To get them inspired - and satisfy our own curiosity - we'll be gearing up to attend The Moon, the UK's biggest exhibition to date dedicated to Earth's closest celestial neighbour, at the National Maritime Museum. The exhibition is a celebration of 50 years since NASA's Apollo 11 mission landed the first humans on the moon.
The comprehensive exhibition features over 180 objects from museums across the globe and personal collections, exploring our relationship with the moon from prehistory to the present through a series of artefacts and artwork, and even includes objects that have been to the moon and back.
Kids will get to feel the thrill of the Space Race and those first moon landings, as well as getting up close and personal with lunar meteorites and the “Snoopy Cap” Communications Carrier, worn by astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin during Apollo 11.
The exhibition also includes artworks by Turner, Constable, Ofili and others, exploring our relationship with the moon - as a metaphor for the human condition and through the lenses of gender and nationhood. It will be a walk through history, detailing how the moon used to mark time in religion, navigation and medicine, and how the moon still plays an important role in key festivals like Chinese New Year and Ramadan.
Cool objects like 17th century telescopes, 19th century cameras and remote equipment for space photography and mapping in the 20th century will help bring the exhibition to life, and the exhibition will also explore the ethical implications of travelling to the moon, as well as speculating on what the future of moon travel will look like.
Sounds amazing, right? And yes, it totally counts as the kids' STEM activity for the summer.
What | The Moon exhibition, National Maritime Museum |
Where | National Maritime Museum, Park Row, Greenwich, London , SE10 9NF | MAP |
Nearest tube | Cutty Sark (underground) |
When |
19 Jul 19 – 05 Jan 20, various |
Price | £9 |
Website | Click here to book |