It’s fall in Rhode Island and time for another year of Sky Kids at the Portsmouth Free Public Library. Sky Kids is an astronomy program designed for children ages 6-11. The program is possible through a partnership with the Portsmouth Free Public Library, the Portsmouth Public School Department, and Skyscrapers, Inc. The classes meet twice per month from October to April and cover such varied topics as constellations and mythology, the solar system, comets, meteors, deep sky objects, and other topics of interest to the children. Classes consist of a combination of storytelling, demonstrations, activities, and Q&A. On clear nights, we take the children out for observing with naked eyes, laser pointer, and telescopes to observe constellations, planets, and other interesting objects.

This is the third year Mark Munkacsy and I have run the program in Portsmouth.  We have a rough curriculum, lots of materials, and sincere advice for anyone interested in running this program in their hometown. If you’re interested in setting this up in your town, please reach out to me at corvesemichael@gmail.com.