Discover the night sky

The Moon can be a magical nightlight for a child, but it's also fun to learn more about the moon and the night sky. Did you know that the places on the Moon have names just like places on Earth? The next time the moon is full, look up at the Man in the Moon with your child to see if you can find some of these places with him. Remind him that, although many of them are called "seas," there's no water on the moon (at least we haven't found it yet!) Use a telescope or a pair of binoculars if you have them.

• The Sea of Cold—the top of his head
• The Sea of Rains—the eye we see to the left
• The Sea of Serenity—the eye we see to the right
• The Sea of Tranquility—the bag under the eye we see to the right (The Sea of Tranquility is where the very first moon landing took place on July 20, 1969.)
• The craters Copernicus and Brother Maura—his nose
• The Sea of Clouds—his mouth
• The Sea of Storms—the big bruise next to the eye on the left

Find moonwatching tips at: http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?c=a&id=4741
Visit your local library to learn more!

You can also do a web search on constellations and find your child’s favorite constellation. One site that we visited was: http://www.dustbunny.com/afk/skymaps/
Buy or make some star shapes to add to your child's bedroom ceiling as a special "night sky" project. What songs can you sing that have the word "night," "moon," or "star" in them? Add them to your nightly ritual as a way of welcoming the night sky.

For Babies (0 to 18 mon.)
For Toddlers (18 mon. to 3)
For Preschoolers (3 to 5)