European Countries and Capitals Wordsearches
I hope that you enjoy these European Countries and Capitals wordsearches.
European Countries
A List of the Kings and Queens of England for Kids
A List of the Kings and Queens of England for Kids
Here we have a straight-forward list of the Kings and Queens of England for kids and then further information about some of these kings and queens below the list. If you have a favourite fact about someone please let me know in the comments.
I should just say that this list starts with Kings of Wessex/Kent, which was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom in the south of England, as it includes Alfred the Great who is often listed as the first king of England, even though there were other kings in other parts of the country.
Egbert 771/775 – 839
Aethelwulf 839 – 858
Aethelbald 855–860 King of Wessex
Aethelberht c. 589 – 616 AD King of Kent and then Wessex
Aethelred I 865 to 871
Alfred the Great
Edward the Elder
Athelstan
Edmund the Magnificent
Eadred
Eadwig (Edwy) All-Fair
Edgar the Peaceable
Edward the Martyr
AEthelred II (Ethelred the Unready)
Edmund II (Ironside)
Svein Forkbeard
Cnut (Canute)
Harold I
Hardicnut
Edward (the Confessor)
Harold II
William I
William II
Henry I
Stephen
Empress Matilda (Queen Maud)
Henry II
Richard I
John
Henry III
Edward I
Edward II
Edward III
Richard II
Henry IV
Henry V
Henry VI
Edward IV
Edward V
Richard III
Henry VII
Henry VIII
Edward VI
Jane Grey
Mary I
Elizabeth I
James I
Charles I
Oliver Cromwell
Richard Cromwell
Charles II
James II
William III
Mary II
Anne
George I
George II
George III
George IV
William IV
Victoria
Edward VII
George V
Edward VIII
George VI
Elizabeth II
Horrible Histories Song
Horrible Histories did a song about all the Kings and Queens from William First (aka William the Conqueror!)
A poem written in the time of George V
– please let me know in the comments if you know who the author is.
William the Conqueror long did reign,
William, his son, by an arrow was slain;
Henry the First was a scholar bright;
Stephen was king without any right.
Henry the Second, Plantagenet’s scion;
Richard the First was as brave as a lion;
John, though a tyrant, the Charter signed;
Henry the Third had a weakly mind.
Edward the First conquered Cambria dales;
Edward the Second was born Prince of Wales;
Edward the Third humbled France in its pride;
Richard the Second in prison died.
Henry the Fourth for himself took the crown;
Henry the Fifth pulled the French king down;
Henry the Sixth lost his father’s gains.
Edward of York laid hold of the reins;
Edward the Fifth was killed with his brother;
Richard the Third soon made way for another.
Henry the Seventh was frugal of means;
Henry the Eighth had a great many queens.
Edward the Sixth reformation began;
Cruel Queen Mary prevented the plan.
Wise and profound were Elizabeth’s aims.
England and Scotland were joined by King James.
Charles found the people a cruel corrector;
Oliver Cromwell was called Lord Protector;
Charles the Second was hid in an oak,
James the Second took Popery’s yoke.
William and Mary were offered the throne,
Anne succeeded and reigned alone.
George the First from Hanover came;
George the Second kept up the name;
George the Third was loved in the land,
George the Fourth was pompous and grand,
William the Fourth had no heir of his own,
So Queen Victoria ascended the throne.
When good Queen Victoria’s long reign was o’er
Edward the Seventh the English crown wore;
George the Fifth rules the vast realm of England today
And “God Save the King!” all his subjects’ hearts say.
A Short Poem which is more up to date
(and can be sung to the tune of Good King Wenceslas)
Willie, Willie, Harry, Stee,
Harry, Dick, John, Harry three;
One, two, three Neds, Richard two
Harrys four, five, six… then who?
Edwards four, five, Dick the bad,
Harrys twain VII VIII and Ned the Lad;
Mary, Bessie, James the Vain,
Charlie, Charlie, James again…
William and Mary, Anna Gloria,
Four Georges I II III IV, William and Victoria;
Edward seven next, and then
George the fifth in 1910;
Ned the eighth soon abdicated
Then George the sixth was coronated;
After which Elizabeth
And that’s the end until her death.
The list again but with a few facts
Egbert King of Wessex
Aethelwulf – his children included both Alfred the Great and Æthelred I, King of Wessex,
Aethelbald – the second of five sons of King Æthelwulf
Aethelberht – King of Kent
Aethelred I
Alfred the Great – known for burning cakes
Edward the Elder
Athelstan
Edmund the Magnificent
Eadred
Eadwig (Edwy) All-Fair
Edgar the Peaceable
Edward the Martyr
AEthelred II (Ethelred the Unready)
Edmund II (Ironside)
Svein Forkbeard
Cnut (Canute) – who thought he was powerful enough to stop the sea coming in!
Harold I
Hardicnut
Edward (the Confessor)
Harold II – who got an arrow in his eye
William I – aka William the Conqueror, he was the first Norman King
William II – his nickname was Rufus
Henry I
Stephen
Empress Matilda (Queen Maud)
Henry II
Richard I
John
Henry III
Edward I
Edward II
Edward III
Richard II
Henry IV
Henry V
Henry VI
Edward IV
Edward V
Richard III
Henry VII
Henry VIII – well known for havig eight wives and beheading two of them
Edward VI
Jane Grey – she was Queen for just 9 days after which she was sent to the Tower of London and later executed for treason by the supporters of Mary I.
Mary I
Elizabeth I
James I
Charles I
(Oliver Cromwell – Head of State but not a king)
(Richard Cromwell – Oliver Cromwell’s son and Head of State for less than one year.)
Charles II
James II
William III
Mary II
Anne – the first British monarch
George I – Queen Anne’s closest protestant cousin, there were more than 50 closer Catholic relatives , including her half-brother but Catholics were no longer allowered to be monarchs. During his reign we had our first proper Prime Minister Robert Walpole. (Sir Robert Walpole was the longest serving among Prime Minister of the United Kingdom -20 years, 314 days.)
George II
George III – believed to be a bit mad
George IV
William IV
Victoria – had the longest reign until Elizabeth II overtook her.
Edward VII
George V
Edward VIII
George VI
Elizabeth II – our present Queen
Our Sponsors
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Its It’s – which to use?
Its It’s – which to use?
Lots of people get mixed up between its and it’s even though it is quite straightforward.
It’s with an apostrophe is short for “it is” or “it has”. It is known as a contraction.
Its without an apostrophe means something belonging to it. It is known as a possessive pronoun.
It is a nice day, can be written as: It’s a nice day.
The dog is playing with its ball does not have an apostrophe because the ball belongs to the dog. It stands for the dog.
Let me give you some examples.
Here are some examples of it’s with an apostrophe.
It’s always sunny.
It’s my life.
It’s all my fault.
It’s just rock and roll
It’s easy being green.
It’s none of your business.
It’s a dog’s life.
It’s my friend’s birthday today.
If it’s to be it’s up to me.
It’s not the money that counts, it’s the thought.
It’s your body, take care of it.
It’s ok to tell other people.
You will have noticed that it’s often comes at the beginning of a sentence but that is not always the case.
When there are clouds in the sky, it’s more likely to rain.
I wonder why it’s not easier to understand these questions.
Here are some examples of its without an apostrophe.
The football team is very successful because its players all train hard.
The city park is beautiful and its lawns are cut regularly.
Paris is well known for its many beautiful buildings.
The school has cleaned all its windows.
The moat around a castle used to help stop its enemies getting into it.
The aeroplane was starting its engine.
London is the capital of England and it is well known for its red buses.
The elephant was waving its trunk.
China is proud of its Great Wall.
Now you have a go with these:
Decide whether to use its or it’s. You can scroll down after for the answers.
1. America elects _____ presidents every four years.
2. The wizard’s cat licked _____ lips.
3. Mum said that _____ a long time before we can go on holiday again.
4. Where are all the parking spaces? _____ been half an hour since we started looking for one!
5. The tree looks bare now that all _____ leaves have fallen off.
6. The giant panda is a carnivore but _____ diet is actually 90% bamboo.
7. The ouroboros is an Egyptian symbol which has a serpent or snake swallowing _____ own tail.
8. _____ a Wonderful Sponge is the new Spongebob Movie.
9. That house is lucky _____ roof didn’t blow off.
10. _____ interesting to see how different animal live.
11. Did you know _____ not too hard to make fat balls for birds?
12. _____ nice that you go and help out your auntie.
13. The new play began _____ tour of Great Britain.
14. The laptop needed _____ keyboard cleaning.
15. _____ the small things in life that matter.
Scroll down for your answers
Answers
1. America elects its presidents every four years.
2. The wizard’s cat licked its lips.
3. Mum said that it’s a long time before we can go on holiday again.
4. Where are all the parking spaces? It’s been half an hour since we started looking for one!
5. The tree looks bare now that all its leaves have fallen off.
6. The giant panda is a carnivore but its diet is actually 90% bamboo.
7. The ouroboros is an Egyptian symbol which has a serpent or snake swallowing its own tail.
8. It’s a Wonderful Sponge is the new Spongebob Movie.
9. That house is lucky its roof didn’t blow off.
10. It’s interesting to see how different animal live.
11. Did you know it’s not too hard to make fat balls for birds?
12. It’s nice that you go and help out your auntie.
13. The new play began its tour of Great Britain.
14. The laptop needed its keyboard cleaning.
15. It’s the small things in life that matter.
Science Kits For Kids
Science Kits For Kids
Many children love to mix up chemicals and make potions or explosions!!
Hamleys is offering the following science kits for kids to let them indulge such passions!
These kits also help children to grow a real interest in the possibility of becoming a scientist.
Hamleys 6-in-1 Science Super Kit
The first one is this Hamleys 6-in-1 Science Super Kit which has six different activities that you can do.
There are a variety of different experiments you can do and as the box says: “Become a real scientist and explore the world of Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Geology.”
This book shows you the kit inside the box and also that you get a booklet explaining the experiments that you can do.
Hamleys Super Lab Explosions Box
If your child likes explosions of any description then this might be the box for them.
Using the materials in this box, you can make mini rockets, some colourful explosions, and fizzy bombs.
It is suggested your child should be at least 8 years old to make the most of the learning experience, but also for health and safety reasons as this box contains balloons which must not be swallowed and various chemicals which should not come into contact with any body parts especially the eyes and the mouth.
Hamleys Super Lab Chemistry
For mixing of potions try out Hamleys Super Lab Chemistry science kit.
Once again there is a 36-page booklet with lots of experiments, 155 in fact.
Some of the things you can do include: creating a lava lamp, making giant soap bubbles, creating stalagmites and stalactites, creating sugar crystals and also creating a coloured foam column.
Again, this should be for children over 8.
Hamleys Superlab Jurassic Volcano
So have your children created a volcano at school? And if they have, have they then excavated dinosaurs around it?
If not, then this kit is a must. At least check with them, to see if they would like it.
They will have the opportunity to create their own exploding volcano and lava with this kit and then they with be able to excavate a T-Rex and a Triceratops. Is your child a budding palaeontologist or volcanologist? By the way, volcanologist can also be spelt vulcanologist.
There are plenty more kits to choose from – which one would your child like?
Hamleys Magical Garden Super Kit
The Hamleys Science Kits are a fun way to learn about the world around us while support learning and imagination. With the Hamleys Magical Garden Super Kit, you can do wonderous outdoor experiments. Create an enchanted garden with real flowers, observe the growth of plants, know their life cycle and how to keep them healthy. You can also make a beautiful and personalized snow globe and smelling flower bags or prepare a garden of paper and observe the constitution of flowers.
Hamleys Water Experiments Super Kit
The Hamleys Water Experiments Super Kit is perfect for budding conservationists. Allowing you to learn the science behind water purification as well as fun experiments with bubbles and ice. You can even observe a submarine volcano and make paper fish race.
Hamleys Make Up Factory Super Kit
With the Hamleys Make Up Factory Super Kit you can create cool make up products for you and your friends. Learn about the science of your keeping your skin clean and healthy while creating colourful eyeshadows, cool lipstick, refreshing exfoliating cream and much more. This kit has been designed with the idea that teaching best practices for skin health is a skill that everyone should have!
Planet Facts For Kids
Planet Facts For Kids
When I was younger, it was said that there were 9 planets in our solar system. The planets were Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto going around the sun. Later, I came across a mnemonic for it. My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas. However, since that time scientists have decided that we have eight planets in our solar system and that Pluto is a dwarf planet, and actually they have found larger rocks in the area of Pluto than Pluto itself. On this page of planet facts for kids, I have decided to include Pluto so that you know why it is in some lists.
Here is a video you might like to watch and then there is some information about each planet.
Mercury
Mercury is the closest planet to the sun. It is also the smallest of the planets. It is incredibly hot there as it is just 36 million miles from the sun.
It is named after the Roman god Mercury who is the messenger of the gods.
Two spacecraft have flown past Mercury gathering information. One was called Mariner 10 and this flew past Mercury twice, once in 1974 and then again in 1975. Then in 2004 MESSENGER was sent. This orbited Mercury 4000 times before running out of fuel and crashing into the planet in 2015.
Venus
Venus between Mercury and Earth and so will still be much hotter than Earth.
It is named after the Roman god of love.
It is the brightest object in the sky after the sun and the moon.
Whereas the Earth rotates once a day, Venus takes 243 days to rotate on its axis. It actually goes quicker than this around the sun, taking 224.7 Earth days to make its journey.
Venus also rotates in the opposite direction than the Earth does, which means that the sun would seem to rise in the west and set in the east.
Venus is often referred to as either the morning star or the evening star, especially in poetry.
Earth
Of course, this is our planet.
From space, it looks blue because of all the sea and also the water vapour covering the land areas.
About two-thirds of the planet’s surface is water.
Earth is 93 million miles away from the sun and a quarter of a million miles from the moon. In kilometres, that is 150 kilometres from the sun and about 384,400 km from the moon. These are approximate distances as it changes throughout the year.
The Earth goes around the sun once a year.
The moon goes around the Earth every 27.3 days. This is known as a lunar month.
The diameter of the Earth at the Equator is 7928 miles, or 12,760 kilometres.
Mars
Mars comes after Earth.
It is named after the Roman god Mars the god of war because it looks red sometimes in the sky and this reminded people of the blood that you get in battles.
It is often called the red planet and can be spotted in the sky with the naked eye, that is without using a telescope.
Mars is much smaller than Earth. Its diameter is about half of the Earth’s.
Mars rotates once in 24 hours 39 minutes, so the length of its day is almost the same as Earth’s. It has two moons, called Phobos and Deimos. They are not round like the moon but irregular.
Jupiter
After Mars we get Jupiter. This is a very big planet, 1000 times smaller than the sun but two and a half times bigger than all of the other planets in the solar system put together.
Jupiter and Saturn are both gas giants.
Jupiter has an area called the Great Red Spot – you can see it on photographs. There are constant storms here. This area alone is 1.3 times as wide as the earth.
Jupiter is made up of hydrogen and helium as well as other elements which possibly gives it a rocky core. Jupiter has many moons, at least 74, including four that were discovered by Galileo Galilei in 1610. The largest of these is called Ganymede and it has a diameter that is larger than the planet Mercury.
Saturn
Next is Saturn which has amazing rings around it. These rings consist of small rocks that held in a particular orbit.
Saturn is another gas giant, It is the outer layer that is made of gas, The core is probably iron, nickel and rock, and then there is a layer of metallic hydrogen, with hydrogen and helium surrounding that.
Saturn also has a number of moons, at least 62. 53 of the moons are officially named. The biggest is called Titan and that is bigger than the planet Mercury.
Uranus
Uranus is even further away. Uranus, along with Neptune are known as ice giants, as their interiors are filled with ice and rocks.
Uranus is unique in that it rotates on its side.
It has wind speeds up to 900 km an hour.
It is also the only planet that has been named after a Greek god rather than a Roman god.
Uranus has 27 named moons and 24 are named after characters in Shakespeare plays and 3 after characters in a poem by Alexander Pope. One of these Ariel appears both in The Tempest by Shakespeare and in the poem by Pope.
Voyager 2 was the closest to Uranus on its voyage on January 24, 1986.
Neptune
Neptune is named after the Roman god of the sea. It is now accepted as being the farthest known planet from the sun. Neptune’s atmosphere is made up of hydrogen and helium but its interior is made up of ices such as water, ammonia and methane. Its wind speeds reach up to 2100 km an hour!
In 1613 Galileo noticed Neptune but he thought it was just another star. It is thought that if he had noticed it a few days earlier when the sky was clearer and tracked it he would have realised it was a planet.
Voyager 2 flew past Neptune on 25th August 1989.
Pluto
And as I said before Pluto is no longer classified as a planet, but you will often see it in a list of planets, especially if the article or book was written before August 2006.
Pluto has a strange orbit around the sun so sometimes it is nearer the sun than Neptune.
Other videos you might like to see:
Planet facts worksheets
Here are some free worksheets about planets that you might find useful.
https://www.education.com/worksheet/article/planets-in-solar-system/
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-Planet-Research-Worksheet-222661
https://instantworksheets.net/planet_matchup/
And here are 15 planets worksheets – designed for children with English as a second language but useful for all.
https://en.islcollective.com/resources/search_result?Tags=Planets&type=Printables&searchworksheet=GO
Planet Wordsearch
If you would like a larger one here is a pdf version with answers
https://www.superteacherworksheets.com/custom/?ws=xwjgr
Finally – a few pictures you might like to use for Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook etc.
