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Astrophysics can be intimidating, but not for a group of kids at the American Museum of Natural History where they're being engaged in rocket design, construction, and take off. It's all part of a week-long Adventures in Science program to inspire curiosity and wonder.

"We bring children in here who don't have the advantage of learning about the natural world in their schools or in their homes and we open that up for them," said American Museum of Natural History Director of Youth Activities Maggie Jacobs.

"It's really important to have an environment in which kids can learn about topics such as physics, astronomy, earth science, the solar system, and to learn about them in a way that isn't abstract," said Adventures in Science Manager Siva Ramakrishnan. "It's really here and now with hands on activities, and with access to scientists and exhibits that make it immediate."

The staff of Adventures in Science believe that kids are never too young to begin learning about the world around them, with courses for kids as young as four years old.

"We keep starting classes earlier and earlier because we're finding that there's new research on cognitive development on young children, even young babies before 12 months are learning a lot about the world around them, and learning about cause and effect and the properties of physical objects," said Jacobs.

Using simple objects, such as paper rockets, helps the students learn about complex ideas. But for these kids, their rockets are far from simple. Hours of designing and construction go into the details of the rockets to secure a successful launch.

"I decreased the drag and the weight, but there's still enough of a lifting surface for it to work, it also has downward facing wings for stability and for stability there are these wings up here, called canards," said program participant Adam Wolfson.

For those involved, learning may be the essence of the program, but enjoyment is the natural result.

"My mom signed me up and I thought it would be pretty interesting, because it's rockets and all building stuff and creativity and I kinda like that a lot too," said program participant Emily Ravinsky.

"Science and astrophysics is something that I'm very interested in and it's something that I've been studying for some time now and when I grow up I want to be a real astrophysicist," said program participant Collin Alexander.

"It's fun because we get to make our own rocket, even if it doesn't seem fun, it is when you do it," said program participant Camille Bourdin.

To learn more about Adventures in Science, visit amnh.org/education. To find out about other science programs in your area and how to get involved, visit connectamillionminds.com.