3 Ways to Build Curiosity About Space in Your Kids at Home

 

3 Ways to Build Curiosity About Space in Your Kids at Home

Let’s be honest, the way schools teach fascinating details about space and our universe is far from ideal. The curriculum is limited, and astronomy often ends up being part of general science with outdated textbooks that haven’t kept up with recent advancements.

 

Kids these days often learn more about the universe via YouTube than in their classrooms, which is a shame. A study by Unistellar showed that 49% of American kids love learning about outer space. If your child has shown even an inkling of interest in our wonderful universe, why not encourage them at home?

 

 In this article, we will look at a few ways you can nurture their love for space. Let’s dive in.

1. Start them Young

Many parents realize too late that kids are easily bored and always looking for interesting passions to throw themselves at. These often include dinosaurs, creating hero and villain play narratives, and getting engrossed in lore from fun games like Pokemon.

 

Decorating your kid’s room with a space theme is a great way to kickstart a passion for space. For one, it creates a natural environment that is going to trigger interesting questions. “Why is that planet so much bigger?” to which you might reply, “That’s not a planet, that’s a star. Do you know what a star is made of?”

 

You have a ton of ways to build up curiosity in this manner and get them really interested in space. Of course, you will want to find age-appropriate stimuli because if you go too simple, it’s likely that your kid might find it boring. Likewise, also feel free to tweak and modify resources to match what you think your kid might like.

 

For instance, if you are considering a space-related book but realize it’s a bit too text-heavy, look at some other options. Kids are highly visual learners, and books with a lot of pictures and visuals are going to hook them far more than chunky paragraphs of text.

2. Start Backyard Stargazing

This is honestly one of the best things you can do once your kid shows even a little bit of interest in space. Pictures and videos are one thing, but they don’t hold a candle to actually look up at the night sky in all its glory. There are many activities that you can incorporate into this process.

 

You don’t even need a telescope if you are low on budget. A good pair of 10×50 binoculars is a great entry point to stargazing. It opens up the night sky in ways your child has likely never seen before.

 

Similarly, getting a chalkboard and drawing out constellations is another great activity you can try. A pair of binoculars should be able to spot most constellations with a little star hopping (another activity you can teach them) in no time.

 

Use a tripod to keep the binoculars centered on the constellation when you find it, and let your kid take over. Recreating the star pattern they are seeing in the real night sky is a whole other experience for your kid.

 

Initially, they’ll likely make a bunch of mistakes, which is to be expected. You’ll have to remind your kids to make light strokes or you’ll be Googling ‘how to clean chalkboards’ every stargazing night.

 

As Loddie Doddie recommends, just use a chalkboard eraser or vinegar and water for dots and lines that won’t go easily.

3. You Can Never Go Wrong With Space Movies

Astronaut Chis Hadfield has previously talked about how watching Star Trek reruns as a kid on a farm inspired him a lot. Like it or not, Hollywood knows how to make something interesting. Introducing your kid to space-themed films is likely to make them fall in love with this field.

 

If you have teens, TV shows like The Expanse will also be a great pick, but fair warning, it does start out a little slow. 2001: A Space Odyssey is also a timeless watch that you can check out.

 

With all the space-related stimuli you provide, it’s likely that your kid might say they want to be an astronaut or something. Just remember to point out that there are countless roles that relate to understanding our universe and space. Also, be sure to highlight that movies do romanticize what working in this field actually involves.

 

To wrap things up, it’s always good to remember that just because you love space and the universe, not all children do. So, definitely give them the opportunity to engage with this subject, but don’t be pushy and be okay with things if they aren’t interested. The last thing you want is to force your interests on your child. That’s an easy way to ensure that they don’t want anything to do with space!