We all made it through the weekend. Hopefully everyone is doing well.
Is Earth feeling a little scary right now? Let’s go to Outer Space!
Today’s bundle will feature a bunch of space themed activities to inspire wonder and imagination about the awesome universe surrounding us.
SPACE WALK
Most of our activities so far have been things to do inside, so we thought we would help you all get some fresh air while still being safe.
Before you start your walk, we encourage you to download the Star Walk 2 app. Don’t worry, it’s free. Point your phone at the sky while using this app (even in the daytime!) and it will show you what planets, constellations and satellites are above you right now. You can click on the celestial bodies and learn more about each one if you’re interested.
Prepare for your Space Walk by putting on all of your astronaut space gear (parents: this is just your regular outdoor gear with a twist of imagination): space boots, space coat, space helmet, and space gloves.
Once you have all your astronaut gear you can head outside into space! You could just go around the block or follow one of these trails/paths:
-Ethan Allen Trails, New North End
-Ethan Allen Homestead, New North End
-Intervale Trails (McKenzie Park), Old North End
– Casavant Nature Area, Winooski
– Winooski Nature Trail, Winooski
On your walk you can:
-Collect moon rocks
-Use the Star Walk app
-Find some space mud or sand to trudge through
-See how high you can jump, how fast you can go, how slowwwww you can go, etc.
SAFETY TIPS: Please try to avoid playgrounds where there is the possibility of touching surfaces that have not been disinfected. Also, keep a 6-foot distance from anyone you might see on your walk.
Enjoy Outer Space, astronauts!
SOLAR SYSTEM SONG
This song is calm and relaxing so it might be a good wind-down activity when you return from your Space Walk or before rest time.
INDOOR SPACE ACTIVITIES
QUICK LIST
Do you have extra cardboard boxes laying around? Use them to build a rocket ship.
Infants/Toddlers: Explore boxes freely. Climb in them, hide under them, stack them, knock them over. The infant and toddler classrooms love making trains, cars, boats and forts!
Two ingredient Moon Sand:
Mix together:
-8 cups of flour
-1 cup of baby oil (other oils work too)
This activity is safe for infants and toddlers, too. Just put the mixture on a table top or on a try/in a container while they are in their highchairs and let them explore with their hands. You can narrate with lots of action words and new vocabulary, “I see that you are squishing the Moon Sand!”, “You’re using your fingers to poke the Sand!”, “Feel how soft the Moon Sand is?”
Yarn Wrapped Planets
Wrap yarn around cardboard circles to make different planets. No need to stick to our own Solar System. Get creative and make your own planet. What would a Mama planet look like?
Constellation Dance Party
Supplies:
-Any household items with holes in them (colander, cheese grater, slotted spoons, etc.)
-Flashlight
Turn off all the lights, turn on some funky tunes and shine your flashlight through all of the items with holes to create a constellation of light and shadow inside your house.
Light/shadow play is an important part of the Reggio Emilia teaching philosophy. It inspires wonder, scientific questioning and active exploration.
Infants/Toddlers will love this, too!
Here is a link to the Young Toddlers’ favorite dance song playlist:
“Mousetronaut” by Mark Kelly
This story was written by Mark Kelly, and read by his brother Scott Kelly who actually reads you the story FROM OUTER SPACE!
The astronaut talks for a little bit in the beginning of this video which might be interesting to some children but the story actually starts at 1:55.
See you back on Earth tomorrow for our next bundle!