Cultivating children’s interest in astronomy is a goal for professional scientists, planetarium directors, schoolteachers, and astronomy clubs alike. So it’s nice to see when parents are encouraged to get involved in astronomy with their kids. In a recently published article, SmartBean is doing just that.

SmartBean is a web site dedicated to providing parents with excellent K-12 academic resources and news. In honor of the International Year of Astronomy’s Galilean Nights, it published “10 Reasons Your Child Will Love Astronomy.” The article highlights things like the breathtaking views a kid can see through a telescope, the educational but fun way astronomy activities can be incorporated into a child’s life, and the fact that astronomy is constantly changing with new discoveries and research.

I thought the article was a nice jump-start for parents. What do you think? What resources would you recommend for young kids interested in astronomy?