129 Fun Facts About Kindergarten

How many legs does a spider have?

Insects have six legs, so if you count eight, it is a spider or one of its cousins.

How many days are there in one week?

Monday to Sunday makes seven, and then it starts all over again.

What is a baby cat called?

Kittens are born with their eyes closed and open them after about a week.

What is a baby dog called?

Puppies sleep a lot, sometimes 18 hours a day, while they grow.

Which shape has three sides?

A triangle has three sides and three corners; a slice of pizza is a good one to remember.

Which shape has four sides that are all the same length?

A square has four sides that are all the same length and four square corners; a rectangle's sides come in two different lengths.

What is frozen water called?

Ice is water frozen solid, which happens at 0 °C, and once it is thick enough you can skate on it.

Which season comes right after winter?

Spring is when the snow melts, flowers come up and baby animals are born.

Which season is usually the hottest?

Summer is the hottest and brightest season, with the longest days and the most sunshine; it comes after spring and before autumn.

In which season do lots of trees drop their leaves?

Autumn is when leaves change colour and fall, and some people call the season fall for exactly that reason.

What does a caterpillar turn into?

A caterpillar turns into a butterfly: it wraps itself up in a chrysalis first, then comes out with wings.

Which animal has a very long neck and eats leaves from tall trees?

Giraffes are the tallest animals on land, taller than a two-story house.

Which animal has a long trunk?

An elephant uses its trunk to drink, to smell and to pick things up.

Which farm animal gives us milk to drink?

Cows eat grass all day, and a dairy cow can give many buckets of milk.

Which animal hops and carries its baby in a pouch?

Kangaroos live in Australia and use their big tail to balance when they hop.

What do birds lay?

Baby birds grow inside the egg until they are ready to peck their way out.

What is the big bright star we see in the daytime sky?

The Sun is so far away that its light takes about eight minutes to reach us.

Which planet do we live on?

Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only one we know with people on it.

How many colours are in a rainbow the way we usually count them, starting with red and ending with violet?

Seven colours: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet, always in that order, a count chosen by Isaac Newton.

Mix red paint with the colour of a lemon and what do you get?

Red and yellow paint mix to make orange; the colour orange is named after the fruit, not the other way round.

If you mix blue paint with yellow paint, the colour of a lemon, what colour do you get?

Green is what blue and yellow make when mixed, and it is the colour of most leaves and grass.

What colour is a ripe banana?

Bananas start out green and turn yellow as they get sweeter.

How many wheels does a tricycle have?

"Tri" means three, just like a triangle has three sides.

How many wheels does a bicycle have?

"Bi" means two, which is why a bicycle has two wheels and two pedals.

How many fingers are on one hand, counting the thumb?

Five fingers on each hand make ten in all, which is why we count in tens.

Which number comes right after 9?

Ten is the first number that needs two digits to write.

Which day of the week comes right after Monday?

Tuesday is named after Tiw, an old god of war.

Which meal do most people eat in the morning?

Breakfast is the morning meal; the word means breaking the fast, the long night of not eating.

What do bees make?

Bees make honey from the nectar they collect from flowers.

Which bird cannot fly but is a great swimmer and lives where it is cold?

Penguins use their wings as flippers and can zoom through the water.

Which animal has black and white stripes?

No two zebras have exactly the same pattern of stripes.

Which big cat has dark stripes on its fur?

Tigers are the biggest cats in the world and love to swim.

Which small garden animal carries a spiral shell on its back?

When a snail is scared, it pulls its whole body inside the shell.

Which insect lights up at night?

A firefly makes its own light with a special chemical in its body, and it is really a soft-bodied beetle, also called a lightning bug.

A lamb is the baby of which animal?

Sheep give us wool, which is spun into yarn to make sweaters.

What is a doctor for animals called?

Vets look after pets, farm animals and even zoo animals.

Who puts out fires?

Firefighters also rescue people and animals and help after accidents.

What colour is the sky on a clear sunny day?

The air scatters blue light from the Sun all across the sky.

What colour are most leaves?

Green comes from chlorophyll, which leaves use to catch light energy from the Sun and make food.

What is the biggest animal that lives in the ocean?

A blue whale is the largest animal known ever to have existed, longer than a school bus and heavier than 25 elephants.

Where do fish live?

Fish live in water and breathe with gills, which take oxygen out of the water.

What is a baby frog called?

A tadpole has a tail and no legs, then it grows legs and loses the tail.

What do you use to clean your teeth?

A toothbrush is for cleaning teeth; dentists say to brush twice a day for about two minutes.

How many months are there in one year?

Twelve months make a year, starting with January and ending with December.

Which animal is called the King of the Beasts?

Lions actually live on grassy plains, and only the males grow a big mane.

Which sound does a happy cat often make?

Cats also meow, trill and hiss to talk to us.

Which wild animal is the dog's closest cousin?

Dogs were the first animals people ever tamed, more than 14,000 years ago.

What is a baby horse called?

A foal can stand up and run soon after it is born.

What is a baby duck called?

A baby duck is called a duckling; ducklings have webbed feet to help them paddle in the water.

Which animal uses its long back legs to hop away from danger?

Rabbits often live in underground homes called burrows.

Which bird hunts at night and flies almost silently?

Owls have big heads and sharp claws called talons.

Which is the only mammal that can truly fly?

Bats have thin skin stretched between very long fingers to make their wings.

Bees collect nectar and what else from flowers?

Bees collect pollen as well as nectar; honeybees carry the pollen home in little baskets on their back legs.

Ants live together in big groups called what?

Some ant colonies have millions of ants living in one nest.

Ladybirds are usually red with what on their backs?

Ladybirds usually have black spots on red wing cases; the bright colours warn birds that they taste bad.

A butterfly's life has how many stages?

Four stages: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis and butterfly, a change called metamorphosis.

Which sea creature usually has five arms and can regrow one it loses?

A starfish usually has five arms and can grow a new one if it loses one; it is not a fish at all but a relative of the sea urchin.

Dolphins breathe air through a hole on top of their heads called what?

A blowhole is the nostril on top of a dolphin's head; the dolphin surfaces to breathe air through it, then closes it before diving.

What do sharks grow again and again all through their lives?

Sharks have many rows of teeth ready to move forward.

Which way do crabs usually run?

Crabs usually run sideways because their legs bend that way; their hard shell works like armour.

A turtle's shell is mostly made of what?

A turtle's shell is mostly bone, built from its ribs and backbone and covered by thin horny plates; the top part is called the carapace.

Which reptile has no legs at all?

Snakes wriggle along using their strong bodies and scales.

Which animal uses a long, sticky tongue to lick up ants and termites?

An anteater flicks out a long, sticky tongue to eat thousands of ants and termites a day; it has no teeth at all.

A family group of lions is called what?

A family group of lions is called a pride, usually a few related females, their cubs and one or two grown males.

Which black and white bear loves to eat bamboo?

Pandas come from China and have black patches around their eyes.

Which desert animal has humps on its back?

Camels can carry people and heavy loads across the desert.

A baby kangaroo is called what?

Joeys grow inside their mother's pouch.

Which animal builds dams across streams out of branches and mud?

A beaver builds dams from branches and mud to make a pond for its home; its big front teeth never stop growing, so it keeps gnawing wood.

Which is the biggest bird in the world?

Ostriches cannot fly, but they can run faster than any other bird.

A male peafowl with a big fan of feathers is called what?

A peacock is the male peafowl; he fans out his long train of feathers to impress the peahens.

Which colourful bird has a strong curved beak and can climb with it?

Parrots use their beaks like an extra hand when climbing.

Which small animal can climb down a tree head first?

A squirrel can turn its back feet right round to grip the bark, so it can run down a tree head first; squirrels are rodents with big bushy tails.

A hedgehog's back is covered with what?

Hedgehog spines are stiff hollow hairs.

Which orange vegetable grows under the ground?

Carrots are orange because of something called beta-carotene.

Which vegetable makes your eyes water when you cut it?

An onion gives off a gas when it is cut that stings your eyes and makes them water; cooking it makes it sweet and mild.

What shape is a rainbow?

A rainbow is an arc, part of a circle; from an aeroplane high above the rain it can look like a full circle.

Rain is made of tiny drops of what?

Very light rain is called a drizzle.

What do we call the white fluffy shapes that drift across the sky?

Clouds are made of millions of tiny water droplets floating in the air; when the drops grow heavy enough they fall as rain.

What is wind?

Wind is moving air; when it blows hard enough it pushes sailing boats and hot air balloons along.

Thunder is the sound made by what?

Thunder is the sound of lightning: the flash heats the air so fast that it bursts outward with a bang, heard as a rumble or a crack.

Which planet is famous for its big bright rings?

Saturn is the planet with the big bright rings, made mostly of chunks of ice; it is the sixth planet from the Sun.

Which planet is called the Red Planet?

Mars is called the Red Planet because its dusty ground is full of rusty iron that makes it look red-orange in the sky.

Which part of your body pumps blood?

The heart and blood vessels together make up the circulatory system.

Which part of your mouth helps you taste food?

The tongue is covered in tiny taste buds that tell sweet from salty, sour and bitter; it also moves food around when you chew and swallow.

Which body part do you hear with?

Ears also help you keep your balance.

Which body part do you see with?

Eyes catch light and send messages to your brain.

Which body part do you smell with?

Your nose is for smelling; special nerve cells inside it pick up scents from the air you breathe in.

Which vehicle carries lots of people along the road?

Most buses carry between 30 and 100 people.

A train runs along what?

A train runs along a railway track, two steel rails that guide its wheels; it is usually pulled by an engine called a locomotive.

An aeroplane flies using its what?

An aeroplane flies on its wings: air rushing over their curved shape lifts the plane up, while an engine or propeller pushes it forward.

An ambulance takes sick or hurt people to which place?

An ambulance rushes patients to a hospital, where doctors and nurses treat them; paramedics look after the patient during the ride.

Which helper's job is to stop crime and keep people safe?

Police officers are sometimes called cops or constables.

Who helps children learn at school?

A teacher helps children learn to read, write and count at school; another word for teacher is educator.

Which doctor looks after your teeth and gums?

A dentist checks, cleans and mends teeth and treats sore gums, which is why regular check-ups keep your smile healthy.

Who grows crops and raises animals for our food?

Farmers may grow fields of wheat, keep chickens or raise cows.

A chef is a person who is very good at what?

A chef is an expert at cooking; the word comes from French, short for chef de cuisine, the head of the kitchen.

Who brings letters and parcels to your house?

A mail carrier delivers letters and parcels to homes; some people call the same job the postman or postie.

Humpty Dumpty in the nursery rhyme is usually drawn as what?

Humpty Dumpty is usually drawn as an egg, which is why he broke when he fell off the wall; the rhyme itself never says he is an egg.

"Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" is what kind of song?

It is a lullaby, a gentle song for sending children to sleep; the words come from the 1806 poem 'The Star' by Jane Taylor.

In the nursery rhyme, who sat on a tuffet eating curds and whey?

Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet eating her curds and whey, until a spider sat down beside her and frightened her away.

What does the Itsy Bitsy Spider climb up?

The Itsy Bitsy Spider climbs up the waterspout, a rain pipe; down comes the rain and washes the spider out, then the sun dries it and the spider climbs again.

Little Red Riding Hood walks through the woods to visit whom?

Little Red Riding Hood is taking food to her grandmother, who is ill; on the way she meets the Big Bad Wolf, who reaches the cottage first.

Cinderella's story is also known as The Little Glass what?

The Little Glass Slipper is the title of Charles Perrault's 1697 version of Cinderella; the prince finds her by the slipper she leaves behind.

Which animal runs up the clock in "Hickory Dickory Dock"?

The clock strikes one and the mouse runs down.

"Row, Row, Row Your Boat" is often sung in what special way?

It is sung as a round: one group starts and the next group begins the same tune a little later, so the parts overlap.

In "The Wheels on the Bus", what goes "beep beep beep"?

The wipers go swish and the people go up and down.

Which hot melted rock comes out of a volcano?

Lava is melted rock that pours out of a volcano; while it is still underground it is called magma, and volcanoes also blow out ash and gas.

Which small pet fish is one of the most popular for a fish tank?

Goldfish live in fresh water, not the salty sea.

What is a grown-up male chicken called?

A grown-up male chicken is a rooster, also called a cock; he crows at dawn, while the grown-up female is a hen.

A baby swan is called what?

A baby swan is called a cygnet; cygnets hatch covered in soft grey down and often ride on their parents' backs.

Flamingos usually stand on how many legs?

Flamingos usually stand on one leg with the other tucked up under the body; the leg joint locks, so balancing this way takes very little effort.

After the elephant and the rhino, which is the next biggest land animal?

The hippopotamus weighs well over a tonne and is usually counted the third-largest land animal after elephants and rhinos; it spends the day in rivers to keep cool.

Which animal has one or two horns on its nose?

The name rhinoceros means nose-horned.

Which is the biggest of all the apes and monkeys?

Gorillas live in the forests of Africa and mostly eat plants.

Which very slow animal spends its life hanging upside down in trees?

Sloths live in the rainforests of Central and South America.

Which big sea animal has long tusks and whiskers?

Walruses live in the cold Arctic seas.

Which animal sprays a terrible smell from under its tail when it is scared?

A skunk sprays a foul-smelling liquid from glands under its tail when threatened; its black and white stripes warn other animals to keep away.

What do most bears do in their dens for a long time in winter?

Bears hibernate: they sleep in their dens for months, living off stored fat, and their heartbeat slows right down.

Which is the fastest animal on land?

A cheetah can run faster than a car on a town road.

A leopard's coat is covered in spots grouped into what shapes?

Rosettes look a bit like little flowers.

A grown-up female sheep is called what?

A grown-up male sheep is a ram.

Which small sea fish carries its babies in a pouch on the father's belly?

A seahorse is a fish that swims upright; the male carries the eggs in a pouch on his belly until the babies hatch.

Which lizard is famous for being able to change the colour of its skin?

A chameleon changes its skin colour to show its mood and to warm up or cool down; it also has a long sticky tongue that shoots out to catch insects.

What is a baby goose called?

A baby goose is a gosling; the grown-up male is a gander, and a group of geese on the ground is a gaggle.

What is a baby pig called?

A baby pig is a piglet; a mother pig has a whole litter at once, and piglets are born with tiny sharp teeth.

Clownfish, like Nemo, live safely inside which stinging sea creature?

The clownfish gets a safe home, and in return it chases away fish that would nibble the anemone and keeps it clean.

Which bird uses its strong beak to drill and drum on trees to find insects?

A woodpecker hammers on trees with its beak and then uses a long sticky tongue to pull bugs and grubs out of the holes it makes.

Which tiny bird can hover in the air like a helicopter while it drinks from flowers?

A hummingbird beats its wings so fast they make a humming sound, which is how it got its name; the wings can beat more than 50 times a second.

What is the big round object that goes around the Earth and shines in the night sky?

The Moon goes round the Earth about once a month and always shows us the same side; its glow is really sunlight bouncing off it.