The April issue of Chirp is here and it’s full of HAIRY fun! Angora rabbits are the Amazing Animal in this issue because they are soooooooo hairy! Check out this video of a pet Angora rabbit getting its hair done.
So cute! And for more rabbit facts be sure to check out the April issue of Chirp!
Click play below to listen to Amik’s Big Day by Nancy Cooper and illustrated by Joshua Pawis-Steckley, a story about Amik the beaver showing her cousins all around her home!
Amik’s Big Day by Nancy Cooper (read by author), Chirp April 2021
Read a fun story about compost battling to bake the ultimate cake in the April issue of Chickadee! Click play below to listen to Kitchen Compost Nightmares by Carolyn Fisher.
Kitchen Compost Nightmares by Carolyn Fisher (read by author), Chickadee April 2021
If you are celebrating the start of Ramadan, we wish you a happy, healthy, and safe month! Ramadan is a month where Muslims all around the world fast from sunrise to sunset. They also give lots of charity and volunteer at local shelters or food banks and they also try to do as many good deeds as they can.
Have a great Ramadan, full of lots of yummy food (when you’re done fasting, of course!) and good memories!
Happy Easter! Create this yummy Peep layered rice krispy treat and share it with your family and friends.
You can also find the recipe here. Always ask an adult for help in the kitchen!
You’ll need:
4 tablespoons butter or margarine divided
4 3oz packages of Marshmallow Peeps (or any marshmallows) in different colours
6 cups of Rice Krispy cereal divided
How to make:
Prepare an 8 inch loaf pan by lining it with foil and spraying it with cooking spray.
Divide the Peeps by 10’s of the same color – 10 pink, 10 yellow (or any colors of your choice)
In a deep, medium sized microwaveable dish, microwave 10 of the same color peeps with 1 tablespoon butter on high for 45 seconds. Make sure the Peeps don’t flow over the sides of the bowl.
Stir butter and Peeps together until fully melted and incorporated.
Stir in 1 1/2 cups of cereal until fully coated. Press firmly into the loaf pan.
Repeat steps 3-4 with other Peep colours.
Allow to cool completely 1-2 hours before slicing.
The April issue is here and it’s all about the ENVIRONMENT! Learn where our trash goes when we put it in the bin, make recycled crafts, visit a conservation island, and read a story about a busy and helpful little animal. We hope you like this issue of Chirp magazine!
Have you ever seen a squirrel eating or storing nuts in its cheeks? These animals love nuts and seeds! Check out this video of squirrels visiting a human-made “nut bar” in the middle of a Norwegian forest.
Snack on, squirrels!
To learn more about these super cool critters, turn to the Amazing Animal section in your April 2021 copy of Chirp magazine.
Get ready for April! Find out why humans laugh, make toys from recycled cartons, and try a donut recipe made out of—surprise!—apples. We also ask readers: What would your eco-superpower be to save the planet? Look for this issue in your mailbox soon!
Place paper into a tray and add a few drops of paint.
Drop in a marble and tip the tray to make a one-of-a-kind design!
Spin It:
You’ll need:
thick paper
non-toxic washable paint
salad spinner
What to do:
Trace the bottom of a salad spinner basket onto a piece of paper and cut it out.
Place the cut-out into the basket and add a few colours of paint.
Put the basket back in the spinner, replace the lid and spin to make art.
Bubble Blast:
You’ll need:
Paper
non-toxic, washable paint
bubble solution or dish soap
bubble wand
What to do:
Mix equal parts paint and bubble solution or dish soap. Dip in a bubble wand and gently blow the solution onto paper. After the bubbles pop, let the paint dry.
Pulled Paint:
You’ll need:
thick paper
non-toxic washable paint
plastic card (like a used gift card)
What to do:
Add a few drops of paint at one end of the paper and use the plastic card to slowly pull the paint across.
What’s the coolest thing you’ve learned from reading Chickadee?
That Northern Lights can be seen from space and astronaut Chris Hadfield took amazing photos while he was in space.
What’s your favourite hobby? Reading, drawing, and playing board games.
When did you start reading Chickadee? When I was 6 years old.
What book are you reading right now? I’m reading the Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
Teleporting!
Thanks for sharing, Aleena! Board games are our favourite hobby too!
Click play below to listen to Hi, Sky by Tiffany Stone and illustrated by Erika Medina, a poem featuring amazing women in history who loved flying, just like Tiffany!
Hi, Sky by Tiffany Stone (read by author), Chirp January/February 2021
Get ready for March break with this awesome board game!
Expand your brainpower with this fun game! Patchwork is a two-player board game where players have to put together funky tiles to create a pattern. Each player gets buttons as currency that they must use as money, but each button is worth points at the end of the game so be picky!
For a chance to WIN 1 of 3 Patchwork gamescomment below with your first name, age, and your favourite game to play!
Contest Deadline: April 15, 2021 at 11:59 p.m.
Winners will be chosen by random draw.
Prize courtesy of Swerve and Lookout Games.
Click HERE for full contest rules and regulations.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to COVID-19 restrictions, prizes may be delayed.
Today is International Women’s Day! On this day we celebrate all the fearless women that have made a difference in the world. Check out these books by, and about, some incredible women!
Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Saved Apollo 13 by Helaine Becker
The Water Walker by Joanne Robertson
5-minute Stories for Fearless Girls by Sarah Howden, illustrated by Nick Craine
Dear Girl, by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Paris Rosenthal, illustrated by Holly Hatam
The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family by Ibtihaj Muhammed and S.K. Ali, illustrated by Hatem Aly
The International Day of the Girl by Jessica Dee Humphreys and Rona Ambrose, illustrated by Simone Chin
Meet Chirp super-fan, Jay! Jay is 5 years old and has been reading Chirp magazine since he was 3! Wow! Jay lives in Australia with his family and he sent us this amazing drawing that he worked very hard to make and a photo of himself reading, you guessed it … Chirp!
Thanks, Jay!
We love meeting our readers!
Do you have a letter, photo, or drawing for Chirp? Send it to us here.
Its Tell a Fairy Tale Day! Celebrate today by reading one of your favourite fairy tales or making up a magical story of your own. You can also listen to The Casa Loma Dragon, a Chirp story written by Robert Heidbreder and illustrated by Jean Morin. This tale is about a young girl who traps a fire-breathing dragon that lives at the top of Casa Loma!
The Casa Loma Dragon by Robert Heidbreder (read by Faith Cochran, Chirp Magazine) – Chirp October 2017
In the March issue, Chickadee took you on a field trip to the Vancouver Art Gallery! We explored some amazing artwork and we hope you feel inspired to make your own. For fun art projects, click HERE to visit the Vancouver Art Gallery’s Art At Home – Family Programs Series. You’ll get tons of awesome activities and ideas to get your creative juices flowing.
Thank you to the Vancouver Art Gallery for sharing their collection with us! If you live in the Vancouver area, the gallery is currently open for visitors.
February is known as Black History Month! This month we celebrate all the incredible contributions and breakthroughs that Black people have made throughout history. One way to celebrate is to read and learn about important people, past and present.
February is known as Black History Month! This month we celebrate all the incredible contributions and breakthroughs that Black people have made throughout history. One way to celebrate is to read and learn about important people, past and present.
Read a beautiful story about the seven sacred teachings in the Jan/Feb issue of Chickadee! Click play below to listen to Grandfather Teachings by Nancy Cooper and illustrated by Bridget George.
Grandfather Teachings by Nancy Cooper and Ningwakwe George (read by Nancy Cooper), Chickadee January/February 2021
Chickadee readers Aditi and Avani started a YouTube channel called Fun Twins during quarantine as something fun to do! Their videos show everything from the sisters doing a smoothie challenge, having a birthday party, and playing a game of “What’s in the Box?” We asked them about how they got started with their YouTube channel. Read on!
Fun Twins
Chickadee: Why did you decide to start a YouTube channel?
Aditi and Avani: We started our channel during COVID quarantine, as we realized it was so hard for kids to stay home and not see their friends. We thought that we would make a YouTube channel to show that we can still have fun. We wanted to inspire kids to have fun and still be happy!
Chickadee: How do you come up with ideas for videos?
Aditi and Avani: Sometimes ideas just pop up or sometimes we get ideas from watching other YouTube channels.
Chickadee: Who helps you with your YouTube channel?
Aditi and Avani: Together as a family we plan for videos a day before and we help each other.
Chickadee: How much time does it take to shoot a video?
Aditi and Avani: It takes half an hour as we plan it beforehand. Our parents shoot our videos!
Chickadee: What’s the most fun thing about having your own channel?
Aditi and Avani: It’s fun to share it with my twin sister. It’s a lot of fun.
Chickadee: Do you have advice for other kids who want to start a channel?
Aditi and Avani: Just have fun and don’t freak out if it gets too overwhelming to make videos. Take a break when you want and make good videos that people can enjoy.
Chickadee: Who is your favourite YouTube personality and why?
Aditi and Avani: We love watching ’Tic Tac Toy’ videos and ‘Ninja Kidz TV”. Our favourite Ninja kid is Payton.
Thanks for talking to us about Fun Twins, Aditi and Avani! If you’d like to check out their channel, click HERE.
Did you start anything new during the past year? Tell us about it in the comments!-Mandy, chickadee@owlkids.com
Did you know that the arctic tern flies further than any other animal when it migrates? It flies from the Arctic to the Antarctic and back again every year!
Check out this beautiful video of arctic terns flying.
And you can learn more about this far-flying bird in the January/February issue of Chirp magazine.
This month, read comics about inventions that changed the world! Get the scoop on paper, airplanes and more! You can also make a sweet Valentine’s Day treat for someone you love, try a musical science experience, and craft a dragon! If this is your first issue of Chickadee, welcome to the club!
Today is the first official day of winter, otherwise known as the winter solstice! To celebrate the shortest day of the year, check out these cool facts!
The North Pole is tilted away from the sun during the winter time.
Each planet in the Earth’s solar system has solstices.
In Wiltshire, England, there’s a stone monument called Stonehenge that was built over 5,000 years ago. It is one of the 7 Wonders of the World and some think it was used as to mark solstices. Every year, people gather there to celebrate the event.
It’s not always on the same day. The solstice can fall on any date between December 20-23rd. This is because the Earth is never in the same spot each year.
How will you be spending your winter break? Leave a comment down below!
Read a story about some forgetful friends and magical winter elves in the December issue of Chickadee! Click play below to listen to Finders Creekers written and illustrated by Sean L. Moore.
Finders Creekers by Sean L. Moore (read by author), Chickadee December 2020
Read a story about a time traveling pirate space ship in the November issue of Chickadee! Click play below to listen to The Amazing Space-and-Time-Travelling Pirate Ship Race Car Box by Maureen Fergus and Illustrated by Nneka Myers.
The Amazing Space-and-Time-Travelling Pirate Ship Race Car Box by Maureen Fergus (read by author), Chickadee November 2020
The Chickadee blog is celebrating this fun of day of record-breaking by giving readers a chance to win a copy of the Guinness World Records 2021 book!
In this edition, learn about the cutest and most dangerous creatures in the animal kingdom. Find pop culture with world records from your fave actors and musicians. Get the scoop on the best athletes in the world. This book is interactive too—you can travel through the Solar System and see the planets with a free augmented-reality feature! You can also test your own record-breaking skills with a special “Against the Clock” chapter that will guide you through challenges you can safely do in your own home.
Want to learn more? We’re giving Chickadee readers a chance to WIN 1 of 5 copies of this book.
To enter, tell us in the comments: For Guinness World Records Day, what world record would you like to break? Please leave your name and age, too!
Contest deadline: December 2, 2020 at 11:59pm.
Prize courtesy of Guinness World Records.
For full contest rules and regulations click here.
Get cheesy with this yummy Cheesy Bites recipe! Check it out below.
You’ll need:
250 mL (1 cup) macaroni pasta
30 mL (2 tbsp.) butter
30 mL (2 tbsp.) flour
125 mL (1/2 cup) milk
375 mL (1 1/2 cups) shredded cheese
hot dog pieces (optional)
chives (optional)
mini muffin tin
How to make:
Ask a grown up to help you cook and drain the macaroni.
Melt the butter on the stove. Stir in the flour.
Slowly stir in the milk. Simmer until it bubbles.
Add most of the cheese. Stir until melted.
Stir in the macaroni.
Cover the mixture and refrigerate it overnight.
Heat oven to 190 degrees celsius (375 F). Fill muffin cups with the Mac and Cheese mixture. Sprinkle on the rest of the cheese. Optional: Add cooked hot dogs and chives, too!
Bake for 15 minutes, or until cheese bubbles. Let cool before digging in. Yum!
Did you read about the moose in the December issue of Chirp magazine? If you did, you know that moose can swim! Check out this video of a moose swimming across a river in Alaska. Go moose, go!
The December issue of Chickadee is on its way to your mailbox! This month, we look to the sky to learn about the northern lights. We’ll also show you how to make decorative snowflakes, a silly cookie recipe, and a wintry story about what elves are really up to!
Did you get the December issue yet? Tell us what you think in the comments!
The December issue of Chirp is full of winter fun! Make snowflake decorations, read a wintry comic by Canadian author/illustrator CTON, and experiment making your own fake snow. This issue will get you into the spirit of the season!
I have some spooky, but fun podcasts to listen to this Halloween!
The Storic Podcast Network has released a few podcasts including Fairy Tales with Granny MacDuff and Detective Dexter for kids to enjoy!
These were recently launched and now include new episodes just in time for Halloween. Snuggle up with Granny MacDuff and listen to her tell classic fairy tales Fairy Tales and put your thinking caps on to help Detective Dexter solve doggy mysteries.
What’s the coolest thing you’ve learned from reading Chickadee?
That LEGO started making pieces out of sugar cane.
What’s your favourite summer activity? Reading outside.
When did you start reading Chickadee? When I was 5.
What book are you reading right now? I am reading Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
Hypnotize my mom into letting me read all not and not making me take a nap in the morning afterwards.
Thanks for sharing, Alexa! Reading outside is our favourite summer activity as well!
Read a story about a dancing pumpkin family on Halloween in the October issue of Chickadee! Click play below to listen to The Gourd Family by Jenna Campbell and Illustrated by Kiersten Eagan.
The Gourd Family by Jenna Campbell (read by author), Chickadee October 2020
Sago Mini World: Kids Games is an app designed for curious kids. You can travel with characters Harvey, Jinja, Robin and Jack as you explore space, design a robot, design a monster, fly through a forest, drive a firetruck, deep sea dive, or even become a superhero! The possibilities are endless and there’s always something new to discover.
The app allows you to access the complete collection of games and can be downloaded to play without WiFi. The app is updated monthly so you always have new content to interact with. The new update includes a fun fair where you can try your luck at classic carnival games, visit friends on a hayride, and make your own ice cream flavour!
You can download Sago Mini World: Kids Games for free from the App Store and Google Play.
If you try it, let us know in the comments below what you think!