I N T O S P A C E

Glowing Puffy Paint Moon

BONUS

S NACK

GAME

E X P E R IM EN T S

S T EM

TOY

AR T

Oreo Moon Phases

Solar Sytem Sodoku

Fizzy Moon Rocks

Creating Constelations

Straw Rocket

It's outof thisworld!

Craters * Galaxy Jar

BONUS

SUPPLIES

WHITE PAPER PLATES

FOAM SHAVING CREAM

WHITE GLUE

GLOW IN THE DARK PAINT

PAINTBRUSHES

BOWL AND MIXING UTENSILS

BAKING SODA

WHITE VINEGAR

WATER

BLACK, BLUE, PURPLE

FOOD COLORING

GLITTER

PIPETTE, MEAT BASTER,

SQUEEZE BOTTLE

OREO COOKIES

OR SIMILAR BRAND

PAPER PLATE

MARKER

PLASTIC KNIFE,

FORK, OR SPOON

BAKING FLOUR

COOKING OIL

SMALL ROCKS, MARBLES,

OTHER WEIGHTED OBJECTS

(FOR MAKING CRATERS)

ASTRONAUT FIGURE

ROUND BAKING PAN

COTTON BALLS

(A GOOD BAG FULL)

SILVER GLITTER (A LOT)

ACRYLIC PAINT IN

PURPLES, BLUES, PINKS,

ORANGE

MASON JAR (16 OUNCES)

STRING

BALLOON

TAPE

STRAW

SCISSORS

CLOTHESPIN

BLACK CONSTRUCTION

PAPER OR CARDSTOCK

CHALK MARKERS

STAR STICKERS

HOLE PUNCHER

YARN

FLASHLIGHT

FREE PRINTABLE

CONSTELLATION CARDS

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SPACESPACE

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SUPPLIES:

Black construction paper or cardstock

Chalk markersStar stickers

Hole puncherYarn

FlashlightFree printable

constellation cards

Have you ever stopped and gazed at the stars on a clear dark night? It’s one of my favorite things to do when we have a quiet evening and the conditions cooperate. Between the weather changes and everyone’s schedule, getting outside at the perfect time isn’t always possible. Why not try this easy to print and set up constellation craft and constellation activities. Perfect for space theme for kids!

STEP 1: Download the printable constellation cards and print them out! STEP 2: You can choose to glue or tape each card to a heavyweight piece of black paper for durability. Alternatively, you can have each card laminated.STEP 3: Explore the stars with the one or more of the constellation activities listed below.

Constellation Cards

CONSTELLATION ACTIVITIESMATCHING CONSTELLATIONS

Print off two sets of the constellation cards. I pasted ours on cardstock to make them a bit more

durable. Take turns flipping two over to try to get a match. You can also laminate them!

MAKE YOUR OWN CONSTELLATION

On index cards or paper, draw a constellation card and use star stickers to recreate the constellation.

CONSTELLATION ART

Cut sponges into star shapes. On a piece of black construction paper, dip the sponge into the

paint and stamp the constellation onto the paper. Then, dip a paintbrush into paint and splatter to

create the smaller stars that surround the large stars of the constellation.

FIND THE CONSTELLATION

Head outside on a clear night and try to find as many of the constellations as you can.

CREATE AN INDOOR NIGHT SKY

Using a hole punch, punch out the stars on the constellation cards. Hold them up to a flashlight

and shine the light through the holes. The constellation should appear on the wall. Have people

guess what constellation you are projecting.

MAKE CONSTELLATION LACING CARDS

Print the large individual constellation cards onto cardstock. Using yarn and a child-safe needle,

weave the yarn through the cards to connect the stars to show the constellation.

CONSTELLATION CARDSPRINTABLE CARDS PACK

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Orion

Cepheus

Big Dipper

Leo

Cassiopeia

Lyra

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SUPPLIES:

Oreo cookies or similar brand

Paper plateMarker

Plastic knife, fork, or spoon

Yum! Let’s enjoy a bit of edible astronomy with this Oreo moon phases activity project. Have you ever noticed the changing shape of the moon! Let’s explore how the moon’s shape or moon phases change over the course of the month with a favorite cookie sandwich. Learn the moon phases with this simple moon craft activity and snack. Explore the moon with neat STEM activities all month long.

STEP 1: Open up a pack of cookies and twist 8 cookies carefully apart. STEP 2: Use the edge of a fork to draw a line down the center of the icing, carefully scrape off half the icing, and set onto the top of the plate to begin your first quarter Moon cycle. STEP 3: Work from left to right on your cookie moon cycle, with next being waxing gibbous. Use the fork to draw the line, scrape off the icing, and set on the left of the first quarter Moon. STEP 4: Work your way around: full Moon, waning gibbous, third quarter, waning crescent, new, waning crescent, and back to the first quarter. STEP 5: Once all the Moon’s are on the plate in a circle, carefully draw the Earth in the center with markers. STEP 6: Use a marker or pen to write which Moon phase each cookie represents next to the appropriate Moon cookie model.

Edible Moon Phases

THE SCIENCENEW MOON: A new moon cannot be seen because we are looking at the unlit half of the Moon.

WAXING CRESCENT: This is when the Moon looks like a crescent and gets bigger in size from one

day to the next.

FIRST QUARTER: Half of the lit portion of the Moon is visible.

WAXING GIBBOUS: This occurs when more than half of the lit portion of the Moon can be seen. It

gets bigger in size day by day.

FULL MOON: The entire lit portion of the moon can be seen!

WANING GIBBOUS: This occurs when more than half of the lit portion of the Moon can be seen

but it gets smaller in size day by day.

LAST QUARTER: Half of the lit portion of the Moon is visible.

WANING CRESCENT: This is when the Moon looks like a crescent and gets smaller in size from

one day to the next.

Or

eo C

ooki

e Ph

ases

of

the

Moon

You Need 1 Oreo cookie per phase,

(8 total) 1 Popsicle stick Twist the top off of the Oreo cookie. Using the popsicle stick, scoop off the frosting leaving the correct amount to form each phase of the moon.

SPACESPACE

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SUPPLIES:

Cotton balls (a good bag full)

silver glitter (a lot) acrylic paint in

purples, blues, pinks, orange

mason jar (16 ounces)

STEP 1: Start by mixing a squeeze or two of each color paint into about a cup of water.

STEP 2: Then add a good handful of cotton balls to the jar.

STEP 3: Next, add a teaspoon or two of glitter to the jar.

STEP 4: Now, pour in a layer of the water and paint mixture over the cotton balls. It should be enough for the cotton balls to absorb but not so much that it looks too watery.

STEP 5: Add more glitter!

STEP 6: Repeat the same process but with different colors so that you make layers of the galaxy in the jar until it’s full.

Galaxy in a Jar

GALAXIESA galaxy is a huge collection of gas, dust, and of stars and their solar systems. A galaxy is held together by gravity. Our galaxy, is called “The Milky Way”.

When you look up at stars in the night sky, you’re seeing other stars in the Milky Way. If it’s really dark, far away from lights from cities and houses, you can even see the dusty bands of the Milky Way stretch across the sky.

There are many galaxies besides ours, though. There are so many, we can’t even count them all yet! Some galaxies are spiral-shaped like ours. They have curved arms that make it look like a pinwheel. Other galaxies are smooth and oval shaped. They’re called elliptical galaxies. And there are also galaxies that aren’t spirals or ovals. They have irregular shapes and look like blobs. The light that we see from each of these galaxies comes from the stars inside it.

This galaxy in a jar project is super easy and really cool to look at when you are done! It makes a great decorative addition to your room. Get creative with color and you can never have too much sparkle!

SPACESPACE

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SUPPLIES:

1/2 Cup of Elmer’s Washable PVA Clear Glue or White Glue

1/4-1/2 Cup of Liquid Starch1/2 Cup of Water

Food coloring, confetti, glitter, or other fun mix-ins

Kids love the idea of exploring outer space, so today, we are going to show you how to make galaxy slime with kids. Homemade slime is awesome to play with, and even easier to make than you think! I love how quick and easy this slime is to make. It has an amazing consistency and is ready in less than 5 minutes. Be a slime superhero when you make this slime with your kids. Great for large groups too! Learning how to make slime is our passion!

STEP 1: In a bowl add 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup glue and mix to combine completely.STEP 2: Now’s the time to add color, glitter, or confetti!STEP 3: Pour in 1/4 cup of liquid starch and stir well.STEP 4: Start kneading your slime! It will appear stringy at first but just work it around with your hands and you will notice the consistency change.

SLIME MAKING TIP: The trick with liquid starch slime is to put a few drops of the liquid starch onto your hands before picking up the slime. However, keep in mind that although adding more liquid starch reduces the stickiness, and it will eventually create a stiffer slime.

Galaxy Slime

THE SCIENCEWhat’s the science behind the slime? The borate ions in the slime activator {sodium borate, borax

powder, or boric acid} mixes with the PVA {polyvinyl-acetate} glue and forms this cool stretchy

substance. This is called cross linking!

The glue is a polymer and is made up of long, repeating, and identical strands or molecules. These

molecules with flow past one another keeping the glue in a liquid state.

The addition of water is important to this process. Think about when you leave a gob of glue out,

and you find it hard and rubbery the next day.

When you add the borate ions to the mixture, it starts to connect these long strands together.

They begin to tangle and mix until the substance is less like the liquid you started with and is thick-

er and rubberier like slime!

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Make Moon CratersSUPPLIES:

4 cups of baking flour1/2 cup of cooking oilSmall rocks, marbles,

other weighted objects (for making craters)

Astronaut figure Round baking pan

Kids want to explore places like space, and especially the moon! The astronauts of Apollo 11 landed on the moon on July 20, 1969. I bet they encountered a few moon craters, also known as lunar craters or impact craters. There is even a moon crater named Apollo. To celebrate the moon landing anniversary, why not try this moon crater activity with our easy moon dough recipe. Com-bine with a children’s book about the moon and you add literacy into the learning too! Moon activities are the perfect way to explore space.

STEP 1: Add 4 cups or so of any baking flour to a bowl. This can be made gluten-free if

necessary with gluten-free flour mixture.

STEP 2: Add a 1/2 cup of cooking oil to the flour and mix! Essentially you are making

cloud dough.

STEP 3: Add the mixture to your circular “moon” shaped pan! Get your objects ready for

making moon craters. You can lightly smooth out the surface of the mixture too,

so your craters are more visible.

STEP 4: Making craters is simple and fun. Read more about craters below. To explore

moon craters, have your kids drop a variety of weighted objects onto the surface.

STEP 5: Make sure to enjoy the tactile sensory play aspect of the activity too. Cloud

dough or moon dough is perfect for hands-on play!

THE SCIENCECraters are formed on the lunar surface so they are called lunar craters or impact craters.

The craters are made from asteroids or meteorites that collide with the lunar surface just

like the rocks or marbles in the moon sand you made! The moon does not have the same

atmosphere as we do here on earth, so it is not protected from asteroids or meteorites

hitting the surface. Some characteristics of a crater include loose material that is scattered

around the outside of the depression, a rim around the perimeter, a mostly flat crater

floor, and sloped crater walls.

SPACESPACE

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SUPPLIES:

Baking SodaWhite Vinegar

WaterBlack, blue, purple

food coloringGlitter

Pipette, meat baster, squeeze bottle

There’s no place like the moon or space! Kids love to explore places like space because it’s so mysterious, and beautiful. Have you ever watched the first lunar landing with your kids? It was made by Apollo 11 on July 20, 1969! The men collected samples and brought them back to Earth. Do you think they collected these fizzing moon rocks? Make your own moon rocks for a cool space activity this year.

STEP 1: Add a few cups of baking soda to a bowl. This will be a recipe you play by ear depending on how many moon rocks you want to make!STEP 2: In a separate container color the water as desired. We chose a dark spacey theme. Just remember once it mixes with the baking soda, it won’t be as dark.STEP 3: Slowly add the colored water to the baking soda a little bit at a time. Add a few shakes of glitter if desired.STEP 4: Shape the mixture into your moon rocks. They don’t have to be perfect and can be any size. You can wrap in saran wrap to help keep the shape in the freezer.STEP 5: Let them harden in the freezer for a half hour or more.STEP 6: Put the moon rocks in a baking dish and set out a bowl of white vinegar with a pipette, baster, or squirt bottle.STEP 7: Make them fizz! Using your chosen tool for experimenting, have your kids squirt some vinegar onto a moon rock and observe what happens! Because the moon rocks were frozen, they should last longer during the fizzing step for more fun!

Explore Fizzing Moon Rocks

THE SCIENCEScience doesn’t have to be complicated for young kids. It just needs to get them curious about learning, observing, and exploring. This moon science activity is all about a cool chemical reaction between the baking soda and the vinegar. This is an easy chemistry experiment for kids that is sure to create a love for science.

The baking soda is a base and the vinegar is an acid. When you combine the two, you pro-duce a gas called carbon dioxide. You can see, hear, feel, and smell the chemical reaction. You can also do this with citrus fruits too! Do you know why citrus works? Fruits like lemons, limes, and grapefruits are acidic!

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SUPPLIES:

White paper platesFoam shaving cream

White glueGlow in the dark paint

PaintbrushesBowl and mixing utensils

Every night, you can look up into the sky and notice the changing shape of the moon! So let’s bring the moon indoors with this fun and simple puffy paint moon craft. Make your own glow in the dark puffy paint, with our easy puffy paint recipe. Pair it with a book about the moon for literacy and science, all in one!

STEP 1: In a mixing bowl, measure and add 1 cup of shaving cream.

STEP 2: Using 1/3 cup, fill almost to the top with glue, leaving room for a tablespoon or

so of glow paint and pour the glue mixture into the shaving cream. Mix together

well with a spatula.

STEP 3: Use a paintbrush to paint your homemade glow in the dark puffy paint onto the

paper plates. Leave it to dry overnight. You can even leave spots for craters!

STEP 4: Cut the plates into different Moon phases if desired when they are dry.

STEP 5: Place the Moon in the light, and then bring it into a dark room to watch it glow.

Puffy Paint Moon

THE SCIENCENEW MOON: A new moon cannot be seen because we are looking at the unlit half of the

Moon.

WAXING CRESCENT: This is when the Moon looks like a crescent and gets bigger in size

from one day to the next.

FIRST QUARTER: Half of the lit portion of the Moon is visible.

WAXING GIBBOUS: This occurs when more than half of the lit portion of the Moon can be

seen. It gets bigger in size day by day.

FULL MOON: The entire lit portion of the moon can be seen!

WANING GIBBOUS: This occurs when more than half of the lit portion of the Moon can be

seen but it gets smaller in size day by day.

LAST QUARTER: Half of the lit portion of the Moon is visible.

WANING CRESCENT: This is when the Moon looks like a crescent and gets smaller in size

from one day to the next

MOON PHASES SNACK

MOON ROCKS

MOON CRATERS

GALAXY JAR

CONSTELATIONS

PUFFY PAINT MOON

Outer Space

1

littlebinsforlittlehands.com

Outer Space

1

littlebinsforlittlehands.com

7 6 2 5 4

5 8 3 7

3

7 1 5 8

4 8

2 6 4 1

9 6 2

5

5 8

solar system sudoku

6 9 8 1

6 4 2

5 2

8 3 5

9 3 1

7 4 8 9

5 3

2 7 1 5 6

1 8 9

solar system sudoku

Solutions

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5

6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6

7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9

straw rocket stem challenge

Challenge:

Using the materials and templates, make a straw rocket and

measure how far it flies.

Materials: • plastic drinking straws

• scissors

• tape

• markers (optional)

• printable template

Instructions:

Step 1: To create your rocket, cut out the template items including the base

piece to make the tube and rocket designs to add to the tube. Color if desired.

Step 2: Wrap the rectangle paper template tightly around a pencil the long way

and tape it together. This will be the base tube of the rocket.

Step 3: Remove the paper tube from the pencil. Now, fold over a small portion

of one end of the paper tube to make the nose. Tape it in place.

Step 4: Next, tape one of the rocket designs onto the paper tube making sure

the folded over nose part is covered by your rocket design.

Step 5: Slide the tube of the rocket onto the straw. Take a big breath and blow!

How far does it go?

TIP: You can also try using a squeeze bottle inserted into the end of the straw

instead of blowing into the straw!

straw rocket stem challenge

Extend the Activity:

You can measure and record how far the rocket flies and change the angle you

use to blast it off the straw.

You can also test the length of different rockets! Cut the paper tube template in

half and see how far it flies compared to the longer tube.

How about less weight? Remove your rocket design and blast off just the paper

tube. Does it fly farther? Can you add small fins to it?

Test Angle Rocket Length

Flight #1

Flight #2

Flight #3

Flight #4

Flight #5

straw rocket templates

rocket cut and color

rocket cut and color

rocket cut and color