As parents, we share the same concerns about the uncertainty surrounding coronavirus, and the impact it will have on our families. Here at KiwiCo, we asked our team to work from home. Many of us have children who will be home with us for the foreseeable future due to school closures.
We know a lot of you are also trying to find a new normal, including keeping your kids busy at home. So today, we’re launching a resource hub for parents to help support learning at home, with loads of stay-at-home educational activities for every age, tips from teachers on effective remote learning, and kid-friendly content that connects science with their daily lives. To start with, we’re bringing you an explanation of the science of handwashing, to help kids understand why it’s so important. We’re going to be adding new content and resources to the hub regularly. We’ll also be switching up our newsletter to bring you helpful resources more frequently, and you can follow us on Instagram for daily updates.
Please take care of yourself, and reach out if we can help. We’re here to support you and your family during this time. We’re in this together.
Here at KiwiCo, we believe in the power of small. And that’s because kids have a tendency to dream bigger and see possibilities through an unfiltered lens. It’s a core KiwiCo belief: That by learning the skills to problem-solve, innovate and create, kids can truly change the world tomorrow. And a lot of kids are already making their mark (after they finish their homework, of course). From detecting water contamination to creating human connections, we got to know four young engineers who are thinking big and building a better future.
Mark Leschinsky, 14 Mark invented a self-disinfecting hazmat suit after seeing a newscast about the Ebola epidemic in 2014. He received a U.S. patent for the design in 2016. STEAM snack: Chocolate to help short-term cognitive strength STEAM superhero: Thomas Edison
What inspired you to be an inventor?
Mark: Whenever I create or design something, my end goal is always to be able to make an impact on society. It’s very rewarding for me to see that I can improve the life of someone else.
What advice would you give to other kids who want to start inventing and making?
Mark: I want to emphasize that you don’t need any sophisticated equipment or a lot of experience to make a positive difference in your community. The most important thing is to have passion, dedication, and a desire to achieve something positive. Never take “no” for an answer. Keep going until you have reached the stars. Believe it or not, children truly are the BEST inventors because we children are dreamers! Everything is possible for us!
What is one thing you want to change about the world?
Mark: One thing I want to change in the world is to combat the misconception that kids can’t create something meaningful in our society. Kids are the BEST inventors, creators, and tinkerers because our imagination is limitless! I want the world to recognize that we children are capable of creating the next groundbreaking technologies and innovations in our community, and that the best way to facilitate that is to encourage us to dream big and to invent!
Jordan Reeves, 15 Jordan is an activist, designer, and inventor who has been engineering innovative prosthetics for kids with limb differences since she was in elementary school. STEAM snack: Gushers STEAM superhero: Members of the STEAM Squad
What inspires you to invent new things?
Jordan: I like to look at things based on my personal experience and think of new ways to do it. I’m working on a whole new way to play the guitar because it’s hard for me to do since I was born with one full arm and the other stops before the elbow.
What advice would you give to other kids who want to be engineers?
Jordan: If you have an idea, try it out. It might not work at first. If you get upset and annoyed, walk away for a bit but come back to it. If you keep trying, you might come up with a whole new idea that no one has worked on before.
What change do you want to see in the world?
Jordan: I want to make sure people who are different are included in developing products and ideas from the beginning. I hope kids will think about making sure they include other kids they may not know in their work. Kids who may not be from their own neighborhood or have different life experiences. Ask a lot of questions and make sure you learn about perspectives you don’t have before you settle in on launching a big idea or event.
Laalitya Acharya, 17 Laalitya has been engineering solutions to problems since she was four. She’s currently working on Nereid, a method to detect bacteria contamination in water using AI analysis. STEAM snack: Carrots & hummus STEAM superhero: Dr. Jennifer Doudna who helped to develop the world-changing CRISPR technology
How long have you been interested in science?
Laalitya: I have always been curious about the world around me and always wanted to understand the “why”. One of the first experiences that I remember with science was when I decided to decipher the recipe of Coca-Cola! As I grew older, I saw the issues in our world and wanted to find solutions to these problems.
What got you interested in the issue of water contamination?
Laalitya: My inspiration came from a family trip to India when I saw the glaring water gap – there was a lack of access to clean water and many people, including myself, fell ill from drinking this contaminated water. There were no affordable and effective methods to detect this contamination, so I decided to create one!
What advice would you give to other kids who want to be engineers?
Laalitya: I would tell them to not be afraid of failure, and I know that this is easier said than done – but science is full of mistakes. You will fail and it’s important to pick yourself up after these instances and keep on working towards your goal.
Emma Yang, 17 Emma invented a mobile app that helps Alzheimer’s patients stay engaged and connected to loved ones. She began work on the app at age 12, and has since founded a start-up and raised $120K to pursue the technology. STEAM snack: Lychee candy STEAM superhero: Megan Smith, former Chief Technology Officer of the United States
What inspires you to invent new things?
Emma: I’m fascinated by how technology can empower anyone to solve the problems they see in their family and in their community. What inspired me to innovate was seeing how, even though we see technology as being so ubiquitous and able to solve every problem, there are still many populations (like the elderly and Alzheimer’s patients) who aren’t being reached by the potential of computing. What grew out of the personal challenge of helping my grandmother cope with Alzheimer’s led to an innovation that I hope can contribute to changing the landscape of technology to include these underserved populations.
What advice would you give to other kids who want to be engineers?
Emma: Never let people tell you what is and isn’t possible. You have the potential to make a difference, no matter who you are.
What change do you want to see in the world?
Emma: You might have heard of the phrase, “There’s an app for that.” For most of the population, technology encompasses almost every part of our daily lives. However, there are still significant populations that remain underserved by technology. This is an issue that I want to change about the world. As young people, I believe we have a unique perspective on the issues around us. We can help to address the challenges faced by these underserved populations by raising awareness and, regardless of age or experience, being proactive in using STEM to create solutions for these populations.
February marks Black History Month—a time to celebrate the experiences and accomplishments of Black Americans. And while this should be a focus of education year round, learning resources highlighting Black history are often missing from schools. In fact, that’s a big part of why Black History Month came to fruition in the first place. In the 1920s, Carter G. Woodson—the second Black American to receive a Ph.D. in history from Harvard—created “Negro History Week” as a way to provide schools with resources that would teach children about Black history. Over the past century, the week-long movement evolved into a month-long celebration of Black experiences and accomplishments.
At KiwiCo, we’re on a mission to inspire kids to become the next generation of STEAM leaders and innovators. So during Black History Month, and throughout the year, we look to the trailblazers who laid a path for kids to follow. With help from our friends at The Conscious Kid, we collected a list of some of our favorite books about Black scientists, artists, and innovators who changed the world for the better.
Featuring forty trailblazing Black women in American history, Little Leaders educates and inspires as it relates true stories of breaking boundaries and achieving beyond expectations.
A beautiful picture book for sharing and marking special occasions such as graduation, inspired by the life of the first African American woman to travel in space, Mae Jemison.
Jean-Michel Basquiat and his unique, collage-style paintings rocketed to fame in the 1980s, but before that, he was a little boy who saw art everywhere. Now, award-winning illustrator Javaka Steptoe’s vivid text and bold artwork introduce young readers to the powerful message that art doesn’t always have to be neat or clean–and definitely not inside the lines–to be beautiful.
The life story of Vivien Thomas, an African American surgical technician who developed the first procedure used to perform open-heart surgery on children.
Ernest was not like other scientists. He saw the whole, where others saw only parts. And he noticed details others failed to see. Through stunning illustrations and lyrical prose, this picture book presents the life and accomplishments of Ernest Everett Just, an African American biologist who made important discoveries about the cell in the 1930s.
Based on the New York Times bestselling book and the Academy Award-nominated movie, author Margot Lee Shetterly and illustrator Laura Freeman bring the incredibly inspiring true story of four Black women who helped NASA launch men into space to picture book readers!
This book is a journey across borders, through time and even through space to meet 52 icons of color from the past and present in a celebration of achievement.
Dream Builder: The Story of Architect Philip Freelon celebrates a contemporary black STEAM role model, a man whose quiet work enabled the creation of an iconic building reflecting America’s past and future. With a stirring text by Kelly Starling Lyons, vibrant pictures by Laura Freeman, and an afterword from Philip Freelon himself, it is sure to inspire the next generation of dreamers and builders.
When fourteen-year-old William Kamkwamba’s Malawi village was hit by a drought, everyone’s crops began to fail. Without enough money for food, let alone school, William spent his days in the library and figured out how to bring electricity to his village. Persevering against the odds, William built a functioning windmill out of junkyard scraps, and thus became the local hero who harnessed the wind.
Can spiders learn? How do ants find their way home? Can bugs see color? All of these questions buzzed endlessly in Charles Henry Turner’s mind. As the first Black entomologist, he was fascinated by plants and animals and bugs. And even when he faced racial prejudice, Turner did not stop wondering. He constantly read, researched, and experimented. Author Janice Harrington and artist Theodore Taylor III capture the life of this scientist and educator in this nonfiction picture book, highlighting Turner’s unstoppable curiosity and his passion for science.
From distant stars, to black holes, to the search for life on other planets, outer space has so much to explore. Inspire your child to think out of the box (and out of this world!) with our favorite space-themed science projects.
How fast do you think a rocket needs to go in order to launch into orbit? A shuttle needs to go from zero to 18,000 miles per hour (29,000 kilometers per hour) to get to space! (This is nine times faster than the speed of a rifle bullet!) While these paper straw rockets don’t fly nearly as fast, we had a bunch of fun watching them zoom off. Give it a try and see how well your rockets fly!
With this stellar DIY you can create your own light up planets using simple, household materials. Take it one step further and craft a whole solar system to light up your child’s room at night!
This outer space project kit includes watercolors to create beautiful paper planets. Use your planets to create your own solar system mobile, complete with a light-up sun in the center. Play a game and create a meteor launcher to test your skill shooting for the moon!
Blast off into STEM learning with this astronaut starter kit! Build and launch a pair of model orbiter spaceships using the power of pumps. Paint a set of model planets, then construct a miniature solar system that really spins.
Have you ever wondered how the moon’s craters are formed? If the answer is yes, then this experiment is just right for you. Make your own moon surface with flour and oil and then drop meteorites (small rocks and pebbles) from varying heights to create your own craters!
Dive into kid-friendly chemistry with a set of planet-themed bath bombs you crafted yourself! Mix together citric acid, baking soda, cornstarch, and food coloring to make a variety of colorful bath bomb powders. Use a set of molds to shape the powders into multi-layered bath bombs inspired by the layers of the Earth.
Learn about the constellations in the night sky and then imagine and design your own! Play with gears and use them to engineer a model system of the Sun, Earth, and Moon.
In this DIY project, we’ll learn how to use the exact sample principles found in water squirters to launch a water rocket sky-high! Follow along with these simple steps and you’ll be blasting off in no time.
NASA’s newest Mars rover, Perseverance, is scheduled to touch down on the Red Planet on February 18th, 2021. NASA is inviting everyone to be a part of history by holding live streams leading up to the landing and on the big day (see the live stream schedule here). This huge step for human space exploration is a great opportunity to inspire your kids to learn more about space! We collected some of out-of-this-world activities to help you transport your kids to the cosmos!
The Science of Mars Exploration
Have you ever wanted to visit other planets? Well, many scientists think we could someday – and the first place they plan to go is Mars! Mars is one of the eight planets in the Solar System. It’s the fourth one from the Sun, right next door to Earth!
To study Mars up close, scientists have to send robots called rovers. How do they get them there, you ask? Rockets, of course! Check out the projects below to learn more about the physics of rockets.
How fast do you think a rocket needs to go in order to launch into orbit? A shuttle needs to go from zero to 18,000 miles per hour (29,000 kilometers per hour) to get to space! (This is nine times faster than the speed of a rifle bullet!) While these paper straw rockets don’t fly nearly as fast, we had a bunch of fun watching them zoom off. Give it a try and see how well your rockets fly!
In this DIY project, we’ll learn how to use the exact sample principles found in water squirters to launch a water rocket sky-high! Follow along with these simple steps and you’ll be blasting off in no time.
Meet the Mars Rovers
The robots that scientists send to explore the surface of Mars are called rovers. Only a few special rovers have been made, and each one was designed with specific features to help it investigate the Red Planet. The previous four rovers (Curiosity, Spirit, Opportunity, and Sojourner) studied the formation and geology of Mars. Back in 2012, the Curiosity rover found evidence that there were once lakes and rivers of flowing water there!
Now, scientists have sent Perseverance, the newest rover, which is designed to search for signs of ancient life. It has more science instruments than any other rover, with a whopping 23 cameras and two microphones that it will use to look for signs of ancient bacteria and single-celled organisms on the Red Planet.
As you and your child learn more about the rovers, challenge them to make a cardboard rover courtesy of NASA!
Mars Helicopter
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Along with a brand new rover, the Red Planet will also be receiving its very first helicopter on the 18th! The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter is uniquely designed to fly in the Martian atmosphere, and it will mark humanity’s first attempt to fly on another planet.
Build your very own Mars Helicopter at home with one of these DIY projects!
If you’ve ever been near a maple tree in the late summer or early fall, you’ve probably watched their seeds twirl down from high branches and fall near the base of the tree. These seeds are a natural example of how helicopters work by creating lift!
Learn about helicopters by making a rubber band powered flying toy! Ask your child to imagine how their helicopter would fly on Mars. What design changes would they make?
How to Land on Mars
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Landing on Mars is seriously hard. So hard, that less than half of the missions humans have sent there have landed successfully. Share these fun facts about landing on Mars with your child, then try the activity below!
7 Minutes of Terror | It will take about 7 minutes for Perseverance to travel from the top of Mars’s atmosphere to its surface. Scientists call this part of a mission the “Seven Minutes of Terror.”
Autonomous Landing | Perseverance is designed to land on Mars all by itself, meaning no humans will be controlling it during the landing sequence!
Supersonic Parachute | To help it land safely, engineers have equipped Perseverance’s spacecraft with a supersonic parachute. The parachute is over 70 feet (21 meters) in diameter, about the size of a tennis court!
Every Groundhog Day, a furry rodent pops out of its burrow and predicts the start depending on whether or not it sees its shadow. The holiday always reminds us of the wonder of shadows, so we wanted to know if this century-old superstition was inspired by any actual science.
Way before weathermen and women graced our television screens and weather satellites circled in space, people turned to animals for signs of what was to come. Groundhogs go into hibernation in the late fall and emerge in early spring, so their departure and arrival signaled the start of a new season. Male groundhogs tend to pop out in February for a brief above-ground greeting and then burrow back down for another month or so. And that habit is likely why Groundhog Day falls in February. So, there is a tiny dose of science behind the tradition but it has nothing to do with seeing shadows.
Nevertheless, this quirky holiday is a great excuse to teach kids about the science of shadows! Here are five shadow-filled projects to keep your kids learning as we patiently (or impatiently) await the arrival of spring.
Sometimes shadows are more complex than you might think. Trace the pattern of the shadow made from a mason jar for a beautiful abstract piece of artwork!
Ever wonder what happens to your shadow during the day? This video will walk you through an activity to determine just that. Trace your shadow in chalk and watch it change position over time!
In this project, you’ll put different shapes in a clear sandwich bag and shine a flashlight to stage a shadow puppet scene. How do the shadows change when you add or remove shapes? Find out in this science and storytelling project!
You can’t make shadows without light! Use this crate to assemble your own hand-crank flashlight, great for outdoor adventures, emergencies, or just battery-free fun.
Valentine’s Day is known for sharing chocolates and declarations of love, but there’s no reason we can’t add a little science into the mix! Check out this list of festive, Cupid-approved science projects to keep your kids engaged and inspired this Valentine’s Day.
Have fun this Valentine’s day creating playdough hearts with this colorful DIY playdough. Snap some photos of your child’s creations to share as virtual valentines.
If you have more candy than you know what to do with, try this experiment with your little ones. Shape your skittles into a heart for a special Valentine’s Day twist. Sometimes playing with food is inevitable, but with sweet science comes knowledge!
This is a fun project to explore with preschoolers, just be extremely careful with the magnets! Kids will love to explore and experiment how the different heart pieces snap together or push each other apart.
Help your child write secret love notes to friends and family and then show them how decode it with any source of heat – like a candle or an incandescent light bulb!
Get a little messy and explore the science behind what Valentine’s Day is really about – the heart! Of course, the action of a real heart is much more complicated than this simple model, but your heart really is a pump!
Is it possible to eat a piece of chocolate from a chocolate bar and still have the same amount you did before you ate the piece? Download this sweet printable to find out and mix a little math into your V-Day celebrations.
This is a great project for outdoor play and experimentation. It’s amazing how a few household craft items can be transformed into a bow and arrow. Once you’ve built your bow, tape a few paper hearts to a tree or wall for some festive target practice!
Explore the physics of projectiles, but make it festive! Try swapping out your traditional confetti mix for some pink, red, and heart-shaped flakes for a sure-fire way to put some love in the air.
Challenge your child to combine art and engineering to make a light-up flower pencil! This homemade creation is a perfect gift for the writer in your child’s life.
The world needs a little more love right now. Whether your kids are learning from home or back in school, they can show friends and family their affection with handmade gifts and cards. We collected a few of our favorite KiwiCo crates and DIYs to inspire your little ones to get creative and show their gratitude for the people in their lives.
Make a splash — with soapy science! Craft and customize two kinds of colorful, crystal-inspired soaps. Then take a deep dive into hands-on learning, and explore mineral science, colorful ombre geodes, and the squeaky-clean chemical reactions between soap, grime, and water.
Dip your toes into bubbly bathtime chemistry with animal-shaped bath bombs! Learn about acid-base reactions and the science of molecules while mixing up a colorful chemical concoction, then press the mixture into bath-bomb shape. Drop your finished bath bombs into water to see fizzy chemical reactions — in action! One project can make 3-6 unique bath bombs.
Create this simple Valentine’s Day tissue paper luminary and display on your mantle. The kids will enjoy cutting squares and hearts and spreading on the glue. When they are finished, they will get a kick out of seeing their luminary glow in the dark!
Create a trio of geometric candles to decorate the house! With this candle making kit, learn how to fold a geometric mold, dye some wax, and transform the wax into a candle.
Challenge your child to combine art and engineering to make a light-up flower pencil! This homemade creation is a perfect gift for the writer in their child’s life.
With this pop-up card-making kit, your child’s Valentine’s Day cards will really pop! They can add an adorable pop-up shape to an existing card template, then decorate it with marker art, stick-on jewels, and even wiggle eyes. Sure to please all the valentines on their list.
Teach your child this simple cross-stitching technique to make string art valentines. The homemade look and feel of the finished cards make a perfect last-minute note for a loved one.
With all that’s going on in the world, it isn’t an easy time to be a parent — wondering how exactly we explain it all and lead by example. Books are windows into different perspectives and experiences. They can help kids (and adults) develop curiosity, empathy, and courage. We collected a list of books that exemplify KiwiCo’s mission to inspire kids to channel creativity, celebrate inclusion, and embody resilience so that they can build a better tomorrow.
We’ve linked all the books to Amazon, but we encourage shopping local if you are able to!
Among these women, you’ll find heroes, role models, and everyday women who did extraordinary things — bold women whose actions and beliefs contributed to making the world better for generations of girls and women to come.
Accurate enough for experts, yet simple enough for baby, this clever board book explores the science of vision, light, and color. Beautiful, visually stimulating illustrations complement age-appropriate language to encourage baby’s sense of wonder. Parents and caregivers may learn a thing or two as well.
Follow a baby throughout the day, from napping to snacking to playing — and everything in between! High contrast, lively illustrations combine with gorgeous, colorful photographs to showcase the warmth and tenderness between a mommy and her baby. This affectionate look at babyhood is sure to appeal to new parents and grandparents, who will recognize their own little one in the pages.
This classic story about a little boy who plants a carrot seed isn’t just a simple tale about how to care for plants, it also provides a valuable lesson on patience and persistence. Even when the little boy’s mother, father, and older brother show doubt that his carrot seed will grow, the little boy just knows that one day — after all the watering, weed pulling, and waiting — a carrot will pop up!
Every day, everywhere, babies are born. They’re kissed and dressed and rocked and fed — and completely adored by the families who love them. With an irresistible rhyming text and delightfully endearing illustrations, here is an exuberant celebration of playing, sleeping, crawling, and of course, very noisy babies doing all the wonderful things babies do best.
This empowering alphabet book that teaches kids their ABCs. Each letter of the alphabet contains affirming, Black-positive messages, from A is for Afro, to F is for Fresh, to W is for Worthy. This book teaches children their ABCs while encouraging them to love the skin that they’re in.
A beautiful picture book for sharing and marking special occasions such as graduation, inspired by the life of the first African American woman to travel in space, Mae Jemison.
Inspired by the childhood of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, a Chinese-African-Cuban girl who broke Cuba’s traditional taboo against female drummers, Drum Dream Girl tells an inspiring true story for dreamers everywhere.
This deceptively simple concept book celebrates family and community, while also offering young readers a chance to practice counting. Each spread features an increasing number of people who form a family. From babies in buggies to white-haired elders holding hands, families stretch across generations and races.
For the early grades’ exploration of character education, this funny book offers a perfect example of the rewards of perseverance and creativity. The girl’s frustration and anger are vividly depicted in the detailed art, and the story offers good options for dealing honestly with these feelings, while at the same time reassuring children that it’s okay to make mistakes.
This lively, contemporary story introduces readers to a centuries-old festival and the traditional sport of kite fighting, and to a spirited, determined young boy who masters the sport while finding his own way to face and overcome life’s challenges.
When a young boy visits his grandfather, their lack of a common language leads to confusion, frustration, and silence. But as they sit down to draw together, something magical happens — with a shared love of art and storytelling, the two form a bond that goes beyond words.
This is the uplifting tale of how the author’s aunt and mother first learned to persevere in the face of disappointment and turned a dream into reality. This is a story of children’s ability to make a difference and of a community coming together to transform their neighborhood.
Inspired by the many Indigenous-led movements across North America, We Are Water Protectors issues an urgent rallying cry to safeguard the Earth’s water from harm and corruption.
A children’s picture book that incorporates lush visual storytelling with poetic language to tell the tale of a magical gender variant child who brings transformation and change to the world around them with the help of their mother’s love. This unique children’s book honors timeless fairy-tale themes while challenging gender, racial, and body stereotypes.
Even as a child, Martin Luther King, Jr. was shocked by the terrible and unfair way African-American people were treated. When he grew up, he decided to do something about it — peacefully, with powerful words. This lively, New York Times bestselling biography series inspires kids to dream big, one great role model at a time. You’ll want to collect each book.
In Japan, Kei plays Freeze Tag, while in Uganda, Daphine likes to jump rope. While the way they play may differ, the shared rhythm of their days — and this one world we all share — unites them. This genuine exchange provides a window into traditions that may be different from our own as well as mirrors reflecting our common experiences.
Mexican American Mario Molina is a modern-day hero who helped solve the ozone crisis of the 1980s. Growing up in Mexico City, Mario was a curious boy who studied hidden worlds through a microscope. As a young man in California, he discovered that CFCs, used in millions of refrigerators and spray cans, were tearing a hole in the earth’s protective ozone layer. Mario knew the world had to be warned — and quickly. Today Mario is a Nobel Laureate and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. His inspiring story gives hope in the fight against global warming.
When fourteen-year-old William Kamkwamba’s Malawi village was hit by a drought, everyone’s crops began to fail. Without enough money for food, let alone school, William spent his days in the library and figured out how to bring electricity to his village. Persevering against the odds, William built a functioning windmill out of junkyard scraps, and thus became the local hero who harnessed the wind.
Shane Burcaw was born with a rare disease called spinal muscular atrophy, which hinders his muscles’ growth. As a result, his body hasn’t grown bigger and stronger as he’s gotten older ― it’s gotten smaller and weaker instead. This hasn’t stopped him from doing the things he enjoys (like eating pizza and playing sports and video games) with the people he loves, but it does mean that he routinely relies on his friends and family for help with everything from brushing his teeth to rolling over in bed.
Violet and Pablo are best friends who love science! So when they discover a riddle that opens a magic portal in the Science Space at school, they can’t wait to check it out! Along with their new classmate, Deepak, the friends discover a magical makerspace called the Maker Maze. Doors line the walls of the makerspace, with a new science adventure waiting behind each one. This book includes two science activities kids can do at home!
Amid the scholars, poets, authors, and artists of the Harlem Renaissance stood an Afro-Puerto Rican man named Arturo Schomburg. His life’s passion was to collect books, letters, music, and art from Africa and the African diaspora in order to bring to light the achievements of people of African descent. When his collection became so large that it threatened to overflow his house, he turned to the New York Public Library.
This funny perceptive graphic novel memoir about growing up hearing impaired is also an unforgettable book about growing up, and all the super and super embarrassing moments along the way.
Did you know that James West invented the microphone in your cell phone? That Fred Jones invented the refrigerated truck that makes supermarkets possible? Or that Dr. Percy Julian synthesized cortisone from soy, easing untold people’s pain? These are just some of the black inventors and innovators scoring big points in this dynamic look at several unsung heroes who shared a desire to improve people’s lives.
San Francisco, 1900. The Gilded Age. A fantastic time to be alive for lots of people… but not thirteen-year-old Lizzie Kennedy, stuck at Miss Barstow’s snobby school for girls. Lizzie’s secret passion is science, an unsuitable subject for finishing-school girls. Lizzie lives to go on house calls with her physician father. On those visits to his patients, she discovers a hidden dark side of the city — a side that’s full of secrets, rats, and rumors of the plague.
It’s Christmas Eve in Harlem, but twelve-year-old Lolly Rachpaul and his mom aren’t celebrating. They’re still reeling from his older brother’s death in a gang-related shooting just a few months earlier. Then Lolly’s mother’s girlfriend brings him a gift that will change everything: two enormous bags filled with LEGOs. Lolly’s always loved LEGOs, and he prides himself on following the kit instructions exactly. Now, faced with a pile of building blocks and no instructions, Lolly must find his own way forward.
Melody is not like most people. She cannot walk or talk, but she has a photographic memory; she can remember every detail of everything she has ever experienced. She is smarter than most of the adults who try to diagnose her and smarter than her classmates in her integrated classroom — the very same classmates who dismiss her as mentally challenged because she cannot tell them otherwise. But Melody refuses to be defined by cerebral palsy. And she’s determined to let everyone know it — somehow.
Want more books like these? Check out these awesome lists:
It’s been a long year of unexpected challenges and changes, but through it all, the pint-sized problem solvers in our KiwiCo community have inspired us with their creativity and resilience. As we hunkered down at home at the start of quarantine, we shared a series of fun challenges as a way to stay connected with one another. With each challenge came clever, colorful, and curious creations that not only made us smile but also pushed us to work harder and think bigger. Thank you for sharing these moments of delight and wonder with us! As we round out 2020, we’re celebrating the creativity of our kid community and looking forward to another 12 months of inspiration in 2021.
If you want to launch your own mega marble run challenge with your family near and far, you can follow our instructions here. Share your creations with us on Instagram by tagging us with @kiwico_inc!
Earlier this year, our community was asked to explore sidewalk chalk art and creativity after our chat with a professional street artist who offered expert tips. We loved seeing the delightful, inspiring artwork that came back to us from neighborhood sidewalks from all over. Check out some of the submissions!
Isla (10) from Tennessee, USA Ann (11) from Tbilisi, Georgia Emmaline from Rhode Island, USA
Many of us naturally grappled with mixed emotions throughout the year, but we were so impressed by the continued resilience of kids from all over the world. As a creative exercise, our in-house poet and editor gave kids tips for writing haikus about hard times and we found such inspiration from these reminders to stay positive. Here are a few the haikus we received:
Coronavirus / Let’s make the best out of it / Stay safe Be happy Noah (12) from Belgium Everything is closed / Because the virus is here / I am still happy Eléonore (6) from SwitzerlandI walk on the street / wear a mango ice cream mask / oh it tastes so good Carina (5) from California, USA
Kids around the world channeled their inner paleontologist, dreaming up dinosaurs to discover. For drawing tips, we turned to the illustrator of one of our favorite books (Tiny T. Rex and the Impossible Hug). From the friendly T. Rexotopsaur to Mr. Hot Dog, we think all the imaginative drawings are dinomite!
Emma (9) from Texas, USA Vera (5) from California, USAColton from California, USA
Some of the most beautiful quarantine creations came, not from crafts, but from nature! We talked with the author of Foraged Art, Peter Cole, to find out ways kids could make masterpieces with materials supplied by Mother Nature. Here are some of the awesome artworks we received:
Leonardo (3) from Western Australia Sophia (4) from Florida, USA Emilio (5) from California, USA
We’re so excited to share this epic community project with you! During quarantine, we challenged kids to build marble runs at home and then share them with us. The goal was to connect our community around the world one marble run at a time. In just a month, we ended up receiving over 700 marble runs from kids in over 20 countries. After lots and lots of editing, we’re capping the challenge off with an awesome hour-long video!
The marble runs are incredibly cool and fun to watch, but what we love the most are the messages of hope and the moments of delight that came with them. It’s community projects like this that inspire us to keep pushing for a bigger and better tomorrow!
Thank you so much for participating in the Mega Marble Run Challenge! With the amount of videos we received, we weren’t able to address all the missing information or complications we would have liked to (e.g. expired videos sent over iCloud, videos with low resolution, or names or ages missing from emails). If you don’t see your child’s name there was likely a hiccup with the video file. We’re so sorry if your video didn’t make it in, but there will be many more fun challenges to come!
If you want to launch a mega marble run challenge with your family near and far, you can follow our instructions here. Share your creations with us on Instagram @kiwico_inc!
