36 Educational Space Activities for Kids

Have fun and teach your kids about the planets, galaxy, and astronauts with three dozen educational space activities for kids.

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Kids and adults love space. There’s something about looking up at the night sky or watching a space shuttle take off that fascinates people. Learning about the other planets in our solar system helps us better understand Earth. And countless books and movies have let us wonder what it would be like to meet aliens or live on a different planet.

We love to encourage curiosity and these educational space activities for kids will do just that. Space is a big subject! Pick a few different activities for a little bit of everything, or several that focus on a more specific subject (like the moon). You’ll find something for everyone to enjoy.

DIY moon sand

Make your own moon sand with this recipe from Honey and Lime.

Solar system snow globe

Use clay to make a tiny solar system snow globe with this idea from Red Ted Art.

Backyard bottle rocket

Pick a sunny day you can spend outdoor testing out STEAM Powered Family’s backyard bottle rocket.

Fizzing moon rocks

Little Bins for Little Hands has a simple science experiment for kids to make fizzing moon rocks.

Coffee filter planets

Grab some coffee filters from your pantry to make these colorful coffee filter planets at Fun-a-Day.

Pipe cleaner constellations

Learn about the stars you can see where you live, them make pipe cleaner constellations at 123 Homeschool for Me.

Astronaut training course

Set up an obstacle course in your backyard like Kitchen Floor Crafts and let your kids practice astronaut training activities.

Space dramatic play

This space dramatic play idea from Early Learning Ideas is so creative! Your kids will love pretending to be astronauts on the International Space Station.

Galaxy glitter jars

Your kids will love making these swirling, sparkly galaxy glitter jars from Fireflies and Mud Pies.

Space yoga

Add a few of these space yoga poses from Pink Oatmeal to your day and get your kids moving (or sitting very still!).

Glue resist moon phases

Glue resist is a fun technique for creating art and Chalk Academy uses it to make the phases of the moon.

Asteroid games

Make a few asteroids like Mama of Littles, then set your kids up to play a few of her creative asteroid games.

Orbiting planets

At Gift of Curiosity, discover a creative technique to teach your kids about how planets orbit the sun.

Water bottle spaceship

Raid the recycling bin to find the perfect materials to build this water bottle spaceship, via Mas and Pas.

Moon rock hunt

Visit Get Your Holiday On to find out how to make your own moon rocks and send your kids on a moon rock hunt – indoor or outside.

Constellation projector

Make a constellation projector that works with a flashlight or your cell phone, via Playground Park Bench.

Comet experiment

Visit Preschool Powol Packets to find out how to do a dry ice experiment to make a comet.

Moon phase mobile

This moon phase mobile from The Artisan Life is gorgeous (but younger kids will need help from adults).

Sun experiment

Kids will love this sun experiment from Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls that teaches them about heat and melting.

Human sundial

Teach your kids about how the sun moves by making a human sundial, via Rhythms of Play.

Suncatcher

This sun-shaped suncatcher craft from Lessons for Little Ones is easy and cute.

DIY telescope

Visit eHow for an easy tutorial to make a DIY telescope with magnifying glasses and craft supplies.

Binary language

NASA has a simple introduction to binary language, the way that we communicate with satellites, rovers, and other space machinery.

Find the ISS

You can spot the International Space Station from your own backyard (depending on weather and light pollution) by using NASA’s Spot the Station tracker to find where it is.

Robotic telescope

Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics has a series of robotic telescopes that you can operate remotely online to look at objects in space and take a photo.

Shooting star spinner

Make a shooting star spinner via Teach Beside Me and let your kids explore kinetic energy.

Mosaic Earth

Let kids practice cutting all the tiny bits of paper to make this mosaic Earth, via Crafts by Amanda.

Make a black hole

Introduce your kids to the science behind black holes by doing this experiment using a plastic cup and an oven at Elemental Science.

Space puppets

These DIY space puppets from Mama Cheaps are too cute.

Constellation geoboard

A geoboard is a simple tool for learning about math that uses pegs and rubber bands. Make this fun constellation geoboard from Babble Dabble Do.

Star sensory bag

Put together a squishy star sensory bag, like Playground Park Bench, and watch how your kids explore.

Planet order

Inspiration Laboratories has a fun idea for how to teach kids the planet order and distance using items you already have at home.

Saturn ring toss

This simple Saturn ring toss game (number 5 on The Spruce) is perfect for getting kids up and moving in the backyard.

Cardboard box shuttle

Turn a big cardboard box into a space shuttle for your kids to travel the stars, via Mama Smiles.

Toilet roll astronaut

Craft a whole set of paper tube toys for pretend play, including a toilet roll astronaut, at Monstamoons.

Paper solar system

The Crafting Chicks share everything you need so your kids can make a paper solar system.

This list of space activities is sure to make learning fun. Plan a space themed day, week, or even a whole summer of space for your backyard summer camp this year.

More fun ideas from Backyard Summer Camp:

• 14 Mindfulness Books for Kids
• 24 Easy Rainbow Crafts for Kids
• 24 Outer Space Books for Kids