From time immemorial, astronomy has been of interest to many people. Young children often notice a dark starry sky, in contrast to adults who are little interested in space. If the children see a lot of stars at night, peer closely into the moon, they will certainly ask questions. Not every parent knows the answers to all the questions. Astronomy for a child is a very fascinating subject. Here, parents will be able to break away from everyday problems and plunge into the study of nature, remember their childhood. Below are tons of fun options for exploring astronomy.
Stars turned on at night
Even 20-30 years ago, parents put their children to bed at 8 or 9 pm. Nowadays, the saying "now is still a child’s time" has survived. Especially in the summer, when the sun sets quite late, it is almost impossible to wait until midnight to enjoy the stars. It is best for the child to study the starry sky in summer when it is warm. So in the family circle there will be entertaining astronomy for preschool children. The ideal option would be the month of August, because it is already getting dark early, and strong colds have not come. In addition, it was at this time that there were great chances to see meteor showers.
It is advisable to monitor the weather forecast in order to plan a trip to nature. In big cities and illuminated settlements, it makes no sense to watch the stars. If there is a house in the village or a cottage, then it is better to go there for the sake of one cloudless night. Astronomy for a child should be interesting. In a clean field you can see a lot. It is also convenient to watch from the attic of the house, if the trees and the burning lantern do not interfere. You can tell the child: “Look, what a beauty! What stars are bright! To our right the Moon is the satellite of our planet Earth.” A child may ask a lot of questions.
What is the moon and why is it so different
If you regularly observe the moon for a month or two, the child will notice that it is illuminated in different ways. He may ask the appropriate question. It is better to answer it with improvised means. The parent puts a lighted candle on the table, takes an orange in his hand and asks the child to look at the fruit, standing up or sitting opposite. So he will see the full moon. To show the child the phases of the moon, it is better to ask him to get up from the table and look at the orange from the sides. You need to ask him if he sees a shadow on an orange. If so, you can safely talk about the lunar phases. In conclusion, it is enough to explain to the child that he looked at the orange and the candle in the same way that this Earth “sees” our planet.
We live on a round planet
It’s good to have a globe at home. If it is not, then you can draw it yourself. This is even more fun. Home-made educational subjects about planets are a very interesting and developing astronomy for children. solar system studied in the manner of the game. First, parents need to demonstrate the Earth. You can take the old ball and paint it with acrylic paints. Let the child paint the ball blue or blue. When the paint dries, adults paint the caps of the poles with white paint. The child will observe and listen at the same time. It is good if parents remember geography at least a little and can portray the continents with green paint. When the globe is ready, you can again tell the child about the continents and show where we live. To do this, it is worth noting or sticking a small object with something. Astronomy for a child began with the study of the starry sky, and continues with the study of the planets. If you start with the study of the Earth, it will look incorrect. The child simply does not understand what they are saying. He must show interest himself.
Books to help the curious
When the baby understands what the Earth, the Moon and the Sun look like, then you can introduce him to other planets. It is difficult to explain to the child what size all the planets are relative to each other. At the same time, it is worth telling how much the Sun is a huge luminary. The demonstration will help not only the ball with the orange, but also various other round objects. It is better to lay them on the floor or table. Poor parents can get confused, because not everyone knows astronomy. I want to give children decent knowledge, suddenly it will help them in life. The big illustrated encyclopedia will save the situation. Astronomy for children should be taught in book formats, and not through a laptop screen. Kids need to be taught to love books.
Other worlds
When the encyclopedia is open on the right page, it is better to offer the child help in picking up round objects. Together, you can build the entire solar system on one table. For example, a large orange or yellow ball may appear as the Sun. The smallest and most distant planet Eris (data on extreme celestial bodies are constantly different) should be demonstrated with a pea. Interesting astronomy for children continues with the fact that the Sun is very hot, it is impossible to get at it. The planet Mercury is unsuitable for life for the same reason. She is in extreme heat. Only on Earth can a person live well, because it is warm. Planets following Earth are cold. The farther, the colder. There is nothing to breathe on other planets, there is no oxygen. If there is an opportunity and desire, and especially the interest of the child, then you can supplement the story by telling about the satellites of all the planets. Rings for Saturn can be made from a hat. It is enough to put the planet at its bottom.
Was there anyone in space
Children may ask if there was anyone in space? First they need to tell them about the first traveling dogs Belka and Strelka, which safely flew into space and returned to Earth. It is advisable to find photos in the encyclopedia or in other sources, so that the children know how they looked.
After a while, the first cosmonaut Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin flew into space. It will not be superfluous to show his photo. Children should know such things. When they grow up, they will be able to distinguish between months, years, it will be easier for them to assimilate dates, specific events. It is absolutely necessary to tell about Sergey Korolev as the creator of the world's first rocket, which transported into space and safely delivered Yuri Alekseevich back to Earth.
About telescopes
Any child will want to look at the Moon and the Sun closer. It is one thing to see in the pictures, and another to see on your own, without frills. Other planets may also be interested in a young lover. We need to tell him what a telescope is. If neither family nor friends or acquaintances have it, then you can first show it in the encyclopedia. It’s too early for a child to tell how the refractor and reflex telescopes differ; this is astronomy for smart little older children. Therefore, we must confine ourselves to the fact that the telescopes are all different, not every planet can be seen. There are special binoculars for observing stars. If it was possible to find the telescope, then the adult must adjust it so that the child can see the celestial body from different angles. For example, the Moon or the Sun will not have to look for a long time in the eyepiece, they are large. First, we must examine for ourselves whether there are spots on the Sun, whether craters are visible on the Moon, and then show the kids and explain.
Planetarium trip
It should not be limited to home experimentation. It’s useful to bring children to the planetarium to learn more about the universe. If the city has an observatory open to visitors, it will not be superfluous to go there. Children should be taken to public institutions at a conscious age when they already understand and are interested. It makes no sense to drag them in the hope that they will be attracted to everything that is interesting to adults. Not every person has a chance to visit Star City, where future astronauts are taught. But if he appears, then you should definitely use it. Astronomy for a child is the same science as everyone else in terms of difficulty in perception, so you need to be able to explain simple things, otherwise he will lose interest. Children's programs are usually planetariums and museums.
The study of the constellations
After independent study of planets and stars, trips to interesting places, you can return to the cottage again. For example, in August, the first study of the sky and space was performed, in the cold season they went to the observatory and planetarium, and in the spring you can again examine the abyss with the naked eye. It would only be nice to arm yourself with a map of the starry sky. The child, together with his parents, will look for the necessary constellations, and will learn to determine their location. It is advisable to purchase a colorful star map or download to a smartphone. Fortunately, there are now applications "Astronomy for children." The constellations are depicted there for a reason, they are superimposed on translucent corresponding pictures. The child will be interested.
About asteroids, comets and galaxies
Perhaps it will be more difficult for preschool children to explain what a comet, galaxy, and asteroid are. It is much better to demonstrate to them simply pictures from the encyclopedia "Astronomy for children." The stars and the galaxy can be personally explained by showing the Milky Way in the clear sky. This is our galaxy. When the baby grows up, he can easily learn something new in a science such as astronomy. Particles from an asteroid that fell to Earth are found in astronomical museums. Comets can only be seen with powerful telescopes.
Parents need to be prepared for the child to ask unexpected questions. If they don’t know the answer, then it’s better to honestly admit it, and not to dismiss or compose. It's time to sit together with the whole family in the evening in bad weather at home and read the encyclopedia.