When you look up at the night sky and see all the bright stars, you’re looking at a part of space! Learn more about the universe, the stars, the galaxies, the planets, and more while making fun space-themed crafts this summer!
1. Aluminum Foil Rocket
Supplies:
- A sheet of black paper
- Aluminum foil
- Red tissue paper
- Glue
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Glitter stars (optional)
Directions:
- Sketch a rocket shape on aluminum foil, then cut it out.
- Take a piece of red tissue paper and cut it into two small pieces. Roll the tissue paper so it looks like the rocket’s gas. Tape the tissue paper to the black paper. Make sure to think about how you want to position the rocket before gluing down the tissue paper.
- Once the tissue paper is glued down, glue the aluminum foil rocket to the black paper. Add glitter stars to the sky around the rocket.
Fun Fact: Without the invention of rockets, it would have been impossible to send shuttles, satellites, and even humans, into space!
2. Toilet Paper Rocket
Supplies:
- Construction Paper
- Scissors
- Glue or tape
- Pencil
- Toilet Paper Roll
Directions:
- Cut paper using the length of the toilet paper roll and wrap it around it.
- Cut a circle (2” radius) and wrap it around to make a cone for the top of the rocket. Glue or tape the top of the rocket to the toilet paper roll.
- Cut out 3 small circles to make the windows of the rocket and glue or tape them onto the front of the toilet paper roll, and then cut out two small triangles to make the base of the rocket.
- Make two small cuts at the bottom of the toilet paper (roughly 1” long) and insert the triangles. Cut out squiggly sheets of paper and tape them to the inside of the bottom of the toilet paper roll and fly off into space!
Fun Fact: Rockets differ from jets because they don’t need oxygen to create thrust. This allows them to travel into space where there isn’t any oxygen!
3. Toilet Paper Roll Hubble Space Telescope
Supplies:
- Toilet paper roll
- Aluminum foil
- Popsicle stick or wooden skewer
- Sheet of brown construction paper
- Glue
- Gray maker
- Scissors
Directions:
- Take the toilet paper roll and cut two slits on either side. Color the popsicle stick or skewer with a gray marker.
- Slide the popsicle stick or skewer through the slits.
- Cut strips of aluminum foil and begin wrapping the toilet paper roll. If the aluminum foil does not stick, use glue to keep it in place.
- Cut two 4” x 4” squares out of brown construction paper. Fold the squares in half and glue them on both sides of the popsicle stick or skewer.
Fun Fact: Every 97 minutes, the Hubble Space Telescope completes an orbit around Earth. In its lifetime it has taken over 570,000 photos!
4. Marshmallow Constellation
Supplies:
- Blue or black piece of paper
- Marshmallows
- Toothpicks
- Constellation guide
Directions:
- Start by choosing a constellation to make – we chose the Big Dipper (Ursa Major).
- Then start building! Take a marshmallow and a toothpick and start connecting till you’ve made enough stars that your constellation starts to take shape.
- Decorate your sky however you’d like to add some extra fun to this craft.
Fun Fact: Sometimes, groups of stars seem to form patterns and shapes, called constellations. If you connect the dots with imaginary lines you can see shapes like people and animals.
5. Aluminum Foil Moon
Supplies:
- Aluminum Foil
- Black paper
- Scissors
- Glue
- Glitter stars (optional)
Directions:
- Cut a large circle (approximately 7 inches in diameter) our of aluminum foil.
- Carefully roll the circle into a ball. This creates wrinkles that look like the Moon’s craters.
- Glue the Moon onto the black paper. Add glitter stars to complete the sky.
Fun Fact: Earth’s moon has craters because it doesn’t have an atmosphere to protect it. Meteors and asteroids have crashed into the Moon, creating these large craters.
6. Marbled Galaxy & Planets
Supplies:
- White cardstock paper
- Foam Shaving Cream
- Food Coloring
- Plastic or metal ruler
- Toothpick
- Painters Tape (if needed)
- Plate, baking dish, or cardboard
Directions:
- Spray a nice, thick layer of shaving cream onto plate, baking dish, or cardboard (has to be large enough that your paper will fit inside). Put a few drops of food coloring into the shaving cream. Mix the food coloring into the whipped cream, but don’t over mix! You’ll want a nice swirly pattern. You can add more colors with a toothpick.
- Decide what you’d like to color! You can cut out a circle to make a planet or you can tape stars onto white cardstock to see a pattern. Up to you!
- Then, use your fingers to gently press down the paper so that the surface touches the shaving cream. Don’t leave it in for too long or it’ll get too wet! Gently lift the paper off the shaving cream from one end.
- Take your ruler and scrape the shaving cream off in one sweeping motion, and there’s an amazing galaxy of colors!
Fun fact: We live in a system of planets located in the Milky Way Galaxy. The Milky Way contains hundreds of billions of stars—our Sun included.
Add an adorable mobile to your child’s bedroom or even your classroom and feature the planets and the stars!
Turn Styrofoam eggs into fun rocket ships—perfect for summertime adventuring!
Incorporate coffee filters into a space learning activity with this craft.
10. Moon Rocks
Have you heard of a foaming volcano that you can build, paint, and erupt all from home? Take that idea and make moon rocks!
11. Cupcake Liner & Foam Sticker Space Craft
Cupcake liners + space themed foam stickers = a fun outer space scene.
Create your own constellation flashlight to explore the night sky from your living room.
13. Toy Telescope
Is your child into astronomy? Help them make their very own toy telescope with lots and lots of toilet paper tubes!
If your child is looking for a real rocket ship to travel to the moon or Mars, try building a cardboard rocket first.
15. Moon Mobile
Create a beautiful moon mobile with just a few items you can find around your home.