Do you have a wacky kiddo who loves random facts?
We do!
These are some of the facts that our kids have thought were hilarious…
…and didn’t believe they were true!
Fun Fact Favorites
There are so many fun facts, but my favorite is that kangaroos can’t walk backwards…I can’t imagine not being able to back up!
I think the craziest fact is that there is a 50% chance that in a group of 23 people, two will share the same birthday. That seems impossible!
The most interesting fact is that sharks can attack in the womb! Tiger shark embryos begin attacking each other in their mother’s womb.
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Cool Weird Facts About Humans
You fart on average 14 times a day, and each fart travels from your body at 7 mph.
While you sleep you can’t smell anything – even really, really bad or potent smells.
Some tumors can grow hair, teeth, bones, even fingernails.
Your brain uses 10 watts of energy to think and does not feel pain.
Your fingernails grow faster when you are cold.
A typical cough is 60 mph while a sneeze is often faster than 100 mph.
Your feet typically produce a pint of sweat every single day.
20% of all the oxygen you breathe is used by your brain.
All babies are born with blue eyes.
When you look at a bright sky and see white dots, you are looking at your blood. Those are white blood cells.
Your small intestine is the largest internal organ in your body.
Cool Fun Facts About Animals
Giant Pandas eat approximately 28 pounds of bamboo a day – that’s over 5 tons per year!
Some fish cough. Really.
Cats are not able to taste anything that is sweet.
Snails take the longest naps with some lasting as long as three years.
American Black bears are not just black but include bears of varying colors including blonde, cinnamon, brown, white and even silver-blue.
A horse’s canter is a 3-beat gait. On the second beat, opposite front and rear legs hit the ground at the same time. After the third beat is a “rest”, or suspension, when all three legs are off the ground.
Kangaroos can not walk backwards.
Sea Lions have rhythm. They are the only animal able to clap to a beat.
Baby koalas are fed poo by their parents after they are born which helps them digest Eucalyptus leaves later in life.
Hippopotamus milk is pink.
Don’t like mosquitoes? Get a bat. They could eat 3,000 insects a night.
Birds can not live in space – they need gravity to be able to swallow.
Goats have rectangular pupils in their eyes.
Many mammals, including cats and dogs, walk on their toes in contrast to humans, who walk on the soles of their feet.
If a Donkey and a Zebra have a baby, it is called a Zonkey.
Cows can walk up stairs but not down them.
Tiger shark embryos begin attacking each other in their mother’s womb before they are even born.
Totally Random Facts
The Nobel Peace Prize is named for Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite.
One of the ingredients needed to make dynamite is peanuts.
The largest living organism in the world is a fungus. It is in Oregon, covering 2,200 acres and is still growing.
The shortest war in history lasted for only 38 minutes.
Glass balls can bounce higher than rubber ones.
The smallest country in the world takes up .2 square miles: Vatican City.
The average person spends two weeks of their life waiting at traffic lights.
Applesauce was the first food eaten in space by astronauts.
Because of the 4 stages of the Water Cycle – Evaporation, Condensation, Precipitation and Collection – water falling as rain today may have previously fallen as rain days, weeks, months or years before.
There are 31,556,926 seconds in a year.
Cans of diet soda will float in water but regular soda cans will sink.
Some perfumes actually have whale poo in them.
The snow on Venus is metal.
You can cut a pie into 8 pieces with only three cuts.
The most difficult-to-pronounce town is in Wales: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwyll llantysiliogogogoch.
The surface of Mars is covered in rust, making the planet appear red.
A tsunami can travel as fast as a jet plane.
Hilarious Interesting Facts
Want chocolate smelling poo? There is a pill for that.
Before 1913 parents could mail their kids to Grandma’s – through the postal service.
Are you terrified that a duck is watching you? Some people are. That is anatidaephobia.
There is a 50% chance that in a group of 23 people, two will share the same birthday. In a group of 367 people, it is a 100% chance. But only 70 people are required for a 99.9% chance.
Love carrots? Don’t eat too many or you will turn orange.
WANT A PRINTABLE VERSION OF OUR FUN FACT OF THE DAY?
This fun facts for kids printable is perfect for use in the classroom, homeschool or just for silly fun.
For the Random Facts sheet, simply download & print: Random Facts for Kids
Fun Fact of the Day to Make You Go “Hmm” – Printable Cards
Here at Kids Activities Blog, we thought it would also be fun to create some fun fact of the day cards with these interesting facts. Simply download and print the pages and then use scissors to cut along the dotted lines. Place the random facts in a jar on your table or take them along in a bag for fun while waiting.
You can use them daily as a fun fact of the day or as conversation starters at your dinner table. This is what this looks like:
Grab your cards here: Fun Fact of the Day Cards
SOME MORE OF OUR FAVORITE ACTIVITIES:
At Kids Activities Blog, we have tons of fun things to do! Keep the conversation going with some of these fun hands-on activities for kids:
More Fun Facts from Kids Activities blog
- Hanukkah Facts
- Ant Facts
- Zodiac Facts
- Hamster Facts
- Delaware Facts
- Louisiana Facts
- Idaho Facts
- Illinois Facts
- Connecticut Facts
- Roman Empire Facts
- Nervous System Facts
- Gratitude Facts
- Mt. Everest Facts
- Thanksgiving Facts
- Sagittarius Facts
- Solar Energy Facts
- King Tut Facts
- Hera Facts
- Unicorn Facts
- John Adams Facts
A bolt of lightning is five times hotter than the sun.
Giraffes only have bottom teeth.
All polar bears are left handed.
Most elephants weigh less than the tongue of a blue whale.
Some countries run on different calendars that we do in the United States. Because of that, in other countries like Ethiopia, people can have two different ages if they are familiar with the Gregorian, Christian, or Western calendar (the same calendar is commonly referred to by these three names).
Koalas, gorillas, and chimpanzees have unique fingerprints just like humans! Though koalas’ fingerprints evolved separately from humans. They primarily serve the same purpose, for grip and for touch sensitivity.
Did you know the average number of licks to finish a scoop of ice cream is 50.
The bowhead whale can live well past the age of 200, maybe even to 240 years old!
Ireland Random Facts: (Great-Grandparents were from Ireland
1. Halloween Is Irish
What? Nope, this is one of those cool facts about Ireland that is true! Halloween may have Christian ties, with Allhallowtide beginning a three-day veneration of the dearly departed, but Halloween traditions as we know them to begin with the Celtic festival of Samhain. In Old Irish, this means “Summer’s End.” It features bonfires, terrifying masks, even more, terrifying turnip lanterns, and amateur dress-ups.
2. The Longest Place Name In Ireland Is Muckanaghederdauhaulia
This is one of those Irish fun facts kids will love. In Irish Gaelic, this roughly translates as “piggery between two expanses of briny water.” Though it doesn’t come close to the longest Welsh place name.
3. More Irish People Live Outside Of Ireland Than In Ireland
From around 1700, between nine and ten million Irish-born people emigrated. That’s way more than Ireland’s highest population of 8.4 million during the 1840s.
Today, around 80 million people worldwide claim Irish descent (including more than 36 million Americans). There’s even a government position dedicated to this – Minister of State for the Diaspora and International Development.
4. Know Your Irish Pub Etiquette
Okay, this isn’t one of those die-hard facts about Ireland, but more of a fun bar one! If someone buys you a drink, you buy them a drink back. If you’re in a group, then most likely drinks will be purchased in a “round.” One person buys everyone’s drinks.
So, when it comes to your turn, do your duty. The round is sacred, this is sometimes considered Dublin pub and Galway pub etiquette. I was taught Pub Etiquette!
5. Ireland Is Named After A Goddess
In Old Irish, she was known as Eriu. In modern Gaelic, it’s Eire. That’s exactly the same name as Ireland is known as in the mother tongue. Eriu, together with her sisters Banba and Fódla, was part of a triumvirate of goddesses that looked out for the general wellbeing of the ancient island nation. Even Banba and Fódla are sometimes used as poetic names for Ireland.
6. Ireland Was Neutral During World War II
“Officially” anyway. They did provide some clandestine help; a detailed weather report from County Mayo, for example, gave the green light for the D-Day Landings. Despite being neutral, Ireland was also the victim of a few bombings because of Allies and Axis bombers alike missing their targets. It remains neutral and isn’t even a part of NATO.
7. Yes, Guinness World Records Is Related To The Guinness
This is another one of those fun facts about Ireland! This began thanks to the awesomely named managing director of Guinness at the time, Sir Hugh Beaver. He went out shooting with some buddies, missed a shot, and got into an argument about what was the fastest game bird in Europe. Classic.
Later that evening, they tried to confirm the answer in reference books but realized it was impossible. Realizing people were having these kinds of debates in pubs nightly across Ireland, he decided that the idea of a Record Book would settle these debates. The original Google, born in 1955.
8. Ireland Currently Has A Record-Breaking Prime Minister
Leo Varadkar, born in 1979, became Ireland’s prime minister in 2017. Not only is he the youngest prime minister that the country has ever ushered into power, but he is also the first of Indian heritage, what a cool Irish fact! To add more to the list of firsts, Leo Varadkar is also Ireland’s first openly gay party leader and prime minister. How’s that for fun facts about Ireland?
9. There Are Around 30,000 Castles In Ireland
Castles and the ruins thereof are located all over Ireland. Centuries-old fortifications, restored castles, half-fallen down towers. You name it, Ireland’s got it. To have that many in such a small area are pretty mad, though
10. There Are No Snakes In Ireland
When planning a trip to Ireland it may be awesome to know there are no snakes! The legend and well-known “fact” about Ireland and its snakes are that Saint Patrick drove them all away. But in fact, there were never any snakes, to begin with. It’s more to do with the Ice Age than anything else. You may find a snake in a zoo, however.
11. Newgrange Is Older Than Stonehenge And The Great Pyramids At Giza
Newgrange, a prehistoric monument in County Meath, is an amazing passage tomb that dates back to the Neolithic period. We’re talking 3,200 BC. That’s older than Stonehenge, which dates back to around 3,000 BC. The Giza Pyramids were built in 2,600 BC.
It’s not just old, but impressive – a big circular dome 76m in diameter complete with a stone-walled burial chamber. Though sealed for actual millennia, since construction, it has featured in various Irish folklore and mythology.
12. It’s One Of The World’s Biggest Movie Stars
Yes, the entire country is what I’m referring to in this fun fact about Ireland. The Cliffs of Moher (Near the Tower of O’Brien) have featured in Harry Potter. The beach of Curracloe Strand was the D-day landing scene in Saving Private Ryan.
Scenes from the 1969 Italian Job were shot at Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin. The island of Skellig Michael and its ancient monastic settlement were famously in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. If you’re prepared to do some hiking in Ireland you can even see a bunch more.
13. Irish Gaelic Is the First Official Language of the Republic of Ireland
Gaelic is a compulsory subject in schools. Street signs are in English and Gaelic. There are whole areas (called Gaeltacht) of the Republic of Ireland where people’s actual first language is Gaelic, notably in coastal areas of County Mayo and County Cork. Only around 1.7% of the population speaks it daily, however.
14. More People Speak Polish Than Gaelic In Ireland
Being a country in the European Union, Ireland allows free movement of people, and a lot of people from elsewhere in the EU live in Ireland. While just over 82,600 people speak Gaelic outside of school, 119,526 speak Polish at home, making Gaelic the 3rd most-spoken language. 56,430 speak French at home.
15. There’s A Ton of Marine Life Just Off the Coast of Ireland
Did you know that you can go whale watching from County Cork? That you could spot basking sharks? Seals? Puffins? Sea turtles? It’s not all Emerald Isle rolling valleys and castles; it’s also those rugged offshore islands and the host of sea life that lives around ‘em!
Random Facts About Massachusetts:
1. The capital city of Massachusetts is Boston, it has been the state’s capital city since being established in 1630 and is not only the largest city in Massachusetts but the largest in New England too!
2. The city of Somerville, MA is home to the MOBA (Museum of Bad Art). This unique museum has taken a slightly different approach to “art” as many call it “the only museum dedicated to bringing the worst of art to the widest of audiences.” This is an incredibly fascinating depiction of art but it has proven to be one of the most popular and talked about museums in the country.
3. Massachusetts has one of the lowest divorce rates in the entire country – an encouraging fact for those looking to start families or re-locate their families to the Bay State.
4. The sweet, sticky, and irresistible marshmallow fluff was invented in Somerville, by a candy shop owner back in 1917. Today, if you visit the town, you will see that a festival is hosted there every year named, “What the Fluff?”, in honor of this gooey treat.
5. Like many other states, Massachusetts’ name originates from a tribe of Native Americans, called, you guessed it, the Massachusetts tribe. The name can be translated as “at or about the great hill”, “large hill place”, or “great mountain place”, which you would imagine has something to do with Massachusetts’ beautiful mountainous landscape.
6. Like donuts? Then you will be a massive fan of Massachusetts! The first-ever Dunkin Donuts opened in Quincy, MA, in 1948. If you visit the state’s capital city of Boston, you will never be more than 1.45 miles away from a Dunkin Donut shop. And Yes, Residents love their Dunkin!
7. The maximum speed limit in Massachusetts is 65 mph. But everyone drives at least 70 miles an hour. If you have a car behind you flashing lights that means you are not going fast enough in the passing lane so you had better pull over…because Mass drivers will stay on your tail until you let them by.
8. The state’s capital city of Boston, like many other locations within the United States was named after a location in England. Boston, in the UK, is a small port and market town in Lincolnshire, on the east coast of England.
9. Martha’s Vineyard was the main location for the filming of the iconic Steven Spielberg classic, Jaws. Many believed that the location was just perfect for housing a giant mechanical shark as the surrounding ocean bed had a maximum depth of 35 feet.
10. There is a lake located in central Massachusetts that is called Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg, the name is comprised of 45 letters! This is the longest name of any place in the US, and the 6th longest in the world. The name originates from the Nipmuc tribe and means “fishing place at the boundary or neutral meeting ground”. Most now refer to it as Webster Lake for obvious reasons.
11. Boston’s Ted Williams Tunnel, which is the deepest in North America, reaches 90 feet below the surface Ted Williams, (Former Red Sox Player and Baseball Hall of Fame Member.
12. Massachusetts is also the home of Boston Red Sox, easily the most famous baseball team in the state, and even in the American League East Division. The team has won a total of nine World Series championships and there seems to be no sign of slowing down!
13. Christmas was banned in Massachusetts for over 20 years! Between the years 1659 and 1681, there was no Christmas celebrations happening here, reasons for this still vary to this day.
14. The city of Boston that we know today was once completely underwater and was considered to be part of the Charles River. In the early 1800s, the city started to fill in the land along the coast and the city started to take shape.
15. Health care and social assistance is the leading small business employer industry in the state, followed by accommodation and food services, and professional, scientific, and technical services.
16. The fertile soil that covers the state in abundance makes for a huge crop of cranberries. Local farmers grow around 25% of the cranberries in the US!
17. Massachusetts has over 1,500 miles of coastline, making it a hotbed for seafood. It is famously known for its clams and haddock.
18. The Bay State has seen many creations and inventions over the years, but maybe non more iconic than the sport of Basketball, yes, you read that correct, Basketball! The sport was officially invented in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1891 by a man named James Naismith. Springfield MA is the location of the Basketball Hall of Fame.
19. Massachusetts has a great reputation regarding its education system, and nothing solidifies this statement more than the home to the iconic and world-renowned Harvard University, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
20. The Hill Institute began as an experimental facility to promote the healthy development of local Florence (this is a section of Northampton MA) children. It was the oldest “free” kindergarten in the country and was created when there were only a few kindergartens in the country that were the exclusive property of the wealthy. Northampton MA continues to offer FREE kindergarten which now comes under the Local School Committee.
So here are my 35 random facts…I hope you enjoy.
Erin Wolcott
Did you know that bees dance to communicate