Planning a family spa night is a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with your family. Your hot tub is a great place to gather your family for fun and relaxation any time of the year.
This week, why not do something different for family spa night by planning an evening with the kids to go out and look at the stars.
It can be as simple as taking the time out to pay attention to the mysterious and magical wonders of the universe that are happening right above you, and it can be done together as a family from the warmth and comfort of your hot tub.
From space inspired foods to stellar music and educational games, this guide provides the ideas and inspiration you need to plan a memorable family field trip… to your backyard!
Gather everyone together for a family spa night
Sunset is a good time to get everyone outside and into the hot tub. As the sun is setting and the temperature drops, you’ll all be together, warm and relaxed in your spa.
While you are waiting for the sky to darken, keep the kids entertained with space inspired music and yummy finger foods that will put the moon and stars on everyone’s mind. Light finger foods like the ones listed below are easy to prepare and can be nibbled on before or in between hot tub soaks:
Get Creative with Space Inspired Snacks
- Milky Way and Mars Bars
- Moon Rocks {swiss cheese cubes}
- Black Hole Chocolate {dark chocolate milk}
- Moon Pies
- Krispy Stars {rice crispy treats cut into stars}
Think of the excitement on the kids faces when you surprise them with these tasty snacks on family spa night. They may just want to do this every night!
Enhance the mood with music
Turn up the fun for your family spa night with a playlist of space inspired tunes like Space Oddity by David Bowie, Rocket Man by Elton John, Fly Me to The Moon by Frank Sinatra, which will
spark everyone’s imagination and get your bodies moving in your hot tub.
Check out our space inspired hot tub playlist:
Games to play in the hot tub
When you gather your family together in your hot tub, away from the noise and distractions of technology, you can get back to the basics like good old conversation and old-fashioned fun.
Many ThermoSpas owners have expressed how much they cherish the fun times spent in the hot tub with their family. Check out this recent comment from ThermoSpas owner Michele Anderson:
“We absolutely love our hot tub and are overall very pleased with our purchase. It has become an entertainment center for the kids. They have their friends over and enjoy swimming and playing games in our hot tub. We are very pleased with the Platinum model” — Michelle Anderson
Why not start the evening off by playing a star game that the whole family will get a kick out of? You can teach your kids that getting outside with family in the hot tub can be just as entertaining as playing video games and watching TV.
Here is how you play the Roman Army Test: While you are in your hot tub, look up at the sky around 9pm, and you should be able to see a constellation called The Plough. It’s made up of three stars. The middle star is the one you need to focus on, and it’s called Mizar.
If you keep observing Mizar for several more seconds, you should be able to see a second star appear next to it. This star is called Alcor, and in the Roman times, if you could see this star, you passed the test and were able to become an archer for the Roman Army!
Games like these are ideal for kids of any age, and easy to do any night right from the hot tub. When you are gathered in conversation, you can also use the time as an opportunity to teach the kids a little something about the universe.
Science Fact or Science Fiction?
Now that everyone is relaxed in the spa and you’ve sparked everyone’s interest, entertain and educate them with this easy FACT or FICTION trivia game:
- The brightest planet in the sky is Venus
- One year on Neptune is equal to 165 years on Earth
- The dwarf planet is the new name for Pluto
- In one Sun, you can fit one million Earths
- The Earth is covered by 50% water
- A Stellar Black Hole is formed when two asteroids hit each other
- Helios was the name of the sun in ancient Greek times
- One year on Neptune is 165 Earth years
See the answers at the end of this article.
Moon Mystery
The moon is a great introduction to stargazing, especially for younger children. Since the moon changes about every 7 days, it’s a great activity to do during a weekly family spa night, and the kids will look forward to it every week.
As the moon rises, you can track its progression. About every 7 days, the moon will enter a new phase. You can observe the changes in the moon while at the same time teaching your kids about the solar system.
The first day that you observe the moon from your hot tub, select a house or a tree as a gauge of where the moon is located. Every time you get into your hot tub and look up at the sky. What phase is the moon in now? How does it look different? Make observations about the changes in shape, illumination, and location.
Classic Constellations
Since the ancient cave days, the moon and stars has both mystified and intrigued human beings. Legends and stories have been created in an attempt to explain the large pictures created in the night’s sky.
Observing the sky and identifying constellations still to this day provides an interesting and educational activity for people of all ages.
Getting outside and relaxing in your hot tub provides the perfect opportunity to take some time out to look up at the sky and share some of these mythical stories with your children.
With over 88 identified constellations, meteor showers, shooting stars, and planets; stargazing is a hobby that provides endless hours of free entertainment.
FACT or FICTION Answers:
- FACT
- FACT
- FACT
- FACT
- FICTION: 17% is covered by water
- FICTION: Stellar black holes occur when a huge star collapses onto itself. The collapse causes a
supernova. - FACT
- FACT
More Inspiration
Looking for more ideas or are you interested in throwing a hot tub stargazing party? Visit our Stargazing Pinterest Board for even more ideas.
