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Fact of the Day - TOY HALL OF FAME Did you know... From teddy bears to train sets, classic playthings of youth often conjure memories of a gleaming toy store, holidays, or birthdays. So curators at the Strong National Museum of Play branched out when they added the stick to their collection of all-time beloved toys. Among the most versatile amusements, sticks have inspired central equipment in several sports, including baseball, hockey, lacrosse, fencing, cricket, fishing, and pool. Humble twigs are also ready-made for fetch, slingshots, toasting marshmallows, and boundless make-believe. Located in Rochester, New York — about 70 miles northeast of Fisher-Price’s headquarters — the Strong acquired the fledgling National Toy Hall of Fame in 2002. (It was previously located in the Gilbert House Children's Museum in Salem, Oregon.) To date, more than 70 toys have been inducted, including Crayola Crayons, Duncan Yo-Yos, and bicycles. The stick was added in 2008, three years after another quintessential source of cheap childhood delight: the cardboard box. Sticks were the first timekeeping device used by humans. Circa 3500 BCE in the modern-day Middle East, Mesopotamians rooted sticks in the ground to craft the earliest versions of sundials. The approximate time could be determined by measuring the length and position of the stick’s shadow. Over the next 1,500 years, Egyptians substituted stone obelisks that functioned in a similar way. Since the late 19th century, America has been home to the world’s tallest obelisk, the 555-foot Washington Monument. Source: The stick has been inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame.

What's the Word: FLAVANOL pronunciation: [FLAY-və-nohl] Part of speech: noun Origin: German, 19th century Meaning: 1. Any of a major group of flavonoids found in many fruits and vegetables. Examples: "Quercetin is a flavonol found in onions and cilantro, and it has anti-inflammatory effects for people who consume it." "My mother sent me an article about how flavonols found in vegetables and tea may slow memory loss." About Flavanol “Flavonol” was coined in 1895 by German chemists Kostanecki and Tambor. They based their word on the existing German chemical term “flavon.” Did you Know? There are more than a dozen classes of flavonols, a substance in plants that performs many functions. In many cases, flavonols — and other flavonoids (the chemical grouping of which they are a greater part) — give bright pigments to flowers that attract bees and wasps. The flavonol kaempferol is in onions, asparagus, and leafy greens, and appears to protect healthy cells against cancer. Quercetin, known for its anti-inflammatory effects, is another common flavonol found in capers, cilantro, yellow peppers, and onions.