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.
One Giant Leap: The Story of Neil Armstrong
Ages 4 - 8 yrs.
By Don Brown
Houghton Mifflin Children's Books, ISBN: 0-395-88401-2, $16.00
An engaging biography of Neil Armstrong that relates the story of the first
moon landing as a child's dream come true.
Max Goes to the Moon
Ages: 4 - 10 yrs.
Big Kid Science,
$16.95
Max goes to the Moon combines a lavishly illustrated picture book
format with fundamental science concepts. In this adventure, Max the Dog
and his young human friend Tori undertake a quest to make the first trip to
the Moon since the Apollo era. Their trip inspires the nations of the world
to join together to build a Moon colony. The engaging story encourages
children to learn, dream, and explore, while offering the message that we
live on a precious planet. Book Description
The Astronaut's Globe
Ages: 5 - 16 yrs.
Global View Foundation, $14.95
Created by using thousands of images taken by NASA in 2003, this globe had
our testers talking about weather, continents, oceans and even coral reefs
– for hours. Diving into the accompanying guide and website, we learned
that there are more insects in two square miles of rural land than humans
on earth, that storms spin clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere and
counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere, and that the lowest
temperature ever recorded was –128.5F. Easy to inflate and much larger than
we had expected, the package even included a repair kit in case of a
puncture.
Ages 6 & Up
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Buzz Aldrin: Reaching for the Moon
Ages: 6
- 9 yrs.
Author: Buzz Aldrin Illustrator: Wendell
Minor
HarperCollins Childrens Books, $15.99 (Hardcover)
This is my journey. It didn’t begin when I stepped on board Apollo 11 on
July 16, 1969. It began the day I was born -- Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr., whom
everyone called Buzz. Becoming an astronaut took more than education,
discipline, and physical strength. It took years of determination and
believing that any goal is possible -- from riding a bike alone across the
George Washington Bridge at age ten to making a footprint on the Moon.
Footprints on the Moon
Ages 6 - 12 yrs.By Alexandra Siy
Charlesbridge, ISBN: 1-57091-408-7, $16.95
Twenty-four astronauts have crossed the vast ocean of space that separates
Earth and Moon. Twelve have left footprints. With clearly written,
comprehensive text, this book chronicles the history of Moon exploration
and looks ahead to what the future might hold.
Kids Book of the Night Sky
Ages: 6 & Up
Author: Ann Love Author: Jane Drake
Illustrator: Heather Collins
Kids Can Press, $12.95
In The Kids Book of the Night Sky, boys and girls will discover
all the secrets the night sky holds. They can play games like “Night Sky I
Spy,” keep an astronomer’s log and read about night sky myths. Star maps
are included for each season — so kids will know what to look for, when and
where. Then as the sun goes down and the sky goes dark, they’ll be ready
for the night sky’s all-star show!
Do Stars Have Points
Ages 7 - 9 yrs.By Gilda and Melvin Berger,
Illustrated by Vincent Di Fate
Scholastic Inc., ISBN: 0-439-08570-5, $5.95
A question and answer book about stars, planets and space presented in an
intriguing, lively and understandable way. Attractive illustrated to appeal
to young space explorers.
Starry Night 4 DVD Gift Set
Ages 7 & Up
Imaginova Corp.
(Formerly Space.com), $49.95 (DVD)
Four dramas of the universe brought to you with heart-pounding realism.
Over four-and-a-half hours of killer comets, ominous asteroids, solar
flares, coronal mass ejections, auroras, supernovas, black holes, colliding
stars and the plucky Mars Exploration Rovers still on the go. This
phenomenal gift set includes: "Comet Hunters / Asteroid Seekers"; "Danger!
Solar Storm"; "Searching for SuperStars"; and "Wheels on Mars". Product
Description
Professor Noggin's Card Game Series
- Outer Space
Ages 7 & UpOutset Media, $9.99
Each interest-specific card game combines true and false, multiple choice
and trivia questions. The Outer Space series introduces children the cosmos
with topics like planets, stars, solar systems, asteroids, and much more.
Offering two levels of difficulty, games can accommodate 2 to 8
players.
Ages 8 & Up
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Popular Mechanics for Kids: Radical Rockets and
Other Cool Cruising Machines
Ages: 8 - 12 yrs.
Koch Vision,
$12.98 (DVD)
In these four episodes of the Popular Mechanics for Kids television show,
the hosts, Jay and Elisha, take the audience on an adventure from the
depths of the ocean in submarines to the far reaches of space. Once again,
the hosts are right in the middle of everything. Jay drives a Trident
nuclear sub and participates in search and rescue drills with a Coast Guard
cutter crew. Elisha dons a real space suit. As they explore technology in
the world they answer questions that kids would ask, such as, how do solar
cars work, or how do astronauts go to the bathroom in space?
Galileo: On the Shoulders of Giants
Ages 8 - 12 yrs.Devine
Entertainment Corporation, $19.95
The story of young Galileo details his exploration of the magic and
mysteries of physics and astronomy. This film will have a positive impact
on budding scientists who will branch naturally into further study of the
man and his work.
Slooh Explore Space Live Telescope Card
Ages 8 - 14
yrs.
BlueStorm Productions, $10.00 (Windows/MAC)
At 4:10 p.m. EST I logged onto the online telescope at slooh.com, clicked
“current mission” on the launch-pad page and in seconds my computer screen
was transformed into a live telescopic view of the moon. Not an image of
the moon but the actual moon as it revealed its half-glowing, cratered,
lunar self at that very moment in the skies above the Canary Islands off
the northwestern coast of Africa. That's the location of the Observatorio
de Teide and the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos, two observatories
that combine as one of the largest assemblages of telescopes in the world.
And thanks to the partnership of Discovery.com and Astronomy Magazine which
launched the Slooh site, the deep-space heavens those powerful professional
telescopes focus on are now available to you.
Discovery Kids SL - 70 Telescope
Ages: 8
& Up
Discovery Consumer Products, $149.00
Bring the wonders of nature up close with this 70mm, refracting, short
barrel telescope. Designed to be user-friendly for kids and adults alike,
it's ideal for a range of interests, from stargazing to nature watching.
Features include a padded, lightweight shoulder bag with "sling" style
strap for comfort and portability; illuminated adjustment dials, azimuth
dial and liquid bubble level; red night-vision map light that won't dilate
eyes; and removable spotting scope. Product Description
DK Space Encyclopedia
Ages 8 & UpBy Heather Couper and Nigel
Henbest
Dorling Kindersley Publishing Inc., ISBN: 0-7894-4708-8, $29.95
A vibrantly illustrated and photographed encyclopedia of space. This rich
resource offers food for the brain with detailed text, charts, biographies,
and timelines. Includes an interactive exploration of space on CD-ROM.
Space Shuffle
Ages 8 & Up
Playroom Entertainment, $10.00
In Space Shuffle, form Solar Systems and collect points in a game
that is truly out of this world! As you place the planets in their correct
galactic order, you will gain points depending on the planet's color and
the other colors within that Solar System. But keep your eye towards the
sky, as other players will also score points if they are the Space
Commander of that certain color. So choose wisely as you align the planets
in this space-aged strategy game of card laying and placement. Product
Description
Night Sky
Ages 8 & Up
Sky Publishing Corp., $17.99
(Subscription)
With Night Sky magazine, you’ll get simple instructions for finding
planets and constellations without any technical jargon. We’ll also help
you get the most out of your telescope. And in every issue, our equipment
experts offer clear advice and useful tips on buying gear, gadgets, and
accessories. Product Description
The Incredible Journey to the
Planets
Ages 8 & UpBy Nicholas Harris
McGraw-Hill Children's Publishing / Peter Bedrick, ISBN: 0-87226-600-,
$18.95
Journey to the Planets is full of colorful images and fascinating
information, and the 3-D effect created by the windows cut into each page
is a distinctive and clever idea. The text is easily read and is as
interesting to an eight year old as it is to an adult.
The Way the Universe Works
Ages: 8 & Up
Author: Giles
Sparrow Author: Robin Kerrod
Dorling Kindersley Publishing, Inc., $24.99
Is the universe expanding? Why do stars twinkle? Will space tourism be a
reality soon? All these questions and more are answered in The Way the
Universe Works. In this interactive volume, difficult subjects are
clearly explained using cutting-edge visuals and the latest in space
photography. More than 60 home-based experiments demonstrate key concepts
for kids, encouraging learning and better understanding through doing.
Book Description
Starry Night® Constellation Adventure
Ages: 9 & Up
Imaginova Corp. (Formerly Space.com), $29.95 (Windows XP/ MAC 10.3.9)
The sky's the limit with this software that turns your home computer
screen into a private interactive planetarium. Think of this as an intro to
the night sky where you can learn about searching the real thing for
constellations and clusters and other galaxies. This Starry Night title
connects the dots with 30 guided tours of the stars (though a voice guide
would've been nice so we could've kept our eyes on the prize). Among the
tours are major upcoming events (mostly lunar and solar eclipses showing
what you'll likely be able to see from your location), comets and asteroid
happenings and the planets, etc. And, of course, there are the
constellations, all located and mapped out in relation to each other and
other heavenly guideposts.
Eyes on Mars
Ages: 12 - 17 yrs.
Imaginova Corp., $19.95
All eyes are on Mars as the fleet of international science probes arrives
on the Red Planet. Explore the Red Planet with the rovers with EYES ON
MARS, a dynamic new DVD from the creators of Starry Night. Product
Description
Welcome to Mars
Ages: 12 & Up
WGBH Boston Video, $19.95
(DVD)
Welcome to Mars is a NOVA presentation about the recent landings of two
robotic explorers, Spirit and Opportunity, on the surface
of Mars and the teams of personnel who made it happen. The mission of the
explorers was to find proof that liquid water once existed on the planet.
The most striking aspect of this video is that the Mars surface
explorations happened because lots of technical folks worked toward one
goal about which they were interested and excited. They were charged with
every beep received from the rover computers and moved by every photograph
sent back. When initial problems were encountered with Spirit and
technical issues arose later with Opportunity, their
problem-solving skills were tested. No one ever gave up. "Let's find a way
to make this work" were the word of the day.
All Ages
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Starry Night Complete Space and Astronomy Pack Deluxe
Edition
Ages: All Ages
Imaginova Corp. (formerly Space
Holdings), $49.95 (Windows XP/Mac OS X 10.3)
Starry Night Complete Space & Astronomy Pack Deluxe Edition provides
an ideal introduction to astronomy with two CD-ROMs of Starry Night
software with 50 interactive, guided tours to get you started exploring the
solar system; Deep Space Explorer CD-ROM to take you beyond the Milky Way
to the outer reaches of space; SkyTheater DVD, over an hour-and-a-half of
original movies about space; and Starry Night Companion, a bonus 192-page
illustrated book.
When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer
Ages: All Ages
By: Loren
Long
Simon & Schuster/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $16.95
(Hardcover)
Walt Whitman's "When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer" is an enduring
celebration of the imagination. Here, Whitman's wise words are beautifully
by illustrator Loren Long to tell the story of a boy's fascination with the
heavens. Toy rocket in hand, the boy finds himself in a crowded, stuffy
lecture hall. At first he is amazed by the charts and the figures. But when
he finds himself overwhelmed by the pontifications of an academic, he
retreats to the great outdoors and does something as universal as the stars
themselves... he dreams. Product Description
Hey, Mr. Spaceman
Ages: All Ages
Music for Little People,
$15.95 (CD), $9.98 (Cassette)
Aficionados of outer space will have a good time listening to these retro
homages to alien life. From the Byrds ("Mr. Spaceman") to Sheb Wooley ("The
Purple People Eater") to Ella Fitzgerald ("Two Little Men in a Flying
Saucer") there's something here for just about anyone who likes science
fiction…or likes music. A fun theme-based sampler.
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