JUST FOR KIDS
Cool Creation Facts and Care Tips
God made an amazing world. He put millions of cool creatures in it, then tied them together with tiny threads of life.
God gave lifeless things like air, water, and dirt some surprising features, then fine-tuned them to support our life. Then
God told us to care for it all.
Soon this amazing world will burst out in joyful glory,
because spring is here. There’s no better time to go outside and enjoy God’s wonderful creation!
But first, read these pages. They’ll give you some cool
facts about the things you see, tips on creation care, and
reasons to thank God for this amazing world.
angest
Plants pop up in the str
mowed
building, even your un
old
an
,
alk
a broken sidew
lawn or old garden.
ed is just a
p plants “weeds.” A we
People call these pop-u
but God obvimeone doesn’t want it,
plant growing where so
ce.
pop up all over the pla
ously created plants to
them.
ut
tho
wi
e
liv
’t
can
Maybe that’s because we
t
ly things in creation tha
Green plants are the on
ey inhale (breathe in)
breathe opposite of us. Th
exhale (breathe out)
carbon dioxide, a gas we
Then they exhale
because we can’t use it.
to live. So, we and
ed
oxygen, the gas we ne
er the gasses we
green plants give each oth
t cool?
each need to live. Isn’t tha
nts growing whencan.
ever and wherever you
of your yard and
TRY THIS: Adopt a corner mowing or weedno
leave it alone all summer—
what kinds of plants
of
ck
tra
ep
Ke
.
ing or spraying
pop up there.
CARE TIP: Keep green pla
The Scoop on Soil
Here are some cool facts about soil.
t It’s full of life. There are more microbes
(microscopic living things) in a tablespoon
of soil than there are people on earth.
t It recycles. Those billions of microbes need
to eat. So they chew apart anything natural
that falls into their world. They break it back
up into minerals that plants can use. Plants
live only because soil recycles.
t It takes time. It takes about 500
years for one inch of good soil to form.
30 THE BANNER | April 2011 | www.thebanner.org
CARE TIP: Why not
grow a small garden this
summer? Set aside a part
of your yard, or plant
some things in a large
pot. Dig in the dirt, pick
your own food, and then
recycle the plants back
into the soil.
ILLUSTRATION BY SCOTT HOLLADAY
Pop-up Plantsplaces: a gravel driveway,
A Little
a
Something Ehtx: Ittr
contains all
t sunlig
Here’s a fact abou
ded to
inbow, usually blen
the colors of the ra
e
os colors
. But sometime th
form “white” light
e air. That’s
dust or water in th
are separated by
s, and beauws, colored sunset
bo
in
ra
e
se
e
w
n
he
w
tiful sunrises.
ring of
ol fact: This scatte
Here’s a really co
rth. It’s an
ssar y for life on ea
ce
ne
l
al
at
’t
isn
r Creator.
colors
auty to us from ou
extra, a gift of be
d
an
inbows, sunsets,
NO-CARE TIP: Ra . Relax, enjoy them.
re
nrises need no ca
su
own rainbow. Pour
ur
TRY THIS: Enjoy yoainer (like a cake pan).
nt
water into a flat co
house.
nny spot in the
su
a
in
Place that
lf- out
ld it half-in and ha
Take a mirror; ho
the
at
the mirror so th
d
of the water. Turn
an
ht
catches the sunlig
!
part underwater
w
bo
in
wall. Presto, a ra
reflects it onto a
Our Space Bla
nket
It’s going to b
e cold
tonight. Do yo
Then cover yo
u want to slee
urself with a ni
p warmly?
ce, thick blank
body warm.
et to keep your
That is just w
hat God did w
ith Earth. He
layers of air ca
wrapped it in
lled atmospher
e. That acts lik
keeps warm ai
e a blanket. It
r near the eart
h at night. And
ously strong su
it keeps dange
n rays away fr
rom the earth
Without our sp
d
uring the day.
ace blanket, w
e’d freeze at ni
or vaporize by
ght and broil
day. Nothing co
uld live on eart
space blanket
h without our
, our atmosphe
re.
CA
RE TIP: Bike or
walk ever ywh
rather than as
ere you can,
king an adult
to drive you. Ex
from cars pollu
haust
tes the atmosp
here.
Wonderful Water
Drop an ice cube into a glass of water and what
happens to it? It pops to the top, doesn’t it?
That’s because ice is lighter than liquid water,
so it floats.
Most liquids shrink when they freeze. They
drop to the bottom of wherever they are.
Water is one of the few liquids that expands
and becomes lighter-weight when
it freezes.
Water can carry more substances than most liquids.
Wherever it flows it carries
minerals and nutrients in it.
Water can also carry more
heat than most liquids can. So
oceans pick up heat in tropical
regions and carry it north, to
colder sections of the world.
Now imagine an earth where
water didn’t shrink or carry heat
and nutrients. Could we live
there?
CARE TIP: Fresh water is precious. Never let it run straight from the
faucet to the drain. Think about that when
you’re brushing your teeth, washing your
face, filling a glass of water, rinsing dishes—
whenever you turn on the faucet.
TRY THIS: Fill a bottle half-full of water.
Put a mark at the water line. Then put the
bottle in the freezer overnight. Look at it
the next morning and you’ll see how the
water expanded. Then try the same
experiment with cooking oil and see what
happens. What’s different?
Joanne DeJonge
is a park ranger
in northern
Michigan.
Point to Ponder
Now read Genesis 9:8-17, and thank God for
rainbows, beauty, and an amazing creation.
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