Not so long ago, Jiminy Cricket wished upon a star. Since then, when a child truly desires something, they place their hopes and dreams upon the first one they see. But, maybe they should see a few more stars and constellations. By showing them more about the night sky, your child could take an interest in astronomy and science, furthering their successful academic career. Try these tips as a family to foster their love for science:
1. Take a country-side drive – One of the best ways to get your children interested in science is to take a drive out into the country side as a family to do some nighttime star gazing. Make a party out of it and take along some of their friends. Be sure to take a blanket, some treats and a good pair of binoculars or a telescope. With the binoculars or telescope you’ll be able see a lot more stars and craters than with just your unaided eye. Also, it’s a good idea to take along a star chart to help you navigate the sky as well as educate your children. For a basic star chart to help educate yourself and your kids, check out http://www.midnightkite.com/starcharts.html.
2. It’s time for a field trip – For youths who are little older a good place to go that will peak their interest in astronomy is to a public viewing Observatory. At many of them they have multiple sizes and types of telescopes, from large to small and everything in between. This will give you a chance to see all of the details and shapes that stars have, as well as learn more about black holes and planets. To find a public observatory, look at http://home.pacbell.net/peairs/observe.html .
3. See the night sky inside – The planetarium can excite kids about the universe with its use of movement simulation and theatre-like platform. With a dome-shaped roof, planetariums are able to show celestial navigation as well as educated kids about the night sky in a very fun and entertaining way, capturing their attention. Science museum also have become more kid-friendly, adding interactive exhibits and movies to keep them learning – and not even know it! To find a planetarium or science museum in your area, check out http://www.touristinformationdirectory.com/Planetarium/Science_Center_Observatory_planetariums_US.htm.
4. Check out the sites – With so many youths having access to the internet there are a great number of cool and educational sites they can go to stimulate their imagination and heighten their interest in science. NASA offers many websites about space and exploration. The Hubble website offers a lot of education material and kids get to see what a telescope floating above earth sees. http://hubblesite.org/education_and_museums/
5. Take a virtual tour of the universe – The World Wide Telescope is another mind stimulation website from Microsoft. The (WWT) is a Web 2.0 visualization software environment that enables your computer to function as a virtual telescope – bringing together imagery from the best ground and space-based telescopes in the world for a seamless exploration of the universe. Kids of all ages will feel empowered to explore and understand the universe with its simple and powerful user interface. You can also choose from a growing number of guided tours of the sky by astronomers and educators from some of the most famous observatories and planetariums in the country. http://www.worldwidetelescope.org/Home.aspx
Parents- if you want to stimulate you child’s imagination and interest them in science and space, just remember back when you were a kid; you got to make it adventurous and fun. Making a fun field trip to the observatory or planetarium can educate your kids about the night sky or you can tell them all you know with a family visit away from the hustle and bustle of the city life. Either way, getting your kids interested in science can lead to good grades and possibly an undiscovered love!
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Paul Hutchins is the author of The Secret Doorway: Beyond Imagination (Imagination Publishing, March 2009), a father and a recreational astronomer. Hutchins and his wife have three daughters and live in Cape Coral, Fla. For more information please visit www.thesecretdoorway.com.