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Blippi Learns and Plays at NASA! Day 2

Summary

In the second part of this special one-hour video, Blippi blasts off to outer space! As he visits the planets, you and your child will learn some fun facts about each and do some silly movements along with him.

Prepare to watch Part 2 of the video by completing the “Solar System Model” activity with your child. Then, play the video and learn and have fun with Blippi! When the video is over, do the “Human Rover” activity.

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Before the Video:

Solar System Model

What you'll need:

A labeled image of the solar system, like the one below:

Spherical objects of varying sizes, like balls, fruits, or rocks. Alternatively, you might craft spheres from modeling clay.

Activity steps:

1. Introduce the Activity

Remind your child that you’re going to watch a video in which Blippi visits outer space and teaches you about the solar system.

Explain that, to prepare to watch the video, you’ll make a model of the solar system with things you have at home!

2. Make the Model

Together, create a model of the solar system. Try to represent the sun with the biggest object, Mercury with the smallest object, and so on.

3. Reflect

Ask your child if they were surprised by any of the sizes of the planets in relation to each other and the sun. Ask them which planet they think would be the hottest? Coldest? Least heavy?

Explain that you’ll get some answers to these questions in the video.

4. Extend the Activity

You might extend this activity by talking about and modeling the way the planets orbit around the sun.

See Details

During the Video:

Move with Blippi in Outer Space

What you'll need:

The Blippi Learns and Plays at NASA! video. Head to gokidpower.org to access it, and skip ahead to the halfway mark — just after he blasts off into space!
Space to move and get silly.

Activity steps:

1. Introduce the Activity

Invite your child to join you in watching the rest of the special Blippi video about space. Remind them that in this part of the video, you’ll go along with Blippi as he explores the solar system.

Explain that during the video, Blippi will invite you to move your bodies, and you’ll do the movements along with him.

2. Make Room

Find a place that has enough space for both of you to move comfortably.

3. It's Time!

Play the video and do the moves together.

4. Reflect

When the video is over, remind your child that you made a list of questions earlier. Ask if any of their questions were answered in this part of the video.

Ask them if they thought of any new questions while they watched.

5. Talk About Giving Back

Finally, ask your child how it feels knowing that they’ve helped other kids through Kid Power! Do they know what a ready to use therapeutic food packet is? Which local cause did they decide to donate to?

After the Video:

Human Rover

What you'll need:

A large space to move around, outside or inside.
Various objects, the size of an orange or smaller, placed around the large space in random spots.
Various obstacles for your child to avoid, also placed around the large space.
A bowl or bucket.

Activity Steps:

1. Introduce the Activity

Ask your child if they remember what a Mars rover does. If needed, remind them that Mars rovers collect information about the planet so that scientists can study it. Explain that the rovers can collect rock samples and take pictures. Tell your child that sometimes, rovers are able to move on their own and sometimes scientists tell them where to go.

Invite your child to pretend to be a Mars rover! Explain that you’ll be the scientist, and will tell them how to get where they are going. They must follow your directions exactly, to get to the “space rocks” you’ve placed in the area. Once they’ve reached a rock, they need to put it into their bowl or bucket.

2. Rove for Space Rocks

Use verbal directions to guide your child through the space, avoiding obstacles, to collect all of the rocks.

3. Reflect

Ask your child what the most fun part of this activity was, and why.

Then, ask them what the most challenging part was, and why. How did they feel, having to follow the directions you gave them in order to move? What might have made collecting the objects easier?

4. Extend the Activity

You might extend this activity by switching places and inviting your child to be the scientist while you collect rocks!

What Else Can You Do?

The Floor is Lava!

Remind your child that Blippi taught you that there’s lots of lava on Venus, so now you'll play The Floor is Lava! Set up your space in a way that provides places for you and your child to “escape the lava” — be clear about what your child is allowed to stand on and what they aren’t. Move around the space however you like, but when you say “The floor is lava!” you both need to find a place off the ground to stand.

Sink or Float

Remind your child that Blippi taught you that Saturn is so light that it would be able to float in a big bathtub. Fill a container (tub, bowl, sink, etc.) with water and collect a few items that will sink and a few that will float. Along with your child, predict whether each item will sink or float when placed in the water. Slowly place each item, one by one, and talk about whether your predictions were correct!

Make Blippi a Refreshing Drink

Ask your child to think back to Blippi’s time on the planet Mercury. What did he teach you about that planet? Remind them that Mercury is very hot because it’s so close to the sun. It was so hot on Mercury that Blippi needed a cool drink! Invite your child to help you make a refreshing, healthy drink that would be perfect for Blippi’s next trip to Mercury. You can look up recipes online, or make something up together.