Should Summer Reading Be Mandatory? In 2021, we asked TIME for Kids readers if they thought summer reading should be mandatory. We heard from students who felt strongly about both sides of the issue. So we decided to pose the question again. And again, you made your voices heard! Here are some of the responses ..read more

What’s Your Summer Goal? Everyone’s summer looks different. For many kids, summertime is a period of rest and fun. Others use their time off school to learn a skill, play a summer sport, take interesting classes, or connect with family and friends. How are you spending your summer months? Junior Journalists, we want to know: What’s your summer goal? When you go back to school, what do you hope to have accomplished? What will you need to have done in order to consider your summer a success? Write your answer, and ask a parent or guardian to send it to us at tfkpressclub@time.com ..read more

Beat the Heat Record-setting high temperatures are dangerous for your health. Whether you’re in the middle of a heat wave or just trying to get through one scorching day, you’ll need strategies to cool off and stay well. One of the most important is staying hydrated. “In the heat, everyone needs more water,” says Dr. Ashley Karpinos, associate professor of medicine, pediatrics, and sports medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, in Tennessee. And if you’re playing sports or exercising in hot weather, staying hydrated is even more crucial. One way to plan your water intake is to take y ..read more

The History of Fireworks Fireworks may seem like a very American tradition, especially on the 4th of July. But fireworks go back many years before the first American Independence Day celebration, which took place in 1777, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The earliest fireworks can be traced to around 2,000 years ago in China. People then are said to have roasted bamboo stalks. The stalks turned black and sizzled. The air inside the hollow stalks would explode. Baozhu is a Mandarin Chinese word for firecracker. It means “exploding bamboo.” Years later, Chinese chemists took fireworks a step furth ..read more

Team Riley Returns TFK Kid Reporter Sophia Zhang attended a screening of the new movie Inside Out 2. Read her thoughts below. Team Riley is back, in Inside Out 2, a sequel to 2015’s Inside Out. Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust have been successfully operating Riley’s mind. But their world takes a turn when Riley turns 13, which means growth spurts, braces, pimples—in other words, puberty. The characters representing Riley’s emotions have no explanation for her wild mood swings. They become more flabbergasted when a new emotion shows up: Anxiety. And as it turns out, Anxiety is not the on ..read more

A Juneteenth Celebration This story was originally published on June 15, 2021. It was updated on June 17, 2024. On June 19, people across the United States celebrate Juneteenth. The holiday commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S., in 1865. Juneteenth is short for “June 19th.” It was on that day, in June 1865, that 250,000 people in Galveston, Texas, found out they had been freed from slavery. A Look at History In 1860 and 1861, several Southern states declared their independence from the United States. This started the Civil War. The Southern Confederacy wanted to maintain slavery, while t ..read more

Ready, Set, Play! June 11 will mark the first-ever International Day of Play. On March 26, the United Nations adopted a resolution to create a day on which to honor play worldwide. Play is more than just a pastime for kids. It’s a crucial part of their development. Play encourages them to be physically active, which is healthy. Play also fosters children’s friendships and social skills. It teaches them how to solve problems and resolve conflicts. And through play, kids can increase their creativity and imagination. All of these benefits are important. They help kids thrive. Plus, play-based le ..read more

Bee Champ On May 30, a seventh-grader from Tampa, Florida, became the 2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee champ. Bruhat Soma, 12, crushed a lightning tiebreaker round by spelling 29 words correctly in 90 seconds. The winning word was abseil. It’s a word used in the sport of mountaineering. This was Bruhat’s third appearance in the bee. In 2022, he tied for 163rd place. Last year, he came 74th. Bruhat told NPR that he felt “excited” about winning. “I’ve been working really hard, so I just put a lot of time into spelling,” he said. “I’m really happy that I won. Like, I really can’t describe it. I ..read more

Cat Caper TFK Kid Reporter Abhijay Potluri attended a screening of The Garfield Movie. Read his thoughts below. Garfield is living his usual lazy life with Jon and his dog friend, Odie, enjoying all the lasagna he can eat. But the cat’s slothful agenda takes a surprising turn when he meets his long-lost dad, Vic, who needs his help with a risky heist. Garfield and Odie are yanked out of their cozy home and into a wild adventure. At first, Garfield, who loves his snacks and naps, is not happy about this. But as the adventure unfolds, he starts to see things differently. He learns a lot about hi ..read more

Imagine This TFK Kid Reporter Ninis Twumasi attended a screening of the new movie IF and interviewed the film’s young star, Cailey Fleming. Read his thoughts below. Imaginary friends: We’ve all had them. But what happens when you grow up? IF answers all your questions. In the movie, an IF is an imaginary friend. When a kid grows up, they can’t see their IF anymore. The IF has to live in a place for forgotten IFs—until Bea comes along. With the help of others, including an IF bear named Lewis (above), Bea makes it her mission to reconnect imaginary friends with their kids. Will she be successfu ..read more