We’re staying in space this month for another round of out-of-this-world fun. This time, Discovery Place Kids-Rockingham is headed to Mars and you’re invited to take part in our daily science explorations related to the fourth planet from the sun.

The second smallest planet in the solar system, Mars is named for the Roman god of War. It is also sometimes referred to as the Red Planet due to its surface color – a brownish-red hue it gets from being covered in an iron-rich dust.

Join us every day at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. for special Mission to Mars activities ranging from astronaut training to learning about Mars and discovering how we use rovers to explore other planets by practicing coding with robots. You never know what you’ll find yourself launching into during our fun space activities.

This month, we’re also blasting off into a special Countdown to Kindergarten on August 15. This free community event helps prepare rising kindergarteners for their first day of school. At the event, the district’s newest schoolchildren can learn all about healthy snacks, board a school bus, practice scissor safety, check out what a real classroom looks like and much more. Help your child launch into their future at this event from 5-7 p.m.