Buckle up, little astronauts, it’s time to explore outer space!
These creative outer space crafts for kids are a wonderful way to creatively extend your space-themed lessons, but you can make them just for fun as well.
Any kid who loves learning about space will have a blast making these projects.
From simple crafts like marbled planets and pom-pom painted moons for preschoolers, to more advanced crafts like rocket ship origami bookmarks and flying rockets for older kids, you’re going to find the perfect activity for any age.
Many of them are well-suited to the classroom, too, so teachers will want to pin this post to save it for your science lessons on the solar system.
Which one will you start with?
Related: Space Books For Kids
Our paper rocket craft is a blast!
It's an excellent project for kindergarten or elementary-aged kids and is the perfect addition to a space-themed unit study.
Won't a wall full of these rockets look great in your classroom? The template makes this easy to do with a group of kids.
Mix up a batch of galaxy slime in less than 10 minutes using only four ingredients. This gorgeous, sparkly slime is so much fun to stretch, pull, and squish in your hands.
The pom-pom printing technique on this moon craft makes it look like craters on the surface of the moon.
It looks just the way the moon appears in the sky and in pictures. It's even more beautiful when set against a black background with a few bright stars.
Your kids will enjoy hours of play with this outer space project complete with a rocket ship and peg doll astronauts.
Peg dolls are wonderful for pretend play and can last for years!
Preschoolers will enjoy making marbled planets when learning about the solar system.
This is a wonderful low-mess craft for little ones, and each planet will look slightly different but still stunning.
Speaking of aliens, our alien handprint cards are very popular!
They're perfect for giving to friends on their birthdays or to Dad, Mom, or grandparents as a cute little keepsake.
Combine a craft and science lesson into one fun activity with this craft depicting the phases of the moon.
It's a great way for kids to learn all the names of the phases the moon goes through, as well as what those phases look like. Keep this on hand for your science lessons year after year.
It would make an excellent activity for the science classroom, too.
The Little Green Men (aliens) from the Toy Story franchise are some of our favorite characters, and you can't have a roundup of outer space crafts without a few aliens in the mix!
Make these straw rockets for a fun space-themed competition for the kids.
Print, cut, and color the rocket template, and then follow the instructions to create the straw rockets that are propelled by blowing into a straw. See who can launch theirs the highest.
Buzz Lightyear is a familiar character from the popular Toy Story movies, but this is a fun craft for an outer space unit as well. He is, after all, the greatest Space Ranger in the galaxy!
These paper roll rockets are as fun to play with as they are to make. It's a terrific way to recycle cardboard tubes from paper towels and toilet paper rolls.
You don't even need any special materials. As long as you have cardboard tubes, colored paper, scissors, and glue, you're all set!
Pony bead crafts are fun for crafting bracelets and necklaces, but did you know that melting them gives them a completely different look?
Use melted pony beads to create an entire solar system, and hang them from a dowel or curtain rod. It's such fun choosing the different colors to represent each planet.
Make this handprint rocket card for Dad on Father's Day or his birthday.
It's also a great everyday activity for a space unit with that extra special touch of including your kids' handprints in the rocket flames. How creative!
You'll be the coolest mom in town when you make these flying rockets with your kids.
The printable template makes the rocket portion easy, and streamers will look like fire shooting out of the bottom of the rocket as you fly it around in the wind.
Gorgeous watercolor planets are a creative way to learn about and study the planets.
You can make them look realistic or not—it's up to you. The starry background made with a white Sharpie looks stunning.
Practice fine motor skills with these yarn-wrapped planets—what a fantastic way to use some yarn scraps if you have them.
Kids can practice blending chalk pastels to make gorgeous galaxy art.
Study some photos of the galaxy for inspiration, or look at pictures in your favorite books. No two galaxies will look the same!
If you're looking for a 15-minute craft to make with older kids, these rocket corner bookmarks are an excellent choice.
They're perfect for keeping pages in space-themed or sci-fi themed books. The bookmark itself is a basic origami fold, and the rocket is made from the template, so it's simple enough for a wide range of ages.
If you've never watched a space shuttle launch, you really should! Even if you can't watch one in person, watching videos is spectacular as well.
You can feel the excitement when the shuttle launches. And once you're done, make one of these cardboard space shuttle crafts to complete your lesson.
A template is included to make it easier. The kids will be delighted flying their shuttles around the house!
Use a paper plate to create a spiral solar system. In addition to the planets, don't forget the sun, our moon, and lots of pretty stars.
Recreate constellations using pipe cleaners and beads. You need to study some constellation cards (or pictures of constellations) to figure out where to place your star-shaped beads and how to shape the pipe cleaners.
This is a wonderful way to help kids visualize the constellations that aren't always easy to find when looking up at the starry sky.
Don’t forget to pin this list of outer space crafts anytime you want to make an out-of-this-world project with the kids!