(Chelsea Update would like to thank Meg Gower for the information in this story.)
The Chelsea PTO Elementary Science Night will be held at the Washington Street Education Center on Friday, Feb. 22 from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
As 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing, many of the activities and displays will have an astronomy focus.
The event is geared toward children ages 4-11 but includes hands-on activities that families with all ages will enjoy. Visitors can make a lunar rover, take a walk on the moon, learn about the first dogs in space, or go on a scavenger hunt with their smart phones to discover all the planets in the building.
Activities for visitors with special needs will be highlighted this year. As one example, the Chelsea District Library is creating a set of 3D astronomical images for tactile identification. Visitors to Science Night will be able to feel the various phases of the moon. Library network administrator, Melanie Bell, is also using their printing technology to create 3D images generated from robotic computer images produced by the Skynet Junior Scholars, an afterschool astronomy program offered at the library.
In an effort to reach out to all, there will also be one area of activities with lower lighting and sound for visitors with these sensitivities.
Other Science Night presenters include Imagine Planet from Jackson, the Eddy Discovery Center, Chelsea Robotics Teams, Chelsea Girl Scout troops, and Bella the reading dog.
The Chelsea Children’s Cooperative Preschool will host a series of tables with hands-on activities for the youngest visitors.
Finally, an inflatable Skylab planetarium will be on site offering consecutive sky-viewing programs throughout the evening. The planetarium is made possible with generous funding from the Kiwanis Club of Chelsea.
With all these choices, the 2019 Science Night promises to be an out-of-this-world experience.
Organizers are still looking for volunteers to help set up, tear down, and donate materials. Please follow the Sign-Up-Genius link to help: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0a44a4ac22a6fa7-science
