Spectacular Science
Because of the intense summer heat, this famous iron tower in Paris expands, making it up to 6 inches taller during July and August.
Eiffel Tower
While animals hibernate in the winter, some desert creatures do this through the hot summer, a process called aestivation.
sleep
In 1905, an 11-year-old boy accidentally invented this frozen treat after leaving soda water and a stirring stick outside overnight.
A Popsicle
In 2014, the world’s largest single scoop of this dessert weighed over 3,000 pounds, making it as heavy as an elephant.
ice cream
Ancient Egyptians wore sandals made of papyrus that looked and functioned exactly like these modern summer shoes.
flip-flops
Though we eat it like a fruit, this refreshing red summer treat is secretly a vegetable and a cousin to the cucumber.
Watermelon
The temperature of this material determines whether baby sea turtles will hatch as boys or girls.
sand
This flying toy got its start in the 1800s when college students began tossing empty metal pie tins to one another.
A Frisbee
The highest air temperature ever recorded on Earth was a blistering 134°F in this aptly named California valley.
Death Valley
In 1984, President Ronald Reagan officially declared that this specific month is National Ice Cream Month.
July
The "Dog Days of Summer" are named after Sirius, which holds this celestial title (constellation) because it rises with the sun in July.
The Dog Star
These nocturnal summer insects communicate with each other using unique, secret blinking light codes.
fireflies
At the 1904 World’s Fair, an ice cream vendor ran out of bowls and teamed up with a waffle vendor to create this new edible holder.
an ice cream cone
This longest day of the year occurs in June and features the most hours of daylight of the entire year.
the Summer Solstice
Instead of blocking the sun, chemical versions of this lotion act like a sponge to absorb UV rays before they hit your skin.
sunscreen
You can estimate the temperature outside by counting how many times this insect chirps in 15 seconds and adding 37.
cricket
Swimming in warm summer waters, a single one of these marine predators can grow and lose over 20,000 teeth in its lifetime.
shark
Lonnie Johnson, a NASA rocket scientist, accidentally invented this high-pressure water gun while working on a heat pump in his bathroom.
the Super Soaker
Laid out on a beach in Spain, the world's largest one of these items was wider than a football field.
a beach towel
Scientists say the perfect recipe for this beach creation is exactly eight parts dry sand to one part water.
A sandcastle
Because they need intense warmth and moisture to form, these loud, flashing weather events are most common during the summer.
thunderstorms
Because they fly so hard collecting pollen during peak summer season, a worker one of these insects only lives for about six weeks.
honeybee
In 1896, the first modern version of this global sports competition took place during the summer in Athens, Greece.
the Olympic Games
Measuring over 51 feet in diameter, the world's largest inflatable version of this toy was taller than a five-story building.
beach ball
America's first roller coaster, built at Coney Island in 1884, was based on a runaway train track originally used to haul this fuel.
coal