Space activities and crafts for kids

Rockets, planets, astronauts and stars: space is endlessly fascinating for children. Space activities spark curiosity and make science, math and art exciting. This guide has easy space crafts for kids, solar system activities, moon and star activities, space games, learning ideas by age and free printable space coloring pages.

Space crafts for kids

1. Toilet roll rockets. Paint a toilet roll, add a paper cone on top, fins at the bottom and tissue paper flames.
2. Paper plate planets. Paint paper plates as planets. Add a cardboard ring for Saturn.
3. Solar system mobile. Paint balls or paper circles as the planets and hang them from a coat hanger in order.
4. Constellation cards. Poke holes in black card in the shape of constellations and hold them up to the light.
5. Alien puppets. Make silly aliens from paper bags, googly eyes and pipe cleaner antennae.
6. Astronaut helmet. Cut a face hole in a paper bag or box and decorate it.
7. Salt dough moon. Make a moon from salt dough and press in craters.
8. Space coloring. Color the space coloring pages, which include rockets, planets, astronauts and the moon.
9. Shape rocket. Color the shape rocket page and name each shape as you go.
10. Galaxy painting. Sponge dark blue and purple paint on black paper and flick white paint for stars.

Solar system activities for kids

Learn the planets in order

The eight planets, from the sun outwards, are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. A memory sentence helps: "My Very Easy Method Just Speeds Up Naming."

Planet sizes

Use fruit to compare planet sizes: a small pea for Mercury, a big watermelon for Jupiter. Talk about how big the sun is compared with Earth.

Planet distances

Walk out the solar system in a park or long hallway with a toilet roll as a measuring tape, with each sheet a set distance. Children are amazed by how far apart the planets are.

Planet fact cards

Make a card for each planet with a drawing and one fun fact: Mars is red, Jupiter has a giant storm, Saturn has rings, Venus is the hottest planet.

Moon activities

• Track the moon phases. Draw the moon every night for a month and see how its shape changes.
• Oreo moon phases. Scrape the cream from cookies to show each phase.
• Make craters. Drop marbles or small balls into a tray of flour and cocoa and look at the craters.
• Moon walk. Move slowly and bounce like an astronaut on the moon.
• Moon coloring. Color the moon and stars page.

Star activities

• Stargazing. On a clear night, lie on a blanket and look for stars, the moon and constellations.
• Make a star jar. Put glow-in-the-dark stickers in a jar for a night light.
• Star patterns. Connect dots to make your own constellations and give them names.
• Star crafts. Color and cut out star pages for a space display.

Space games for kids

• Countdown launch. Count down from 10 and jump into the air like a rocket. Great for practising counting backwards.
• Planet hop. Write planet names on paper and hop to the one called out.
• Alien hide and seek. Hide toy aliens around the room.
• Space bingo. Use pictures of rockets, planets, stars and astronauts.
• Astronaut training. An obstacle course with "zero gravity" crawling and balance beams.
• Space memory game. Make pairs of space cards, or try the memory game.

Space learning activities

• Day and night. Use a flashlight as the sun and a ball as the Earth to show how the Earth spins.
• Why is the sky dark at night? Talk about the Earth turning away from the sun.
• Gravity experiments. Drop different objects and see which lands first.
• Space math. Count stars, measure rocket drawings and do space-themed sums.
• Astronaut life. Learn how astronauts eat, sleep and exercise in space.
• Write a story. "If I traveled to space, I would..."

Space activities by age

Ages 3 to 5

Rocket crafts, countdown launches, moon walks, simple planet names and coloring space pages.

Ages 6 to 8

Planets in order, moon phase tracking, crater experiments, constellation cards and planet fact cards.

Ages 9 to 12

Solar system distances, gravity experiments, research projects on planets and astronauts, and building model rockets.

A space-themed day

Plan a space day at home or school: start with a rocket craft, do astronaut training outside, eat "space food" (snacks in small bags), make a crater tray, read a space book and end with stargazing or a glow-in-the-dark star jar at bedtime.

Space and STEM

Space is a perfect way into STEM learning. See our STEM activities for kids for more experiments and engineering challenges, and camping activities for kids for stargazing tips.

Space books and stories

Read picture books about astronauts, the moon landing, planets and stars, and non-fiction books with real photos from space. After reading, ask children what they would pack for a trip to the moon or what they would name a new planet. Space stories spark imagination and lead naturally into crafts and writing.

Space in the classroom

A space theme works for every subject: counting down for math, rocket shapes in art, planet facts in science and astronaut stories in writing. Turn a corner of the classroom into a space station with a cardboard rocket, star maps on the wall and a box of space books.

Watching real space events

Look out for meteor showers, full moons, eclipses and the International Space Station passing overhead. Many space agencies share dates and times online. Watching a real event together makes space feel close and exciting.

Frequently asked questions

What are easy space crafts for kids?

Toilet roll rockets, paper plate planets, constellation cards, alien puppets, galaxy painting and space coloring pages.

How do I teach kids the planets?

Use a memory sentence like "My Very Easy Method Just Speeds Up Naming", make planet models and fact cards, and compare planet sizes with fruit.

What space activities can kids do at home?

Track moon phases, make craters in flour, build rockets, play countdown launch games and go stargazing on clear nights.