Ancient sailors used to navigate by the stars they saw in the sky at night. These early explorers found their way because they knew which clusters of stars shone in the north, south, east, and west. They made up names and stories for these starry grouping that are now called constellations.

Here are some books that you could read together about stars and constellations:

• Zoo in the Sky: A Book of Animal Constellations by Jacquline Mitton
• Once Upon a Starry Night: A Book of Constellations by Jacqueline Mitton
• Glow-in-the-Dark Constellations by C.E. Thompson

Get sheets of black paper and star stickers. If you are doing this activity outside, use rocks to weigh down the corners of your paper so it doesn't blow away. You could also tape the corners down.

Imagine what type of animal or shape you'd like to see in a constellation. Lay out the stars in that shape.