Astronomy Day is Saturday May 7, 2022

The motto of Astronomy Day is “Bringing Astronomy to the People.” We’re trying to give the kids (and their families!) a taste of astronomy – to help them look up and realize their part in the universe. As Carl Sagan said, “We’re made of star stuff. We are a way for the cosmos to know itself.”

To help with that, here are some ideas and resources. Please let me or UVAC know if we can help you implement these!

OBSERVING

ONLINE

  • Here’s a video explaining the phases of the moon. You could even do this activity in the classroom so your kids could experience it themselves!
  • Computer games. NASA has a whole kids-oriented section of their website. Kids can do puzzles, learn about things we use every day that started with the space program, play memory, and lots of other things. All of the games support national education standards in STEM.
  • LEGO has teamed up with NASA to create a journey through space, with visits to the International Space Station, Mars and Jupiter, all made out of LEGO!

Other ideas:

  • Space-themed Spirit Day the Friday before, where kids can wear any space clothes they have.
  • There are lots of videos to watch, from explanations to rocket launches to space-careers in STEM.
  • Art that is space-related. You could even do a contest! Make your own moon-footprint out of plaster, build a rocket out of recycled materials or get inspiration from the stunning pictures NASA has from space. There are also LOTS of free printable coloring pages.