The Universe According to Kids

By Cameron Crane


This month, Little Pickle Press decided to try something a little different to wrap up our space theme. We figured that since our goal was to teach children about space, it might be fun to let children tell us what they already know about it. Accordingly, I have spent the last few days interviewing and collecting answers from children between the ages of four and eight. Here is what they had to say:

What do you know about the Universe and Outer Space? What’s up there?

Alex (6 years old): “Lots of stars. I like the way they sparkle.”

Ryan (7 years old): “I know that there are seven planets…And I know there are a million thousand stars.”

Matthew (4 years old): “The planet earth. And I don’t know what’s up there. The planet of Universe? That’s it.”

Jack (Almost 8 years old): “Aliens? I think there’s the Sun and Mars and all the moons.”

Jacquelyn (6 years old): “My mom always says ‘Jacquelyn, you’re not the center of the Universe.’ The whole world is the center of the Universe.”

Katie (8 years old): “There’s the solar system. It goes around the Sun.”


Tell me more about the stars. Do you ever wish on a star? What about constellations?

Alex: “I know about constellations. Last night I found a unicorn and a tooth. I lost a tooth last night.”

Ryan: “I know that there are famous contents. No, not contents. What you said. And I only do shooting star wishes. At Echo Lake. There are lots of shooting stars there. What are shooting stars anyway?”

Jacquelyn: “The stars are some of my favorite things that are up there.”

Katie: “There’s so, so, so, so many stars. I like to find them all. I always find more than my sister.”

What about the Planets? What is your favorite planet?

Alex: “Mars is my favorite planet because it is really cool.”

Ryan: “I like Jupiter and Neptune. Is Jupiter the hot one? Actually I like the one with the rings.”

Jacquelyn: “I pretty much like them all.”

Katie: “I like the one that’s blue mostly.”


And the moon?

Alex: “I like when it’s a full moon. Every full moon we get to stay up more late.”

Jack: “We have about five moons.”


What about Aliens? Are they out there?

Alex: “There are aliens. They are in my ‘Learn About Space’ book on the Moon. And they are real pictures. They have green skin. Some have three eyes and some have two. There are also purple and pink. I think there are all different colors.”

Ryan: “Maybe on some planets, and I bet only a few people know. Like the people who discovered the planets. They are the only ones that know.”

Jacquelyn: “Of course there are!”

Katie: “I don’t know because I’ve never seen an Alien up close. Maybe if I saw one up close, I’d know.”


Is there anything else I should know?

Jack: “I think that there are states. Like maybe how on Earth, you know we have states, like Japan? Like Japan and Europe and all those other states, but in Space.”

Ryan: “My birthday is on December 25.”