Introducing The Week Junior! It’s filled with fascinating stories and facts, written to engage children and encourage them to explore and understand the world around them. Every week, The Week Junior reports on an array of topics from around the globe, including animals and nature, science and technology, as well as sports, books, movies, and more!
World Cup competition is set
Building a trophy
First insect now in Frozen Zoo
Poet named UNICEF Ambassador
IT’S AN AMAZING WEEK FOR…
Land returned to Native American tribe
Climber makes history
WORD OF THE WEEK
THE WEEK IN HISTORY
Team USA uniforms revealed
More given on GivingTuesday
Color of the year for 2026
Spotify Wrapped music lists released
Around the world
Is hot chocolate better than chocolate milk? • It’s a warm treat on cold days, but many people prefer the year-round version.
Advocating for play • Psychologist Jonathan Haidt is a champion for screen-free childhoods.
A top acting honor
Making a TV return
OVERHEARD
Wolf behavior stuns scientists
The lives of sea wolves
PLACE OF THE WEEK • Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, Florida
How long legs help giraffes’ hearts
Animal of the week
Good week / Bad week
“Why do birds migrate?” • Ray, 11, Georgia
Tiny chip helps blind patients see
The eye
New map explores the Roman Empire
Medieval spears found in lake
Fabric made from chicken feathers
Winning artwork!
Winter Cover Contest
Inter Miami wins MLS championship
A changing league
THIS WEEK’S WINNERS…
LSU hoops team sets record
COACH OF THE WEEK
SPOTLIGHT ON… • These US athletes have qualified or are hoping to qualify for the upcoming Winter Olympics or Paralympics in Italy. Here are some thoughts they shared with The Week Junior about their sports.
A new SpongeBob adventure • The beloved character from Bikini Bottom and his friends are starring in a new animated film.
Coming soon: Anaconda
Live-action Eloise in the works
READER RECOMMENDS
THIS WEEK’S WATCH LIST
A racing game for Kirby fans
PODCAST OF THE WEEK
GAME OF THE WEEK
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Lost Evangeline
Kate DiCamillo • We spoke to the author of the Book of the Week.
READER RECOMMENDS
4 journals for logging the books you read • Creating a list of the titles you enjoy may inspire you to keep turning the pages.
Enjoy the winter solstice • Adopt new family traditions on December 21, the shortest day of the year.
Cozy comforts
Make a black forest smoothie
LIFE HACK • RECEIVE A GIFT GRACEFULLY
Puzzles
That’s unbelievable!
Editor’s note
CHARITY OF THE WEEK
Collecting books for a cause
Your five good deeds
YOUR PHOTOS • We’d love to see pictures you’ve taken or pictures with you in them! Have an adult email them to us at hello@theweekjunior.com, along with anything you would like us to know about what’s happening in the photo.
Teacher OF THE WEEK
How much of this week’s news can you remember?
The Week Junior