20 Preschool Space Activities That Are Out of This World - Teaching Expertise (2024)

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20 Preschool Space Activities That Are Out of This World - Teaching Expertise (1)

//byBrittney Hallmark

Many preschoolers want to grow up and explore space by becoming real astronauts! A space preschool theme can be a big hit in your classroom! Space is a great theme to use to be able to include math activities, an art center, science experiments, and imaginative play! Explore these 20 activities when creating your space theme unit and you are sure to find some big hits with your students!

1. Straw Rockets

20 Preschool Space Activities That Are Out of This World - Teaching Expertise (2)

Building these rockets will be almost as much fun as launching them! Printable templates, straws, and markers are all you need for this activity. See how far you can launch your rockets into the air and make it into a friendly competition. You can practice measuring the distance.

Learn more: Artsy Fartsy Mama

2. Moon and Star Math Game

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Counting and matching numbers are great math skills practice. Have small space-themed beads or items for students to count out for each number in the muffin tin.

Learn mroe: JDaniel4's Mom

3. Pattern Block Space Pictures

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Another great space activity that brings in some math is this fun pattern block activity. Build rockets, planets, and astronauts with pattern blocks and templates. Activity ideas with this are many and very easy to prepare. Students can count pattern blocks used after they build each picture.

Learn more: Simple Everyday Mom

4. Astronaut Craft

Paper plate astronaut crafts will be a big hit with your little learners. Space theme activities that teach students about astronauts are great activities to add to your preschool classroom. They will have practice with scissor skills, coloring, and gluing with this activity.

Learn more: Kids Soup

5. Shape Space Rocket

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Provide pre-cut shapes or allow students to cut their own shapes to use when building their shape space rockets. This math activity is a great addition to your unit about space. Students can glue their shapes down to build their own rockets.

Learn more: Kids Soup

6. Space Helmets

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No astronaut is complete without their helmets. Students can decorate their own helmets however they choose. Students can use space-themed stickers and glow-in-the-dark stars to add to their helmets.

Learn more: Pre-K Printable Fun

7. Jetpacks

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Creating a jetpack is sure to be a favorite activity in your space-themed unit. Fashion backpacks with water bottles so students can use these in the dramatic play center to see how astronauts feel when wearing their gear.

Learn more: Pre-K Printable Fun

8. Space Puzzles

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Super easy to make and super fun for students to play with, these space puzzles are great for fun and for learning. Use the picture to put the puzzle back together and put the numbers in order to help with the puzzle. Simply print and laminate and cut into strips.

Learn more: Pre-K Printable Fun

9. Space Slime

20 Preschool Space Activities That Are Out of This World - Teaching Expertise (10)

Space slime may be the best slime! Black slime with plenty of added colors, glitter, and star confetti makes for hours of fun for little ones. This is great for sensory play and can be a lot of fun for preschoolers to help in making the slime as well.

Learn more: Living Life and Learning

20 Preschool Space Activities That Are Out of This World - Teaching Expertise (11)

These lacing cards are great practice for little hands. Good for fine motor skills, these lacing cards are planet, sun, and moon themes. Simply print them and laminate for repeated use in centers or independent practice.

Learn more: Gift of Curiosity

11. Craft Stick Rocket

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Coordination skills and fine motor skills are practiced with this cute little craft. Simply color craft sticks, form your rocket ship, and glue them together to make individual rockets.

Learn more: Crafts 4 Toddlers

12. Constellation Cookies

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One of the most amazing ideas for a space-themed unit is to include snacks! Create some cute little constellation cookies and let preschoolers use chocolate chips and sprinkle to build the constellations.

Learn more: No Time for Flash Cards

13. Moon Craters

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Concepts about space can include exploring planets and the moons. Let students explore information about moons and their craters, then give them the chance to make their own moon craters with this hands-on experiment.

Learn more: Welcome to Mommyhood

14. Space Sensory Bin

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Use water beads or black beans to create a space sensory bin for your preschoolers. Add little planets and other small space items, like rockets or space shuttles. Students will have tons of creative and imaginative playtime in this sensory bin.

Learn more: 3 Dinosaurs

15. Toilet Paper Roll Rocket

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Toilet paper tubes are perfect for creating rockets or even space shuttles. Allowing students the creativity to build and decorate their own space ships may make this activity one of the most exciting space crafts in your unit.

Learn more: No Time for Flash Cards

16. Busy Box

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A felt busy box is great for calm downtime. Students will enjoy building scenes from space and creating new adventures for their own little astronauts. You can encourage them to tell the story of their astronauts during circle time to help build communication skills.

Learn more: Teach Me Mommy

17. Telescope

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Little ones will enjoy making their own little telescopes out of toilet paper or paper towel rolls. This fun space activity is great for an art center and the finished product can be used in a dramatic play center. Students can paint, color, and add glitter to decorate!

Learn more: Modern Homestead Mama

18. Space Themed Opposite Match Up

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This is a game preschoolers will love! They will learn as they play. Matching opposites will be a great way to practice vocabulary building for these little learners. The space-themed opposite cards are easy to print and laminate and can be reused for centers.

Learn more: The Wise Owl Factory

19. Space Scissors Practice

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Fine motor skills are important at this age, and this lift-off to outer space practice will be great for independent work at their seats or in centers. Students need a chance to practice using scissors with proper grip and hand placement, and this activity will be ideal!

Learn more: Littles Love Learning

20. Space Sensory Bags

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A little glitter paint in a ziplock bag is a great start to a space-themed sensory bag. You can add letters, stars, suns and moons, and other space-themed items. Sensory bags are great ways to keep little hands busy.

Learn more: Littles Love Learning

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20 Preschool Space Activities That Are Out of This World - Teaching Expertise (2024)

FAQs

What do you teach preschoolers about space? ›

One more great way to teach your preschooler about outer space is to use a telescope. Let them look at the moon and stars and talk about what they are seeing. You can also find planets with a telescope and show them to your child.

How can I make learning about space fun? ›

38 Space Activities for Kids That Are Out of This World
  1. Construct a spinning solar system. ...
  2. Create a space-themed board game. ...
  3. Make a balloon-powered space rover. ...
  4. Make yarn-wrapped planets.
  5. Craft a DIY sundial. ...
  6. Make a model solar system. ...
  7. Snack on the moon phases. ...
  8. Use geoboards to map constellations.
Jun 30, 2023

Why is learning about space important for preschoolers? ›

Learning about the solar system can allow everyone, especially your children, to gain a greater appreciation for the frailness of Earth. Knowing why your planet is extra special and how you can protect that uniqueness helps keep the planet safe and healthy for their generation to live in.

How do you introduce space in preschool? ›

Space-themed sensory bin – A sensory bin is a great way for children to have some hands-on fun while learning about space. Indulge their creativity by including beans, sand, colorful water beads, plastic planet or astronaut toys, metallic stars, and crumpled tinfoil.

What is space explained to preschoolers? ›

'Outer space' begins about 100 km above the Earth, where the shell of air around our planet disappears. With no air to scatter sunlight and produce a blue sky, space appears as a black blanket dotted with stars. Space is usually regarded as being completely empty.

How do you teach preschoolers about personal space? ›

Strategies to try
  1. Use spots on the floor to teach children how to line up or find a space.
  2. Use carpet squares so the children have a physical 'personal area' on the floor.
  3. Use coloured tape or hoops to define personal space visually.
  4. Refer to visual symbols for good lining up, walking or sitting.

How to teach preschoolers about planets? ›

A great way to show this can be by having your child draw the different size planets from the closest to the furthest away from the sun. A sensory activity can also be incorporated into explaining the solar system, by having kids find objects around the house that can represent the size of the planets.

What are the space words for Prek? ›

Words included are astronaut, space shuttle, telescope, meteor, asteroid, satellite, Earth, moon, sun, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus, Venus, and Pluto.

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