Seattle's Child

Your guide to a kid-friendly city

A Parent’s Review: Preschool All-Stars Planetarium Show

The Willard Smith Planetarium's goal is to "inspire a lifelong interest in the science of astronomy," and the Preschool All-Stars show, especially for families with children ages 4 and under, offers an exciting introduction to the stars.

We've always bypassed the planetarium because the posted sign states that children under 4 are not admitted. I was thrilled to discover the planetarium offers a show just for toddlers.

My 3-year-old gasped in wonder when the lights dimmed and stars appeared. Dylan Hooper, who was our presenter, is great with little ones and offers the perfect balance of entertainment and information. He showed the children a real metal dipper and then connected the stars in the sky to show us the Big Dipper constellation.

My daughter was excited when he showed us Ursa Major and Minor, calling them Mama Bear and Baby Bear. Hooper pointed out the man and even the bunny in the moon. We also found the North Star, the constellation Orion, and watched the sun rise.

The planetarium seats 40, so it fills up fast. We went on a Saturday, got in line fifteen minutes early, and were still some of the last people to make it into the presentation.

The Preschool All-Stars show runs for 20 minutes. The Pacific Science Center's other planetarium shows for older kids and adults last 40 minutes or more. The mom next to me was surprised that our presentation was so short, but I though it was the perfect length for antsy little ones. As Hooper explained to me, the pre-school show is less astronomy and more of an exploration of the sky.

As we walked out my daughter exclaimed, "That was fun!" She told her daddy all about the animals in the sky when we got home but was quick to add, "They don't really live up there."

 

IF YOU GO

Where: Pacific Science Center, 200 2nd Ave. N., Seattle. 

When: The Preschool All Star program is offered in the mornings on select weekdays and weekends. Check the planetarium schedule for days and times.

Admission: Free with the price of regular admission. Adults (16 to 64) $14, youth (6 to 15) $9, kids (3 to 5) $7.

Contact: 206-443-2001; www.pacsci.org/planetarium/.


Laura Spruce Wight is a Seattle-area freelance writer and mother of two stargazers. 

About the Author

Laura Spruce Wight