Kidsday: My hiking adventures

One of my favorite things to do is hike, and I've been to many places. Some were on mountains and volcanoes. Some were in rain forests. Some were even in New York State.

I went to Mount St. Helens in Washington. At that time, I lived in Portland, Ore., where I was born. Mount St. Helens is the most active volcano in the Cascade Range.

In Oregon, I went to Crater Lake and Mount Hood. Mount Hood is also a volcano, but it last erupted in the 1790s. I went there many times. It was amazing.

Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States. It was formed when a volcanic eruption blew a hole at the top of the mountain. After many years, rain filled the hole and it created a lake about 2,000 feet deep. It is the main feature of Crater Lake National Park and famous for its deep blue color and water clarity. Near Crater Lake is Huckleberry Mountain, another good place to hike.

When I was 7, I went to El Yunque rain forest in Puerto Rico. There are more than 240 species of plants and trees. It has six rivers, numerous streams and several waterfalls. It is the rainiest of all the national forests because it rains about four times a day. El Yunque is in danger of being destroyed because too many trees are being cut down and civilization is closing in.

Not every place I visit is exotic. Closer to home, I hiked through the Edgewood Preserve in Commack. Many people go there to hike and bike. Hiking is really fun.

In the mood for nail polish

One of the newest statements in fashion is color-changing nail polish. We tested Mood Color Changing Nail Polish (Almar). When you apply the polish, the color is supposed to change slightly according to your mood. For example, the pink polish will go from a light pink to a darker pink if you are not in a very good mood.

The colors we tested were pink, purple, blue and aqua. According to the label, pink's moods are funky and fabulous. This color is for girls who have their own sense of style and are outgoing. Purple's moods are innocent and daring. This color is for girls who are always surprising people with their mood. Blue is shy and flirty. Aqua's moods are confident and peaceful.

We also mixed and matched colors when painting our nails. We thought some colors looked better together. Aqua and pink look brilliant together, and so do purple and aqua. The blue looks superb with the pink. The blue and aqua would just look horrendous together. The purple and pink just look amazing together.

Like most other products, this one has its ups and downs. It works as nail polish, but we didn't see it change colors according to a person's mood. It does not even change color when it is in the sun like some other changing nail polishes. We liked it, but didn't love it.

--Kidsday Reporters Pam Kreinces and Jillian Parker

CLASS OF THE WEEK: Elizabeth Hunter's fifth-grade Math Olympiad students, OTSEGO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL¢, Dix Hills