ML Interest Tag: stargaze

Parent’s Summer Bucket List (vs. Kid’s edition)

by Leigh Weinberg
Partner Content

This post is shared from one of our favorite moms, Heather Reese, from Its A Lovely Life. You can read it on her blog here. 

You all know I love a good list. I make to-do lists, holiday lists (so I don’t forget anything specifically for those big days) and of course, a summer bucket list.

This year we have Alaska (checked off), St. Croix (checked off), rafting, horseback riding, stargazing, glamping, a cruise (checked off) and Europe on our lists. The kids all helped us pick these places and then I have spent hours, weeks, months and what feels like years planning all these trips and activities.

Pete and I REALLY thought we nailed it on our family summer bucket list. We thought we did such a great job that we were practically GLOATING to anyone that would listen. We thought the kids were BEYOND thrilled.

Then we took them one by one and asked them what would be at the top of their summer bucket list if they were creating it on their own.

You guys, my eyeballs nearly popped out as they were talking. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by what they said. They are all thrilled with what we have on our summer bucket list and can’t wait to do it all… but they also said that if they wrote out the list on their own, they would add the following to the top of it:

Maddie said that her list would have… you guessed it… SHOPPING at the top.

She kindly added that we didn’t even have to make any extra trips to make her contribution happen. She said she would be tickled pink to just tack it on to our other planned trips. I mean, shopping in London doesn’t sound so bad, does it? Or maybe block out some extra time in NYC for a new wardrobe? Ha! Teens!

This should come as absolutely NO surprise… but Ashley said she would be thrilled to add more fitness to our bucket list.

She actually said that maybe we should skip a couple smaller trips so that she can go to the gym more. I tell you, people, you offer your kids the world, and they are just as happy staying home. It kinda reminds me of when I used to buy her a cool gift that came in a big box and she wanted to play with the box more than the gift. I’m trying not to take this personally.

Emmy’s idea for the summer bucket list cracked me up.

She wanted to know if we could just do a challenge where we go to a place with trampolines every single day this summer. Now, I love a good trampoline park… but every day? No. Thank. You.

No matter what we end up doing this summer, if it is from the parent’s summer bucket list or the kiddos… one thing remains the same… we all need snacks to fuel these adventures. Just like how planning our summer bucket list can be hard when it comes to getting everyone to agree, the same can be said for the snacks we enjoy.

That’s okay. I’ve been doing this mom thing for long enough to always think ahead for snack time and I already know I have the snack of the year in my back pocket. Okay, not really in my back pocket, because that would be, well…not great, especially since I only wear dresses… but you get the picture.

Want to know what I’m so excited about? Jif® Power Ups™, a new line of chewy granola bars and creamy granola clusters!

Boom! Both products have absolutely no corn syrup and 5g of protein, 2g of fiber, good fats and most importantly, peanuts are #1 ingredient. WE LOVE PEANUTS so this is totally going to be a crowd pleaser, or at least in our case, a family pleaser! Jif® Power Ups™ snacks can definitely help fuel whatever is on your (or your kid’s) summer bucket list!

Want to see just how delicious these are? You can read more about Jif® Power Ups™ here.

 

Heather Delaney Reese is a Lifestyle and Family Travel Writer currently on the road with her family 150 days a year, sharing exceptional family memory making moments and life’s everyday fun times. Read more of Heather’s stories at Itsalovelylife.com.

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Star Wares: 7 Stellar Apps to Chart the Night Sky

by Kipp Jarecke-Cheng

Few experiences inspire a greater sense of child-like curiosity than looking up at the night sky and gazing at twinkling constellations of planets and stars. Little wonder, then, that there are so many songs and lullabies devoted to celebrating the distant lights that shine above us. Flip through our heavenly album to discover a starry array of edutaining and easy-to-navigate apps that’ll help junior Galileos deepen their love and appreciation of the cosmos.

GoSkyWatch Planetarium—iPad Edition

Casual star watchers will delight in this powerful but uncomplicated iPad-only app that lets users easily and quickly identify and locate stars, planets, constellations, and more by simply pointing their devices toward the sky on a clear night. Using an iPad’s built-in compass and accelerometer, the app reveals the names and locations of visible celestial bodies with a planetarium-style overlay that features details such as coordinates and shapes of mythology-based characters for selected star groupings. The app controls are spare (with the primary function being the telescope at the center of the screen), but a handy online user’s guide nicely explains how to get the most out of this excellent portable planetarium.

For ages 5 & up.

Available on iTunes, free.

What’s your favorite stargazing app? Tell us in the comments below!

—Kipp Jarecke-Cheng

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Today Is Shooting Star Day

by Tinybeans Team

 

Daily
 
Today Is Shooting Star Day
Look up!
1

Create your own shooting star that’ll make your day even brighter. Bonus: the project requires only five supplies, which you probably already have at home!
2

Chart a course to a galaxy far away with Barbie in the brand-new movie, Barbie™ Star Light Adventure. Catch the kid-friendly flick in movie theaters for one day only Saturday, July 30. Buy your tickets and get the scoop here.
3
Give your kids an excuse to stay up late and head outside to spot a shooting star. Check out these seven stargazing apps perfect for beginning astronomers.

{ Today’s ideas brought to you by Barbie™ Star Light Adventure }

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5 Clear Spots to Catch the Lunar Eclipse

by Kelley Gardiner

Grab your binoculars, put the little ones in their jammies and coats, and head out to see the total lunar eclipse on September 27. The peak will be around 7:47 p.m., which is just enough time for it to get really dark, but not too late for a school night. Keep your fingers crossed for clear skies, and check out these spots in and around Portland to watch this rare “blood moon” eclipse.

photo: Bruce Tuten via flickr

OMSI Star Party
The fun starts at OMSI’s South Parking at 6:30 p.m. The Rose City Astronomers and OMSI will have telescopes and binoculars available (bring your own if you have them) for viewing, and will be talking about the lunar eclipse and the autumn sky. This very well may be the perfect place to be in Portland for the eclipse, so plan ahead for parking.

1945 SE Water Ave.
800-955-6674
Online: omsi.edu/starparties

L.L. Stubb Stewart State Park
OMSI also holds some of their star parties at L.L. Stubb Stewart State Park throughout the year. There isn’t a star party scheduled, but this a great place for stargazing because of its proximity to Portland without getting so much of its light pollution, and boasts a hill with a lovely view of the nighttime sky. Even if you can’t stay overnight, the park is only a 45 minute drive from Portland.

L.L. Stub Stewart State Park
Buxton
800-551-6949
Online: oregonstateparks.org

photo: Vista House by Andy L via flickr

Vista House at Crown Point
Not only to you get a stellar view of the Columbia Gorge during the day, but when night falls, you’ll have an unobstructed (knock on wood) view of the skies as well. And at only 45 minutes east of Portland, you shouldn’t have a tough time getting the kids back home to bed lickety-split. The house itself normally closes at 6 p.m., so bundle up for a blustery gorge evening, and make a bathroom stop on the way just in case.

40700 Historic Columbia River Hwy.
Corbett
503-695-2240
Online: vistahouse.com

photo: Rocky Butte by Anthony S. via Yelp

Joseph Wood Hill Park at Rocky Butte
While it may not be pitch black, this butte is a convenient place to check out the action without going too far from home. Portland has plenty of buttes and urban mountains, but the top of Rocky Butte has a large paved park area that’s devoid of those pesky view-blocking trees. Be warned: This is a popular spot for teens on dates, but during the eclipse you’ll probably have a few more scientifically-minded compatriots around. The park is officially open until midnight.

NE Rocky Butte
Online: portlandoregon.gov

photo: Goldendale Observatory by Joe Goldberg via flickr

Goldendale Observatory
Every day is a lunar watch day at Goldendale Observatory. Expect higher attendance than usual at the evening presentation on this special night. It’s about a two-hour trek, but it might be worth it depending on the weather forecast because Goldendale may be more likely to offer clear skies. Admission is free, but you’ll need a Washington State Parks Adventure Pass to park, available on site.

1602 Observatory Dr.
Goldendale, Wa
Online: goldendaleobservatory.com

Tips: Keep in mind that the moon will be huge, but only 8 degrees above the horizon in the east for Portlanders, so make sure you have a clear view!

What’s your favorite clear spot for star- and moon-gazing? Let us know in the comments!

—Kelley Gardiner

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The Parent’s Ultimate Guide to Rock Creek Park

by Ayren Jackson-Cannady

One of the things that makes D.C. such a great city to live in is that smack dab in the middle of it is one of our country’s oldest national parks. Rock Creek Park is a 1,750-acre expanse of wildlife and greenery that bisects the city and features a huge array of amenities, including a golf course, horseback riding, a nature center and planetarium, an outdoor concert venue, and playgrounds. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by city crowds and white noise, duck down into the park for a quiet nature walk, an adrenalin-pumping bike ride, a colorful bird watching tour, or a magical night of stargazing. It’s just what the doctor ordered.

Be One With Nature
Stop by the Nature Center for brochures, maps and information about hiking trails. There’s also a bookstore and a smattering of exhibits on area plants and animals. Kids will love the Children’s Discovery Room filled with environmental education books and games, along with a bilingual exhibit in Spanish and English called “Discover Rock Creek.” Spend time with live turtles, fish, snakes, an active beehive, a bird observation deck, and a “water-wise” garden. You can take the little ones on a half-mile self-guided interpretive trail that begins behind the Nature Center. Insider’s Tip: Pick up a free Discovery Hunt Kit from the Nature Center. Designed by first graders from Mundo Verde Public Charter School, it’s a self-guided discovery hunt for kids over 5.

Rock Creek Park Nature Center
5200 Glover Rd., NW
Open: Mon.-Sun., 9 am-5 pm

Catch a Show
Carter Barron Amphiteatre is a 4,000-seat outdoor performance venue nestled in the trees of Rock Creek is the prefect place to catch a free summer concert. People rave about the theatre’s sound quality and cozy atmosphere. Scope a kid-friendly performance here: Carter Barron Schedule.

Carter Barron Amphiteatre
4850 Colorado Ave., NW
202-426-0486

Giddy Up
Find peace in the company of horses and those who love them deep in the woods of D.C.’s Rock Creek Park. The horse center offers boarding, camps, lessons, trail rides and pony rides for equestrians of all skill levels.

Rock Creek Park Horse Center
5100 Glover Rd., NW
202-362-0117

Star Gaze
Take advantage of curriculum-based planetarium shows for a variety of ages, presented each week by park rangers. The Planetarium uses a projector with high-tech Spitz software to project an image of the night sky onto a large, dome-shaped ceiling that takes you on a journey through our solar system, galaxy and beyond. Planetarium shows are free. Pick up your tickets at the Nature Center’s front desk up to 30 minutes before each show. And don’t miss the very cool evening stargazing sessions that take place once a month (April through November) when National Capital Astronomers set up telescopes at Military Field off Military Road. You won’t believe the celestial bodies you can see in the night sky when you remove the city’s star-obscuring light pollution!

Rock Creek Park Planetarium
5200 Glover Rd.
Open:  Mon.-Sun., 9 am-5 pm

Become a Junior Ranger
Let the kiddos learn about the park and become official Junior Rangers. Visit the Nature Center, Peirce Mill, and Old Stone House to pick up a Rock Creek Park Junior Ranger booklet, or download one here. Booklets are designed for ages six to 12 and feature activities in identifying types of trees, plants, flowers and animals, and in describing the various duties of Park Rangers. Junior Rangers take a pledge to help protect the park, community and earth by becoming an active and responsible steward of the environment. Those who complete the booklet and take the pledge get a Junior Ranger Badge. Just like that!

What’s your favorite thing to do with kids in Rock Creek Park? Give us the scoop in the comments section below. 

–Jamy Bond

Photos courtesy of Rock Creek Park via Facebook

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Celestial Oohs and Ahhs Worth Staying Up Late For

by Ayren Jackson-Cannady

You may not know your eclipse from your penumbra but you still thrill at the sight of a falling star. Share that sky-high feeling with your own starry-eyed wonders by trying these stellar picks for celestial-inducing oohs and ahhs that make it worth keeping them up past bedtime.

Go to Paris. Paris, Va, that is.
Cruise an hour west of NoVa near Paris Va. to escape the bright city’s lights and find the perfect stargazing site at Sky Meadows State Park. Each month, the park opens at night for a Saturday night star party, that includes a half-hour program for kids ages 7-12 presented by Air and Space Museum Albert Einstein Planetarium staff, a night sky orientation and (cross your fingers for clear night skies) an opportunity to see the stars and planets up close and personal through a telescope. With a little night luck, you and the kids will share the real deal of the Milky Way. Cue the star soundtrack for the ride home. We are stardust. We are golden. Insider Tip: Bring flashlights but cover them with a brown paper bag. Stargazing etiquette is to keep things dark. A brown paper bag lets you see but it is not a bright light.

Sky Meadows State Park
1012 Edmonds Ln. (Delaplane, Va)
Cost: $5/car
540-592-3556
Online: dcr.virginia.gov

We Don’t Need No Stinking Telescope
You can watch the International Space Station travel across the sky without a telescope. NASA’s Spot the Station website delivers all the deets on when and where in the night sky to look for the coolest flyby in your corner of the universe. Wait for the longer flight durations (5-6 minutes) and pass on the 3:34 am flyby; this craft will orbit around again. Pro tip: Sneak a test run so you’ll be ready to help your space explorers spot the astronauts wave as they pass by in the space station. Oh, when it says 9:52 pm, they mean it. You snooze, you lose. Jaw-dropper fact you can casually mention to the kiddos: Space Station is moving 5 miles per second or somewhere around 17,500 miles per hour. Whooosh!

Online: spotthestation.nasa.gov

Fantabulous night for a Moondance
Come Sept. 9 head outside with the kids in PJs and gawk at the superdooperest super moon you’ll see all year (there are three of them, and this is the last one). Read them their bedtime story by moonlight. If Goodnight Moon is an old cliché (do they ever tire of that book?) try Kitten’s First Full Moon. Some North American Indian tribes call the full moon the Green Corn Moon or Sturgeon Moon. What would your family name this moonzilla? Weather permitting, howling and dancing are recommended.

Icarus Couldn’t, But You Can
Go ahead get close to the sun and stare. No worries—you and your mini sunbeams can gawk safely at sunspots through the really big telescope at the Public Observatory, just outside of the east terrace of the Air and Space Museum. If you are lucky you will also see a moon crater and Venus, too. Umbrella warning: If it is cloudy or rainy the Observatory is closed.

Phoebe Waterman Haas Public Observatory
National Air and Space Museum
Independence Ave. at 6th St., SW (National Mall)
Open: Wed.-Sun., 12 pm-3 pm
Online: airandspace.si.edu

Monthly Stargazing Fix
Satisfy your stardust jonesing with a fix at these local planetariums, observatories and sky watching events online.

  • Rock Creek Planetarium and Nature Center
    5200 Glover Rd., NW
    202-895-6070
    Online: nps.gov
  • Arlington Public Schools
    David M. Bowen Planetarium
    426 N. Quincy St. (Arlington, Va)
    703-228-6070
    Online: aspsva.us
  • University of Maryland Observatory
    3200 Metzerott Rd. (Adelphi, Md)
    Online: astro.umd.edu

 Where do you go to stargaze? Give us the scoop in the comments section below. 

—Linda Bennett

Photo courtesy of Lotzman Katzman via Flickr, Sage Ross via Flickr, Anthony Crider via Flickr

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