Explicitly introducing radio waves and radio astronomical technologies and observing methods can be extremely challenging. Especially when addressing children. We have designed dedicated interactive and playful activities for preschools (aged 3-6) and primary school children (aged 6-12).

These activities focus on specific and simple concepts related to radio astronomy, such as the challenge of observing what is invisible to our eyes, the signal maximization, the mirror accuracy of radio telescopes and the resolution at different wavelengths.

Such concepts are directly experienced, rather than being explained and passively listened to.

Here I will present: 1) “radio treasure hunt” activity, a treasure hunt using radio transmitters and antennas (borrowed from the “fox hunting” of radio amateurs); 2) the “hunting for radio waves”, in which children experiment how different materials (and different accuracies of those) interact with radio waves; 3) the “talking ‘bout resolution” activity in which colored pegs are used to build images at different resolution.

I will also overview the new activity for preschool children “It’s there, though you can’t see it” in which storytelling and personal experience lead are used to make participants experiment how different wavelengths behave as different languages and need different instruments to be revealed and understood.

All activities have been tested and some or also under evaluation for their potential in engaging children with science and its methods.

About Stefania Varano

I am a (radio)astronomer working at the Institute of Radio Astronomy, which is part of the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics. From 2003 to 2005, I attended a Master in Science Communication and the post-grad School for Teacher Training. I am the Public Outreach and Education Officer at the Institute of Radio Astronomy in Bologna since 2005.
I am coordinating the INAF group for Inclusion in Outreach and Education and I am the officer for “equity in access to culture” in the Italian Centre of the Office of Astronomy for Education since 2020. I do research in the field of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and design educational activities and exhibits following its principles: one of these, “Sense the Universe”, has been included in the Inspiring Stars international exhibition.