Tot Talk Constellations Educational Placemat | Star Patterns & Space Facts

We have owned several if these placemats for many, many years, and they are in fantastic shape. It gives us something to talk about as a family, and often research questions that we dont know the answer to. Way better family dinner experience than everyone on a device. Highly recommend.

I dislike the fact that I'm not smart enough to understand it.

The placemat is great. Even adults were looking at it. It got all bent up from shipping, but I took a hair dryer to it and that flattened it out a little bit.

Super fun way to assign seating. Helps keep table clean. These mats are constructed well. The lamination seems to be sufficiently thick ssns durable. Easy to clean.

We love stimulating conversations at our table at night and this has been a neat topic.

Bought this for my son--keeps the counter clean & he loves to read while eating. He especially loves astronomy. Highly recommend.

I am not pleased. The two most obvious clusters of stars that we are able to see from where we live are the Big Dipper and Orion. Neither of these is shown on this placemat! The back of the placemat explains that the Big Dipper is not a "constellation" b/c it is not a big enough cluster of stars. well, I bought this placemat b/c I was trying to point out the Big Dipper to LO and thought it might help her to see it on the placemat. also, dictionary dot com defines "constellation" as: "any of various groups of stars to which definite names have been given, as Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Boötes, Cancer, Orion. b.the section of the heavens occupied by such a group." I think the Big Dipper fits squarely in here. The placemat does show Ursa Major, and the back explains that the Big Dipper is part of Ursa Major. There is no mention at all of Orion. I guess I was educated that the Big Dipper is not a constellation (at least by some definition that didn't make it to dictionary dot com). But my LO is still stuck b/c light pollution near our house prevents us from viewing some of the "true" constellations that are shown on this placemat. This placemat is heavy on the zodiac symbols. It should be marketed as Zodiac Constellations. Unfortuantly, as I assumed that the Big Dipper and Orion would be on here, I did not notice their absence until the placemat was in use and food had spilled on it, thus now I am unable to return. I am so irritated that this may just go to goodwill so I don't have to be pissed off every night at dinner.

My son loves his placemat!! It is made well and easy to clean.