Marsupials
Food and Drink
Musical
Instruments
Instruments
Canadian Cities
Summer Fun
100
The koala feeds entirely on the leaves & shoots of this tree
What is the eucalyptus tree?
Eucalyptus leaves are toxic or difficult to digest for most animals, but koalas have specialized gut bacteria that help them break down the tough, oily leaves. Because the diet is low in energy, koalas spend up to 20 hours a day sleeping or resting.
100
Like chicory, dried figs can be roasted & used to make a substitute for this beverage
What is coffee?
Chicory-based coffee substitutes became especially common during times of import shortages and wartime rationing.
100
Almost always played in pairs, these rattles appear in many genres of Caribbean and Latin music
What are maracas?
Maracas originated from Indigenous cultures in the Caribbean and South America and were traditionally made using gourds filled with seeds or pebbles.
100
This western Canadian city is nicknamed “Hollywood North” for its busy film industry
What is Vancouver?
Vancouver is one of the busiest film production hubs in North America, with hundreds of productions filmed there each year.
100
Flip-flops and slingbacks are styles of these summer shoes
What are sandals?
Sandals are among the oldest types of footwear in the world, with examples dating back thousands of years. Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans all wore various styles of sandals.
200
This Australian animal carries its young in a pouch and is known for its powerful hopping legs
What is a kangaroo?
Kangaroos can’t walk backward easily because of their large tail and leg structure. They also use their tail like a “third leg” when moving slowly or balancing while standing.
200
French fries and gravy topped with this type of cheese makes real poutine
What are cheese curds?
Cheese curds are essentially fresh curdled milk solids that haven’t been aged or pressed into blocks.
200
Instead of having valves like a trumpet, this instrument alters the pitch with a slide
What is a trombone?
The trombone is one of the few modern orchestral instruments that has changed very little since the Renaissance. Its slide allows for smooth pitch changes.
200
This is Canada’s capital city and where Parliament Hill is located
What is Ottawa?
Ottawa sits on the border of Ontario and Quebec and was chosen as Canada’s capital in 1857 in part because it was far from the U.S. border, making it easier to defend.
200
Summer camp fun often includes sleeping in these stacked beds
What are bunk beds?
They are especially popular in places where space is limited, such as military barracks, ships, and summer camps. The top bunk is often the most coveted spot among campers, leading to many friendly debates over who gets it!
300
This cat-sized marsupial is the only one native to North America
What is the opossum?
When threatened, opossums often “play dead” by entering a temporary shock-like state. They can even emit a foul smell to make themselves seem unappetizing to predators.
300
These close cousins of cows roam the Canadian grasslands and are used in lean burgers
What are bison?
Bison once numbered in the tens of millions across North America, but were nearly wiped out in the 19th century due to overhunting and habitat loss.
300
This woodwind instrument is played sideways and produces sound when you blow across its hole
What is a flute?
The modern concert flute is usually made of metal, but early flutes were carved from wood, bone, or even ivory.
300
Winnipeg is home to one of Canada’s largest communities with this linguistic background west of the Great Lakes
What is French/Francophone?
Winnipeg’s St. Boniface district is one of the largest Francophone cultural centres in western Canada.
300
These very small, robust flies are annoying biting pests of early summer
What are black flies?
Black flies are attracted to carbon dioxide and body heat, which helps them find people and animals to bite.
400
Among the few enemies of kangaroos are humans and these wild dogs
What are dingoes?
Dingoes are believed to have arrived in Australia around 3,000–4,000 years ago, likely brought by seafaring people. Over time, they became a key apex predator in many ecosystems, helping regulate populations of large herbivores like kangaroos.
400
Milk, dark, or white—this confection’s name comes from the Aztec word “xocolātl”
What is chocolate?
The original Aztec chocolate drink was typically unsweetened and often flavored with spices like chili pepper, making it very different from the sweet chocolate treats we know today.
400
Versatile 5-string instrument used in classical, country, or bluegrass music (Hint: not guitar)
What is a banjo?
The banjo has origins in West African string instruments brought to the Americas through the transatlantic slave trade.
400
A turquoise lake and hamlet in the Canadian Rockies, named to honour the daughter of Queen Victoria
What is Lake Louise?
The lake's iconic turquoise glow is caused by "rock flour" which is finely ground rock particles washed into the lake from surrounding glaciers.
400
Summertime in the Canadian wild: this native freshwater bird calls us to the cottage
What is a loon?
The common loon’s call can carry over long distances across water because lakes act like natural sound amplifiers. Canada even features the loon on its one-dollar coin, which is nicknamed the “loonie.”
500
The blind marsupial mole spends most of its life in this dark environment
What is underground?
Marsupial moles have highly specialized bodies, including a hardened nose and reduced eyes and ears, that allow them to “swim” through sand much like a fish moves through water.
500
To become an honourary Newfoundlander, drink this rum that has been enjoyed by the locals for centuries
What is Screech?
The Screech-In ceremony often includes kissing a cod fish and repeating Newfoundland phrases. It’s a humorous tradition designed to warmly welcome newcomers into Newfoundland and Labrador culture.
500
This electronic musical instrument generates synthesis wave forms, gave 1970s pop music its distinctive sound, and was invented in Canada!
What is a synthesizer?
Early Canadian innovations in electronic music came from researcher Hugh Le Caine, who built one of the first voltage-controlled synthesizers in the 1940s–1950s.
500
Until 1882, this Saskatchewan capital city’s name was Pile O’ Bones
What is Regina?
Regina’s original nickname reflects its early role as a bison-processing site on the Prairies.
500
This index combines temperature and humidity to show how hot it actually feels outside
What is the humidex?
It was developed in Canada in the 1960s to help people better understand heat stress in humid weather.