Hello little one! "Tar Heel" is a nickname for the state of North Carolina. A long, long time ago, North Carolina was famous for being a major producer of tar - a sticky, black substance made from burning pine trees. In fact, some people even called North Carolinians "tar boilers" because they made so much tar.
But how did the nickname "Tar Heel" come about? Well, there are a few different stories. One story says that during the Civil War, North Carolina soldiers would put tar on their heels to help them stick better to the wooden decks of ships. Another story says that workers in North Carolina would walk through tar to help waterproof their boots, and the tar would stick to their heels.
No one knows for sure which story is true, but the nickname "Tar Heel" has stuck around for a long time. People from North Carolina are proud to be called Tar Heels!