Space Themed Summer Fun for Kids

I’m always excited to have a few people guest post on the site. Today’s post comes from Mama Smiles a blogger and I have always loved her activities.

Today she has a few great space ones to share with us!

We know a little bit about space, but the wealth of things we still need to discover in our galaxy provide excellent materials for summer play. This is one area of science where kids easily see the potential to grow up and make many new discoveries! Today I’m sharing our favorite space themed activities for kids.’

Fly Away in a Cardboard Space Ship

The next time you get a large, shallow cardboard box, save it! You can turn it into afantastic cardboard space shuttle ready to take the kids on all sorts of adventures! Our version even has a light up dashboard!

But the fancy light up space shuttle was not our only space vehicle. My kids have turned sheets of cardboard lying on the floor into space ships. I love the way they used packing peanuts to create buttons in this cardboard box space ship.

Imagine the Moon

Many people find a man in the moon, or a rabbit, but really the possibilities are as endless as clouds. Hand kids our what do you see in the moon printable and see what they imagine in those faraway craters.

You don’t have to stop at imagining what shapes the moon craters make. If creatures DID live on the moon, what do you think they would look like? How about living creatures on another planet, like Mars?

Sew a felt alien

Now that you’re thinking about what sorts of creatures live in space, it’s time to sew one! Felt is a fantastically easy material for even beginners to hand stitch. It doesn’t fray, and needles glide through the fabric so easily that you can even use a blunt tip needle if you want.

You canuse this felt alien pattern designed by my son, or turn your child’s drawings into their very own custom stuffie.

Make a Paper Rocket

This paper rocket craft is super simple! Roll up one sheet of paper, cut a cone shape out of a second, and you are good to go! A paper towel tube with a paper cone on top also works for this project.

Try Star Gazing

Stay up late one summer night and enjoy the stars in the sky. Check the internet to see if you can schedule your star watch during meteor season. I still remember watching a meteor shower as an eight-year-old. These are summer memories that stick!

Don’t want to keep the kids up during those long summer days? How about visiting a planetarium?

Design a Moon Rover

This is really a twist on our design a truck challenge! Take your favorite construction toy and challenge kids to develop a vehicle that can maneuver around all of the moon craters.

What are your favorite space themed activities for kids?

MaryAnne lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband Mike and their four kids, aged 6, 9, 11, and 13 years old. She blogs about parenting, crafts, education, and family travel at Mama Smiles – Joyful Parenting. Find her book recommendations at Great Family Reads, and toy recommendations at Top Toy Finds. You can also follow MaryAnne on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.

Check out all the Space Printables & Activities on 3 Dinosaurs!

Cassie – 3Dinosaurs.com