Learning about shapes becomes much more exciting when kids can turn them into something they recognize and love. This easy and fun rocket shape craft has preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten children build a rocket by arranging basic shapes like rectangles, circles, and triangles.

Kids will strengthen shape recognition and explore early math activities through cutting, sorting, and assembling the different shapes. Most can finish this engaging shape craft for kids in about 15 to 25 minutes.

Continue the space themed fun with our collection of rocket activities for kids that encourages learning through hands-on projects and printables.

Promotional collage for an easy rocket ship craft made with basic shapes, including finished examples and assembly steps.

Good To Know

Themes: Space, Rockets, Outer Space, Shapes
Activity: Build a rocket by arranging rectangles, triangles, and circles on a space background
Template: Includes a free printable rocket shape craft template
Ages: Preschool through 1st grade
Time: 15–25 minutes, plus drying time if using paint
Skills: Shape recognition, cutting, gluing, spatial awareness, and fine motor practice

Supplies

Colored cardstock or construction paper
Scissors
Glue stick
Paint (in white, blue, and purple)
Paintbrush
Rocket template (click the “click here to get your freebie” image at the end of the post)

Click here to see our favorite kids’ craft supplies.

Directions

Start by downloading the template and printing it out. Once the template is printed, gather the materials for this fun activity.

Take a piece of black, dark blue, or dark purple paper and paint it like space. To achieve this look, we dipped a small paintbrush in water, then in paint, and tapped the paintbrush. Let the paper dry while you create the rocket.

Hands splattering white paint onto black paper to create a starry background.

Glue the rocket decoration piece to the bottom of the main rocket piece.

Hands attaching a green strip to the bottom of a blue paper rectangle.

Place the window frame in the middle of the rocket and glue it in place.

Hands placing a green circular frame onto the blue rocket body.

Next, guide your child to take the window and glue it in the middle of the frame.

Hands adding a light blue circle inside the green frame to form the rocket window.

Now, help your child to place the side fins at the bottom of the rocket body and glue them to the back of it.

Hands attaching a red triangular fin to the side of the paper rocket.

Attach and glue the middle fin in the middle, bottom of the rocket base.

Hands placing a red triangle at the bottom center of the rocket.

Create the flame by gluing the three orange triangle flames together.

hands gluing the triangle flames together

Position them at the bottom and back of the rocket and glue them in place.

Hands attaching orange paper flames beneath the rocket.

Take the rocket you have created so far and glue it to the dried black paper you painted earlier.

Hands positioning the completed rocket on a black, star-speckled background.

Finally, encourage your child to glue the tip to the top of the rocket base.

Hands attaching a red triangular nose cone to the top of the rocket.

Be sure to check out these space crafts for kids while you’re here! There are so many fun ideas!

Hand holding a blue paper rocket craft with red fins, orange flames, and a circular window.

Two finished paper rocket crafts in green and blue displayed on black star-speckled backgrounds.

Space Children’s Books

First, start with books! They’re great for reading comprehension and vocabulary. Below are some of the most popular space books for kids.

8 Little Planets is a fun space book for the youngest of kids. It has engaging rhyming words and cute illustrations!

On The Launchpad is a simple space-themed book for young children learning how to count! Read it nightly to help them learn!

My First Book of Planets is perfect for children who want to learn more about space.

Two colorful paper rocket crafts made from basic shapes on black, star-speckled backgrounds.

Fun Outer Space Crafts

Rocket Popsicle Stick Craft – Here’s another space rocket craft your kids will love to make! It’s a fun way to use up all of those popsicle sticks you’ve been collecting, and it’s perfect for pretend play. Follow our detailed step-by-step instructions and download our free template to make this space theme craft with your children.

Alien Headband Craft – Have you ever seen a cuter alien before?! Young children will have so much fun making and wearing their alien headbands. They’ll also work on their scissor skills as they cut out the headband shape.With some simple craft supplies and a little creativity, your kids will wear these headbands all day!

Collage of space crafts featuring popsicle-stick rockets, an astronaut, a pink alien headband, and paper rocket puppets.

Astronaut Paper Bag Puppet—This simple activity is a great way to get your young ones excited about space exploration. With just a paper bag and some basic craft materials, they can create their own astronaut puppet. Encourage them to use their imagination and create fun stories and adventures for their puppet to go on!

Rocket Paper Plate Craft – Try making this cool rocket project from a paper plate to add color to your space-themed activities! Display them in your child’s room or the classroom for a fun decoration. Download the free rocket ship template and get crafting!

Space Themed Activities

These space do a dot printables are not only fun for kids to do, but they’ll help with fine motor skills, number identification, and counting! Kids can blast off into space as they dot their way through the planets, rocket ships, and more.

Learn even more shapes with these printable space pattern block mats. These are great independent STEM activities for little ones, and they’ll help them work on their spatial awareness and critical thinking skills.

Collage of space-themed learning activities featuring rocket shape matching, planet dot markers, an astronaut worksheet, and a UFO dot-to-dot page.

These spaceship dot to dot printables are a fun way for kids to practice counting and number sequencing while creating a cool picture! They’ll love seeing each spaceship come together as they connect the dots.

Did you make this activity with your kids or students? We’d love to feature them on our social media!

For a chance to have your child’s project featured, simply snap a picture of the completed project and post it to our Facebook page, email it to us directly by clicking here, or use #simpleeverydaymom on your social media!

4.84 from 6 votes

Rocket Made With Shapes Craft

Author: Sam

Prep Time: 7

Active Time: 10

Total Time: 17

Create a rocket made with shapes! This craft is great for young children learning about shapes or space.

Video

Materials

Instructions

Download the rocket template, print, and cut out the pieces you need.
Take a piece of black, dark blue, or dark purple paper and paint it to look like space. We dipped a small paintbrush in water, then dipped it in paint and tapped the paintbrush to achieve this look. Let the paper dry while you create the rocket.
Glue the rocket decoration piece to the bottom of the main rocket piece.
Place the window frame in the middle of the rocket and glue it in place.
Next, take the window and glue it in the middle of the frame.
Now, place the side fins at the bottom of the rocket body and glue them to the back of it.
Attach and glue the middle fin in the middle, bottom of the rocket base.
Create the flame by gluing the three orange triangle flames together.
Position them at the bottom and back of the rocket and glue them in place.
Take the rocket you have created so far and glue it to the dried black paper you painted earlier.
Finish the rocket by gluing the tip to the top of the rocket base.

Did you make this?

Don’t forget to leave a comment below and make sure to follow on Pinterest, Facebook and TikTok for more!

Free Shape Rocket Template

Illustration of red-handled scissors next to the text "Click here to get your freebie" on a blue background, with a green button below that says "Grab it here."

photograph of found of Simple Everyday Mom, Sam

Meet Sam

Sam is the crafter and founder of Simple Everyday Mom. She has been featured in Oprah Mag, Good Housekeeping, The Spruce Crafts, Country Living, The Bump, and more.

About Sam

4.84 from 6 votes (5 ratings without comment)

29 Comments

Josette says:

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Is there still a free template? 🙂

1. Sam says:
  
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  Yes! All you need to do is click the image at the end of the post that says, “Click Here To Get Your Freebie” and then enter your email in the form, and you’ll get the template link ◡̈
Susan Seamans says:

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Would love to use your free template with my kids.

1. Sam says:
  
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  Of course! All you need to do is click the image at the end of the post that says, “Click Here To Get Your Freebie” and then enter your email in the form, and you’ll get the template link ◡̈
monica says:

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great

1. Sam says:
  
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  Thanks a bunch!
Laura says:

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I can’t seem to see the free template download for the rocket ship. Please help!

1. Kamille - Community Support Assistant says:
  
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  Hi! All you need to do is click the “Click Here To Get Your Freebie” image at the end of the post and then enter your email in the form and the link will be sent to you. Or if you’re already a subscriber, when you enter your email in the form, it’ll automatically redirect you to the download page ◡̈
Karine says:

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Beautiful Rocket.

1. Kamille - Community Support Assistant says:
  
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  Appreciate it!
Susie says:

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awesome idea!

1. Kamille - Community Support Assistant says:
  
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  Thank you!
ergis says:

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Great way to learn about shapes!

1. Kamille - Community Support Assistant says:
  
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  Totally agree! Learning about shapes feels so much more exciting this way.
Diana Vega says:

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Could you please send me the template

1. Sam says:
  
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  Of course! All you need to do is enter your email in the form at the end of this post to have the link sent to you. Once you’ve been confirmed as an email subscriber (by clicking the link in the first email), you simply enter your email in any of the forms and it’ll automatically redirect you to the download page.
Margareth Schulz says:

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Excelente ideia! Gratidão por compartilhar.

LIUYANG says:

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It’s really usefull to learn shapes by kids. love this carft,thank you for shareing.

1. Sam says:
  
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  You’re welcome! I’m glad you like it!
Melissa Gisclair says:

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I would like access to the free rocket shape craft template.

1. Sam says:
  
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  Of course! All you need to do is enter your email in the form at the end of this post to have the link sent to you. Once you’ve been confirmed as an email subscriber (by clicking the link in the first email), you simply enter your email in any of the forms and it’ll automatically redirect you to the download page.
Cindy says:

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Is there no longer a free template?

1. Sam says:
  
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  It is still free. Are you having problems? Since you’re already an email subscriber, all you need to do is enter your email in the form at the end of any post and it’ll automatically redirect you to the download page 🙂
Aaron Lo says:

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Simply amazing
So creative
No question the most wonderful site of crafts
Recommend to others for sure

1. Sam says:
  
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  Wow, thanks so much!
Tameka says:

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I love simple everyday mom ♥️♥️

1. Sam says:
  
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  Awww, thank you!!!
Veronika Melissa Zorrilla Rojas says:

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There is no free templates?

1. Sam says:
  
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  All you need to do is enter your email in the form at the end of the post to have the link sent to you ?