We, my sisters and I, absolutely love STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math)! The sad thing is that there’s so many kids who hate these subjects! Many people are trying to figure out ways for kids to enjoy these highly-enjoyable subjects.
Hands-on activities gets a thumbs-up, not just from us but from all kids. Learning at home and not just at school get two-thumbs-up, maybe if it’s part of kids daily lives they’ll enjoy it more! Check out this article, The Telescope Moment. If you can’t do it at or with school, try it at home or look for a local park!
Kids and Science: The Telescope Moment
We are living in an extraordinary time. We face new developments and scientific breakthroughs daily, and science is becoming more and more important in our lives every day. How can you, as a parent, engage your children in science books for kids? Give them a telescope moment. What Is a Telescope Moment? Interviews with prominent members of the scientific community often describe a singular moment where they fell in love with science as a child. For many scientists, and astronomers particularly, this moment was the first time they gazed through a telescope at the night sky. How to Create a Telescope Moment for Your Family Help Your Kids Discover the Skies. Emphasize the fact that you are exploring and encourage your children to pretend that they are space explorers traveling through the cosmos. Picture a clear night sky with sars stretching as far – and indeed farther – than the eye can see. You have set up a telescope on your porch, or perhaps your back yard. You finish helping your child with their homework, and before bed, you take them outside. You take a look through the telescope to make sure all of the lenses are adjusted correctly, you briefly scan the cosmos yourself, and then you show your son or daughter the cosmos for the first time. Look for Constellations. Look up the constellations that appear in the night sky and help your children identify them. You can make telescope viewings a regular part of the experience of growing up. Maybe once a week, once a month, or on special occasions (such as a meteor shower), you take your child out to view the wonders of the solar system. Eventually, your child – as all children do – will grow up. Your child will enter adolescence, go off to college, and become an adult. But by giving your child a telescope moment, you can help them become the type of adult who loves science – and perhaps someday they will give their children the gift of a telescope moment of their own. BONUS: For extra fun indoors, make a tabletop telescope.
To make stargazing even more fun, build a tabletop telescope with your kids. Find more info on this and other early learning activities for kids by World Book.
