Little Learning Labs: Astronomy for Kids, abridged paperback edition: 26 Family-friendly Activities about Stars, Planets, and Observing the World Around You; Activities for STEAM Learners (Little Learning Labs, #1)

by Michelle Nichols

Little Learning Labs: Astronomy for Kids teaches children the wonders of outer space with 26 hands-on activities that can be done at home with items found around the house.

It's not easy to explain and understand what lies beyond the night sky. This curated collection of 26 projects from the best-selling Astronomy Lab for Kids introduces children to the basics of outer space through 26 hands-on labs that can be completed with everyday items from around your house. It's the perfect resource for teachers, homeschool families, and community groups.

Mini astronomers will learn about things such as the size and scale of planets using sandwich cookies and tennis balls, how to measure the speed of light with a flat candy bar and a microwave, how to make a simple telescope with magnifying glasses, and so much more. Kids of all ages and experience levels will love completing these hands-on labs with the guidance of adults.

Why wait to introduce children to the expansive wonder of the skies, when Little Learning Labs: Astronomy Lab for Kids can put it within their reach today?

The popular Little Learning Labs series (based on the larger format Lab for Kids series) features a growing list of books that share hands-on activities and projects on a wide host of topics, including art, geology, math, and even bugs—all authored by established experts in their fields. Each lab contains a complete materials list, clear step-by-step photographs of the process, as well as finished samples. The activities are open-ended, designed to be explored over and over, often with different results. Geared toward being taught or guided by adults, they are enriching for a range of ages and skill levels. Gain firsthand knowledge on your favorite topic with Little Learning Labs.

• ISBN13: 9781631595608
• Publish Date: 4 October 2018 (first published 2 October 2018)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 21 May 2022
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Quarry Books
• Edition: Abridged Edition
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 80
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Astronomy Lab for Kids is a new reformatting and abridged re-release of Astronomy Lab for Kids (pub 2016) by Michelle Nichols. This abridged version is 80 pages and available in ebook and paperback formats.

I'm a huge fan of STEM education for everyone. In fact, the earlier we can introduce everyone to the limitless opportunities for growth, discovery, problem solving and coolness, the better off we'll all be. I'm therefore quite excited whenever I see science/tech books aimed specifically at young readers (and their caregivers). The author of this book is an experienced educator with a science background.

Although this book is generally aimed at kids, there are a lot of really neat labs which answer questions which would stump many adults (for example, why why are there so many craters on the moon, mom?!). The book's format presents learning units set up as safe lab exercises which can be done in a limited amount of time, with a limited number of household items and in a manner which is fun, engaging, and accessible.

The photography and text supplement and support the experiments very well. I like that the author gently introduces good lab protocol regarding safety and record-keeping (lab journals for the win!).

This is a good, appealing, and solid book, very well done.

Five stars

I do have one truly minuscule quibble with the book, and I feel nit-picky even writing this down. At the end, the experimenters pictured in the book (the children), get credit photos, and it struck me that the caucasian kids were over-represented. (Short explanatory apology. I went through university in an engineering program in the early 1980s and across all the disciplines, there were only a handful of girls/women. I spent my university years very isolated and alone (as well as being 3-4 years younger than my peers.) This book gets the gender ratio democratically correct at 50/50 boys/girls, but they seem to be mostly or all(?) white kids). It shouldn't matter, and it doesn't really matter, and I am sure that the editors and author considered this. It's also entirely possible that whatever selection criteria were used to find the participants was limited by the applicants or something.

Anyhow. STEM book for kids, and it's a good one.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes