Being 8 comes with a lot of responsibility, there seem to be so many things you need to know. This blog contains 8 facts every 8-year-olds need to know! Warning! You might learn something.
So what are these 8 facts every 8-year-old needs to know? Let’s find out together!
1- If you could drive to the moon it would take you 168 1/2 days
Kicking off our 8 facts every 8-year-old needs to know comes from space. I’m sure you’ve looked into the night sky and seen the moon and wondered. “Hmmm… I wonder how long it would take me to drive to the moon” – well the answer is 168 1/2 days if you drove nonstop at 60 miles per hour.
When the NASA astronauts first went to the moon in 1969 it took them just over 3 days to get there
You may like driving but I hope you have cruise control otherwise your foot is going to soar from pushing down the accelerator of the car the whole way.
2- Male penguins give their girlfriends a rock as a present
We’ve all had to buy presents for people before. And if you’re anything like me deciding what to buy people is a painful exercise which takes far too long and makes me want to throw a tantrum in the shop.
Male penguins have it sorted though. They just give their girlfriends (also penguins) rocks as presents. In fairness, these gifts are more useful to a penguin than they first might sound and surprisingly actually quite a thoughtful gift.
The female penguin can use the rock to build a nest.
So the next time you don’t know what to buy someone for their birthday, just give them a rock and tell them to build a fort.
3- Doctors once used farts in a bottle to try and cure the plague
Medicine has seen many changes throughout the years. Once upon a time we used leeches and would have to hit someone over the head with a hammer so they wouldn’t be awake for operations.
But I bet you never thought plague doctors once used farts in a bottle to try and cure the plague? I know I certainly didn’t.
You might ask why unleashing a fart in a bottle might help. Did they think that if the plague victim smelt the fart they would cough so much they’d get rid of the plague?
Nope!
Doctors thought the plague was caused by “bad air” and whilst most Roman generals used to say “fight fire with fire” – plague doctors decided to fight bad air with smelly air.
You’ll be shocked to know it didn’t work. You’ll also be shocked to learn I couldn’t find a picture of someone farting in a bottle.
4- Polar bears can smell their prey nearly 2 miles away
Speaking of bad smells- did you know a polar bear has an incredible sense of smell?
They can actually smell their prey when it’s almost 2 miles away. You certainly wouldn’t be able to sneak any food out of the fridge when there was a polar bear about.
And just like that, we’re halfway through our 8 facts every 8-year-old needs to know. What’s been your favourite so far?
5- You have more than 5 senses
I’m sure you’ve had to sit and listen to teachers telling you that we humans have 5 senses. Well- perhaps unsurprisingly- the teachers haven’t been telling the whole truth.
As well as having touch, sight, sound, taste and hearing – we also have a sense of balance, temperature, pain and so many more that I don’t know how to spell. Even though scientists keep arguing we could actually have up to 20 senses.
So make sure you tell your teacher about how we have more than 5 senses the next time it comes up in conversation.
6- The Australian box jellyfish is the most venomous animal in the world
It’s hardly surprising that the most venomous animal in the world is in Australia.
If you get stung by one then the venom it will pump into you will attack your heart, nervous system and skin cells- or in plain-speaking English- all your important bits. And there are just the 15 tentacles to try and avoid.
Jellyfish themselves are said to have been around for 500 million years- which is a long time.
7- That’s no chicken
I don’t know about you but I feel it would be impossible to make this list of facts for 8-year-olds without including at least a dinosaur facts. Dinosaurs are awesome- sorry roarsome. (That’s a joke- you can have it for free).
We’re used to hearing about all the big dinosaurs but the smallest dinosaur that has been discovered is called the Compsognathus, which was about the size of a chicken.
8-Mobile phones are disgusting
Number 8, and finally, on our list of 8 facts every 8-year-old needs to know comes in the form of…
I’m sure every 8-year-old has asked at some point for a mobile phone. Well- perhaps you should reconsider wanting one. Mobile phones are dirtier than toilets. Scientists have found 18 per cent more bacteria on a phone screen than on a toilet seat.
If that wasn’t gross enough- 1 in 6 phones has traces of poo on it…
So there we are. That’s my list of 8 facts every 8-year-old needs to know. Which was your favourite? Are there any other facts you think 8-year-olds need to know? Let me know in the comments below!
Bonus! Dolphins can sleep with one eye open and one eye closed
Because I’m really enjoying learning all these facts I thought I’d add a bonus fact. So really instead of it being a list of 8 facts every 8-year-old needs to know- it’s become 9 facts every 8-year-old needs to know. But who’s keeping score right?
Believe it or not, dolphins can sleep with one eye open and one eye closed- which sounds incredibly creepy to witness.
They do this so they can find their way to the surface to get a breath of lovely fresh air.
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Be sure to share these 8 facts every 8-year-old needs to know with all your friends, family and teachers!