Starlight, star bright

Encourage your child’s wonder in the universe around us.

You'll Need

  • A clear night
  • Blanket
  • Stargazing book

Learning Stages

On a dark night when the sky is studded with stars, grab a blanket and head for your backyard. (If you live in the city, you may need to take a ride to get away from the bright lights that make the stars harder to see). Enjoy the marvelous show with your child, helping him to spot some of the more obvious constellations, like Orion's Belt and the Big Dipper.

Explain that many stories about star constellations come from Greek and Roman myths and that many other cultures, such as the Inuit and other Native Americans, also have stories about the stars and the forms they make in the sky.

Challenge your child to identify his own constellations by connecting the stars like he connects dots in a coloring book. Ask him to make up stories about the forms he sees in the sky. Follow up with a visit to the local library for stories about the constellations.

Reading resources

The Stars: A New Way to See Them by H.A. Rey (Houghton Mifflin, 1976)

Find the Constellations by H.A. Rey (Houghton Mifflin, 1976)