Children are wildly curious about the world around them, they strive to learn all kinds of practical knowledge and to share it. DIY, or 'do it yourself', is a free online resource that challenges children to learn new skills on a wide-range of topics, from electronics to camping, cooking and even magic!
Each topic, or “skill”, includes a list of challenges designed to teach children the basic techniques. DIY provides ideas and how-to guides to help them complete each activity and earn achievements. The children are then encouraged to share their work with the DIY community, they simply add photos or videos to their profile and show what they've made! For each skill earned the kids are awarded a patch. There are 38 patches to collect, one for each skill.
One of the 38 topics is Astronomy. Astronomers explore the entire universe, from the edge of Earth's atmosphere to the farthest reaches of the space. While professional astronomers use extremely expensive equipment to explore the cosmos, they're not the only people out there, amateurs using much cheaper tools make new discoveries all the time. DIY shows children how to make their own astronomical tools so they can explore outer space for themselves.
To earn the Astronomer skill the children must complete at least three of the 13 challenges. Each activity has a step-by-step guide and needs only the most basic and cheap tools. Hobbyist astronomers can learn how to make a model of the solar system, create a sundial or even launch a near-space rocket!
Watch DIY's animated video to find out exactly how it works or take part yourself! Just go to UNAWE's website and click on the DIY logo.
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