A few months ago, I accompanied my daughter's third-grade class on a field trip to the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles. As the planetarium grew dark, a universe of stars appeared and the kids gasped in amazement. Soon after, a friend and I planned a two-family camping trip to a nearby park to view wildflowers by day and stars by night.

But to stargaze with your own kids, you don't have to plan anything as extensive as a camp-out or even a trip to the planetarium. A few hours under the heavens, away from city lights, can be just as rewarding.

First, you may want to try an exciting home project that will prepare your children for their first outing to see the stars and the planets. I think you'll find the effort pays off: On the camp-out, we all knew just what celestial bodies to look for and where to find them.

Maggie Megaw is a frequent contributor to FAMILYFUN.