Australia set for colder, wetter than average winter
weatherGet your umbrella and winter woollies out. The Bureau of Meteorology is tipping plenty of rain and chilly days ahead but nights could be warmer.
Molly’s on the run for good cause
sportPint-sized Molly loves to run — and she’s planning to do it all the way from her Melbourne home to Canberra to raise money for children’s brain cancer.
Astronauts into orbit on history-making space flight
spaceUPDATED Two NASA astronauts have launched in a SpaceX rocket and arrived safely at the ISS, the first time in nearly a decade that the US has launched astronauts into orbit from the US
Who’s most excited about going back to school?
humanitiesKids are returning to school as COVID-19 restrictions ease. After working from home with his kids, Mark Knight wonders who in each household is most looking forward to getting back to normal
Australia set for colder, wetter than average winter
weatherGet your umbrella and winter woollies out. The Bureau of Meteorology is tipping plenty of rain and chilly days ahead but nights could be warmer.
Molly’s on the run for good cause
sportPint-sized Molly loves to run — and she’s planning to do it all the way from her Melbourne home to Canberra to raise money for children’s brain cancer.
Astronauts into orbit on history-making space flight
spaceUPDATED Two NASA astronauts have launched in a SpaceX rocket and arrived safely at the ISS, the first time in nearly a decade that the US has launched astronauts into orbit from the US
Who’s most excited about going back to school?
humanitiesKids are returning to school as COVID-19 restrictions ease. After working from home with his kids, Mark Knight wonders who in each household is most looking forward to getting back to normal
The 2020 Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee has been postponed due to the disruption to schools on account of Covid-19. Click here for more details.
Join our book club to receive discounts on new books and fantastic prizes
Can you name all the famous places in the world and beat the Quiz Word clock?
Attention budding writers, our short story competition is back for 2020. First prize winners will have their story turned into a book. Get your entries in.
Australian man’s new toilet paper world record
sportA young Queensland soccer star has claimed his fourth Guinness World Record, despite most sport being cancelled during coronavirus-related restrictions
Insulin that mimics venom of deep-sea snail
scienceScientists in Australia have described as possibly life changing the invention of human insulin that mimics cone snail venom insulin, working almost instantly to lower blood sugar levels
NRL restart to attract massive TV audience
sportFooty is finally back, with millions of sports-starved viewers around the globe expected to watch the return round of rugby league.
How to draw and animate your own minion
just for funThey’re cute and very cheeky. And now you can create your own, with this step-by-step guide to drawing and animating a minion – just like in the movies
Australian megafauna died out with climate change
environmentGiant kangaroos, enormous crocodiles, massive wombats and a marsupial “lion” that lived 40,000 years ago in tropical Northern Australia died out because of climate change, a study has found
Dear Australia: memories of the nation in isolation
civicsAustralians are being invited to record their coronavirus experiences for future generations in a new campaign by the country’s postal service
Big boost to birdwing butterflies in the wild
animalsA successful captive breeding and release program of more than 500 Richmond birdwing butterflies means the species could soon be taken off the threatened species list
AFL announces next rounds in restarted 2020 season
sportThe wait is over for footy fans desperate to know who, when and where their beloved club will play as the league announces the fixture for rounds two to five, including several blockbusters
Lonely penguins take day trip to art gallery
animalsLife in lockdown can be pretty dull, even for penguins. But the day got a light brighter for these little birds when they had an excursion from their zoo enclosure to an art museum.
Branch out with your own family tree project
historyEver wondered where your family came from? Why not research and create a family tree. You might be pleasantly surprised by what you find.
No joke! Experts agree laughter is good for us
artsHumour is as ancient as human life itself, but the joys of laughter never grow old and amusement experts believe we’re on the cusp of a COVID-19 comedy revolution
Dusty models COVID-safe return to AFL season
sportThere’s a small light at the end of the coronavirus tunnel with the AFL’s announcement of a restart to the footy season. Mark Knight imagines how Tigers star Dustin Martin could help
Astronomers watch birth of a new planet
spaceFor the first time, astronomers have watched what they believe was the birth of a new planet, seen within a huge disk of gas and dust surrounding a newly formed star bigger than our Sun
Lego Masters star’s huge toy collection
just for funLego Masters is over for 2020, but one of the competitors still gets to play with lots of toys. We take a look at Trent Cucchiarelli’s incredible collection of action figures, vehicles and play sets
Last-known film of not-so-fierce thylacine
animalsResearchers have discovered what is thought to be the last film of a thylacine, taken two years later than any other known record and casting doubt on its reputation as an aggressive animal
Caring for the billions of microbes in your mouth
healthDonations of spit from about 1500 people are helping scientists understand how the billions of microbes in our mouths work to keep us healthy and what you can do to keep them healthy too
Unleash the little scribes to make mischief!
artsBeloved Australian children’s author Andrew Daddo says storytelling platform Littlescribe invites kids to imagine breaking all the rules
Record price for Michael Jordan’s rookie shoes
sportBasketball star Michael Jordan’s 35-year-old second-hand shoes that aren’t even a matching pair just sold for $873,000 at auction, but that doesn’t quite make them the most expensive shoes ever
What makes eyes different colours?
explainersDo you have brown eyes? If that’s a yes, you’re in the majority. In fact, it’s thought that 10,000 years ago, every human had brown eyes. Kids News researched the science of eye colour
Billie’s kindness lives on
humanitiesAustralian schoolgirl Billie Kinder always believed she could make the world a better place. Now her family hopes the third annual B Kinder Day on June 22 will take her message worldwide
Climbers to remeasure height of Everest
geographyA team of climbers is on its way to summit Mount Everest this week to measure whether it has grown as Earth’s tectonic plates move and try to end international disagreement on the subject
Rare dinosaur fossil found in Australia
animalsA fresh look at a fossil found at a Victorian beach and thought to belong to a pterosaur has resulted in the discovery of the first elaphrosaur dinosaur ever from Australia
Gnarly home has its own skate bowl
just for funImagine the fun you’d have living in this cool house. Pool parties with friends are just the start. How about your own indoor skate bowl?
Isolation baby boom for Australian zoos
animalsWhile the world has been in lockdown, zoos around the country have been welcoming a wave of cute, cuddly and not so cuddly babies. Check them out.
Ball of cuteness and other winning nature photos
artsA photo of a mountain hare in a snowstorm that took the photographer several freezing weeks to capture has won this year’s BigPicture international nature photography competition
Aussie AI song takes global music prize
technologyA three-minute song written by artificial intelligence that turned koala grunts, kookaburra laughs and Tassie devil barks into a kind of instrument has won an international music competition
Coughing over the health of Australia’s piggy bank
civicsWhen Mark Knight tuned in to watch Treasurer Josh Frydenberg talk about the economy in federal parliament, he saw him coughing uncontrollably. What was the cause?
All the action of the great Aussie penguin race
just for funA famous UK sports commentator in lockdown at home has narrated Phillip Island’s penguin parade 17,000km away to make up for the lack of live sports events
Spooky goings-on at night in the museum
historyBritish Museum guards have reported spooky goings-on including ghostly footsteps, strange lights and mysterious crying among the exhibits, like a real-life version of Night at the Museum
Mystery of koala drinking habits solved
animalsIn a big win in the battle to save this species from extinction, scientists have observed koalas drinking in the wild for the first time, watching them lick rain running down tree trunks
Cave find rewrites history of early humans
historyScientists have found human bones and a tooth up to 46,000 years old that rewrite the history of early humans’ arrival in Europe and time spent living alongside Neanderthals
Coronavirus restrictions to ease across Australia
newsA visit with grandma and grandpa, a return to school or a kick of the footy with friends? What do the easing of coronavirus lockdown rules mean for you?
