Family Space Day Overview - ISS

Family Space Day is a three hour event. The activities are set up so that children
and parents can select the order in which they undertake activities. Parents and
children are encouraged to learn, play, and explore together.

Objectives of the Day

Children will:

  • build an understanding of what it is like to live and work aboard the
    International Space Station, including some of the considerations for eating,
    drinking, and sleeping in space.
  • learn about the microgravity environment of the station and how it affects
    every-day activities …including play!
  • experience the challenges of maneuvering equipment aboard the station.
  • learn about the science being conducted in space that helps us on Earth
    now, and will prepare us for future space missions to the Moon, Mars, and
    beyond.

Activities

  • Station 1: ISS Posters
    Children and their parents will view 4 posters that provide information on
    what it is like to live and work in space and about who has been involved in
    the construction of the International Space Station.
  • Station 2: Robotic Arm Challenge
    Children are challenged to perform a variety of tasks using a remotely
    controlled robotic arm – just like the astronauts have to!
  • Station 3: Toys in Space
    Do toys on Earth and toys aboard the International Space Station (yes, the
    astronauts took some!) behave in the same manner? Children play with
    toys, make predictions about their behavior in micro-gravity, and learn if
    their predictions are correct.
  • Station 5: Space Crystals
    Crystals in space grow without the pull of gravity. Children make their own
    sugar solution and watch crystals grow.
  • Station 8: Reading Room
    Children and their parents can browse and read a selection of books about
    living and working in space (refer to book list for suggested reading).

Other Materials

Facilitator Information – International Space Station
Explore the International Space Station – Book and Website References
All About the International Space Station– An Space Station Fact Sheet

 

Print all