Missouri
Missouri & Beyond: Discover Space & Science With Your Grandchild
Program No. 21935RJ
Set out on an adventure of discovery in St. Louis, where you’ll build a rocket, simulate a space mission, learn about constellations and inspire your grandchild to shoot for the stars!
Enroll with Confidence
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Protecting the Environment
We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Learn more
7 days
6 nights
15 meals
6B 4L 5D
2
St. Louis Science Center & Planetarium
St. Charles
3
Play-Well TEKnologies & Learning about Drones
St. Charles
5
St. Louis Arch, Aquarium at Union Station
St. Charles
7
Program Concludes
St. Charles
At a Glance
Become an engineer, an astronaut and a mad scientist all in one week as you and your grandchild take on a mission into outer space and rocket blast-off! Meet and learn from brilliant scientists and teachers at the St. Louis Science Center — one of the top four in the country — the Challenger Learning Center, McDonnell Planetarium and Boeing Headquarters. Zoom into space and explore the solar system in the St. Louis sky. Build and fly your own drone and compete drone obstacle course. Marvel at the engineering feat and spectacular views from the top of the St. Louis Arch.
Activity Level
On Your Feet
A great deal of walking and standing will be required at field study locations. A minimum of 1-2 miles per day of walking will be required. Plan on getting on and off a bus several times each day.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Enjoy a simulated space mission at the Challenger Learning Center.
- Spend a day with drones and compete in a drone obstacle course.
- Marvel at the engineering feat and spectacular views from the top of the St. Louis Arch.
- Spend the day exploring the Aquarium at Union Station
- Build and launch your own rockets.
General Notes
Program is for grandchildren ages 9-11. For a program for younger grandchildren (ages 6-8), check out "A Scientific World of Discovery With Your Younger Grandchild" (#22895).
Suggested Reading List
(12 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Missouri & Beyond: Discover Space & Science With Your Grandchild
Program Number: 21935
Into the Blue, American Writers on Aviation and Spaceflight
The dizzying story of America’s journey into the skies, told through the eyes of luminaries, writers and air flight pioneers. Corn draws together such gems of aviation history as a dispatch from Ernest Hemingway on a 1922 flight over France and Benjamin Franklin's impressions of the first hot air balloons.
Images of America: St. Charles
This Missouri city began humbly when a French Canadian fur trader built a cabin on the Missouri River in 1769. He named the settlement Les Petites Cotes (the little hills). St. Charles has seen much excitement over the years, including a visit by Lewis and Clark and a number of devastating natural disasters.
Moon Handbook St. Louis
A no-nonsense practical guide in the Moon series, jam-packed not only with travel necessities (hotels, restaurants, sights), but also with a good overview of history, flora and fauna and geology.
The Gateway Arch: A Biography
A St. Louis icon and a stunning memorial to westward expansion, the Arch triumphantly rises 630 feet over the city and attracts millions of tourist every year. Campbell reveals the history of the monument, dispelling myths and shining new light on the origins and meaning of the Arch.
What Was the Lewis and Clark Expedition?
An illustrated chapter book about the infamous journey that Meriwether Lewis and William Clark took from St. Louis, Missouri to the Pacific Ocean.
Women Aviators
From Amelia Earhart to Sally Ride, these remarkable women defied tradition and took to the air in planes, rockets and spaceships. With hundreds of archival photographs, these profiles capture the thrill and derring-do of early flight.
History of Flight Coloring Book
Forty-seven illustrations inspired by the history of flight -- all ready for coloring! Includes the Spirit of St. Louis, the Concorde, space shuttles, the Wright Brothers’ craft and more. Each image is paired with a detailed caption.
How to Be a Space Explorer: Your Out-Of-This-World Adventure
Lonely Planet’s fun and engaging guide teaches young explorers everything they need to know about space travel, from zero gravity to solar system navigation. Features more than 300 photographs; perfect for any aspiring astronaut.
Flight, 100 Years of Aviation
A sweeping compendium of a century worth of experiments in flight, this big book features engaging text, rigorous attention to detail, miniature biographies of key figures and a comprehensive history of humanity's quest to become airborne. Produced in association with the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum.
Who Were the Wright Brothers?
An illustrated biography of aviation pioneers the Wright Brothers. Written for ages 8 to 12.
St. Charles (Then and Now)
Settled in 1769, St. Charles is an example of historic preservation -- though by the 1960s many of the buildings had deteriorated. Prompted by the restorations of the first state capitol property and the efforts of dedicated citizens the area underwent a period of revitalization and restoration. Through photos, both old and new, readers will see the city of St. Charles as it was and is now. In June of 1970 the Main Street Historic District was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Everything Kids' Science Experiments Book
Using common household items, kids can recreate dozens of fun and educational science experiments, covering fields from biology to chemistry and physics to outer space. Experiments answer questions such as: can you blow up a balloon without blowing into it? What is inside a coin? Can a magnet ever be "turned off"?
