The Curious Journal of a 3 - 7 year old Astronomer: Planetary Exploration Across Various Artforms & Media

 Different ways of learning and exploring the solar system by California, from the ages of three to seven (2008 - 2012).                                               

                                              Books


                                              iTouch



                                      Chalk



                                  Watercolor



                                 Model



                                Scented Markers



                               Crayons (on placemat at restaurant)



                              
                                MagnaDoodle



                                  Clay



                                           Puzzles



                                        Marbles



                            
    Nectarines (used to represent the Sun)

 

Fruits and Vegetables

The beach (with balls of sand as planets).

The beach (with beach rocks as planets).

With beach towels and candles (the milky way galaxy)

Galaxy Map Drawn by Seven Year Old Astronomy Enthusiast

Click to enlarge and to view the following galaxies:

• Milky Way
• Andromeda
• Pinwheel
• Whirpool

Check out the following books to help your child learn about galaxies:

Constellation Study

                                                     *click photo to enlarge*

Each night, before bed, California (age 6) goes outside to gaze at the night sky to find a new constellation.  Then he comes back inside and draws the constellation that he has discovered.  The Sun, Moon and all the planets of the Solar System have also been labeled.

Recommended Reading...










 

The Universe in a Seashell

The above photo shows California's latest cosmic creation. He used sea shells, sea glass, river stones and glass beads to create his version of the Universe. Although it may appear to be scattered about haphazardly, each stone, shell, pile of sea glass and glass bead were carefully placed to create his Universe. According to California, the stones that are placed in a line represent our solar system. The pile of sea glass is a nebula. The glass beads represent moons of the planets within our solar system and stars. The various sea shells on the outer edges represent black holes and distant glaxies.

To see more of California's cosmic creations, click on this link -> Planetary Exploration Across Various Artforms and Media.