Launch into science with World Space Week 4-10 October

Space is amazing! World Space Week is the perfect time to celebrate learning about space, venturing into the unknown, promoting creative thinking, ‘what if’ scenarios and expanding curious minds. Space provides endless opportunities to spark your child’s interest in science and technology. 

Young children are naturally curious, and you can help fuel their desire for learning about space by getting excited about it yourself! Bring up cool facts about space and talk about new discoveries about space you hear on the news.

Start a conversation

Taking the time to interact with children through simple, everyday activities like sharing stories, talking, singing and playing are the best ways to get brains firing.

Space is a complex concept, but you can start by pointing out the moon and the stars in the night sky. Don’t be afraid to include some big words or terms that fit in to the conversation. Start by talking about:

• how far away the stars and planets are, the size of the planets, where the planets are in relation to each other and in relation to the earth.
• what makes stars twinkle. Try counting them!
• locating Venus in the night sky
• the trajectory of the moon across the night sky
• how the earth rotates around the sun. How the sun rises and sets.
• how the earth’s gravity keeps us from floating away.
• planetary events such as the solar eclipse, Haley’s comet, the phases of the moon and meteor showers.
• how space travel is no longer just for astronauts! Talk about rockets and how they’re launched into space. Talk about Neil Armstrong and the moon landing.
• the constellations in the night sky.

Activities develop deeper understanding

Encourage your children to talk about and think about space even in the daytime. Here are some space activities they can do at home.

• Design another world, a rocket or space station.
• Pack a bag with what they’ll need to spend six months on a space station or on another planet.
• Sing songs about space like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
• Dress up as an astronaut, alien, or space creature
• Draw their own world
• Write a short story about space or a visitor from space
• Write space jokes. How does space food taste? It’s out of this world!
• Make a rocket cubby out of cardboard
• Build a cardboard model of the Mars module
• Prepare a meal of space food

Remember to talk with your children about what they’re doing. Ask open-ended questions about their choices and provide lots of time for them to respond. Open ended questions mean they have to think of the words to describe their thoughts themselves.

Links for little scientists

• Australian Indigenous Astronomy a valuable resource with incredible stories and resources.
• Australian tracking stations played a big part in the first moon landing by Apollo 11.
  European Space Agency for kids
• Little Scientists at Home. fun science explorations to keep pre-schoolers busy with things you can find around the house. A wonderful way to incorporate imaginative movement, play and dress-ups.
• NASA at home for kids and families. For example: Build a moon habitat or make your own universe slime 

Books to read and share

Ask your local public library staff for some picture books, junior non-fiction or other resources about space. Your local public library is the perfect place to find a book on space!

• General relativity for babies by Chris Ferrie
• Give me some space by Phillip Bunting
• Owl moon by Jane Yolen
• Under the stars – Astrophysics for bedtime by Lisa Harvey-Smith.
• Where do the stars go? by Katie Stewart