Create Your Own Constellation Centerpiece

Help your child tie a string around one of the pencils, then find the middle of the poster board and have him hold his pencil point on that mark.

Stretch the string out and tie it around the second pencil, so that the pencil stands up straight on the poster board without going off the edge.

While holding the string firmly, your child should swing the second pencil around the poster so that it leaves a circular line, making a complete circle.

Have your child cut out the circle with scissors.

Now it’s time to draw constellations. We picked up a couple of books about them at our local library. Have your child pick out his favorite constellations and reproduce them on the poster board using the chalk, and then highlight the stars with the glow-in-the-dark paint. The tube comes with a thin nozzle to make writing and drawing easy. Be sure your child starts in the center of the circle and works his way out toward the edges, so that he doesn't smudge chalk or paint.

Label each group of stars.

If your child makes a mistake, no problem! The chalk erases easily with a finger or eraser.

Encourage your child to add a decorative border to his centerpiece. For example, he can use colored chalk to draw a wavy line. Happy stargazing!