Kids News - Articles with 400-600 Words

On Thursday, March 24, the streets of India will be awash with color as residents celebrate the spring festival of Holi. The annual event that is the inspiration behind the 'color runs' in the US, is observed on the last full moon day of the lunar month, Phalguna (in the Hindu calendar). However, unlike the copycat runs, festival participants do not have to compete in five or ten-kilometer races to have fun. All they have to do is take to the streets early in the morning and chant "Holi Hai" (It's Holi) while dousing strangers and friends alike, with colored powder....

On January 17, Brigitte Barthélémy was walking along the seashore just north of France's famous Bordeaux wine region when she stumbled upon a bottle nestled among a pile of seashells. Inside were two tightly rolled pieces of paper. One contained a beautiful hand-drawn sketch of a cormorant, while the other was a message from the New York Pelagic outlining how litter caught in the ocean currents is often fatal for the water birds that mistake the bright plastic debris for food....

On Saturday, March 19, millions of businesses and individuals worldwide will celebrate Earth Hour by turning off all lights and electronics from 8:30 - 9:30 PM local time. The voluntary rolling blackout that includes 350 of the world’s most iconic landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, the Empire State Building, Taipei 101 and the Sydney Opera House, is more than a symbolic gesture — It is proof of what can be achieved if we all unite to reverse climate change....

This past weekend, millions of people in cities around the world participated in parades honoring St. Patrick, the primary patron saint of Ireland. The marches, of course were just a precursor to the real celebrations that will take place on Thursday, March 17. As is the case every year, the holiday will be observed with fun activities like hunting down leprechauns that lead to gold and searching for lucky four leaf-clovers. So who was the amazing priest whose death anniversary is celebrated worldwide and what led to the unusual traditions? Read on . . ....

The increase in the use of drones by consumers is becoming problematic for countries around the world. That's because enthusiasts often take advantage of the still nascent and in some cases nonexistent laws that govern quadcopters and use the unmanned vehicles for dangerous and illegal activities. These include flying the drones in restricted airspace and even using them to infiltrate prisons....

Though not rare, total solar eclipses are highly anticipated. That's because they are visible from a narrow corridor of the planet and last for just a few minutes. 2016's first and only total solar eclipse that took place on March 8 or 9 (depending on the time zone), was no exception. The celestial event could only be seen in totality by residents of the Indonesian Islands of Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi and Halmahera....

On January 13, 2016, France became the first country in the world to pass a law requiring supermarkets to donate food that is approaching its expiration date instead of throwing it away. The regulation that applies to supermarkets over 4,000 square feet requires stores to sign donation contracts with local food banks....

Thrill-seekers looking for a challenge may soon have a new option - Wingboarding. The sport is similar to wakeboarding except for one thing - Instead of performing acrobatics on water, wingboarders will conduct heart-stopping maneuvers in the skies while being towed behind an airplane....

Every February 27, the world observes International Polar Bear Day. Started ten years ago by US-based nonprofit Polar Bear International (PMI) it is observed to raise awareness of the vulnerable species whose rapidly dwindling numbers are often forgotten because they dwell in the sparsely populated circumpolar Arctic....