GOALS:
To help children identify the constellations and enjoy stargazing

AGES: 5 AND UP

MATERIALS:
• Starfinding devices
• A glow-in-the-dark star book
• Astronomy magazine
• Compass
• Strong-beamed flashlight
• Smaller flashlights, red cellophane, and rubber bands
• Mats or blankets
• Sleeping bags
• Pillows
• Hot cocoa, cups, and snacks

It would be hard to overstate my excitement for our camping and stargazing trip, but harder still to overstate just how wonderful it was for our group to assemble on a grassy hillside on a star-studded night. With the right preparation and a cooperative sky, you can't fail to have a good time.

PREPARATIONS:
Before leaving on our camping trip, I learned that we'd be viewing during a new moon (the best time for stargazing because the nights are the darkest). From SKY & TELESCOPE magazine, I learned that Jupiter would be visible and that it would appear right next to Leo. I made sure both families had enough flashlights and bought red cellophane to screen their light and help maintain our night vision.

STEP 1: PICKING THE SPOT
The afternoon before our first expedition, I scouted out a good viewing spot. Since we'd be walking in the dark and with children, I looked for an open space with easy access and no thorny bushes or other dangerous obstacles. Once I found a good spot, I assembled all our paraphernalia and charts, made up a thermos of cocoa, packed cups and cookies, and grabbed pillows, sleeping bags, and a couple of mats.

STEP 2: THE MAIN EVENT
As darkness fell, the girls got more and more excited peering up through the trees at emerging stars. Supplies in hand, we headed out to our viewing spot, settled the kids into their bags and turned off the flashlights. The stars were sharp and dazzling, and the sky larger than any imagination.

Right away, the kids picked out the three stars of Orion's belt and found the Big Dipper. We went through the process of using the pointer stars to find Polaris, its constellations and the Little Dipper, but to my amazement the girls went on to pick out Leo ("The Question Mark") and Jupiter (the brightest object in the sky) with no hesitation. Without the starfinder, we went on to find Gemini, Virgo, Taurus, Bootes, and part of Draco's tail.

Once we'd done most of the identifying we wanted, we asked the kids to find and name their own constellations. My girls found their initials, which became the constellations of Anna and Rachel, and the constellations of Hawaii. You can also suggest that they search for satellites or UFOs. But don't forget to leave some quiet time for just feasting your eyes on the spectacle. That's when your kids might get to see their first shooting star.