Shop UK Site 
Shining Stars Projector: A Galaxy in the Palm of Your Hand
- Gabrielle Fischer Posted On Nov 3, 2017 | STEM
Make your own indoor shining stars fun!
Space. Stars. NASA. Astronauts. Moon landings. Spaceships. If any of these terms are major buzzwords in your house, feed your child’s natural curiosity with as much astro-centric info you possibly can. Unlocking the heavens for them is easy with the Shining Stars Projector – a take-it-with-you planetarium. Right out of the box, it is easy to hold and easy to explore. Let’s get this light going!
Pop in the batteries and watch the discovery begin. There are three discs that serve as slides, each labeled by number with a key in the manual. The discs are easy for little fingers to pull in and out.
Soon everything in your house becomes a possible projectable surface. That beam of light sparks imagination and space exploration!
Why not make your own planetarium at home? We grabbed an old play tent, a dark throw from the couch as a backdrop, and some pillows from the bed to make a super cozy dome of learning right in the living room!
Situating the Shining Stars Projector in the pillows, we shot the beam of the light right in the middle of our screen, held up by clamps from Dad’s workbench. It was fun for the little ones to adjust the projector to the right angle and change the slides. Can you name all the planets?
Our planetarium was set up all day, but we couldn’t resist one more viewing before bedtime. There’s always time for one more view of the galaxy!Happy stargazing!
Keeping Your Kids Cool in the Summer!
When people talk about the dog days of summer, they’re definitely talking about August. Although we’re slowly creeping toward fall, the days just seem to get hotter and hotter. Since keeping the kids inside all day would drive us (and them) to the brink of insanity, and since we can’t go to the pool, shore, or movies EVERY day, we’re sharing five fun water games you and your kids can play out back to keep cool until the weather lets up.
Dribble, Dribble, DUMP! – Played just like the classic Duck, Duck, Goose, the “ducks” sit around in a circle as the “goose” walks behind them, tapping their heads, and saying “dribble”. But instead of tapping, the goose dribbles a bit of water (use a plastic cup) on each head until they get to the one they’d like to tag. Then it’s DUMP! The rest of the water is dumped out on that player’s head and the chase ensues…
Wring n Run – Place two buckets at least 10 feet apart. Fill one full of water and leave the other empty. Drop a large sponge (car wash size) into the full bucket. Line your kids up behind the full bucket and shout GO. The first runner in line zooms grabs the soaking sponge, runs it to the empty bucket, wrings it out into the bucket, and runs back and hands it to the next player in line. Play continues until the once full bucket is empty. Time your kids the first round, then challenge them to beat their time and play again.
Cool Catch – Water balloons are a quintessential summer supply. Fill a few, pair your kids up by age, and place them standing a few feet apart. The kids toss and catch the balloon once each, then take a big step backwards. Play continues until one child misses the balloon. Bonus – playing toss and catch is a great way to build gross motor skills!
Happy Hose – Put your reggae playlist on speaker, hold the spraying hose horizontally, and challenge your kids to a game of limbo! Lower the hose after each kiddo has passed beneath the stream and see who can hold out the longest.
Slip N Slide – If you’ve got the space, Slip N Slide is a great way to keep your kids cool this summer – and get some exercise at the same time!
Playing out back in the heat of the summer is the stuff memories are made of. So throw on your suit, turn on those sprinklers, and join in the fun!
Save it for later!
READ MORE
Celebrate Astronomy Day with Kids
Each year Astronomy Day is celebrated worldwide. The stars have fascinated humanity for literally centuries, and even to this day captures the imagination of kids of all ages. Celebrate this event with them this year and don't worry if you don't own any expensive telescopes. These DIY activities use real life discoveries to inspire your little astronomers!
Track the Phases of the Moon
Bone sticks from across Europe and Africa dating back as long ago as 35,000 BCE that tracked the moon’s phases. Use a simple number line with your kids to track the phases of the moon over the course of a month, from full moon and back again. Do it for several months and see what patterns they begin to observe.
Depict a Celestial Phenomenon
A celestial phenomenon is a astrological event that involves one or more objects. The earliest example depicted was discovered in Germany in 1999. The Nebra Sky Disc dates back to 2000 BC and it depicted a star cluster, phases of the moon and the rising sun.
Use a black paper plate, or even just black paper, and encourage your children to depict their own star formations. If they can’t stay up to observe them at night, project some indoors with this Shining Stars Projector.
Astronomy to Keep Time
The Chinese astronomers kept detailed observations beginning about 600 BC, for the primary purpose of timekeeping. Their records allowed them to predict eclipses, and include the first record of events such as supernovas and comets.
On the other side of the world, the Mayans developed their own astronomical tables for predicting the phases of the moon, eclipses, and the appearance of the other planets. They used these and the cycles of the Sun, the Moon, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Mars and constellations to establish the Mayan calendar.
All of the above astronomy was without a telescope, and you can still observe these astronomical events with your kids today. Check out this astronomy calendar and pick a full moon, eclipse, planetary event, or meteor shower to observe as a family.
Try this simple astronomy experiment to help kids as young as preschoolers understand what makes night.
Just because ancient astronomers did all of this without a telescope doesn't mean your little ones have to! All of the above activities can be done with the naked eye but if you feel like shooting for the stars check out Learning Resources Big View Telescope. How will you celebrate Astronomy Day?
READ MORE
