Mochi IsleScience for kids109 questions
109 questions kids ask about nature, answered one by one.
Why do we see lightning before we hear thunder? Why are deserts so cold at night? Why does New Zealand have so many volcanoes? One page per question: a one-line answer first, then how it works, where to see it in New Zealand, and something to try together.
Mochi Isle · Rivers, ponds and the water cycle
Coconut Cove · Tides, currents and mangroves
- What is a bay, and how does it form?
- What are ocean currents, and how far can they carry things?
- How can a coconut float across the sea?
- What causes tides, and what lives in a tide pool?
- How do mangroves survive in salty sea water?
- Why do birds flock to bare-looking mudflats?
- Why are lighthouses often built on capes?
- Why do tropical thunderstorms often come in the afternoon?
Cedar Highlands · Altitude, glaciers and the snow line
- Why is it colder at the top of a mountain?
- What is the snow line, and why does its height change?
- How does a glacier move?
- How do fish survive under a frozen lake?
- Why is the water in a hot spring hot?
- Why do conifers grow on cold mountains?
- Why do snowflakes have six points?
- How do crystals grow inside rocks?
Crescent Desert · Dunes, oases and the rain shadow
Chimney Volcano · Volcanoes, lava and tectonic plates
Rainforest Valley · Rainforest layers, waterfalls and roots
Rainbow Cloudtop · Clouds, wind, lightning and hail
Coral Undersea · Coral, currents and the deep sea
- Is coral an animal or a plant?
- Why does coral turn white?
- What makes ocean water move in currents?
- Why does the sea get darker the deeper you go?
- What are hydrothermal vents in the deep sea?
- Is seagrass the same as seaweed?
- Why are lost fishing nets dangerous to sea animals?
- Why do whales travel such long distances?
Crystal Mine · Rocks, minerals and stalactites
- What is the difference between a rock and a mineral?
- Why do magnets stick to iron but not to copper?
- Why do we sort rubbish for recycling?
- How do stalactites and stalagmites form?
- How do animals live in pitch-dark caves?
- Where does rainwater go when it soaks into the ground?
- Why do some living things glow?
- How do crystals grow?
Reed Wetland · Wetlands, migrating birds and deltas
Aurora Icefield · Auroras, polar days and permafrost
Bamboo Valley · Bamboo, rice terraces and valley fog
- Why is bamboo a grass and not a tree?
- Does bamboo really die after it flowers?
- Do green tea and black tea come from the same plant?
- How does flowing water turn a waterwheel?
- Why do people build terraces on hillsides?
- Where does valley fog come from?
- Why do hill paths have steps and zigzags?
- Why does a bamboo raft float?
Sky · Blue sky, sunsets, Moon phases and stars
Living things · Seeds, bees, worms and how plants grow
Your child meets every one of these on the islands.
Mochi Isle is a browser learning game for ages 5 to 18: answer questions and learn moves to turn a grey island green. The main island and the daily lesson are free.
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