My kids went through a bit of space-obsessed phased after we got this book. Since I told them that they are not allowed to go to outer space, their “constellation” prize (hehe) was to do these 3 fun space activities.
Astronaut Glove Box
- Cardboard box
- Exacto knife
- Rubber kitchen gloves
- Hot glue
- Sand
- Rocks. pebbles (got ours on sale at Michaels)
Warning: this might be a little too much effort for a casual afternoon with your own kids, but at a theme party or classroom activity you’re trying to impress people, this would be perfect. In space, they have to examine materials without contaminating them. To replicate this idea, take off the flaps of a cardboard box, cut out 2 armholes and hot glue in rubber kitchen gloves. Dump in sand, rocks, foil, or whatever you have and covering this with plastic wrap. Ask your kids to find specimens and make observations.
Constellations
- Canister (oatmeal container like this works great)
- Black paper
- Thumbtacks / pushpins
Take a canister – like an long oatmeal container – and cut a small hole in the bottom for the flashlight. After removing the center from the plastic rim of the lid, use that to trace and cut out circles from black construction/ card stock paper. Have your kids make constellation designs and then punch holes through the dots with a thumbtack. Put the lids back and head into a dark room. These work surprisingly well and you can switch out as many designs as you want- names, shapes, etc.
Push Light Solar System
- Push lights
- Paints or Paint Pens
- Pipe cleaners
- Large Black foam board (we grabbed ours from Target)
Epic wall decor for your mini space enthusiast. I saw this on Pinterest and actually had these push lights laying around from a project that didn’t happen. Get out your paints- traditional brushes or paint pens work great – to replicate the planet surfaces. Use pipe cleaners for the rings, and stick them on a piece of black cardboard. This makes for a super fun wall hanging and even doubled as a nightlight in Ford’s room for awhile, enjoy!
