With Spring Break coming up in the next few weeks, it’s time to start thinking of ways to keep the children busy and stimulated during their break from school. How about a trip to the stars?
Most areas have a planetarium; here on Long Island, we have the Vanderbilt Planetarium, located on the grounds of the Vanderbilt Mansion and Museum in Centerport at 180 Little Neck Road.
My husband visited the planetarium recently with our granddaughter, Tally to celebrate her 5th birthday (we believe it’s better to share experiences with her instead of adding toys to her growing collection!). We took her to see One World, One Sky, a great introduction to the sky and the stars with Big Bird, Elmo, and Hu Hu Zhu, a friend from China. The focus of the show was that no matter where you are, we are all under the same sky and see the same stars.
There are other shows that are kid friendly: Earth, Moon, and Sun, which shows the relationship between the three; Stars: Powerhouses of the Universe; Night Sky, Live; and A Starry Tale.
The shows that are family friendly are under an hour, leaving the kids plenty of time to explore the exhibits. Some of the exhibits may be a little over the kids’ heads, but my daughter found a great way to
Probably the biggest hit was the large scale Moon. On the moon were numbers, draw attention to the times that man went to the moon. Tally was quick to point out to the guide that the # 2 was missing. Allowing her to take photos that she could see instantly got Tally fully engaged. She even impressed us with the names of the plants she already knew.
After we were done in the planetarium, we wandered the grounds a bit, promising we would come back when the weather was nicer for a longer visit.
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