Children’s Museum celebrates Apollo anniversary

 

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11th Launch, the Children’s Museum hosted a Rocket Party as part of their “Stellar Steam Space Camp” on Tuesday where more than 50 children participate this summer.

The museum’s event was part of a global rocket launch organized by the United States Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The center attempted to set a world record Tuesday morning by simultaneously firing 4,923 of 5,000 rockets to commemorate the 50th anniversary.

“We signed up to participate in that and we will be getting a certificate that shows our participation in it and that we will proudly display here in our museum and I will also give copies to all of our little astronauts who were involved in Space Camp this week,” Amy Tygrett, education and experience manager at the Children’s Museum, said. “I think it’s very cool for them to feel like they’re a part of history. It helps bring awareness with the environment and it helps with science and all kinds of other things.”

Tygrett said it is important for children to participate in space events so they can spark their interest in science and engineering while learning the history of rocket launches.

“Today we did activities in their Space Camp where they participated in shuttle repair activity where they wore gloves and went under the water, and it was difficult because that’s what they imagine an astronaut does with their hand in space and things are floating,” Tygrett said. “SpaceX is right there next door to us and it helps bring (rockets) a little closer to them.”

The Rocket Party was part of the Children’s Museum Summer Camps which are hosted every summer Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The purpose of the camps is to spark children’s interest in engineering, math, science and the universe. Children at the camps pretend to be doctors, chefs, astronauts, detectives, scientists, among many others.

“This is a paper rocket, but they’re launching it themselves so it kind of makes it fun and more tangible to them,” Tygrett said. “I’m happy that we’re able to give them a hands-on experience that.”