1. Flamingo Valentines
2. Heart-y Cookies
3. Animal Valentines
4. Valentine’s Day Egg and Toast Breakfast
5. Printable Valentine Cards
6. Heart-Shaped Pizza
7. Peek-a-Boo Valentines
8. Strawberry Heart Sandwiches
9. Penguin Valentine
10. Heart-Shaped Jello Whale
11. Mousey Valentines
12. Wildlife-Themed Valentine Cards
13. Valentine Maze
BONUS: Valentine Jokes
You’ll crack your little ones up with these hilarious Valentine riddles!
- Where do kangaroos take their dates on Valentine’s Day? To the hop-era.
- What’s a sheep’s favorite love story? Ram-eo and Ewe-liet.
- Where does a wolf buy Valentine cards? The Howl-mark store.
- What does a mother cow feel for her calf? Udder love.
- What do porcupines ask each other on February 14? “Quill you be my valentine?”
- What did the giraffe say about its mate? “It was love at first height.”
- What did the cat give his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day? Purr-fume.
- What do you call two birds in love? Tweet-hearts.
- What did the elephant say to his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day? “I love you a ton!”
Check out the Family Fun section on our website for more crafts, recipes, and outdoor activities!
1. Bullfrog Photo, April 1971
You can’t help but laugh when you see this photo. If the caption didn’t tell us that the bullfrog made it back to the pond, I would have been slightly concerned that this maniacally happy child accidentally ripped it in half.
2. “Ranger Rick Rash,” June 1977
So I don’t have poison ivy? Just the Ranger Rick Rash? What a relief!
3. “Death to Ice Cream Trucks,” March 1981
I was on board with these Rangers until this: “Ice cream trucks aren’t really necessary.” Yes, you can keep ice cream in your freezer, but is there anything that compares to the thrill of hearing the tinny tune of the truck, then frantically grabbing change and racing out to meet it? Also, does the ice cream you keep in your freezer have a face with bubble gum for eyeballs? I didn’t think so.
4. “Octopig,” March 1982
Maybe this was cute in 1982, but the years haven’t been kind to Octopig. This creature will haunt my dreams. It doesn’t help that it reminds me of that spider-doll mutant created by the sadistic Sid in Toy Story.
5. “It’s Your Rep, Rick,” August 1996
Kids were sassy in the 90s! (Still are, I know.) Poor Ranger Rick…he never claimed to be a fashion plate!
6. “Monkey Business,” October 1997
Man, that is one bitter monkey. Okay, so Grandma shouldn’t have fed that peanut shell to the monkey. But did she really deserve to get peed on? On second thought, if someone offered me a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup and it turned out to be an empty wrapper, there’s no telling how I would react.
7. “Dinosaur Tales,” March 1998
For this column, the magazine asked kids, “What would happen if you found a live dinosaur?” I love that this reader would use her dinosaur as a bargaining chip to make her family be less annoying. I can just see her saying to her brother, “If you let me watch my TV show, you can play with Claw for a whole 20 minutes!”
8. “Butterfly Feet,” September 1998
For this column, Ranger Rick asked, “What would happen if, just like a butterfly, you could taste with your feet?” Leave it to kids to think of the grossest possible scenario, like stepping on dog poop! But I like that Janet draws the line at stepping in her parents’ food, yet has no qualms about stinking up her brother’s meal. Sounds about right.
9. “Porcupine Woes,” January 1999
This column featured answers to the question, “What would it be like if YOU were a porcupine?” Picturing a sad porcupine floating down a river in an inner tube that is slowly deflating is simultaneously hilarious and tragic. I’m glad I’m not a porcupine too, Jason. Seems like a lonely life.
10. “Weird Food,” October 2000
This Tessa may be a little harsh, but she could be onto something. If you get hungry during gym class, you could just nibble on one of the bricks!
11. “Dear World,” July 1995
If only adults could be as optimistic and idealistic about the world as children are. Reading these kids’ hopes for the Earth is a refreshing reminder of how important is it to protect the environment for future generations, and how simple it could be if we all worked together.
To see more letters and drawings from our readers, visit our Dear Ranger Rick blog.
1. Smokey Bear
A lot of people get Smokey’s name wrong and call him Smokey THE Bear, partially because there was a popular song in 1952 called “Smokey the Bear.” (The word “the” was added to keep the rhythm.) One thing that most people don’t forget, though, is Smokey’s famous slogan. The most memorable version was created in 1947—“Remember…Only YOU Can Prevent Forest Fires.”—but in 2001 it was updated to “Only You Can Prevent Wildfires.”
Fun Fact: In 1950, an American black bear whose paws and legs were burned in a wildfire became the living symbol of Smokey Bear. He was first called “Hotfoot Teddy,” and then renamed Smokey.
2. Gummi Bears
I’m not talking about the gooey candy that gets stuck in your teeth. I’m referring to the far-superior stars of Disney’s Adventures of the Gummi Bears, the legendary bouncing bears who live in the Gummi Glen and guzzle gummibeary juice that gives them crazy jumping abilities. I would argue that the best part of the show, which aired from 1985 to 1991, was the super-catchy theme song. You just can’t help but jump around and smile when you hear the glorious chorus of “Gummi Beeeeaaaars! Bouncing here and there and everywhere!”
Fun Fact: In 2010, for the show’s 25th anniversary, veteran Disney writer/producer Jymn Magon held a live webinar that reunited the talented team behind the Gummi Bears, including some of the voice actors, writers, and composers.
3. Fozzie Bear
Fozzie is the world’s best bear comedian…but only because he’s the only one! His jokes are cringingly bad, and they’ve never gotten any better, even after his 30-some years as a comic. Still, you can’t help but love Fozzie for his eternal optimism, dogged perseverance, and dedication to terrible puns and gags. Here’s a bear-themed Fozzie joke in honor of our Bear-a-thon: “Why don’t you wear shoes, Fozzie?” “Why should I? I’d still have bear feet. Wocka wocka wocka!”
Fun Fact: In the first season, Fozzie used to cry when his jokes didn’t go well. Audiences felt uncomfortable and embarrassed by that, so they tweaked the character to be more optimistic and endearing.
4. Winnie the Pooh
Who doesn’t love this silly willy nilly old bear? He’s definitely the oldest bear on this list—the first collection of stories about him, by A.A. Milne, was published way back in 1926. Disney acquired the rights to Winnie the Pooh in 1961, and the rest is history. Since then, they’ve released countless animated movies and TV shows, making Pooh a beloved bear for many generations of kids. But the best part of Pooh, a “Bear of Very Little Brain,” is his wise words. Here’s my favorite Pooh quote: “Some people care too much. I think it’s called love.”
Fun Fact: The Latin translation of the Pooh stories was the only Latin book to ever be featured on The New York Times Best Seller List.
5. Yogi Bear
While Pooh’s head is stuffed with fluff, Yogi is smarter than the average bear (at least, according to Yogi). Everyone’s favorite pic-a-nic basket thief debuted in 1958 as a supporting character in The Huckleberry Hound Show, a Hanna-Barbera production, but he soon broke out on his own. He’s starred in many TV series and movies since then, including a 2010 film where he and his sidekick Boo Boo had to team up with their rival, Ranger Smith, to save their beloved Jellystone Park.
Fun Fact: Yogi’s collar was actually a revolutionary animation technique for the time. Animators had to work on tight budgets back then, so the collar created a separation between Yogi’s head and body and allowed them to focus on animating the head, while keeping his body in a handful of static poses.
Introducing Gertie
These bears are all legends in their own right, but there is a rising bear starlet you may not have heard of. Her name is Gertie, and this sweet mama grizzly is the star of the new Ranger Rick Jr. Appventures: Bears. The iPad app is packed with fun bear-related activities and games, plus an interactive photo story that teaches kids all about bears. Download the app today from the App Store!
For even more bear fun, don’t miss Disneynature’s new BEARS movie, premiering on April 18, 2014—in time for Earth Day! Meet Sky and her adorable cubs, Amber and Scout, in the BEARS trailer, and don’t miss the movie next spring!
Gummi Bears, Fozzie Bear, and Winnie the Pooh images used with permission from Disney.
There are a lot of myths and misconceptions out there about bears, especially when it comes to what you should do if you ever encounter one in the wild. Read on to discover five popular myths about bears and why they are false.
1. Myth: Bears have poor eyesight.
Some people think that bears’ amazing sense of smell must make up for a lack of vision. In fact, bears’ eyesight is at least as good as humans’. They also have excellent night vision due to a reflective membrane on the back of their eye.
2. Myth: Bears are carnivores.
3. Myth: Bears can’t run downhill.
If you’re being chased by a bear, don’t run downhill! Bears can run as fast as a horse (35 mph), and they can do it uphill, downhill, and everything in between. A bear can outrun you no matter what, so if you see one in the wild do not try to run away from it. Instead, you should stand tall, wave your arms, and talk loudly but calmly. Back away slowly, but stop moving if the bear follows you.
4. Myth: Brown bears and grizzly bears are different species.
People used to think that there were many different species of brown bear because they can vary greatly in size and color. In fact, they are all the same species (Ursus arctos), with the grizzly bear being one subspecies (Ursus arctos horribilis). Many people in North America refer to the smaller, lighter-colored version of the brown bear as a “grizzly bear,” and call the larger, darker-colored version a “brown bear.” Again, they are the same species, but one is bigger because it lives where there is a lot of salmon to eat. The other is smaller because it eats mostly berries and roots and can’t grow as big on such a diet.
5. Myth: You should run away from an attacking bear.
Of course, these myths only cover the “bear” necessities.
To become a true “grizz whiz,” you’ll have to download our new iPad app, Ranger Rick Jr. Appventures: Bears! The app is packed with fun bear-related activities and games, plus an interactive photo story that teaches kids all about bears. Download it today from the App Store!
And now that you’ve boned up on bears, test your bear knowledge with our Grizz Quiz! Find out if you are “beary” intelligent or if your head is stuffed with fluff, like Winnie the Pooh.
We were blown away by the response to the contest and all the unique and creative drawings we received. Opening the mail every day was a treat, as we never knew what kind of Ricky’s we would find: silly, impressionistic, cartoonish, or even abstract. We saw Ricky’s painted with watercolors and drawn with pastels, and even an uncanny foam representation of our favorite raccoon. Our readers are true budding artists!
Hear from the Winners
All of our winners have two things in common: a love of drawing and a passion for animals! Cooper, age 5, said that he likes Ricky “because he’s an animal and I like animals.” Faith, age 4, loves to draw any kind of animal, especially “wild cats that have spots!”
The winning artists put a lot of effort into their creations, and it showed. Bonnie, mom to Griffin, age 7, said that Griffin “was so detailed and wanted to make it just perfect.” Cooper’s mom said that her son enjoyed “taking his time” with his drawing and “trying to make it look as good as he could.”
Winner Samantha, age 5, said she entered the Draw Ricky contest “to feel proud of herself.” She, along with all the other kids who entered, can feel very proud of her entry. Thanks to all the kids who helped make the contest a success!
See More Drawings
We could only pick five drawings to publish, but we had many other favorite entries. You can see more drawings on our website, as well as on social media: check out our Facebook album, our Pinterest board, and our Dear Ranger Rick Tumblr blog.
Related: Meet the Artist Behind Ricky Raccoon
Hopefully you’re kicking it off with the Great American Backyard Campout tomorrow. If you need some more ideas for how to celebrate summer, we’ve got just the thing: Ranger Rick’s Ultimate Summer Bucket List! Our eye-popping list is chock-full of 30 ideas for outdoor summer fun—some typical (pick berries, have a picnic) and some not-so-typical (make a fairy house, go geocaching).
The list is ready to print and hang on your fridge so your family can work on checking off all those boxes before we say goodbye to summer. If you’re viewing the list on your computer, all the ideas are linked to an activity in our Family Fun section so you can see more detailed instructions and get more information.
Summer’s only just begun but everyone knows how this season flies by. Get inspired to head outdoors and make the most of it with Ranger Rick’s Summer Bucket List!
Get the list!
Follow us on Facebook, Pinterest and Tumblr to get updates on the contest and see some of our favorite submissions!
Meet Christian Slade, “Ricky and Pals” Illustrator
Seeing all these renditions of Ricky inspired us to talk to the authority on all things Ricky Raccoon: Christian Slade, the artist who helped originate the character and has illustrated the magazine’s “Ricky and Pals” stories for the past five years. “Ricky and Pals” follow the adventures of Ricky Raccoon and his animal friends as they explore the outdoors in Deep Green Wood, their forest home.
An avid animal lover, Christian grew up reading Ranger Rick and said it was a “secret dream” of his to work on it someday. He says that working for Ranger Rick Jr. is an especially important project because if an issue falls into the “right hands, that child is going to grow up with a love and appreciation for animals and could do great things.”
Who Is Ricky?
Christian feels a special attachment to the character that he says is “like one of his kids.” He describes Ricky as a loyal friend who’s “an explorer, first and foremost. He’s an adventurer, and he loves nature.” Ricky loves to bring back all sorts of nature treasures to his tree house, much like Christian fills his art studio with his many collections.
Christian has a “soft spot” for all the characters in “Ricky and Pals,” and likes to imagine that their stories continue beyond the page. “Ricky and Pals, they don’t go to sleep,” he says. “The adventures go on.”
On Drawing Ricky
According to Christian, Ricky’s face and hands are the most important—and the most difficult—to get right. He draws Ricky’s expression first, and sometimes makes faces in the mirror above his desk to help him capture it. Christian also modeled many of Ricky’s gestures and mannerisms off of his 5-year-old twins Nate and Kate.
His initial sketches are very loose, “like a pile of spaghetti, but the essence is there.” Then he goes back and tightens it up to make sure Ricky looks exactly like the raccoon readers know and love.
Inspired by Nature
In “Ricky and Pals,” the environment is just as much of a character as Ricky or Bizzie Beaver. Christian says it’s probably the greatest character because it provides the setting for the characters to explore. The artist loves to immerse himself in nature while vacationing in the mountains, soaking up details of the animals and trees that he can incorporate into Ricky’s world.
Advice for Young Artists
Do you have a budding illustrator at home? Encourage him or her to get outside and draw! Christian advises young artists to carry a sketchbook everywhere and draw the world around them, not just what’s in their heads. “By drawing the world around you, and the people and animals in it,” he says, “it’s only going to enrich the things you draw out of your imagination.”
Watch Christian in Action
Need some inspiration for your own Ricky drawing? Watch the video to see Christian drawing in his studio and get his tips on how to draw your favorite raccoon. It’s a fun, behind-the-scenes peek at the world of Ricky and Ranger Rick Jr.!
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How to Enter the Draw Ricky Contest
Kids have until June 30, 2013 to submit their entry (online or by mail) to the Draw Ricky Contest. Winners receive a Ranger Rick Jr. hat and get their drawing featured in the October issue of the magazine.
See official rules for details.
]]>Older explorers aged 7–12 can subscribe to Ranger Rick’s Tree House, an app that invites kids to explore Ranger Rick’s tree house home, a place filled with intriguing rooms and all kinds of wildlife fun.
Still not convinced? Here are five great reasons to get your paws on these apps:
1. They’re on sale right now for Earth Day
This one’s a no brainer. Since Ranger Rick is Earth’s best friend, we’re celebrating his favorite holiday with a sale on his apps. Both Tree House and Appventures are 60% off all week long, from April 22–29. That means they’re $1.99 instead of $4.99! See, I told you, no brainer.
2. They teach kids about animals and nature
If your kids are fascinated by the animals on the pages of the magazines, they’ll love all the ways that animals come alive in our apps.
In Appventures: Lions, kids discover videos, photos, animation, and illustrated factoids as they wind their way through a tale about lions told by their friendly guides, Lars and Ricky. It’s impossible to get bored when there’s so much to explore. In the Tree House, the experience of reading a fascinating Ranger Rick adventure story gets even richer. Wildlife articles spring to life with eye-popping photos, clickable facts, funny animations, wildlife sounds, and more.
3. They encourage kids to get outside
Kids can open the back door of the Tree House to find ideas for nature crafts and outdoor activities. They can even log the time they spend outside in their own backyards. And Appventures will get kids so excited about wildlife that they’ll want to embark on a safari in their own backyard!
4. They’re winning raves
Appventures was named one of the top 10 kids’ apps of 2012 by Entertainment Weekly and earned a silver medal from the Parents’ Choice Foundation. Bloggers like Geeks with Juniors love the fun and innovative way that Appventures presents educational content and teaches kids about nature.
Parents’ Choice named Tree House a recommended mobile app, and the bloggers at Dandelion Moms said “no other digital children’s magazine is more innovative, interactive, or just plain fun!”
5. They’re FUN!
Do you want to compose a tune with the soothing sounds of a lion roaring and an elephant trumpeting? Or create an animal with a cheetah’s tail, zebra’s body, and giraffe’s neck and head? The answer is yes, of course, and with Appventures you can do that and have a lot of other silly animal fun. You can even go on a photo safari: pick up the iPad and move it all around to snap shots of all the lions in the pride.
For more of a challenge, stop into the Tree House and play games like Ribbit Rodeo, where you lasso up a tasty meal of bugs for a hungry frog, or Manta Mission, where you help Manta Ray race through underwater roadblocks to get to the Manta Party on time. You can also venture into the “bFunny” room to laugh at comic gems like, “What do kangaroos eat for breakfast?” (Pouched eggs.)
We’ve also teamed up with some great bloggers who are giving away download codes for the apps. Head over for your chance to win:
Thanks to all the bloggers who have already reviewed our apps and hosted awesome giveaways!
- Momma D Jane
- Inspired by Savannah
- The IE Mommy
- 5 Minutes for Books
- Special Needs Orange County
- For Kids Entertainment
- Dandelion Moms
- iGameMom
- the iPhone mom
- Crafty Garden Mama
- Raising Them Green
- Curriculum Choice
- iHeartThisApp
- Geeks with Juniors
- BabyCenter
- NBC Latino
Every month we publish five or six drawings or photos from our readers in the “Ricky’s Mail” section of Ranger Rick Jr. Ricky is a playful young raccoon who guides kids through the pages of the magazine, and he loves to get mail! We also feature reader mail in a monthly slideshow on our website.
Since our readers love sending us drawings, and we love our readers, we decided to hold a “Draw Ricky” contest for these talented young artists. So send us your best drawing of your favorite little raccoon, Ricky! The winning drawings will be featured in the October issue of Ranger Rick Jr., and the winning artists will receive a Ranger Rick Jr. baseball cap. We’ll also send the winners six complimentary copies of the October issue, so they can share their artistic debut with their family and friends.
Even if your drawing isn’t published in the magazine, there’s still a chance for fame (but maybe not fortune). We’ll be featuring many more of our favorite Ricky drawings on Facebook, Pinterest, and Tumblr. Be sure to follow us to see all the drawings and get updates about the contest!
How to Enter
1. Create a butterfly garden.
One of the best ways to attract butterflies to your yard is to plant nectar-producing flowers that have red, yellow, orange, pink, or purple blossoms. Plant them in a sunny spot in a group so they grow in clusters.
You can also bring butterflies to you by mashing up fruit and sugar and smearing it on a rock, tree, or other surface in your yard.
Make your garden as butterfly-friendly as possible by putting out a shallow pan of wet sand or mud for them to sip from, and by providing a few rocks they can use to bask in the sun.
2. Sing a song about butterflies.
While you’re hunting for butterflies or working away in your butterfly garden, pass the time by singing a tune about butterflies. Get the lyrics to “Blue Butterfly,” sung to the tune of “Baby Mine,” on our website, or get creative and make up your own.
3. Make a butterfly you can eat.
Fresh fruit is the perfect springtime snack, so use your imagination to whip up a fruity butterfly treat. Use two halves of a pear or a few apple slices for the wings, and for the body try a piece of celery, a carrot, or a banana. Celery or carrot strips also work great for the antennae. Decorate your butterfly with raisins, cereal, cherries, or anything else you like.
For another butterfly recipe, try making butterfly muffins.
4. Learn some fun facts.
Did you know that a butterfly can’t fly if its body temperature falls below 86°F? Or that they drink the tears of turtles? And they use their feet to taste? Curious kids can learn more by checking out this butterfly article from Ranger Rick Jr. and butterfly fact sheet from Ranger Rick.
5. Get crafty.
Use a coffee filter, a pipe cleaner, and pom-poms to make a beautiful butterfly that won’t fly away. Here’s how:
- Decorate the coffee filter with markers and then spray it with water.
- Once it dries, wrap a pipe cleaner around the middle of the filter.
- Glue pom-poms onto the clothespin and clip the clothespin to the filter.
- Bend the pipe cleaner to make the antennae.
More butterfly crafts:
Find more fun crafts, recipes, and activities in the Family Fun section of our new Kids website.