Not Just for Kids
  Color
Vol. 9, No. 19
May 10-16, 2001
     
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Scrambled Babies

Some animal babies are called by other names. Try your luck unscrambling these.

Cow fcla
Horse (Male) tcl; (Female) yflli
Tiger bcu
Skunk itk
Goose sggsniol
Pig gplite
Chicken epep
Deer nafw

Do you know how much you weighed when you were born? Chances are you were an average human baby weighing between 6 and 10 pounds.

Sounds big. But when we compare our birth weight to that of babes in the animal kingdom, we're far from large.

Some animal babies are really big.

A blue whale baby, for instance, measures 23 feet in length and may weigh 16,000 pounds. An African elephant bambino (baby) weighs in at 250 pounds and stands 33 inches tall. The Indian rhinoceros babe tips the scale at 150 pounds. A baby Belgian draft horse averages around 75 pounds at birth.

In the animal kingdom, a baby's size at birth may determine whether it lives or dies. For in their world, only the strong survive. The bigger the babe at birth, the better its chances become.

These animal babies are larger than human babies, but they too depend on others. Their moms and dads protect them, feed them and teach them how to survive in the world.

Most baby animals, big or little are born in the spring. So if you like animals and want to see some babies, now's the perfect time. A baby tour could be great fun for the entire family and a special present for Mom for Mother's Day.

There are plenty of choices.

If you visit the National Zoo in Washington, D. C., you'll see elephants and tigers. Take a trip to the National Aquarium in Baltimore and find sharks and dolphins. Or, you could meet baby farm animals and their moms at a local petting farm.

Whichever you choose, you won't be disappointed.


Animal Alphabet

There are thousands of animals in the world. It’s fun to see how many you can name. All you need is pencil and paper
(or your computer). Start with the letter A. Good Luck.

Example:
A is for Alligator, Ant Eater …
B is for Buffalo …
C is for Coyote and so on


Kids' Calendar

photo by Mark Fulir

Night Hike
Fri. May 11(8-9:30pm)-Go on a nighttime guided tour through the woods. Have fun looking and listening for animals that hunt in the night. Ages 8+. Patuxent Wildlife Refuge North Tract, betw. Rt. 198 & BW Parkway. rsvp: 301/497-5887.

Are You My Mother?
Sat. May 12 (10-10:30am)-Celebrate Mother’s Day by learning about animal mothers. See a puppet show and learn about what babies and mothers do when they are separated. Then make a special card to bring home to mom. Ages 2-3. Battle Creek Cypress Swamp, Prince Frederick $3. rsvp: 410/535-5327.

V Night for Kids
rsvp by May 14 for May 18 (8-11pm)-Make like Gabrielle Reese and dig volleyball fix at V Night for Kids. Get your volley fix in a night of round robin, 2-on-2 and 3-on-3 games for kids ages 12-17. Northeast Community Center, Chesapeake Beach. Free; rsvp: 410/257-2554.

Slimy and Scaly
Wed. May 16 (1-2pm & 4-5pm)-Come learn all about slimy and scaly creatures. Have fun while discovering the difference between reptiles and amphibians. Ages 8+. National Wildlife Visitor Center, Laurel. rsvp: 301/497-5887.


Copyright 2001
Bay Weekly