Making It Fun To Learn About The Solar System
According to experts, when learning is interactive & fun, children are much more inclined to retain knowledge & look forward to school.
One topic that continues to fascinate children from generation to generation is the solar system. Whether it is studying the stars, watching for a lunar eclipse or making a model of the planets for science class, young minds are often drawn to the wonders of the Milky Way. Plus, images sent back by the Hubble telescope & various space probes have given the current crop of kids an even greater appreciation of the cosmos.
One way to foster children’s interest in the solar system is through toys, books & even Web sites that are appropriate for their age. One example is www.nine planets.org, which gives an over view of the history, mythology & current scientific knowledge of the planets, moons & other objects in our solar system. Another is http://pds.jpl.nasa.gov/planets, which shows a collection of many of the best images from NASA’s planetary exploration program.
For lots more hands-on fun, there’s a line of preschool-appropriate action figures from Fisher-Price called Planet Heroes. Each of the figures represents a planet & has a special talent or skill related to the key features of her or his planet. By example, Earth “Ace” is a brave boy genius who joins his friends in solar space with the help of his skateboard. “Digger,” from Mars, the rocky planet, is built to blast & comes with a spinning drill. “Gustus,” from Jupiter, spins 360 degrees when you press a button.
Each of the toys comes with special tools and/or vehicles to help in her or his adventures-even Pluto Shiver, who is working extra hard to pull his weight on the team to overcome his new classification of “dwarf planet.” Of course, the plot would not actually be complete without the sinister forces of the villainous Black Hole “Professor Darkness,” who has vowed to destroy the solar system & thwart the heroic deeds of the other planets. The figures each come with a collectible trading card with cool planet facts, and a special DVD introducing the characters & launching them into their first mission.
If your children want to read up on the planets & the solar system, there’re a number of great books available, including “Stargazing with Jack Horkheimer: Cosmic Comics for the Sky Watcher” & “The Planets in Our Solar System” by Franklyn M. Branley. Take the time to look at the pictures with your kids & talk about what it might be like to be an astronaut & visit these places.
To learn more about the Planet Heroes line of educational toys & view the movie trailer, visit www.fisher-price.com.
A new line of planetary heroes can assist youngsters learn about the solar system.
Wendy Mitchell
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