Blast off this October with Space Month at QPL!
Join us for hands-on workshops, live astronomy, cosmic crafts, and stellar fun for all ages. From rockets to robots to real‑time stargazing, our Space Month programming brings the wonders of the galaxy right to your local library.
Drop by a QPL location to pick up a copy of our Space Month brochure—chock‑full of fun activities and fascinating facts about space for kids and teens.
Discover:
- Featured Programs
- Kids from Queens in Conversation with Real‑Life Astronauts!
- More Space Month Programs at QPL
- Recommended Books
- Recommended Resources
Featured Programs
View all Space Month programs on our calendar.
For All Ages
Meet a Nasa Navigator and Analog Astronaut! (Virtual)
Join us for a virtual conversation with Sarah Elizabeth McCandless from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory! Sarah Elizabeth is a navigation engineer who has contributed to thirteen NASA missions exploring our solar system, including Artemis I and II, the Mars Perseverance rover, and Europa Clipper. As a mission navigator, she ensures NASA knows exactly where a spacecraft is and can accurately predict its trajectory for successful orbital insertions or landings on other planets or celestial bodies. In 2024, she also served as an “analog astronaut,” completing a 45‑day simulated mission to Mars. A Q&A will follow the presentation.
Tuesday, October 20, 4pm
Join on MS Teams: queenslib.org/Oct20
Meeting ID: 248 988 711 524 443 (Passcode: c8RH6KU7)
For Early Learners (Ages 0–5) & Families
QPL Playdate: Reach For the Stars (In-Person)
Observe the night sky in our indoor planetarium and explore a sensory playroom filled with hands‑on, out‑of‑this‑world activities, perfect for families and their little stars. This interactive, space‑themed playdate supports bonding, fine-motor development, scientific curiosity, and sensory exploration. Families will also receive at‑home play ideas and giveaways while supplies last.
Wednesday, October 21, 10:30am
Broadway (40-20 Broadway, Astoria)
For Elementary School Children (Ages 6–11) & Families
Star Party with Amateur Astronomers Association (In-Person)
Join an evening Star Party with the Amateur Astronomers Association, NASA Solar System Ambassador Kat Troche, and friends at Poppenhusen Library. Discover the wondrous worlds visible in the night sky, including the moon, stars, and planets. Meet amateur astronomers who can answer your questions about space. Telescopes will be available for public use, but you are welcome to bring your own binoculars.
Thursday, October 22, 6pm
Poppenhusen (121-23 14 Avenue, College Point)
Rain Date: Thursday, October 29, 6pm
For Teens (Ages 13-18)
Design Your Habitat Challenge
SciArt Exchange’s Design Your Habitat program invites students to imagine what it takes to build a true community in space, not just a shelter or a spaceship. Teens will consider real challenges like exposure to radiation and microgravity, then design sustainable space habitats that support both survival (air, water, food, exercise, protection) and thriving (art, play, culture, connection). Students will work with NASA space architecture experts and submit entries of 2D visual art or 30–90 second (or less) videos. Participants will receive a certificate of participation, along with tech gifts, and have their artwork featured on QPL materials. Selected designs will receive cash gift cards!
Register here.
October 5, 8, 13, 15, 20, 22, 27, 29, 4pm
Corona (38-23 104 Street)
October 5, 6, 8, 15, 19, 22, 26, 29, 4pm
East Flushing (196-36 Northern Boulevard)
October 5, 6, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28, 4pm
Elmhurst (86-07 Broadway)
October 5, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28, 4pm
Glen Oaks (256-04 Union Turnpike)
October 5, 8, 13, 15, 20, 22, 27, 29, 4pm
Lefferts (103-34 Lefferts Boulevard)
October 5, 8, 13, 15, 20, 22, 27, 29, 4pm
Woodside (54-22 Skillman Avenue)
Kids from Queens in Conversation with Real‑Life Astronauts!
Last March, Flushing Library was honored to host a livestream with NASA astronauts currently living and working at the International Space Station. Astronauts were asked questions submitted by kids from our locations across Queens.
Astronauts were asked important space-related questions including:
- Does candy taste sweet in space?
- How long does it take for your body to readjust after going back to Earth?
- If you spill liquid accidentally in microgravity, how do you clean it up?
- If you get sick, is there a doctor on the space station?
- Do you have pets on the International Space Station?
Watch this once‑in‑a‑lifetime virtual conversation at: queenslib.org/NASALiveStream
More Space Month Programs at QPL Locations
View all Space Month programs on our calendar.
For all ages
The Sky Tonight with That Planetarium Guy
Friday, October 2, 3:30pm
Bellerose (250-06 Hillside Avenue)
Monday, October 5, 4pm
Forest Hills (108-19 71 Avenue)
Tuesday, October 6, 3:30pm
Windsor Park (79-50 Bell Blvd., Bayside)
Thursday, October 8, 3:30pm
Cambria Heights (218-13 Linden Boulevard)
Tuesday, October 13, 4pm
Elmhurst (86-07 Broadway)
Wednesday, October 14, 3pm
Bay Terrace (18-36 Bell Blvd, Bayside)
Thursday, October 15, 4pm
South Jamaica (108-41 Guy R. Brewer Blvd., Jamaica)
Monday, October 19, 4:30pm
East Elmhurst (95-06 Astoria Boulevard)
Thursday, October 22, 4pm
Sunnyside (43-06 Greenpoint Ave., Long Island City)
Monday, October 26, 4pm
Poppenhusen (121-23 14 Ave., College Point)
Tuesday, October 27, 3pm
Ozone Park (92-24 Rockaway Blvd.)
Wednesday, October 28, 4pm
Queens Village (94-11 217th Street)
Thursday, October 29, 4:15pm
Rosedale (144-20 243 Street)
For ages 6–11
Space! The Cosmos for Kids with Turtle Dance Music
Thursday, October 1, 4pm
Langston Hughes (100‑01 Northern Boulevard, Corona)
Tuesday, October 13, 3:30pm
Richmond Hill (118‑14 Hillside Avenue)
Wednesday, October 14, 3pm
Seaside (116‑15 Rockaway Beach Boulevard)
Thursday, October 15, 3:30pm
North Forest Park (98‑27 Metropolitan Avenue, Forest Hills)
Monday, October 26, 4pm
Howard Beach (92‑06 156 Avenue)
Wednesday, October 28, 4pm
Kew Gardens Hills (72‑33 Vleigh Place, Flushing)
Friday, October 30, 3pm
Flushing (41‑17 Main Street)
Space Technology with Mad Science
Friday, October 9, 3:30pm
Arverne (312 Beach 54 Street)
Thursday, October 15, 4pm
St. Albans (191‑05 Linden Boulevard)
Friday, October 16, 3pm
Far Rockaway (1637 Central Avenue)
Thursday, October 22, 3pm
South Ozone Park (128‑16 Rockaway Boulevard)
Friday, October 23, 3:30pm
North Hills (57‑04 Marathon Parkway, Little Neck)
Living In Space with Mad Science
Monday, October 5, 4pm
Long Island City (37‑44 21 Street)
Wednesday, October 7, 4pm
Hillcrest (187‑05 Union Turnpike Flushing)
Friday, October 16, 3:30pm
Auburndale (25 55 Francis Lewis Boulevard, Flushing)
Space Wars Robotics with Afterschool Collective
Monday, October 5, 3pm
Glendale (78‑60 73 Place)
Wednesday, October 7, 4pm
Bayside (214‑20 Northern Boulevard)
Astronomy & Planetary Science with Afterschool Collective
Thursday, October 8, 3:30pm
Jackson Heights (35‑51 81 Street)
Monday, October 19, 3pm
Whitestone (151‑10 14 Road)
Recommended Books
Recommended Resources
NASA Resources for Youth
- For Kids, Teens, and College Students
Curated hub of hands‑on activities, games, and learning resources designed to engage learners from kindergarten through college in exploring space and STEM.
- STEM Resources
NASA’s Learning Resources Search page is a large, searchable library of STEM activities, lessons, challenges, and educational materials for learners of all ages.
- Trace Space Back to You | Home & City 3
NASA’s Home & City page shows how NASA innovations and spinoff technologies shape everyday life in homes, cities, and communities across the country.
- Kids Clubhouse: Play Games
Play educational games, explore fun science activities, and learn about space through engaging visuals and challenges.
- Search for Spinoffs by NASA
A spinoff is what happens when a NASA solution gets a second job here on Earth — adapting space-grade tech to make our hospitals safer, our cities smarter, and your daily life easier. NASA’s “Search for Spinoffs” game teaches players how NASA research leads to everyday technologies that benefit life on Earth.