Mini-g is learning about space at school and seems to be really really interested in it, much more than she has been in other subjects that they have covered. What good things can I take her too or get for her that will fuel this interest? I have a good book about it all by Usborne, and I am planning a trip to the Science Museum (we are in London)but wondered if anyone else has some good ideas. Assuming this is in the national curriculum there should be a few of you with kids learning the same stuff, what have they enjoyed?

That sir is immense

A Cheap, portable Telescope?

I just posted this visual of the solar system on the physics thread: http://dd.dynamicdiagrams.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/orrery_2006.swf

…and my 4-year old loves watching the youtube video of Sunny Williams giving a tour of the ISS before she came back to Earth.
edit: this! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doN4t5NKW-k

Sticky glow in the dark stars for her bedroom ceiling.

Edit: and take her out on a clear night after dark to a local park (somewhere away from streetlights) as a special trip, surprise thermos with hot chocolate for bonus points.

Kerbal space programme

Oh, and a weekend away in Northumberland. A heady mix of beaches and massive starry dark skies.

the national space centre in leicester?
http://www.spacecentre.co.uk/

Kerbal space programme

That looks ace!

Teaboy, that is excellent, great work, but I would like to prevent my kids from thinking that the earth is bigger than the sun, is there a real scale one too?

Not quite the same but if they can get their head around it this should be pretty mind expanding: http://htwins.net/scale2/

I would like to prevent my kids from thinking that the earth is bigger than the sun, is there a real scale one too?

That was my first thought but it would be tricky to render size and distance on a screen and still be able to see moons!

Would love to see any other examples.

yeash, I guess just a smaller earth will be good. No worries, it’s goint o be used tonight it is an excellent excellent bit of wrk.

lemony sam, your link doesn’t work?

Hmm… does for me.
There’s a mirror of it here: http://scaleofuniverse.com/

ahh ok, might be taking too long to load as I’m sat in a crap airport lounge with shit shared wifi…

it is an excellent excellent bit of wrk.

Fully agree. Not mine (much as I’d like to take credit for it)!

It might not be quite what your looking for, but……

Get the Planets iPhone app if you have one – then sit in the dark with her and point out the stars, planets etc. That’s what I did with my two when they got interested in it after a school project (same age).

Look up the ISS on the internet, especially Chris Hadfield, let them get into the WOW of it all, then pop outside and see it passing overhead, having sneakily checked the time and direction in advance.

Chris Hadfield on Youtube

ISS Location here:
http://heavens-above.com/

Surprisingly, never been to the place in Leicester, but that’d be my recommendation.
Science Museum is always an ace place (far too much stuff there).
Heaven’s Above and ISS spotting (as above) is always fun for all ages.
Google Sky View on the phone (at least on Android, but I assume iphone too?)