When it comes to camping, one of the most relaxing things to do is lay around with your loved ones and gaze up at the beautiful stars. Living in cities or suburbs, there can be too many lights around to be able to actually see the gorgeous night sky or make out full constellation patterns while stargazing. This is one of the many reasons for why we love camping – having a reminder of Mother Nature’s beauty. Nonetheless, it’s always great to lay out in the backyard and do your best!

This week, we wanted to pay homage to our sky’s beautiful stars and all the fun there is to have with them! We have a super easy DIY for you to make, as well as great games and tips for stargazing. Winter is the best season for stargazing because there’s less moisture in the air. Moisture can obscure starlight and, this paired with the bare trees, you can see much more sky during this time. Take advantage of the final weeks of winter and get outside to see the stars!

DIY Yarn Wrapped Stars

To get your little ones in the astrological mood, we’ve put together this awesome star DIY for you! Make just one, or make a bunch for an awesome mobile to hang inside of your teepee or above the bed.

What You Need

• Star Printable
• Cardboard
• Yarn
• Tape
• Scissors
• Utility Knife
• Sharpie

How You Make Them

1. Print out star printable and cut out all the star shapes.
2. Trace the star shapes with a Sharpie directly onto cardboard, using the printable star as a guide.
3. Cut out the cardboard star shapes with a utility knife – adults only!
   1. Once you have individual cardboard star shapes, you are ready to wrap!

4. Take a piece of tape and secure the first part of the string to the middle of the star shape.
5. Then wrap and wrap and wrap until you don’t see anymore cardboard.
6. Tie a knot at the end to a piece of wrapped yarn, and leave a little extra string for hanging or for necklaces!

Vintage Cotton Canvas Teepee

This attractive orange, white, and blue colored teepee with chic graphics is an eye-catching piece! Comes with an inside cotton lining of stars, perfect for dragging outside and finding constellations with! Perfect for a child’s playroom, this 64” x 45” teepee is so much fun!

With a window for extra air ventilation and one large entry way, your child will stay cool while playing and using their imagination in this adorable teepee. Comes with four sturdy poles and four hanging flags at the top. No floor is attached, making it easy put a small table, chair, or sleeping bag inside.

Stargazing Fun

Let your child’s curiosity reach sky high! If you’re getting ready for a night of star searching, we’ve got everything you need to make it a fun, interactive night. Use these at your kid’s next sleepover, family camping trip, or just have a random fun night outside!

Stargazing Guide

Of course, in order to find constellations, you will need to know what they look like! Print out this awesome constellation guide and give one to everyone. See who can find the most constellations in a given period of time! You can also give one map to the kids and watch them work together to find each one for a great teamwork exercise. There are also tons of stargazing apps available to use if you’re having a hard time finding them.

Scale Exercises

In order for your little one to truly appreciate how far away and vast the universe is, it’s important to show them some comparisons. For example, you can teach them that a simple rock in your garden is a star, your neighborhood is the solar system and the houses are planets. The neighborhood is part of the city, like solar system is part of the galaxy. The city is part of the state, which is like the galaxy being in our section of the universe. It can go on and on, and it is a great learning opportunity to teach your kids the scale of the universe.

Have the Equipment

To have a really great stargazing experience, you’ll need some equipment. You can use telescopes, or you can just make one out of a paper towel roll. In an effort to reduce light pollution, you can wrap red cellophane over flashlights with a rubber band. Don’t forget lots of blankets, pillows and jackets to cuddle up with. Finally, you’ll need some snacks, of course! Make some star-shaped cookies or sandwiches for that extra touch. You can also make lunar phase cookies or sandwiches to make it a full night theme!

Stargazing Tips

To make the most out of your stargazing experience, here are some expert tips to keep in mind:

1. Try your best to get away from the city. The darker your surroundings, the better your chances are of making out the full night sky. Street lights and tall buildings put out a lot of light pollution, so find a great spot away from it all if you can.
2. Keep track of the moon cycle to see when the sky will be the darkest. If the moon is really full and bright, it’s a lovely sight, but doesn’t make for good stargazing.
3. Get as high as you can. The higher your elevation is, the clearer the sky is.
4. Look for the International Space Station. Of course, we love trying to find planets and constellations, but we forget to look for other fun things such as the International Space Station. It’s the third brightest object in the sky when it passes by, so it is easy to spot. You can keep track of its whereabouts on NASA’s website here.

Let Us Know!

Did you make the DIY Yarn Wrapped Stars? What cool things have you or your kids seen while stargazing? Let us know in the comments below!