If your kids spend half their time staring up at the stars and asking how far away the moon is, a quiet rainy afternoon is the perfect excuse to bring out the craft supplies. You do not need an engineering background or expensive kits to turn your kitchen table into a launchpad.
These easy space crafts for kids turn everyday trash like cardboard tubes, paper plates, and plastic caps into custom rockets, alien fleets, and glowing planets. Crafting helps young children develop hand strength, introduces simple physics and astronomy concepts, and keeps everyone busy when outdoor play gets rained out. Grab a pair of scissors and a glue stick, and explore these fresh DIY arts and crafts ideas for your next craft afternoon.
1. Toilet paper roll rocket ships
Save your empty cardboard tubes from the recycling bin for this simple craft. Kids can paint the tubes with acrylics, roll construction paper into cones for the top, and glue red or orange tissue paper streamers inside the bottom for fiery thruster tails.
Cut small vertical slits near the bottom of the tube so kids can slide in triangular cardboard fins. This gives the rocket extra balance when standing upright on a desk.
2. Paper plate flying saucer UFOs
Take two paper plates and tape them together rim-to-rim to build a classic rounded spacecraft body.
Coat the plates in silver poster paint, then glue a clear plastic cup upside down on top to serve as the cockpit bubble. Glue a small toy alien inside the cup before sealing it down. You can pull up real space photos and facts from National Geographic Kids while the paint dries.
3. Tin foil astronaut helmets
Cut a rectangular visor hole out of one side of a square cardboard box, then wrap the exterior completely in household aluminum foil.
Let kids stick foam buttons, electrical tape strips, and plastic bottle caps around the opening to build a control module. Your toddler will instantly transform into an astronaut ready for moonwalk adventures!
4. Galaxy slime in a jar
Sensory play gets extra exciting when you mix dark colors and glitter. Combine clear washable glue, a pinch of baking soda, saline contact solution, and dark purple or navy food dye in a bowl until the mixture pulls away from the sides.
Knead in silver glitter and foil star sequins until the slime stretches smoothly. Keep the slime inside a sealed glass jar between play sessions so it does not dry out.
5. Coffee filter solar eclipse crafts
You can explain how solar eclipses work by turning the concept into a hands-on art piece.
Have kids scribble over round white coffee filters with washable markers in shades of blue, purple, and green. Lightly spray the paper with water so the colors bleed together into soft patterns. Once dry, paste a black construction paper circle directly over the center to show how the moon covers the sun during an eclipse.
6. Cardboard box spaceship command center
Save large appliance boxes from your latest delivery instead of flattening them for trash day. Cut a doorway on one side and a small round window on the other to create a cozy capsule space.
Attach paper plates for steering controls, cut up egg cartons to make button panels, and string battery-powered LED lights across the top ceiling. Kids can spend entire afternoons running imaginary missions inside their custom ship.
7. Glow-in-the-dark constellation jar
Turn a glass jar into a bedtime nightlight that throws real star patterns onto the walls.
Unroll a small section of disposable foil pan liner or sturdy foil, then use a push pin to poke small holes matching constellation maps like Ursa Major. Curve the foil along the inner wall of a mason jar and drop a small battery tea light into the bottom.
8. Pool noodle space station
Slice foam pool noodles into two-inch rings with a serrated knife. Set out a bowl of plastic straws, wooden skewers, and toothpicks alongside the foam rings.
Kids can push the straws into the sides of the foam rings to connect multiple sections into complex orbital stations. This building project lets children test balance and structural stability without messing with wet glue or paint.
9. Paper cup countdown rockets
Practice counting backward from ten with a spring-loaded paper craft.
Cut small slits on opposite sides of a paper cup rim, then stretch a rubber band across the bottom opening. Write numbers 10 down to 1 along the sides of a second cup. Slip the elastic cup over the numbered cup, push down, and let go to launch the top cup into the air.
10. Marbled shaving cream planets
You can recreate the atmospheric swirls of gas giants like Jupiter using standard shaving cream and food dye. Spread a layer of white foam across a shallow baking dish, then drop bright liquid food coloring across the top.
Drag a toothpick through the dye to swirl the colors together. Press a circle of heavy cardstock flat into the foam, pull it straight up, and scrape off the leftover cream with a ruler to show the marbled print underneath.
11. Egg carton alien crew
Cut individual cups out of cardboard egg cartons to craft a fleet of extraterrestrial creatures.
Paint each cup section in bright colors like neon green, bright pink, or yellow. Poke pipe cleaners through the top for antennae, then glue cluster groups of googly eyes across the front. You can stock up on washable paints and googly eyes through Crayola.
12. Straw rocket launchers
This quick launch craft takes under five minutes to set up and uses basic kitchen supplies.
Draw a simple two-inch paper rocket onto thick paper and cut it out. Tape a short paper straw section with a sealed top end to the back of your rocket. Slide a wider plastic drink straw inside the paper tube, then blow hard through the straw to launch the rocket across the room.
13. Salt dough meteorites
Mix two cups of flour, one cup of salt, and one cup of water to make a pliable salt dough base. Knead black paint and silver glitter directly into the dough before rolling it into rough, cratered space rocks.
Press glass beads or plastic gems into the dough to look like raw mineral veins. Bake the rocks at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for two hours, or set them on a wire rack to air-dry over two days.
14. Bubble wrap moon paintings
You can recreate the bumpy texture of lunar craters using textured packing materials.
Wrap a small piece of bubble wrap around a small wooden block or paper plate. Paint gray and white tempera paint across the bubble side, then press it firmly onto black construction paper. The circular bubble prints create realistic lunar craters on paper instantly.
15. Bottle cap solar system mobile
Collect plastic caps from milk jugs and juice bottles to build a planetary hanger mobile.
Paint eight caps in different colors and sizes to match the planets in our solar system. Glue yarn to the back of each cap, then tie the strings at varying lengths along a wooden dowel or wire coat hanger. You can check the correct planetary order with your kids on NASA Kids’ Club before hanging your display.
16. Black paper chalk galaxies
Chalk pastels blend easily on dark backgrounds to recreate outer space gas clouds.
Have kids draw spiraling rings using white, pink, purple, and bright blue chalk on heavy black paper. Smudge the lines outward with fingertips or cotton balls to create soft nebula clouds. Lightly coat the finished paper with hairspray to keep the chalk dust from rubbing off later.
17. CD shiny planet ornaments
Re-use scratched CDs or DVDs to make glowing ringed planet decorations.
Cut a small foam craft ball in half, then glue one flat side to the front and the other flat side to the back center of the disc. Paint the center foam ball using craft acrylics while leaving the metallic disc edge bare. The shiny rim catches light when you hang the finished planet in a window.
18. Stained glass tissue paper sun craft
Make a colorful suncatcher to hang in a sunny window.
Cut a thick circle rim out of black construction paper and press a piece of clear self-adhesive contact paper over the frame. Have younger kids press small squares of yellow, red, and orange tissue paper onto the exposed sticky surface until filled. For more window decorating projects, view our step-by-step guide on simple tissue paper techniques.
19. Paper towel roll telescope
Build a long handheld spyglass for evening star watching sessions in the backyard.
Tape two long paper towel tubes together end-to-end with clear packing tape. Wrap the outer tube in silver foil or let kids decorate it using metallic markers and star stickers. Kids can carry their lightweight telescopes on evening walks to target bright stars in the sky.
20. Pop-up astronaut card
Fold a sheet of navy blue cardstock in half to create a folding card base. Make two one-inch slits along the inner folded edge and push the tab inward to form an internal pop-up step.
Glue a paper astronaut cutout onto the front face of the step so the figure pops forward when someone opens the card. Write a simple message inside like “You are outta this world!” to send to friends or family.
21. Rocket footprint keepsake
Turn your child’s footprint into a quick rocket keepsake craft.
Coat the bottom of your child’s foot with red or blue washable tempera paint, then press it firmly upside-down onto cardstock paper. The heel serves as the top nose cone of the rocket while the toe prints look like exhaust flames. Use black markers to draw windows and side fins around the footprint after the paint dries.
22. Foil embossed moon rocks
Gather smooth, flat stones from your yard or neighborhood walking paths. Wrap each stone snugly in aluminum foil, smoothing the metal against the contours of the rock.
Use a blunt pencil tip or wooden toothpick to press dots, crater rings, and lines straight into the foil wrapper without puncturing it. Pressing these details into the foil helps young children build grip control and finger strength.
23. Yarn-wrapped cardboard stars
Cut star shapes out of thick corrugated cardboard boxes. Tape one end of a long strand of yellow or white yarn to the back of a cardboard cutout.
Have your child wind the yarn across and around the points of the star in random directions until the cardboard is covered. Wrapping yarn across cardboard cutouts helps young kids refine their hand-eye coordination.
24. Solar system button canvas
Use spare buttons from sewing kits to create a simple planetary display on canvas.
Paint a small stretched canvas or wooden board with black acrylic paint. Select buttons of different sizes and colors to represent each planet, using a large yellow button for the sun and smaller blue, red, and white buttons for the rest. Glue the buttons in a horizontal row across the canvas to make wall art for a kid’s bedroom.
25. Galaxy sensory bottle
Fill a clean plastic bottle three-quarters full with warm water and clear liquid hand soap. Add a few drops of blue food dye, a tablespoon of silver glitter, and star confetti into the container.
Glue the cap on tightly with hot glue so the liquid stays contained during play. When kids shake the bottle, the glitter floats slowly through the thick liquid. For more screen-free ideas, check out our round-up of summer craft projects for older kids.
Key craft takeaways
- Upcycling saves money: Use items like cardboard tubes, paper plates, and plastic bottles straight from your recycling bin.
- Combines art and science: Pair simple painting projects with outer space facts to answer questions about stars and planets.
- Builds fine motor strength: Scissors practice, yarn wrapping, and button placement help young children develop finger dexterity.
Conclusion
Exploring space with your kids does not require a trip to a museum or specialized kits. These 25 easy space crafts for kids use everyday household items to turn basic materials into rockets, planets, and UFOs right at your kitchen table.
Pick a project from the list, clear off some workspace, and start crafting today.