This month marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first two humans to set foot on the moon. Being a Millennial myself, I’ve taken it for granted that walking on the moon was possible. I’m sure my kids will too. I’m grateful for my attention being brought back to this monumental achievement so that I can learn more about it, and more fully appreciate all that went into making it happen. I’m currently listening to the book Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly on audio. (Did you know you can check out e-books and audiobooks for free with your library card? It’s something I’ve been exploring this summer. Visit Camellia Net to try it for yourself.) The book, which was adapted into a movie that was released on Christmas 2016, chronicles the lives and work of four African-American women who contributed to the Space Race as human computers for NASA. I’m looking forward to watching the movie after I finish the book.
There are many ways that you might like to learn about Apollo 11 and the moon for yourself or with your kids this summer. Here are a few ideas:
Read
Countless books are available on the topic of Apollo 11 and the moon. Several are featured at the local libraries this month. If you visit the Lewis Cooper Jr. Memorial Library in Opelika, take your kids to the children’s room and you’ll notice many related books displayed on the tops of the bookshelves. Pick out a few to read together. If you’re interested in Hidden Figures, Cooper Library has copies of the original book, as well as the Young Reader’s Edition (ages 8-12) and a picture book (ages 4-8). You can also borrow the Young Reader’s Edition as an ebook and audiobook on Camellia Net.
Watch
You can watch the entire two and a half hour Apollo 11 moonwalk or a two and a half minute kid-friendly video by National Geographic Kids, both on YouTube. That will probably lead you down a rabbit trail of related videos that could keep you busy for hours! I’m excited to see the Apollo 11 documentary that was released in March. It’s rated G and available at Redbox and online streaming platforms. It includes never-before seen video and audio recordings that have been remastered to deliver a film of incredible quality.
Eat
An obvious moon-themed snack is the Moon Pie. I’m going to try to find the special edition Marshmallow Moon Oreos that have been unveiled for the occasion. You can do this activity with the lunar phases using any type of Oreo. There’s never a bad reason to eat at Full Moon BBQ, and they even have half moon cookies! Astronauts on the Apollo 11 mission were given packets of Tang powder to mix with their drinking water to make it more palatable (you can read the interesting history here). You can also order astronaut ice cream and other foods on Amazon, but they’re pretty pricey! You can achieve the same effect, albeit without the cool packaging, by buying freeze-dried fruits and cereal with marshmallows (which are very similar, if not identical, to astronaut ice cream).
Play
Sign up to participate in the US Space and Rocket Center’s Global Rocket Launch, then check out Pinterest for rocket designs to experiment with. Mix up a batch of two-ingredient Moon Sand. You could put it in a container large enough for your child to step in and have them make a footprint like the astronauts. Here’s another two-ingredient recipe for Moon Dough which forms similarly to Play-Doh, so is less messy than the moon sand, but doesn’t dry out like Play-Doh.
Visit
The US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville is where the Saturn V rocket was developed for Apollo 11’s mission. You can see a real Saturn V rocket on site, along with the lunar rover, and you’ll be able to see the special Apollo exhibit through December 2019, including daily re-enactments of the moon landing. Anytime is a good time to visit, but there will be an extra buzz of excitement this month with the anniversary celebration! If you can’t make the trip to Huntsville, check out the Coca-Cola Space Science Center in Columbus, GA. They even have a planetarium show featuring Sesame Street characters for the youngest space explorers.
