course we can be!But, as you can probably see,I have a twin brother and a loving mother, soI’m staying right here,but please come under and be friends with me!” Evelyn M. A., age 7Gainesville,…

A rhyming game for 2 to 4 players COMPLETE A LINE of five pictures and—BINGO—you’re a rhyme champion! What You’ll Need: scissorspile of pennies What to Do: 1. Cut out the bingo cards along the blue outlines and the word cards (at the bottom of this page) along the black lines. For three or four players, photocopy the backs of the cards. 2. Give each player a different card. Place a penny on the FREE square. 3. Spread out the word cards facedown, and mix them up. 4. One player is the “caller.” The caller chooses a word card and reads the column letter and word(s) on it aloud. 5. Look at that column. If a picture rhymes with the called-out word(s), place a penny on that square. 6. The…