Page Type: Elementary

Some of the adults in your life may remember watching a TV show called Reading Rainbow on the TV channel PBS. On each episode of Reading Rainbow, host LeVar Burton presented books as doorways to a magical world filled with countless characters, adventures, and information. The series, which was produced between 1983 and 2006, inspired countless American kids to read.

Now, Reading Rainbow is back with host Mychal Threets. Threets, a longtime children’s librarian who grew up watching Reading Rainbow, is excited to inspire a new generation of young kids. 

“I was raised on Reading Rainbow [and] LeVar Burton is my hero,” Threets wrote on social media. “I am a reader, I am a librarian because LeVar Burton and Reading Rainbow so powerfully made us believe we belong in books, we belong everywhere.”

Four episodes of Reading Rainbow are available for viewing on YouTube.

Is a sweet potato exciting? It is when it helps tell the story of an entire population!

Scientists were surprised when they discovered that the ancient Rapa Nui people had grown sweet potatoes on Easter Island. Why? Sweet potatoes are native to South America, which is 2,200 miles (3,500 kilometers) away from the island. The sweet potatoes turned out to be evidence that the Rapa Nui people had visited South America at some point. 

How long ago did the Rapa Nui people explore South America? Recent studies show that modern-day Rapa Nui people have had South American ancestors in their family trees for hundreds of years. Scientists think the Rapa Nui people reached South America sometime between the years 1250 and 1430.

That’s amazing! Engines and modern navigation equipment didn’t exist during ancient times, so the Rapa Nui people would have canoed the thousands of miles to South America and back using only the stars as their guide.

Minneapolis, Minnesota, is home to the first all-Indigenous firefighting crew in the United States.

The four-person crew of Minneapolis Fire Station 6 includes Captain Michael Graves of the Ojibwe Red Lake Nation, Fire Motor Operator Jessie Strong of the Bois Fort Band of Ojibwe, firefighter Bobby Headbird of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, and firefighter Johnny Crow of the Oglala Sioux Tribe.

Graves says the firehouse is a source of pride for the community it serves, which is populated mostly by Indigenous people.

“The community, and the Native community specifically, has had a tremendous response of just loving [to see] an all-Native crew,” Graves told KOTA Territory News. 

Crow says being a firefighter is aligned with the values he learned as a member of the Oglala Sioux. 

“I carry the values that were instilled in me [taught to me] of being a protector and provider. [As firefighters, we are] doing that for the community. Not just the Native community, but for the city.”

Some female ballet dancers actually dance on the tips of their toes. This is called dancing en pointe. But how is it done?

To dance en pointe, a dancer needs to wear specially designed shoes called pointe shoes, or toe shoes. The tip of a pointe shoe contains a “toe box,” which is made of burlap or canvas that has been hardened with glue. When the dancer stands on her toes, the pressure of her body weight goes through the toe box instead of her toes. 

But a dancer can’t just step into pointe shoes and start dancing en pointe. It’s a technique that requires years of training and muscle development.

A dancing gorilla featured in one of the photos in the 2025 Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards seems to be having fun. (You can find it at the top of this page.) But some animals dance with a serious purpose. For example, honeybees do a “dance” to communicate with one another, moving their bodies in the direction where food can be found. 

Most animals dance as part of their courtship. In other words, males dance to impress females! Large groups of male flamingoes, which live in South America, dance together to try to attract attention from the nearby females. 

High-intensity exercise, like jumping jacks, seems to get our brains going. But experts say any kind of movement is good for us. Here are a few ways to get moving and have some fun!

• Have a dance contest. Gather some friends or family members and take turns moving to your favorite tunes. Have one or two people serve as judges to decide who is the best dancer. Or just have a dance party!

• Set up an obstacle course. An obstacle is something that’s in your way. An obstacle course is a race from start to finish with obstacles like pillows to jump over, hoops to hop through, slides to run up, and balance beams to get across.
• Play catch…with a catch. Start by standing close to the person you’re playing with. For every 10 or 20 catches in a row, move a little farther apart. Or just see how long you can go without letting the ball touch the ground. (Be sure to use a soft ball, like a foam ball, if you’re indoors.) 
• Play tag or freeze tag. In freeze tag, the person who gets tagged must freeze in place until another player (not the person who is “it”) unfreezes them by tagging them.
• Have a scavenger hunt. In a scavenger hunt, players find objects from a list—for example, “a red sock” or “a dog with brown fur.” You can play indoors or outdoors. 
• Set up a race. There are many ways to race your friends and family, from the classic foot race to the potato sack race. In a wheelbarrow race, one person walks on their hands while another person holds up their legs.
• Jump rope. Head to a backyard or park and practice jumping rope. Then try some variations, like alternating from jumping on one foot to jumping on the other.  

One look at a snapping turtle’s open mouth reveals where this animal got its name. The snapping turtle can defend itself by snapping its powerful jaws at any animal that threatens its safety.

But scientists say there’s no need to think of this turtle as a monster. While it does eat frogs and insects, the snapping turtle doesn’t bite larger animals unless it feels threatened.

Why bite at all? Since turtles move very slowly on land, they need to be able to protect themselves from predators. Unlike most turtles, the snapping turtle can’t hide inside its shell when there’s a threat. 

Snapping turtles live on land and in water. If you ever come across a snapping turtle, just leave it alone and observe from a distance.

Did you know that some pumpkins can grow large enough to be used as boats?

A pumpkin regatta is a boat race in which the boats are giant, hollowed-out pumpkins. According to several sources, the pumpkin regatta exists thanks to Wayne Hackney of New Hampshire. In 1996, Hackney decided to turn a giant pumpkin he’d grown into a boat. Three years later, the first known pumpkin regatta took place in Nova Scotia, Canada. Today, pumpkin regattas are held in North America and Europe. 

Like any boat, a pumpkin needs to be seaworthy—able to hold its passenger and move through the water without sinking. Regatta pumpkins usually weigh between 400 and 1,200 pounds (180 to 540 kilograms). They’re hollowed out just enough to be as light as possible while remaining sturdy and watertight.

Underwater diving is Walaa Hafez’s passion. He loves it so much, his nickname is the “Egyptian Whale.” But after a car accident changed his life forever, it seemed like scuba diving might not be possible. Now in 2025, Hafez is back in his scuba gear and has achieved a scuba-diving world record.

Hafez has long been an experienced scuba diver. Before the accident, he would spend days underwater with his scuba-diving gear. In 2015, he set a men’s record for longest scuba dive, at 51 hours, 24 minutes, and 13 seconds. That’s more than two days underwater! 

Hafez became quadriplegic after a 2016 car accident. This means he cannot move his arms or legs. But Hafez still dreamed of scuba diving. He worked with other experienced divers to make sure he stayed safe underwater. He also used a swimming pool so that nothing unexpected could happen.

On August 11, 2025, Hafez set the record for longest scuba dive by a quadriplegic man. He stayed underwater for 6 hours, 4 minutes, and 45 seconds. It’s another Guinness World Record for the Egyptian Whale!

Jane Goodall made several important discoveries about chimpanzees. Here’s just some of what Goodall learned:

• Goodall observed chimpanzees using tools. At the time, scientists thought only humans used tools. 
• Goodall observed chimpanzees eating meat. Scientists had once thought chimps ate only plants.
• Goodall noted that chimpanzees had different personalities, just like humans. 
• Goodall observed chimpanzee mothers gradually introducing their babies to new situations. This led to a greater understanding of how parents help children learn. 
• Goodall observed chimpanzees being kind to each other. She noted that chimps hug each other to provide comfort. Adult chimps also adopt chimps whose mothers have died.