I can remember, as a young teenager, getting my dad’s binoculars out of our coat closet and sneaking out in the yard, after dark, to look at the moon and gaze at the stars. I remember being fascinated by the moon’s surface, trying so hard to see anything that I could see. My grandma used to tell me that there was a man in the moon….I used to imagine what it must be like to walk on the moon, what it must be like with mountains and craters.
I think that fascination has been transferred over to my oldest son now. Jacob’s so fascinated with astronomy. In fact, he’s voiced interest in joining the local astronomy club, which I’m seriously considering doing. We’re also heading to Bryce Canyon this summer, and I’ve heard that stargazing is absolutely phenomenal there….amazing.
Klutz actually offers so many options in the way of educational books and kits. The Klutz Guide to the Galaxy, by Pat Murphy and the Scientists of Klutz Labs, has to be one of the most interesting books we’ve used so far. It covers a host of astronomical topics and gives kids the opportunity to study about the sun, the moon, the planets, stars, and more. I love the Klutz books because they’re not all black and white…..boring….ugh. Instead they’re always full of interesting facts and things that are really outside the box. For instance, when studying the phases of the moon, you get to compare the moon with the Phases of Dave. Oh, and don’t forget to study up on the Important Information for Werewolves. Plus, see how old you are on other planets; that is really fun to discuss and think about. I love that on Mars, Jacob would only be 5 years old again….
This book is more in-depth and hands-on, as well. Kids get to make a sundial, use a night flashlight, make a telescope, study the stars with the help of Star Maps, use the Lunatic Wheel to study the moon, and even keep track of all they observe with the Galactic Passport for Interstellar Travel. 
Jacob and I actually have made the telescope so far. The telescope was fun to make, really quite simple. 
It’s a simple tool with real lenses that he can use to look at the moon. You can focus in on things by pushing/pulling the tubes apart/together.
You can purchase The Klutz Guide to the Galaxy for $19.99 from Klutz. It’s geared for ages 8 and up. I highly recommend this book; it would make an excellent supplemental study for science….but it also makes for an awesome summer boredom buster, especially on warm evenings when the stars are out in full force. Find more information here. You can also find Klutz Books on Facebook.
The great news is that Klutz is giving 2 MamaBuzz readers The Klutz Guide to the Galaxy! You can enter to win by doing one or more of the following; just be sure to leave a separate comment for each way that you enter. I’ll draw the winner, via random.org, on Monday, August 8. This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada only (void where prohibited). Good luck, and have a wonderful day!
- Did you have a hobby when you were a child? What is your favorite memory, related to a hobby?
- Follow MamaBuzz or subscribe to our posts.
- Follow @mamabzz on Twitter.
- Tweet about this giveaway, one time only.
(Disclosure: I received The Klutz Guide to the Galaxy, free of charge, from Big Honcho Media, for the purposes of this review. All views/opinions remain solely my own.)
