November is Aviation History Month. There are so many memorable historical events associated with aviation, so get tweens flying high by celebrating this month-long observance with some great activities to do together. The purpose of these activities is to enforce the history of aviation from the Wright Brothers to the present-day.
Aviation Museums in North America
Taking a trip to a local or nearby aviation museum will be one of the best ways to delve into the history of aviation. These are places where tweens can see actual artifacts of years gone by all the way up to modern-day aviation, including flight suits, navigation tools, and real planes with historical significance. Some of the more popular aviation museums in North America include:
- National Museum of the Air Force – Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
- Air Force Flight Test Center Museum – Edwards Air Force Base, California
- Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum – Washington, DC
- Wright Brothers National Memorial – Manteo, North Carolina (Kitty Hawk)
- Virginia Aviation Museum at the Richmond International Airport (Sandston, VA)
The website, Aviation Museum, offers listings of aviation museums located all over North America. There is at least one museum located in every state.
Aviation Websites That are Kid-Friendly
Can't get to a museum anytime soon? Here are some great websites that teach kids all about aviation history. Some have online and printable activities that kids can interact with. To find these websites, simply type in the name as listed below into a search engine, and the site with the exact same name should be listed at the top of the page results.
Aviation for Kids: This site offers history of aviation, projects for kids to complete based on aerodynamics, links to flight simulators, as well as online games.
AvScholars – Kids: Here tweens can find links to all sorts of neat things having to do with aviation, including puzzles, hands-on experiments, contests to enter, and much more. One thing to remember is that each link takes the visitor to a new website.
Kids in Flight Aviation: This site has a brief history of aviation, including pictures. Tweens can also visit "The Hangar" where there are flying facts, flying games, and a chance to ask an actual pilot a question.
People have been fascinated with the idea of flight since way back. The Wright Brothers are credited with the first successful flight, and since then people have been flying sky high. Who knows what the future of aviation will bring as time goes on. Perhaps a tween interested in a career in aviation will make some wonderful new breakthrough never thought possible before. It is a great field of study to encourage tweens in. Take time to observe Aviation History Month this November, and see how far it goes.
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Denise Oliveri - Denise has been writing for Suite101 for many years, and enjoys sharing her experiences and knowledge with readers. Her main occupation at ...
