Together we explored the autumn equinox, that special moment when day and night are equal.
The children learned that from this day on the nights grow longer and the days shorter, and that at the South Pole a day begins that will last six months without a break. That detail always produces the greatest astonishment — and it is a good gateway to the next question: how can such a thing be possible?
We then discussed how the seasons come about. It all has to do with the Earth's movement around the Sun and the tilt of its axis. Because of that tilt, sometimes we receive more light and warmth and sometimes less — hence the magic of the four seasons. We dwelt on a very widespread confusion, adults included: it is not the distance from the Sun that makes summer, but the angle at which its light reaches us.
The activity was full of curiosities, images and stories that helped the little ones understand how wonderful science is when you look at the world with curious eyes.