Kids will learn about the night sky and constellations at school so give them a head start by teaching them about it at home! Wait for a clear night so you will actually have a good view of the stars. Telescopes are expensive so just use that pair of binoculars you probably have lying around. Binoculars will do even better than your own eyes but your eyes are really all you need unless you are going to get serious about star gazing. If this is the case then you do want to invest if you are going to buy a telescope. You really do get what you pay for in this area. Don’t buy a cheap one and expect to see everything the sky has to offer and there is plenty! Don’t make the investment unless it is something you, yourself, want to do. The kids might lose interest so it had better become your hobby then!
Don’t expect the kids to get everything perfect. Make sure you make it fun or the kids will quickly lose interest. Go online and download some printables of different constellations for the kids to find. Download maps off of the internet and mark off the ones you find on the map. You really do need to know what you are looking for to some extent.
September is a good time to start because the sky is generally clear and you can see the stars in the dark sky. Don’t criticize the kids too much if they are wrong or you will take the fun out of the activity. If they can’t find anything, point things out to them. It would be great and a lot of luck if you witness a shooting star during your gaze! Or an actual Hopefully you spot something to keep the kids enjoying your night.
Take your kids on a trip to your local (or the nearest) Planetarium. They will see for themselves what they should be looking for and the excitement from the trip will definitely lead them to the backyard to spot the constellations for themselves. The Planetarium will also provide you will written material and maps of the skys!
You could even make it a contest to see who spots them first and who spots the most. You can look for many different things such as have them find their birth sign (Virgo, Scorpion, etc.). You might have to do your homework first so that you know what you are looking for as well.
Whatever you do, try to enjoy yourself and our beautiful planet. There is much to explore in this big world of ours.
