3 . Calling all poets! Time for Kids has a challenge for you: Write a rhyming poem and enter it in the TFK Poetry Contest. It must be a poem that does not copy another poet’s work.

How to enter: This contest begins at 12 pm on May 14 and ends at 12 pm on July 15. To enter online, visit time for kids. com/poetry contest and follow instructions to submit the following: (a) an original and previously unpublished poem; (b) the entrant’s first name only and email address; (c) a parent’s email address. Limit one entry per person or email account.

Judging: All entries will be judged by poet Kenn Nesbitt, based on the following criteria: creativity and originality (50%), use of language and rhyme (25%) and appropriateness to contest theme (25%). Winners will be notified by email during the month of August and must respond within five days.

Eligibility (资格): Open to legal citizens of the United States who are elementary school students and are 8 to 13 years old at the time of entry.

Prizes: Our judge will select four semi-finalists (半决赛选手), from which one winner and three finalists will be chosen. The winner will receive an online class taught by Kenn Nesbitt. All the semi-finalists will receive a signed copy of Big foot Is Missing, which is worth about $275. The semi-finalists’ poems will be published at timeforkids.com.

4 . The days when art was an Olympic sport

Did you know that creating works of art used to be an Olympic competition?     1     In the first year, Walter Winans became the first and the only Olympian to win medals for both art and sports. Despite this seemingly optimistic start, the idea of the arts being included in the Olympic Games soon met with disinterest, finally resulting in the removal of the art competition from the Olympic Games.

The idea to include art in the Olympics came from Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who was the founder of the International Olympic Committee, which created the modern Olympics. Coubertin believed that the arts and sports were linked and was impressed by anyone who had a firm command of both a sport and an artistic discipline.

For starters, only amateurs were allowed to compete in the arts part of the Olympics.     3     Having artists of average quality competing while only the most competent athletes were allowed to compete created a dramatic divide and gave the impression that the arts were not as important as sports.

Secondly, works of art created had to have sports as the subject matter.     4     Limiting the subjects also contributed to making the arts part of the Olympic Games boring to the general public.

Finally, one of the biggest reasons was that the arts are subjective. Sports can be judged by time and distance, making it easy to determine who is the winner.     5     This difficulty in judging a definite winner resulted in the arts part becoming a non-competitive exhibition that ran for the duration of the Olympic Games.

7 . Is “plogging” the most fitness trend yet? They brought us hygge, lagom and fika, but now a new Scandinavian trend is coming, and it couldn’t be more fitness.

Hailing from Sweden, “plogging” is a fitness craze that sees participants pick up plastic litter while jogging — adding a virtuous, environmentally driven element to the sport.

Plogging appears to have started around 2016, but is now going global, due to increasing awareness and fear over plastic levels in the ocean.

The appeal of plogging is its simplicity, and the feeling of getting fit while supporting a good cause. By adding regular squats and carrying weight to jogging, we can assume the health benefits are increased.

Running and good causes have always gone hand in hand — just think of all the fundraising marathon runners do. But there couldn’t be a more on-trend way of keeping fit than plogging.

“Anything that’s getting people out in nature and connecting positively with their environment is a good thing,” says Lizzie Carr, an environmentalist who helped set up Plastic Patrol, a nationwide campaign to rid our inland waterways of plastic pollution. “There’s been a real shift in the public mindset around plastics, helped by things like Blue Planet high lighting how catastrophic the crisis is,” she says. “We need to keep momentum high and the pressure up, and empower people through initiatives like plogging and Plastic Patrol.”

The Plastic Patrol app allows users to map plastic anywhere in the world by collecting discarded items, photographing them and uploading to the app, giving us a better knowledge of what sorts of plastic and which brands are being thrown out. “I’d urge all ploggers to get involved,” adds Carr. As we can see, plogging has become a new fashion in 2018. However, plogging isn’t the first fitness trend to combine running with a good cause.

8 . We all know that regular exercise is vitally important for both a healthy mind and body. Research has shown that just five minutes of exercise in a “green space” can help people to keep mentally healthy.

Let’s take a look at some ways to get close to nature and make them a part of your regular exercise routine.

Get on your bike

Cycling is a cheap, easy and fun way to get some good exercise in the outdoors. Try leaving your car at home and cycling to work one day, if that’s possible. Or get the family together and go on a weekend bike ride. Check out the local cycle paths before you go, and plan a safe route. Make sure you take some healthy snacks with you to keep your energy levels up.

Try some outdoor yoga

Practising yoga can be great for reducing anxiety and aiding relaxation, so why not take your yoga mat and try out some asanas (yoga postures) in the open air? Yoga is great for stretching tight muscles and increasing flexibility as well as improving mobility, control and breathing. Why not finish your practice with some quiet meditation to further calm the mind?

Go running

Instead of spending hours on the treadmill (跑步机), grab a friend and go off for a jog around your local park, or some nature trails. If you are used to running on a treadmill, you may find it harder at first, so make sure you have some good, supportive running shoes. You could also find out where your nearest parkrun events are. They are open to everyone, free, and are safe and easy to take part in.

9 . Many times, sports events can be really competitive Athletes go through great stress both in their training and during performance, all for that number one position. For one Spanish athlete, Ivan Anaya, it was exactly that respect for the great hard work and devotion to the sports that made him lose on purpose.

During a cross-country race in Burlada, Navarre, the Kenyan athlete Abel Mutai was well ahead of Ivan. But then, thinking he had already reached the finish line, he started slowing down in his pace. He still had 10 meters ahead of him. Anyone else in second position might have taken advantage of that mistake but not Ivan. Ivan stayed behind Abel, and using hand signals, he guided Abel to the finish line.

Later, Ivan spoke about his decision, which might stun many people. Ivan said, “I just did what I had to do. He was the rightful winner. He was far ahead of me and I couldn’t have caught him up if he hadn’t made a mistake. As soon as I saw he was stopping, I knew I wasn’t going to pass him.”

Ivan’s coach, former Spanish runner Martin Fiz, said he would not have thought to do the same thing. “It was a very good gesture (姿态) of honesty,” said Fiz. “A gesture that I myself wouldn’t have made. I certainly would have taken advantage of it to win.”

Ivan hoped it would spread a message about the importance of honesty. “But I also think that having done what I did has earned more fame than if I had won,” he added. “And that is very important, because today in all circles, in soccer and in society, honesty is a must for a person to go far.”

10 . Benefits of Sports

Doing sports is a physical, mental and social adventure. It’s a great way for children to take a break from studies and release extra energy. It also helps them lead fuller and happier lives as regular sports have proven beneficial to overall well-being.

The physical benefits of doing sports are probably the most obvious. Regardless of your fitness level when you start playing sports, you’ll notice an increase in your overall fitness once you’re involved.     1     Basketball players focus on strength training; football players work on speed while track athletes train through longer runs. The training process helps promote physical fitness and performances in competitions.

    2     Playing sports also contributes to mental health, helping to increase confidence and self-worth. A pat on the back, a high five from a teammate, or a handshake after a match really boosts a child’s confidence. Words of praise and encouragement from the coach, parents and other players raise self-worth.     3     So after a game, it’s a better idea to ask “Did you enjoy the game?” rather than “Did you win?”

Children who participate in sports might also benefit from the social aspect, feeling part of a group, building up responsibility and leadership.     4     Teamwork involves both being dependable as a teammate and learning to rely on your teammates to achieve a positive outcome. Teamwork breeds responsibility and challenges you to be responsible for your actions. Being part of a team gives you an opportunity to be a leader.

Discipline is another social advantage. Most organized sports require a strict training and practice schedule. As a student-athlete, you need to balance studies and athletics.     5    

There is no shortage of reasons to find a sport to get involved in. Are you ready to go? Pick one and get moving!