If you are looking for space crafts for kids, this guide is designed to help busy parents bring planets, rockets and stars into hands-on creative play. It is easy to save for a rainy afternoon, a school holiday, a party, a family celebration or a moment when everyone needs a fresh idea.
Use the ideas below as a flexible starting point. You can keep things simple, adapt them for different ages, and choose the options that suit your time, space and supplies. The aim is to make family life feel easier, more playful and a little more inspired.
Start with a theme
Space crafts for kids work beautifully when you choose a simple theme first: rockets, planets, aliens, stars, astronauts or the moon. A clear theme helps children focus their ideas.
Use recycled materials
Cardboard tubes, cereal boxes, foil, bottle tops, paper plates and egg cartons are perfect for space crafts. They are easy to decorate and give children permission to build big.
Add a little science
Craft time can gently introduce ideas about planets, gravity, rockets, shadows or the night sky. Keep the facts simple and let the making stay at the centre of the activity.
Display the finished pieces
Hang planets from string, create a bedroom galaxy wall or line up rockets for a launch countdown. Displaying crafts makes children feel proud of the time they spent creating.
Make the Most of the Ideas
The best space crafts for kids are the ones children want to return to. Keep favourite ideas somewhere easy to find, repeat the ones that work, and change the details when your child is ready for a new challenge. If you are planning for a group, prepare one main idea and one quick backup so the pace stays relaxed.
Helpful Setup Tips
- Choose the idea that fits your time and energy today.
- Gather supplies before inviting children to start.
- Keep instructions short and demonstrate the first step when needed.
- Let children adapt the idea so it feels like their own.
- Take a photo or save the result if it is something they are proud of.
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From telescopes to galaxy jars to moon and sun paper plate crafts, there are lots of galactic themed crafts for your child to have a go at.
Space Crafts for Kids to Make
#1. Make a Telescope
This easy Make a Telescope craft from Highlights.com uses cardboard rolls and your child will have fun making and then using it. Head out after dusk to spot things in the sky, stars, airplanes, satellites — maybe even a shooting star!
Image courtesy of Highlights.com
#2. Toilet Roll Space Rocket
We love this toilet roll craft rocket created by Michelle McInerney aka MollyMoo for Kidsactivities. It’s made with no paint, no mess, takes less than 10 minutes to put together and is then ready to take to the skies in a playroom near you.
Image courtesy of MollyMoo for Kidsactivities
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#3. Straw Rockets
Make these fun straw rockets, you’ll find instructions and a free template for printing on Buggyandbuddy.com. This activity makes a great science exploration and is perfect for the classroom. Kids can compare how different angles of the straw affect the distance the rocket travels or how adding fins or folding the rocket in different ways can affect its flight.
Image courtesy of Buggyandbuddy.com
#4. Galaxy Jar
Isn’t this Galaxy Jar from MomDot.com lovely? It’s easy to make and is a perfect sensory bottle or calm down jar craft that kids and adults alike will love.
Image courtesy of MomDot.com
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#5. Spaceship Port Hole
Make this cute spaceship porthole craft from Funfamilycrafts.com using a paper plate, aluminum foil, some leftover foam, pipe cleaners and your imagination for what’s outside the spaceship!
Image courtesy of Funfamilycrafts.com
#6. Constellation Jar Lamp
This DIY Constellation Jar lamp is easy to make and uses inexpensive materials. Find step by step instructions on Ideas2live4. It would also be a great idea as a nightlight to help kids to get to sleep.
Image courtesy of Ideas2live4
#7. Space Shuttle Craft for Kids
Transform a paper towel roll into your very own rocket ship. Pinkstripeysocks.com talks you through the project and includes a free printable template for the space shuttle parts that you will need to go with the paper towel roll.
Image courtesy of Pinkstripeysocks.com
#8. Puffy Paint Moon
Have fun making a moon with puffy paint, like this one from Creative Family Fun for Rainydaymum. You’ll need some shaving cream and glue and marbles!
Image courtesy of Creativefamilyfun.net for Rainydaymum
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#9. Moon Button Collage
Isn’t this moon button collage from Adventure in a box stunning? We love it and it’s so easy to put together that even young children can help make this craft. Just follow their instructions printing out the template and you’ll obviously need plenty of buttons!
Image courtesy of Adventure-in-a-box.com
#10. Stained Glass Earth Suncatchers
These stained glass Earth suncatchers from Crafts On Sea are lovely. You’ll find the instructions for how to make them, you just need card, contact paper and cellophane.
Image courtesy of Crafts On Sea
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#11. Star Art
This Star art project from Mess for Less is a great one for fine motor skills. There’s a free star template you can print to use and then give your child paint and qtips to make dots with.
Image courtesy of Mess for Less
#12. Handprint Rocket Ship
Isn’t this a cool idea? Use a handprint to make the body of your rocket ship and then add details on like the wings and booster jets. Or for a different version use a footprint for the rocket body.
Images found on Pinterest handprint and footprint
#13. Galaxy Play Dough
Galaxy playdough is really easy to make and so fun. It is super smooth, ultra sparkly, and REALLY stretchy. Recipe and instructions on Growing a Jeweled Rose.
Image courtesy of Growing a Jeweled Rose
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#14. Name Rocket
I absolutely love this idea, your child’s name as the rocket stuck onto construction paper and decorated with stars and glitter. It would make a lovely personalised artwork for their room too.
Image found on Pinterest
#15. Orbiting Planets
This is a cool space craft project for kids, orbiting planets from Busy Bee Kids Crafts, and a great way for kids to learn the planets in our solar system. It uses construction paper and a paper fastener. There’s a free template to print the planets that can be coloured in and stuck to your orbiting wheel.
Image courtesy of Busy Bee Kids Crafts
#16. Astronaut Glove Box
What a fabulously fun idea from Giftofcuriosity.com to make a DIY astronaut glove box which lets kids pretend to be astronauts studying moon rocks.
Image courtesy of Giftofcuriosity.com
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#17. Plastic Lid Solar System
Create a solar system of recycled plastic lid planets, a fun recycled material craft that also teaches kids about our solar system. You’ll find the instructions on Still Playing School.
Image courtesy of Still Playing School
You can listen to the Planets song while you are making it too!
#18. Paper Plate Star Twirler
I love this paper plate start twirler from Red Ted Art. It’s a great space themed craft for a child to make and lovely to hang from a ceiling then. You could use planets instead of the stars.
Image courtesy of Red Ted Art
#19. Paper Mache Planets
Aren’t these paper mache planets cool? You’ll find the paper mache paste recipe and instructions here. NB you will need a couple of days to make this as you have to allow the paper mache to dry and then the paint to dry.
Image courtesy of Instructables
#20. Moon and Sun Paper Plate Craft
This paper plate Moon and Sun craft from Krokotak is so simple yet fun for kids to make and paint. Instruction on the video:
Have your say! Did you try out any of these fun space crafts for kids? Tell us in the comments below.
FAQ Section
What are the best space crafts for kids for families?
The best space crafts for kids are simple to start, flexible for different ages and enjoyable enough that children want to keep going. Choose ideas that match your child’s interests, the time you have available and the space you can use comfortably.
What age group is this space crafts for kids guide best for?
This space crafts for kids guide is useful for families with children who enjoy practical, creative or playful ideas. Many options can be adapted for younger children with help or made more challenging for older children.
How can parents make space crafts for kids easier to use at home?
Parents can make space crafts for kids easier by preparing supplies in advance, keeping instructions short and choosing one idea at a time. It also helps to have a quick backup activity ready in case the first idea finishes faster than expected.
What should families prepare before trying space crafts for kids?
Before trying space crafts for kids, prepare a clear space, any simple materials you need and a rough idea of how long the activity should last. For groups or parties, it is worth setting rules or expectations before everyone begins.
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About the Author: Jill Holtz
