That's Success - Poem By Berton Braley

That's Success

         - By Berton Braley

It's doing your job the best you can,

And being just to your fellow man;

It's making money - but holding friends,

And being true to your aims and ends.

It's figuring how and learning why,

And looking forward and thinking high;

And dreaming a little and doing much,

It's keeping always in closest touch.

With what is finest in word and deed,

It's being through, yet making speed;

It's daring blithely the field of chance,

While making labour a brave romance.

It's going onward despite defeat,

And fighting staunchly, but keeping sweet;

It's being clean and it's playing fair,

It's laughing lightly at Dame Despair.

It's looking up at the stars above,

And drinking deeply of life and love;

It's struggling on with the will to win,

But taking loss with a cheerful grin.

It's sharing sorrow and work and mirth,

And making better this good old earth;

It's serving, striving, through strain and stress,

It's doing your noblest - that's success!

Glossary

Blithely - happily

Staunchly - firmly

How to Build Your Own Hovercraft Toy

Making a hovercraft toy is a DIY fun activity for kids. This simple activity where the children make their own hovercraft using simple materials available easily at home would keep kids busy and entertained during weekends and holidays. The best part about making this hovercraft toy is that you could use it as a toy made from recyclable materials and thus label it as a recyclable craft.

Materials required to build your own Hovercraft Toy

Old CD - 1
Balloon - 1, big size
Pop-top cap - 1 (from used drinking water bottle)
Glue

Method for Hovercraft Toy

1

Take a pop-top cap and with the help of glue, stick it in the center of the used CD right around the hole. Ensure that before sticking, the pop-top cap is closed. Allow it to dry completely.

2

Stretch the neck of the balloon on the pop-top cap.

3

Once done, blow the balloon from the other end of the CD. Now open the cap. Place this hovercraft on a smooth surface and watch how it glides away. It is important that the hovercraft toy you made is placed on the smooth surface to allow smooth gliding.

How this Works?

A hovercraft is a vehicle that is known to glide over a smooth surface by hovering on an air-cushion. And hence it is also known as a Air Cushion Vehicle. The air currents trapped beneath the vehicle's surface allow the vehicle to glide smoothly. 

A Quiet Mind - By Ruskin Bond

A Quiet Mind 

     - By Ruskin Bond (To Live In Magic)

Lord, give me a quiet mind, 

That I might listen; 

A gentle tone of voice 

That I may comfort others. 

A sound and healthy body, 

That I may share... 

In the joy of walking, 

And leaping and running. 

And a good sense of direction, 

So I might know just where I am going.

Journey's End You Can - Poem By George Washington Carver

Journey's End You Can 

- By George Washington Carver

Figure it out for yourself, my lad

You've all the greatest of men have had;

Two arms, two hands, two legs, two eyes,

And a brain to use if you would be wise.

With this equipment, they all began.

Do start from the top and say, "I can."

Look them over, the wise and the great:

They take their food from a common plate,

And similar knives and forks they use,

With similar laces, they tie their shoes...

The world considers them brave and smart,

But you've all they had when they made their start.

You can triumph and come to skill.

You can be great if you only will.

You're well equipped for what fight you choose:

Yo have arms and legs and a brain to use;

And the man who has risen, great deeds to do,

Began his life with no more than you

You are the handicap you must face;

You are the one who must choose his place;

You must say what you want to do,

How much you will study, the truth to know;

God has equipped you for life, but He

Let's you decide what you want to be.

Courage must come from the soul within,

The man must furnish the will to win,

So figure it out for yourself, my lad;

You have born with all that the great have had;

With your equipment, they all began...

Get hold of yourself and say: "I can."

How to Make an Invisible Ink

Making invisible ink is a DIY fun activity for kids. Kids can play by sending secret messages to friends written by this invisible ink. It is a simple activity, very easy to make and requires materials that are easily available at home.

Materials required for making Invisible Ink

Plain white paper - 1 sheet
Toothpick - 1
Baking soda - 1 tsp
Water - 1 tsp
Grape juice - 1/2 cup
Study Lamp

Method for Invisible Ink

1

To make invisible ink, mix baking soda with water in a small bowl. Your invisible ink is ready.

2

Dip the toothpick inside the ink and write your message on a white paper. Allow the message to dry. You can also make use of a paint brush instead of toothpick.

3

Write several such messages on papers and distribute among friends. Whenever you wish to read the message, just take the paper close enough to a heat source like a bulb of the study lamp. In matter of minutes the message will appear on the paper. You can also read the message by painting the paper with grape juice.

Similar results can be obtained by making invisible ink from lemon juice, vinegar, milk, diluted honey and some fruit juices such as apple juice or orange juice.

How this works?

When a paper on which invisible message is written, is taken near the heat source, the message gets displayed due the effect of light on the baking soda. Similarly, when the paper on which invisible message is written, is painted with grape juice; the message gets displayed due the reaction of the baking soda with the mild acidic grape juice.

How to Make an Erupting Volcano

This is a simple activity for kids who are fascinated by the idea of a volcanic eruption. With simple materials such as baking soda, modelling clay and food colors, made available to them, they can easily make this DIY project of erupting volcano at home safely. With this simple experiment provided step by step, kids will learn how to make a model volcano.

Materials Required for making an Erupting Volcano

Paper cup - 1
Tin foil / aluminium foil - Few rectangular sheet
Modeling clay
Cardboard - 1 square sheet
Baking Soda - 3 teaspoons
White vinegar - 1 cup
Dish washing liquid - 1 tsp
Yellow Food color - 1 tsp
Red food color - 1 tsp

Method for making an Erupting Volcano

1

Place a square cardboard sheet on a horizontal surface. Place a paper cup in the center of the cardboard sheet. Wrap the tin foil or the aluminium foil around the cup and fold the edges of the foil all around the rim of the cup.

2

Wrap and shape the foil around the cup, as to resemble a shape of a mountain. This could be done by using a couple of foils one over the other and making the shape.

3

Using the modeling clay, make layers over the tin foil all around the rim of the cup. This would give a perfect  mountain touch to your model.

4

Start adding each colour one by one in the cup. Once added, mix well with the help of a small spoon.

5

Add to this the baking soda and then add the dish washing liquid over it.

6

Once you are ready for the erupting volcano, add cupful of vinegar inside the volcano. Enjoy the volcanic eruption! This model can also be made bigger with larger use of same material.

How does it work?

The vinegar that you add to the cup reacts with the baking soda to produce an effervescence reaction. Effervescence reaction means fizzling and bubbling. This reaction produces Carbon dioxide and water. In addition the dish washing liquid added to the mixture gives viscosity which sort of makes the reaction looking lava like!

Out In The Dark - Poem By Edward Thomas

Out In The Dark

                -   By Edward Thomas

Out in the dark over the snow

The fallow fawns invisible go

With the fallow doe;

And the winds blow

Fast as the stars are slow.

Stealthily the dark haunts round

And, when the lamp goes, without sound

At a swifter bound

Than the swiftest hound,

Arrives, and all else is drowned;

And I and stars and wind and deer,

Are in the dark together, - near,

Yet far, - and fear

Drums on my ear

In that sage company drear.

How weak and little is the light,

All the universe of sight,

Love and delight,

Before the might,

If you love it not, of night.