Young children are natural scientists. They show interest in the sun, moon, and stars at a very early age. The Astronomical Society of the Pacific in partnership with many experts created these astronomy activities and experiences for young learners that are developmentally appropriate and engage their innate curiosity about the sky, astronomy, and space.

The website and activities below are useful for 3- to 5-year-olds exploring the first steps in their astronomy explorations. Beyond the 9 informal activities, you'll find songs, best practices for working with young children, and references: 


 
Guides for individual activities listed below 
(videos and additional resources available on the main page above)

• Bear's Shadow
• Moon Phase Matching
• Hide & Seek Moon
• Lunar Landscape
• Creating Craters
• Build a Space Explorer
• Exploring New Worlds
• Sun's Energy
• Day & Night

Video: Scientists, Not Sponges
Explore metaphors for learning, how these metaphors influence our interactions with young children, and what research in developmental psychology supports or refutes these ideas; https://vimeo.com/232104332


My Sky Tonight is based upon work supported by the Division of Research On Learning (DRL) of the National Science Foundation under Grant no. AISL #1217441. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation

Last updated June 3, 2020