Why are four-leaf clovers lucky, and what dogs can run the fastest? Try our kids’ quiz
Lily, 6, asks: why are four-leaf clovers lucky?
In the Bible story, Eve picked one to remind her of Paradise
St Patrick had a four-leaf clover on his shield, which protected him
The belief can be traced back to a 17th-century Irish poem called The Clover
No one knows
Astra, 5, asks: what is the difference between a jaguar and a leopard?
They are 99.992% the same, but South Americans and Africans just have a different word
Jaguars are about 20% larger, but otherwise they are the same
They have different jaws, heads and tails, and live on different continents
The only difference is their fur patterns
Matilda, 7, asks: why do humans have toenails?
So we have nails to paint
We used to need them before we wore shoes
Toenails protect the top of our toes
They’re just there
Tasso, 5, asks: what dogs can run the fastest?
Wolfhounds
Greyhounds
Whippets
Dalmatians
Iris, 4¾, asks: if you let go of a helium balloon, could it float all the way to space?
Yes. There’s already lots of balloon plastic in orbit
No, it would pop first
In theory it will keep going until the helium runs out – but no one has ever inflated one big enough
No, but scientists think a bunch of 600 could
Solutions
1:A - The four leaves are said to stand for faith, hope, love and luck. The story goes that when Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden, she picked a four-leaf clover to take as a reminder of Paradise. Later, the Celts thought they had magical powers to ward off evil and bad luck., 2:C - In the wild, jaguars and leopards live on different continents: jaguars in Central and South America; leopards in China, parts of Russia and India, the Middle East and down into Africa. Although they look similar, jaguars are more muscular, with a wider head and big, strong jaws. Leopards are nimbler at climbing trees and have longer tails, which help them balance., 3:C - Toenails keep the blood vessels, muscles and flesh underneath them safe – like armour for your toes!, 4:B - Greyhounds are the fastest dog breed – they can run up to 72km an hour. That’s almost double the speed the fastest man in the world, Usain Bolt, has run., 5:B - Sadly not. It would burst around 10km above the Earth. As it rises, the helium gas inside expands and the air pressure outside goes down. This makes it go pop!
Scores
5 and above.
4 and above.
3 and above.
2 and above.
0 and above.
1 and above.
Molly Oldfield hosts Everything Under the Sun, a weekly podcast answering children’s questions, out now as a book.
Does your child have a question? Submit one here