Grab your telescope, space books, and blankets for a night under the stars! We have four simple steps for planning your perfect family stargazing night:
Step 1: Learn About Space
The first step to enjoying a night full of space exploration is providing children with contextual knowledge of what they’ll be seeing when they look up! Understanding how stars are made, how far away they are, the inner workings of galaxies, and being able to point out constellations and planets will make your family stargazing night much more interactive. We suggest the Solar System Interactive 3D Chart to get started, as it provides in-depth detail of the solar system: https://www.kaplantoys.com/product/143856/solar-system-interactive-3d-chart?c=17%7CKTSC04
Step 2: Pick out Your Telescope
Part of admiring the stars is being able to clearly see them! Little stargazers who are just starting out don’t need telescopes that are too high-powered as entry-level telescopes allow for many exciting discoveries! Hone in on Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, the moons of both Jupiter and Saturn, Uranus, and Moon craters with the TKI Telescope & Astronomy Kit: https://www.kaplantoys.com/product/145221/tk1-telescope-and-astronomy-kit?c=1%7CKTAP09
Step 3: Camp Out Under the Stars
The third step to an awesome stargazing night is getting the family outside for a night of learning! Discover the universe in the Space Module Spacecraft Tent: https://www.kaplantoys.com/product/142998/space-module-spacecraft-tent?c=1%7CKTAP10. It’s the perfect place for kids to hang out and read by torch light while waiting for the stars to come out. Breaking out the snacks outside is not a bad idea either! Once they appear, prepare your telescope and start stargazing.
Step 4: Stargazing Recap
Once you’ve enjoyed the company of the stars, be sure to review what your family learned! Whether that’s having children draw their own version of the starry sky, reading space books together to point out discoveries you made with your very own eyes, or completing a space puzzle as you discuss what planets children want to learn more about, we have a plethora of planetarium resources for your little learners below:
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