Grab your trinkets and prepare to be a-MAZE-d when you make your very own funky maze game!
Here’s what you need:
A lid from a shoebox (or something similar)
Small trinkets to build the maze
A marble (any small ball will do!)
Glue or tape
Art supplies to decorate
Here’s how you make it:
Step 1:
Prepare your maze base. A lid from a shoebox will work perfectly, but any kind of box will work!
TIP: Depending on the size of your box, you might want to trim the sides to make it easier to hold.
Step 2:
Pick 2 corners of your box to be the start and end of your maze. Draw a long, winding path from one corner to the other. This will be the "winning" path for your maze!
Step 3:
Trace a few extra dead-end paths that trail off of the “winning” path. Add as many extra paths as you like, but remember: the more paths you have, the harder your maze will be!
Step 4:
Once you've traced all the paths, it's time to bring your maze to life! Use your trinkets to build mini "walls" around each path, leaving enough room for your ball to roll through.
TIP: If you want to use hot glue, be sure to ask an adult for help!
Now that your maze is ready, pull out your art supplies and decorate the box!
How will you decorate your maze? Let us know in the comments below!
We’ve gotten tons of great guesses on Part 1 of the Pixel Puzzler, and now it’s time for the answer. Are you ready for the great reveal? Find out if you got it right!
The answer to this Pixel Puzzler is (drum roll please) a raccoon.
Raccoons are famous for snacking on the food we throw away, and sometimes it can really make them sick. Stopping food waste can help keep them safe, but did you know that it can also help slow down climate change? Check out our newest Challenge to learn more!
Join the All Taste, No Waste Challenge and stop wasting food to help protect the planet!
Transform your leftover veggies into these super cute caribou quesadillas!
Here’s what you need:
2 tortilla wraps
A handful of grated cheese
Leftover vegetables and protein
3 cherry tomatoes, halved
12 black olive slices
12 pretzels
Here’s how you make it:
Step 1:
With an adult to help, place the first tortilla in a lightly oiled frying pan. Add the cheese and your chosen fillings, then place the second tortilla on top.
Tip: You can make a smaller portion by using one tortilla and folding it in half.
Step 2:
After a few minutes on medium heat, once the base is golden and crisp, give it a flip! Place a plate on top of the pan, flip it upside down, then carefully slide the quesadilla back in the pan so the other side to crisp up.
Step 3:
Once your quesadilla is cooked through, slide it onto a cutting board or a plate for serving, and cut it into 6 wedges.
Step 4:
Time to decorate! Make the noses and place them on the tip of each wedge. Next, make the eyes and place them in the middle. Lastly, pop on a couple of pretzels (or pretzel pieces if they are too big) on each wedge for the antlers.
TIP: We used half of a cherry tomato for the nose, and bits of green pepper for the eyes.
Let’s play a game! We’re thinking of a word and we want you to guess what it is. Here is your clue:
It’s a tough one, so here’s another clue! It’s where animals like beaver, turtles, frogs, otters, and fish live and play.
The answer is…drumroll please…a RIVER!
We love rivers. They are home to tons of animals and they cool things down in the summer. They also help us avoid drought and are important sources of water for farmers. What’s not to love, am I right?
When you think about it, rivers are pretty cool. They’re like big water highways. Say you dropped a stick in the Etobicoke Creek in Brampton. If it hit the right currents, that stick could travel all the way to Lake Ontario!
Here’s the problem: those waters that carry your stick, can carry litter too.
There are 21 big rivers that flow into Lake Ontario in the Greenbelt alone. Many of them flow through big cities. The garbage we leave out can easily get caught in the wind and blow into the river. That’s bad news for the animals that live along the river because litter and animals do not mix!
Here’s the good news: there are things you can do to protect these rivers!
If you see a piece of litter, pick it up and throw it away properly (with your parent or guardian to help, of course). This is especially important if you’re near a river or creek.
Do your best to cut down on the amount of litter you make. Say no to single-use plastics and extra packaging wherever you can.
Make sure your garbage and recycling is safe for animals. You should clean out your containers so that they don’t attract hungry animals. You can also make sure any garbage sitting outside stays covered so the wind doesn’t pick it up. You can learn more tips like these by checking out the R.A.W.R. Mission!
Rivers are very important to our planet. It’s our job to make sure they’re protected! What are some other way we can protect them? Let us know in the comments!
New Challenge alert! Want to learn how you can enjoy your food’s taste without any of the waste? Look for “All Taste No Waste” in the Challenges section of the Earth Rangers App!
Every year, 2.2 million tonnes of perfectly good food ends up in the trash… in Canada alone. That’s like throwing away the weight of 1000 elephants EACH DAY! When leftovers, fruits, and veggies end up in landfills, they release greenhouse gases as they break down. This contributes to climate change and hurts the planet.
When you join this challenge, you’ll see how easy it is to fight food waste! Before you know it, you’ll be able to…
Upcook leftovers
Be a clean plate champion
Stop the fuzz
Think before you toss
Make black gold
Be a produce picking pro
Eat foods in season
We’ve raised the bar even higher this time! When we log 120,000 habits as a group, we’ll launch the All Taste, No Waste cookbook, made just for you! Will you help us?
When you live in a house full of J.R.R. Tolkien fans, it wasn’t unusual to hear one of the kids scream from the basement “Don’t touch my precious!” It was confirmation that my three children were playing yet another Lord of the Rings role-playing game and the battle for Middle-earth was underway. With the debut of the epic series The Rings of Power, I found myself standing around the coffee station talking to a group of workmates about our connection to Tolkien’s magical storytelling. We all had our own unique perspective on what makes his writing special, but we agreed he is among the best when it comes to world-building. In fact, Tolkien is credited with helping to create the fantasy genre as we know it. For some working in the field of conservation and environmental education, Tolkien is more than just the author of one of the most read fictional series of all time. It’s his emphasis on nature and respect for the planet that resonates with many of us.
The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, like many epic narratives, features a strong sense of good and evil. Saruman, who cuts down trees and rips open the earth to build his army for world domination, is one of the story’s main antagonists. As for Mordor, it’s a wasteland of decay and destruction. The power and hope to mitigate this darkness was found in the Elves, the Ents and, of course, the Hobbits. Academics argue these characters represent Tolkien’s deeply held belief that we should honour our connection to the planet. The Elves were stewards of the forest. The Hobbits burrowed into the earth to build their homes and were fiercely protective of their beloved Shire. It’s widely reported Tolkien abhorred England’s industrial growth in the early 19-hundreds. He was quoted as saying; “The tragedy and despair of all machinery laid bare is the modern attempt to enhance our control over the world around us, regardless of the consequences.” Saruman is described by the author as a wizard with a mind for metal and wheels who doesn’t care for growing things, except as they served him in the moment. Mordor is well-known for representing what Tolkien viewed as the black engines of machinery and factories.
It would be easy to talk about these themes with young readers. I wish I made the point of connecting the dots for my kids about Tolkien’s powerful environmental message. I had an invested audience! They already loved the story so there was an opportunity to simply point out a few examples of Tolkien’s worldview. While hiking in my local forest, when the light breaks through the canopy in a certain way, it can remind me of Fangorn Forest. Or at least how I picture this magical place where the Ents live. This would be another great opportunity to share observations out loud with the kids. Making real world connections with a favourite book can be incredibly meaningful when parents share their love of a story with something in their surroundings.
As for Tolkien’s enduring environmental message; with his recent surge in popularity, there’s a chance a whole new generation will connect with his vision and remind us all that “the precious” can be planet Earth.
The mystery around Adelia’s diary thickens! Earth Ranger Emma is growing suspicious: What is the deal with the serpent symbol – and what message is hidden in the wooden box she found? Looks like her time in Namibia is quickly running out…
Inside the box was… a key? What do you think this key could open?
We learned about the mountain zebra this episode. Wanna know some things that make Namibia’s zebras so cool? They have thick black stripes that run straight down their bodies, shorter tails than other zebras, and a throat dewlap!
Stay tuned for more episodes to find out what happens next!