1. Baskets are older than clay pottery. Long before ancient humans learned how to make pottery out of clay, they wove sturdy baskets from flexible tree bark, grass, and vines to carry food and gather supplies!

2. The first basketball hoop was an actual peach basket. In 1891, when Dr. James Naismith invented basketball in a gym, he nailed two peach baskets to the balcony railing. Every time someone scored a point, the game had to stop so someone could climb a ladder and retrieve the ball from the basket!

3. Giant hot air balloons float beneath woven wicker baskets. Hot air balloon cockpits (called gondolas) are built out of woven wicker because it is lightweight, extremely strong, and flexible enough to absorb the hard impact of landing on the ground without cracking.

4. The famous Moses basket was made out of river plants. In the ancient story of Baby Moses, his basket was woven out of papyrus reeds from the river and sealed with tar and pitch to make it completely waterproof like a mini boat.

5. People use giant underwater baskets to catch lobsters. Fisherman drop large cage-like traps called "lobster pots" (which evolved from traditional woven wooden baskets) down to the ocean floor so lobsters can crawl inside through a funnel shape.

6. Baskets can be woven out of recycled trash. Crafters around the world weave super strong, colorful baskets out of everyday discarded materials like plastic bags, newspaper strips, telephone wires, and juice pouches!

7. Some basket weavers can make water-tight baskets without any glue. Skilled weavers craft baskets so tightly out of specialized plant fibers that the dried grasses swell up when wet, sealing all the tiny gaps so the basket can hold liquids without leaking a single drop!