Night sky activities for kids

Safety first

A grown-up must be with you the whole time, because it is dark. Stay in a safe, fenced place such as a balcony, courtyard or garden, and never wander off to look for a better view. Bring a blanket and something warm. A torch should never be pointed at anyone's eyes, and a grown-up should hold it when it is bright. Never look at the sun, and never aim binoculars anywhere near it. Cutting is for a grown-up or for child-safe scissors only, and please do not use pins or sharp points. Check the ground first: if it is damp or cold, use a thick mat or sit on a chair instead, and keep an eye out for insects. Keep torches, especially ones with button-cell or coin batteries, and small paper pieces or tape away from children under 3. Finish early if anyone feels tired or cold. Age hints are only a guide.

1. Moon diary

Age hint: 5 and up.

Bring: a notebook, a pencil or crayon, and a blanket.

1. Draw a small box for each day this week, and write the day under it.
2. Go out with your grown-up in the evening or early morning, on nights when the moon can be seen, and look for it. Skip cloudy nights or nights you cannot find it.
3. Draw the moon inside the box whenever you do see it. If you skip a night because of clouds or because you cannot find it, leave the box empty or draw the clouds.
4. At the end of the week, lay the boxes side by side and look at them together.

Notice: Does the moon seem to change shape from one sighting to the next? How would you describe it in your own words?

2. Star-pattern game

Age hint: 4 and up.

Bring: a blanket and a clear view of the sky.

1. Sit or lie down with your grown-up and let your eyes settle for a few minutes.
2. Pick out a few bright dots that seem close together and join them in your mind.
3. Make up a name for your shape, such as the Kettle, the Sleepy Cat or the Big Kite.
4. Take turns pointing and guessing.

Notice: What name did you give your shape? Would the same dots look like something else to a friend?

3. Torch star cards

Age hint: 6 and up, with a grown-up doing the cutting.

Bring: a dark card or thick paper (or a pre-cut star card), blunt-tipped scissors for a grown-up to use, a torch, and a plain wall in a dim room.

1. Your grown-up uses blunt-tipped scissors to snip a few small star shapes in a piece of dark card, or you can use a pre-cut card. Do not use pins, knives or anything sharp for this.
2. Dim the room. Your grown-up holds the torch behind the card, pointing it at the wall and never at anyone's face.
3. Watch the little spots of light appear on the wall. Move the card closer or further away.
4. Try a card with a bigger star shape cut out, then a card with a pattern you invented.

Notice: What happens to the spots when the card moves nearer to the wall? What happens when it moves away?

4. Lying-down looking and listening

Age hint: 3 and up.

Bring: a blanket or thick mat (the ground can be cold or damp), and a cushion if you like.

1. Spread the blanket in a safe, fenced place such as a balcony, courtyard or garden, with your grown-up beside you.
2. Lie back and take three slow breaths together.
3. Spend a few quiet minutes looking up and listening. Whisper one thing you can hear and one thing you can see.
4. Stay as long as you both feel comfortable.

Notice: Which sound did you hear only because it was quiet?

5. Yellow paper stars

Age hint: 4 and up.

Bring: yellow paper, child-safe scissors, a pencil, a little tape, and a window. Keep cut-out scraps and tape away from children under 3.

1. Fold a piece of yellow paper in half and draw half a star along the fold.
2. Cut it out with child-safe scissors and open it up.
3. Make a handful in different sizes.
4. Tape them to a window or wall. When your grown-up shines a torch softly on them, notice how the yellow paper seems to light up.

Notice: Which of your stars looks brightest in the torchlight, and why might that be?

6. Bedtime sky story

Age hint: 3 and up.

Bring: your pillow and a calm voice.

1. Settle into bed with your grown-up and look at your paper stars or a quiet window.
2. Begin a story together: One evening, a small cloud wanted to find the moon...
3. Take turns adding a sentence, and keep the story gentle and slow.
4. End with everyone getting sleepy and tucked in, then say goodnight to the sky.

Notice: How does the story end tonight, and might it end differently tomorrow?

More to do on Rangooo

Try some easy science activities by day, look at clouds with weather watching activities, play with light in sunshine and shadow activities, wind down with bedtime routine ideas or calm-down activities, make stars with easy paper crafts, tell tales with storytelling activities at home, browse more stories and activities, or see resources for teachers.

Questions

What age suits these night sky activities?

Most ideas suit ages four to eight with a grown-up beside them. The quiet lying-down time and the bedtime sky story also work for younger children, while the moon diary and torch star cards suit slightly older ones.

What if the sky is cloudy or we cannot see the moon?

That is fine. Draw what you can see, or write that the moon was hiding behind clouds. You can also make the star cards and paper stars indoors, then try the sky again another evening.

Do we need to know the names of stars or shapes in the sky?

No. Making up your own names for patterns is the whole idea. If you would like to look up names later, a grown-up can do that together with you, but it is never needed.

Is it safe to use a torch with children?

Yes, with care. A grown-up should hold or supervise the torch, point it at the wall or the card and never at anyone's face or eyes. Keep the light low, and switch it off when you finish. Never look at the sun, and do not aim binoculars near it.