Our kids love experiments, whether planned or serendipitous. Kids are born scientists and are constantly figuring out, “what does this do?” Even if sometimes those experiments entail such questions as “what happens when I take my brother’s iPad?”
I imagine my eldest saying,
“I hypothesize that the removal of the iPad from the hands of the youngest by either mater or pater familias is markedly different than removal of said device by the experimenter. For control in this experiment we are taking decibel readings in the static environment including the sound of NPR in the background and Wild Kratts playing on the iPad.”
That’s not the way it works, he just takes it and then reacts in surprise (or feigned surprise) as the room devolves into a chaotic scrum. Pure experimental learning.
Add rockets to this scenario and you have nothing but awesomeness. We will never have to replace our roof as it is coated in a thick layer of abandoned stomp rockets. So when we got the chance to watch a rocket launch, even in the middle of the night (10:30 is the middle of a 5 yr old’s night), we leaped at that chance.
The Wallops Flight Facility launches a number of sounding and orbital rockets from the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Most of these are small sub-orbital vehicles, like in the video below, but it is also near the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport where large SpaceX (among others) Antares rockets are launched and occasionally explode.
This particular launch had been scrubbed the night before, so we had to try twice. Boy was it worth it. I’ve included the video I took on my phone – which is like watching a candle on a neighborhood escalator. However, if you listen to the video you can hear how very amazing this event was for 1 little boy.
Worst video ever… but awesomeness.
And now for something a little better, here’s a little TMBG space opera for your enjoyment. This is off one of the best kids cds ever made.
Space Oddity
Pingback: Visiting Kennedy Space Center with Kids - MOMANDADVENTURE