Stargazing: Book and Game Suggestions

Did you know that the sun makes up 99% or our solar system? Did you know that there are 400 billion stars in the Milky Way Galaxy and that scientists estimate that there another 50 billion galaxies in the universe? We have collected a universe of products for you and your young astronomers packed with fun facts like these. So take time to enjoy the night sky with these recommendations from Parents' Choice ...

Browse the entire list or go directly to products for:
Ages Infant & Up : Ages 6 & Up : Ages 8 & Up : All Ages

Ages Infant & Up

Baby Galileo Discovering The Sky
Ages: 9 months - 7 yrs.
The Baby Einstein Company, $19.99 (DVD)

Little ones will take a musical voyage through the sky, investigating the stars, the sun, clouds, planets and whirling galaxies far away. Brightly colored toys, engaging images, stunning video and fun-loving puppet shows highlight this interactive and stimulating journey. Bonus features include Discovery Cards, Puppet Shows, and a DVD-ROM Coloring Book. Product Description

Scholastic's The Magic School Bus Space Adventures
Ages: 3 - 6 yrs.
Scholastic Entertainment (2), $14.95 (DVD)

This DVD collection includes 3 out-of-this-world adventures with Ms. Frizzle and her class on The Magic School Bus: The Magic School Bus Gets Lost in Space!, Out of This World, and Taking Flight.

AdventureKITS Zoom to the Moon
Ages: 3 - 6 yrs.
Imagiplay, Inc., $29.99

Landing on the Moon will be easy with the wooden astronauts and aliens in this 8-piece set. All figures are crafted from rubber wood and hand-painted with vibrant child-safe inks. What kind of scenes will kids imagine with a two-headed dog and a three-eyed alien? All the characters can blast off together in the rocket ship that doubles as a handy tote.

The Big Space Shuttle
Ages 3 - 8 yrs
Little Mammoth Media, $14.95 (VHS)

This video teaches everyone about the mysteries behind the space program - specifically, the topic of space shuttles. Viewers are treated to the multitude of tasks that are preparatory to the launch. There is also a segment on children at Space Camp, additional inspiration for interested youth.

Jr. Astronaut Suit
Ages: 3 - 10 yrs.
Aeromax Inc., $49.95

Well-crafted and authentic looking, this bright orange Jr. Astronaut Suit is appointed with official NASA patches, and a cap bearing striking resemblance to the official astronaut gear, had our young testers talking about planets and galaxies that needed exploring.

A Child's Introduction to the Night Sky
Ages 3 - 10 yrs
Author: Michael Driscoll   Illustrator: Meredith Hamilton
Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, Inc., $19.95 (Hardcover)

Though stars and planets get most of the attention, "there's lots of other cool stuff up there" according to author Michael Driscoll. Through vivid illustrations and photos of space, Driscoll takes kids on a tour of the universe, including the myths, explorers, and science that make it so intriguing. Also included are a hand-held Star Finder and glow-in-the-dark stickers, Deep Space Dictionary, calendar of important dates, and a list of space resources.

Rescue Heroes Micro Adventure Playsets
Ages: 3 & Up
Fisher Price, Inc., $14.99

This exciting playset includes Roger Houston figure, astronaut figure, space station, crashed space ship with "meteor damage", 2 meteors, space alien, moon rover, rotating space tower and radar dish. DVD with "Houston, We Have A Problem" episode also included. Crashed space ship and moon rover each hold one figure. Product Description

Why Dragonfly? "What's Up with the Moon?"
Ages: 3 & Up
Why Dragonfly?, $15.95 (DVD)

With a pun-loving “magical” dragonfly named Archimedes as its main character, the DVD is reminiscent of Honey I Shrunk the Kids with a science question as its plot. Computer-generated Archimedes is buzzing around a playground when live-action youngsters Emily and Ryan, who are playing on the equipment, realize the moon is out. “Why is the moon out during the daytime?” they ask. The next thing you know, they've gone down the slide and have become miniaturized by Archimedes, who whisks them off on an adventure to find the answer. Between the Space Science Institute and the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, the kids get a full explanation of the obit and rotation of the Earth, moon and Sun.

If You Decide to Go to the Moon
Ages: 4 - 8 yrs.
Author: Faith McNulty    Illustrator: Steven Kellogg
Scholastic Inc./Scholastic Press, $16.99 (Hardcover)
McNulty's text and Kellogg's illustrations coalesce dramatically to capture both the factual minutiae and the lyrical poetry of space travel as a young boy (too bad it's not a girl as well) travels to the moon and back. Readers will truly feel what it means when they turn a page and find a tiny spaceship, the only touch of color in a vast black double page spread sprinkled with stars, and read the accompanying text: “Don't look back at earth. It would make you even lonelier.” Youngsters curious to know what it's really like to sleep aboard a rocket or walk on the moon will come away feeling that they've actually been there.