02.26.2026 | KidNuz: News for Kids

Good morning and welcome to KID News.

I'm Kim.

Today is Thursday, February 26, 2026.

And we begin with what appears to be a happy ending for a tiny monkey, stealing hearts all over the world.

Punch is a seven-month-old Japanese macaque who had trouble connecting with other monkeys at the Ichikawa Zoo near Tokyo, Japan.

Zookeepers bought him a stuffed orangutan from Ikea that he instantly bonded with, cuddling and dragging it with him everywhere he went.

Video of Punch and his plushie went viral, with fans going bananas and companies like United Airlines even weighing in with memes of their own.

According to ABC News, Punch's plush pal sold out instantly at Ikea, with resale prices skyrocketing to more than 350.

As for Punch's social predicament, zookeepers say he's now playing with other baby monkeys and even participating in grooming activities, a sign that he's finally part of the troupe and that sometimes making new friends just takes time.

A mother-daughter pair has uncovered the world's largest coral colony.

According to Newsweek, Jan Pope and Sophie Kalkowski.

Pope made the discovery while diving off the Great Barrier Reef in Australia from their family vessel.

Sophie, who works for the conservation group Citizens of the Reef, said in a statement I knew right from the minute we dropped in that it was something special.

The coral colony is reported to be about 360 feet long and has an approximate footprint of 42765 square feet.

For comparison, the largest individual coral colonies of the same species are typically only a third as big.

Scientists are now examining the reef to learn how such a vast coral structure has managed to grow and endure, especially in the face of rising ocean temperatures.

Frosty has some serious competition.

What started as a pile of powder at a home in Shirley Massachusetts, has literally snowballed into a tourist attraction.

Katie Allerud says her husband Eric, was a bit stir-crazy after the birth of their daughter last November and began building a snowman, who they've since named Parker in honor of the street they live on.

Thanks to strategic hosing to keep him frozen, January storms and this week's blizzard, Parker now stands a whopping 23 feet high, 25 feet wide at the base and is decked out in lights.

Katie says Parker's becoming such a spectacle he's stopping traffic.

Eric now plans to turn his snowman success into an annual tradition, but admits it's really hard work.

As he told WHDH in Boston, I was more sore doing this than anything I've done in the last five, ten years.

It spans generations and genres.

This year's nominations for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame were announced yesterday.

There are 17 in all, and they include artists from rap metal RB hip-hop Britpop blues, rock and pop.

According to Rolling Stones, the nominees represent an eclectic bunch and include, among others, Phil Collins, Mariah Carey In Excess, Iron Maiden, Lauryn Hill Oasis, Shakira and Pink.

The final class of 2026 will be revealed in April, with an induction ceremony taking place later this year.

Giant tortoises are roaming Galapagos Islands once again for the first time in more than 180 years.

158 of the captive-bred young reptiles were released onto the island of Floriana last week as part of an attempt to repopulate the Ecuadorian province with a species that had become extinct.

According to the BBC, the island was once home to about 20000 of the shelled slowpokes, but human activity caused them to disappear in the 1840s.

Fast forward to the 2000s, when researchers discovered tortoises on a nearby island that shared some of the DNA of the extinct ones and began a breeding program.

That produced more than 600 hatchlings, many now large enough to survive in the wild.

The Galapagos Conservation Trust called the release truly spine-tingling and described the tortoises as ecosystem engineers, saying their activity serves to restore degraded ecosystems and gives hope for the future restoration of islands around the world.

Still ahead, Costco doubles down on St.

Patrick's Day with a now-viral leprechaun green sugar rush.

But first, we want to shout out Abby Hayworth of Indianapolis, Indiana.

She loves art, piano and soccer, is full of spunk and creativity and, as of today, she's made another lap around the sun.

We also want to celebrate big brother Theo, who turned eight while we were on our holiday break.

Theo loves chess, baseball, and Legos and has a contagious laugh that makes everyone smile.

Your parents are so proud of you both.

Happy birthday, Abby and Theo.

Now, today's Kid News quiz.

What did zookeepers give baby monkey Punch when he was having trouble making new friends?

A stuffed orangutan.

How many artists were nominated this year to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

17.

What is the name of the Galapagos Island now home to more than 158 captive-bred tortoises?

Floriana.

Who or should we say what is Parker?

A 23-foot-tall snowman in Shirley, Massachusetts.

In today's Kid News Kicker, first it was the hot dogs, now it's the sundaes.

Costco is going viral for a new St.

Patrick's Day-themed concoction it added to menus last week.

The Everything in Bulk big box store describes the double chocolate mint sundae as mint ice cream layered with cookie crumbles and rich chocolate sauce.

According to USA Today, it sells for 299 and instantly gained traction on social media, with influencers posting reviews.

One said it reminded her of a thin mint Girl Scout cookie.

Another called it 790 calories of pure food court chaos.

No word yet from Costco on whether the dessert is seasonal or here to stay.

Thanks again to the Hayworths of Indianapolis, Indiana, for sponsoring today's quiz.

Happy birthday to Abby and Theo.

And hello to their teachers, Mrs Green and Mrs Geary, and all their friends and fellow Panthers at St

Pius.

And shout-outs to our other Kid News classrooms.

Mrs. Mencken's Cougars at South Central in Bonesteel, South Dakota.

Mrs. Logan's Huskies at Highland Academy Charter in Beaumont, California.

Mrs. Zarodnik's Blue Jays at Needville Middle School in Needville, Texas.

Mr. Mullen Garden's Bobcats at Bradley in Derby, Connecticut.

And Ms.

Sigafoo's Mountaineers at Donegal Intermediate School in Marietta, Pennsylvania.

Thanks for listening.

Remember to rate, review, subscribe, and share Kid News with all your friends and family.

And we'll see you back here for more Kid News tomorrow morning.

[Kid News Daily Digest: From Viral Monkeys to Giant Tortoise Conservation]-[02.26.2026]

📋 Summary

Kid News Daily Digest: February 26, 2026

The Heartwarming Tale of Punch the Macaque

A Record-Breaking Coral Discovery

Parker: The Viral Snowman of Massachusetts

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominations

Ecological Restoration in the Galapagos

The Costco Sugar Rush

🎯Key Sentences

📝Key Phrases

📖 Transcript