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out space fun
Summer reading participants joined in with volunteers this week to explore SPACE! Approximately 20 -25 kids visited The Prairie Community Library on Thursday, July 17th for the weekly session. As students signed in and turned in their weekly bookmarks, they joined in playing Asteroid Blast while waiting for everyone to arrive. The younger ones also painted their rocket body for their craft later. After the welcome was given, all of the children gathered to play a solar system info game. Different children read about the planets and then asked specific questions about the next mystery planet. The child with that mystery planet then stood and read their part, asked a question and the game continued until all eight planets, the dwarf planet and the sun had been found. Following they put their planet info sheet on the correct flag which marked the orbiting path around the sun on the solar system mural. When this game was complete, the children went on a planet walk to show the distances between the objects in the solar system. Beginning at the site of the old railroad tracks above the hospital, all the children with the volunteers began the “planet walk.” The sun flag was set down. The children then took ten giant steps forward along the old tracks to reach the first planet, Mercury! Each step (1 yard) represented 3,600,000 miles in space. And so the walk went. As the temperature was a bit high and the walk quite lengthy, part of the group ended their journey at Uranus. They went back to the library, enjoyed some juice, and listened while Mr. Halligan read to them, “The Magic School Bus Lost in Space.” Meanwhile, the rest of the group continued on another 282 steps to Neptune, planted Neptune’s flag, and then finished with 250 steps to the dwarf planet of Pluto! The “astronauts” had walked over half a mile, Pluto being 3,699,000,000 miles from the moon. Looking back, few of the previous flags could be seen. These children too, were happy to go back to the library, enjoy some juice while listening to the story as it was just finishing! With time running out, the younger ones were given their rocket parts to complete at home. The older ones were sent home with pieces to our solar system to paint or color and then complete on the night sky paper. All were encouraged to continue to check out books and read this next week. Only two sessions remain – next week, a guest will be the presenter! Be sure to come and check out the exciting program, from 1:00 – 3:00 at the Prairie Community Library. Hope to see you there! |
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