SkyandTelescope.com August 2014 35primed for scientifi c observation, pattern matching, and
amazement. It’s a joy to watch them discover new things
— and so many things are new to them. Viewing objects
through a telescope is a skill they can learn.
At Pacifi c Science Center in Seattle, Washington,
we have been working to include all ages in our plan-
etarium, so we designed a show tailored specifi cally to
preschoolers. A couple of years ago, I began tackling the
idea of bringing those methods out to star parties. With
some toilet-paper tubes and a little patience, I have had
immense success. I would like to share the tools and tips
I have learned that will help you create early stargazing
memories with your youngest guests and their families.
But before I begin, there are some key points I should
mention about working with 2- to 5-year-olds. First,
kids this age have limited attention spans. They can
change focus as quickly as every few minutes or become
engrossed in a particularly interesting activity for up to
half an hour. They move and wiggle all the time. Toddlers
especially are just learning how to move their bodies and
manipulate objects, and they have tons of energy.
So let’s talk about expectations: what knowledge or
skills do you want to pass on? Rote learning is important,
but it’s not the same as understanding. At this age, learn-
ing to look through a telescope or asking questions while
looking up at the sky is much more important than, say,
naming all the planets. Even learning to climb the ladder
to your telescope (with parental supervision) might be the
most important skill your youngest stargazers can prac-
tice. Most important is that even the youngest children
have enough fun at the star party to want to come back,
because that means they will come back.
Tools of the Trade
Adding a few gadgets to your observing kit will help you
engage the toddlers and preschoolers who attend your star
parties, as well as teach them to truly see objects through
the telescope.
Tool #1: Toile t-pap er t ubes. For youngsters, one of
the most diffi cult parts of using a telescope is realizing
that they need to look through the eyepiece rather than at
the eyepiece. A toilet-paper tube can solve this instantly.
Hand a child a pair of toilet-paper-tube binoculars or a
paper-towel tube and they will probably peer through it
before you can even tell them what to do. Point out some
things for them to observe through the paper telescope.
They can be stars, trees, their parents’ faces — anything
at all. This simple act helps them expect to look through a
telescope eyepiece without ever being told how.
Tool #2: A good eyepiece. The second most useful
tool I have used with young children is an eyepiece with
a wide apparent fi eld of view and the best eye relief I can
aff ord. I recommend eyepieces with an apparent fi eld of
view (AFOV) greater than 60°° and eye relief that is greater
than 12 or 13 mm.
We use three eyepieces: a 40-mm eyepiece with a 68°
AFOV and 14-mm eye relief, a 25-mm eyepiece with a 72°
AFOV and 24-mm eye relief, and a 28-mm Plössl with a
45 ° AFOV and 24-mm eye relief. The Plössl’s eye relief
compensates for its narrower AFOV.
The fi rst two eyepieces have 2-inch barrels. If you plan
to do a lot of public viewings, it is worth upgrading to
the 2-inch barrels, but otherwise pick the largest AFOV
eyepiece you have on hand. The combination of good
AFOV and eye relief makes it easier for children to catchBUILDING SKILLS Left: This 3-year-old knocked the telescope
off of its target when he leaned on the eyepiece in his enthusi-
asm. The author simply re-aimed the optics. Setting the tripod to
its widest setting prevented the whole telescope from toppling
over. Right: Binoculars can make the best fi rst telescopes. Young
children often can’t close one eye to look through a telescope, so
observing with binoculars may be easier and more comfortable,
in addition to providing a wide fi eld of view.
HOLDING HANDS The author gives this boy something to grasp other than the
telescope body or lens. For young children, holding hands has the added benefi t of
aiding balance.