Space Exploration Day Activities - post

Space Exploration Day

Every year on July 20, we have Space Exploration Day. This holiday, which is also called "National Moon Day," was made by President Ronald Reagan to honor the first crewed mission to the moon and landing on the moon on July 20, 1969.

President John F. Kennedy set a goal for the United States to land on the moon by the end of the decade. It took eight years for the Apollo 11 mission to be successful. The day also aims to get children interested in and excited about careers in space sciences and space exploration. So, let's look up at the stars and think about all the amazing progress we've made in space so far, and dream about where we can still go.

Space Exploration Activities

FUN WITH SKITTLES

1. You will need a large white plastic plate, a bag of Skittles, and water. Make sure you're in a place where the plate won't be moved or shaken, as this can change the results.
2. Put your Skittles around the plate in a circle or in a pattern. Tell the children they can be as creative as they want with this part.
3. Pour the water slowly onto the plate. You should start to see the colors move quickly. Have the children watch to see how the colors move around the plate and what happens when they meet other colors. Depending on how big the children's creations are, this can take about 10 minutes.

Moon Rocks

INGREDIENTS: You will need 1 cup flour, 1 cup water, whisk, cotton balls, grey food coloring, tin foil, cookie sheet, small toy hammers for the children.

DIRECTIONS to make the Moon Rocks:

1. Teachers should make the Moon Rocks ahead of time. 
2. Whisk together the 1 cup of flour with the 1 cup of water.
3. Add in a small drop of paint to change the mixture to a grey color.
4. Dip cotton balls into the mixture and place them onto a cookie sheet lined with foil.
5. Place into an oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes.

Lay the completed rocks onto another cookie sheet lined with foil. Once the Moon Rocks are cooled, have the children explore each of the rocks. Invite them to crush the rocks using the toy hammers or their hands (although using hammers would be way more fun).

*Archived from H&H's Constant Contact Newsletter [7.13.2022]