May the Fourth Be With You
A long time ago in a galaxy far. far away (or maybe right this moment on this planet in this community), the Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum invites you to play and learn and celebrate all things Star Wars! Today, we will discover what Stormtroopers do in quarantine, make a Stormtrooper bowling game, learn to speak Wookiee, exercise and train like a Jedi, and channel the Force for our own good and the good of those around us. Below are activities that all have a Star Wars theme. These activities include things that will help your child develop fine and gross motor skills, problem-solving and engineering skills, and can help them engage in cooperative play, while fostering creativity and perseverance. Each theme also comes with recommended literature and movie connections. Feel free to throw in your own activities that might relate, and don’t forget to post your results to social media and tag @discoverymuse to share with everyone else!
Art/Fine Motor Activity: Bowl Over the Dark Side
For this activity, you’ll need:
- 10 toilet paper rolls (or 5 paper towel rolls cut in half)
- Stormtrooper cut out heads (you can use ours or make your own)
- Scissors
- Glue or glue sticks
- Thermal detonator (aka small ball)
Directions
- Either print out 10 small Stormtrooper heads using the pattern below or draw your own.
- Cut out the heads.
- Glue the heads to each of your 10 tubes.
- Once the glue dries, find a nice flat and smooth surface to make your bowling surface.
- Set up your Stormtrooper legion so that 4 tubes are in the back row, 3 tubes in the next row, 2 tubes in the next row, and 1 tube front and center. They should make a nice triangle.
- Take your thermal detonator (ball) and roll it to knock down the dark side.
- May the force be with you as you bowl against the Dark Side.
uughghhhgh raaaaaahhgh huuguughghg huuguughghg– Learn a New Language!
Practice learning a new language today! Can you master these simple phrases in Wookiee? Try counting to 10. Use the images below or these Wookiee translator pages to master at least 3 conversational phrases. And remember, if you’re ever playing a game of chess with a Wookiee, LET THE WOOKIEE WIN!
STEAM Challenge: What Can You Build Today?
May the Force be with you as you take on this STEAM challenge. Gather up your blocks, legos, or recyclable materials. What kind of ship can you build? Will you build an X-Wing Fighter, a Tie-Fighter, an AT-AT Walker, the Millennium Falcon, or a Star Destroyer? Maybe you decide to build your own droid. Whatever you build, take a picture and share it with us on social media @discoverymuse.
Here are some resources to inspire your creations:
Physical Activity: Jedi Training and Yoda Yoga
Get some of those wiggles out while learning a little about how to train like a Jedi and how to practice Yoda Yoga.
Conversation Starters and Research Questions
- Check out IBM’s Science and Star Wars series. You might also investigate Bill Nye explaining Star Wars technology in this short video.
- Did you know that many of the ideas from the movies are rooted in science? What can you learn about artificial intelligence and droids? Or space travel and light speed? Hover crafts and artificial limbs?
- Can you see any of these technologies becoming a part of our lives? Why?
- What’s one thing from the Star Wars universe that you would love to see be real in your world? Why?
Videos and Websites
- Star Wars printables and activities pages
- Star Wars STEM activities for families
- Star Wars resources — everything from Shakespeare to writing to yoga, oh my!
- Star Wars themed STEM activities and video resources for families
Movie/Literature Connection:
Because we know you’re stuck at home with limited access to movies and books, we tried to compile a list that connects to today’s theme that you might already have in your collection or be able to access online. These include:
Movies:
In honor of May the Fourth Be With You Day, we suggest watching all of the Star Wars films. When you’ve worked your way through the adventures of Leia, Han, Luke, R2-D2, C3P0, Chewbacca, Rey, Lando, and more, why not check out the Mandalorian and the Child?
Audiobook: For a little something different, try Ian Doescher’s William Shakespeare’s Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope.
Books:
- Vader’s Little Princess by Jeffrey Archer. This charming read aloud imagines what life would be like if Darth Vader were responsible for raising Leia and Luke.
- Brightly offers a good curated list of Star Wars books for all ages.
- StarWars.com also lists books for all ages.
What do Stormtroopers Do in Quarantine?
To learn more about Happy Trooper (the Stormtrooper featured in this special video made for the Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum), check out his blog at https://happytrooper.com/
