The “AstroNuts kids space club” was created in May 2010 by my 11 year-old-son Brett and I.
By the age of 5, Brett was a “systems kid,” always building light and water systems in and around the house, and was very curious about space. We created a mini spaceship cockpit in a storage space under the recreation room stairs where we would meet and read about space adventures and set up some “mission protocols.” That mini-space was expanded with many cardboard boxes and we named it “Space ship Mercury One.” Local kids were always coming over and creating space adventures. It was at that point we created the AstroNuts Kids Space Club.
The mission of the club was to engage the kids’ imaginations with space-related activities in a fun, safe and imagination-based environment. Once a month the “crew” of 20 – both boys and girls, ages 9 to 12 – would meet at our home in Newmarket and be inspired by amazing volunteer space-educators presenting demonstrations on astronomy, rocketry, STEM and all things space. We also have a mystery Skype guest per “mission” as well as field trips to observatories, rocket launch sites and educational science facilities like UTIAS. These kids love science!
The AstroNuts kids space club is not a business, not a for-profit, not a not-for-profit and not a charity…it is just an amazing kids space club.