Table of contents for January/February 2026 in Chickadee

The Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games are coming up, and I am so excited! I love watching the athletes shine in the sports they’ve trained so hard for. In this issue, we talk to eight athletes about what it’s like to win medals, be part of a team, and more! Slide over to page 7 for the sporty scoop. There’s a lot of other stuff to cheer for in this issue, too. Make a tabletop curling game, try a delicious berry crumble recipe, and experiment with balance. Finally, we wish you a happy new year full of love, fun, and big laughs! Find Owlkids on: mailto:chickadee@owlkids.com https://www.facebook.com/owlkids https://twitter.com/owlkids?lang=en https://www.instagram.com/owlkidspublishing/?hl=en https://bsky.app/profile/owlkids.bsky.social  owlkids.com…

You’ll need: • pizza box • rubber band • 6 or more plastic caps • paint • sharp pencil • scissors What to do: 1 Paint a target at one end of the box. Let the paint dry. 2 Add score numbers to the target area. 3 Use a sharp pencil to poke a hole in each side of the box at the opposite end from the target. 4 Cut a rubber band and thread it through the holes. Then tie the rubber band together again underneath the box. 5 Paint the caps. Let the paint dry. How to play: Use your pointer finger to pull the cap back against the rubber band and then let go to launch it towards the target. Repeat with the other caps until they…

Snowy Strength These leopards are winter athletes. Their powerful hind legs allow them to climb up steep mountains and leap more than seven times the length of their bodies! Their long, thick tails help them balance on small ledges and hop easily from rock to rock. LEOPARD Family Ties These big cats are related to lions, tigers, jaguars, and other leopards. Size About the size of a large dog. Fave Foods They eat wild sheep, mountain goats, and small mammals. Quiet Cat Snow leopards are the only big cats that can’t roar! They use growls, chuffs, and mews to communicate instead. Winter Warrior Snow leopards are built to survive the cold. They have thick woolly coats for warmth and large paws that help them walk across snow and ice without slipping. Cool Camouflage Their white…

ART SPOT Send us a drawing of your favourite thing! (Address page 31.) Pet Patrol Read It! Soup’s On Around the World by Denyse Waissbluth and illustrated by Chelsea O’Byrne Reader Review by Kieffer My favourite part about this book was learning about all the different soups. I like soup. My favourite flavour is tomato with dumplings. I liked reading about all the different countries and their soups. Connect with Us! Email your photos, drawings, jokes, and letters to: chickadee@owlkids.com Or mail to: Chickadee, 1 Eglinton Avenue East, Ste. 800, Toronto, ON M4P 3A1 Parents: Find Owlkids on https://www.facebook.com/owlkids https://twitter.com/owlkids?lang=en https://www.instagram.com/owlkidspublishing/?hl=en https://bsky.app/profile/owlkids.bsky.social You Did It! Chickadee readers show off their projects from the October issue. Treat Feast Oozing Pumpkin! Autumn Art Contest WINNERS! In September’s Code Breaker Contest, we asked…

You‘ll need: • popsicle stick • pipe cleaner • two clothespins What to do: 1 Try to balance one end of the popsicle stick on your finger. What happens? 2 Twist the middle of the pipe cleaner around one end of the popsicle stick. Wrap it tightly and make sure the length is even on both sides. 3 Attach a clothespin to each end of the pipe cleaner. 4 Now try to balance the popsicle stick again. What happens? Dr. Zed explains Every object has a centre of gravity, or balance point. Usually, the balance point on a popsicle stick is in the middle. This makes it hard to balance the end on your finger. When you add clothespins to either side, you lower the centre of gravity. It‘s easier…

Olympic and Paralympic Fast Facts Where: Two cities are co-hosting: Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. What: The Olympics will have over 3,500 athletes compete in 116 medal events. The Paralympics will have 600 athletes compete in 79 medal events. Sports: Multiple events in skating, skiing, and sledding. There’s also biathalon, curling, ice and sledge hockey, and snowboarding! When: Olympics: February 6 to 22 Paralympics: March 6 to 15 Mascots: Two mascots named Tina and Milo will represent these games. They are stoats, animals that live in the Italian Alps. Slide to the next page for MORE! What’s it like to train for the Paralympics? Mollie Jepsen SPORT: PARA-ALPINE SKIING “Training for the Paralympics is like going to gym class every day, only my classroom is a snowy mountain! I spend hours…

You’ll need: For the filling: • 1 L (4 cups) frozen berries• 45 mL (3 tbsp.) white sugar• 45 mL (3 tbsp.) flour• zest from one lemon (optional)• pinch of salt For the topping: • 250 mL (1 cup) oats• 125 mL (½ cup) brown sugar• 90 mL (6 tbsp.) flour• 125 mL (½ cup) butter, cut into small pieces What to do: 1 In a baking dish, stir the berries and other filling ingredients together. 2 In a separate bowl, stir the topping ingredients together. Use your hands to mix the butter in well. 3 Spread the topping on top of the berry mixture. 4 Bake at 180°C (350°F) for about one hour, or until the topping is golden. 5 Let cool before serving. Parents: Share with us! mailto:chickadee@owlkids.com https://www.facebook.com/owlkids…

Send us your riddles, jokes, and tongue twisters. Address page 31. Picture Puzzler What does this say? Full moon! Knock, Knock Knock, knock. Who’s there? Ari. Ari who? Ari there yet? Rachel Just Joking What do snowpeople win in the Winter Olympics? Cold medals! Just Joking What do sloths say on Valentine’s Day? I love you slow much! Just Joking What do you call a pig with 10 eyes? Cora Piiiiiiiiiig! Mush’s Corner What do you see? The top of a pie! Can Mish and Mash figure this out? Draw Stuff Who’s sliding down the hill? Just Joking What is a ghost’s favourite month? Feb-boo-ary! Tongue Twister SAY THIS 10 TIMES FAST: Sal and Susie sit at the skate shop.…