I managed a short observation session yesterday with my two
grandsons, aged 11 and 12.

We were able to start before dark, when the Sun was really low, as
the Moon was on show.  They were amazed at the clarity of the
craters, especially on the terminator, and were quite pleased to
identify, with the help of a large Lunar map, one crater with
several inside it, as Clavius.

Later, a short trip around the stars of Orion, to see if they could
tell the colours, as they were sure before they looked that all stars
were yellow was quite amazing to them.  I hadn't realised that they
already knew that stars distances are measured in light years, and
that the light we see now left long ago in the past. They were duly
impressed with the Orion Nebula, although they had originally
thought that it would be red like the photograph they had seen.

A trip around Taurus to see the clusters of the Hyades and the
Pleiades was a great success, especially when I explained that these
stars had all been formed at the same time, out of the same cloud f
gas.

The crowning glory, and saved for last was Saturn.  I can remember
my own enthusiastic response when I first saw the rings and realised
that I wasn't looking at a photo, but the REAL thing.  Their
realisation was no less than my own. I got as much pleasure seeing
their reactions as I did the first time I saw these things myself.
I thought that you would enjoy this anecdote.
Andria