BY ALDONA BIRD
Newsroom@DominionPostWV
With the exciting success of NASA’s rover Perseverance landing on Mars this past week, this is the perfect time to engage (with or without kids) in some crafts: Space crafts!
You can do lots of creative projects with a solar system theme, planets, stars or anything galactic.
Solar system mobiles are a great learning and home décor option for all ages. Color paper, foam balls or other circular materials to make planets and hang them in the correct order while learning fun facts about each.
If making slime is up your alley, use dark colors and sparkles to make it space-themed. Or use cardboard boxes to build a play rocket that kids can get into and play astronaut.
There are enough space-themed crafts to fill multiple crafting days. Here are three simple ones to get you started:
Mini launching rockets
These cute little rockets are fun and easy to make.
Materials and tools you’ll need:
- Paper, in various colors or crayons/markers/etc.
- Scissors
- Pencil
- Glue
- Straw (glass or metal reusable straws work just as well as plastic)
Draw your rocket, or elements of it for a layered effect (rockets, wings, window all separate). Each rocket needs two of each element. Decorate — add your own logo, color theme or red and orange ribbons coming out of the rockets to look like flames.
Cut out and glue together along the top and sides, leaving the bottom open in which you can insert your chosen straw. If you are using a glass straw you’ll need a larger opening. The rocket should fit loosely over the straw.
After the glue dries, practice launching rocket by blowing into the opposite end of the straw. You can switch up the design on these to look more like rover Perseverance.
Make enough for the whole family, and have a race to see whose space ship can fly the farthest. Then take the opportunity to learn more about the history of space travel, engineering, astronauts or other related topics.
To keep the space craft theme going, make:
Rocket Bookmarks
Materials needed:
- Colored paper, various colors
- Scissors
- Pencil
Pick one color of paper for the base of the bookmark. This piece should be a square about four inches by four inches.
Fold the base square corner to corner into a triangle, and place the triangle so the fold is toward you (down), with the open corner pointing away (up). Fold one piece of the top corner down, so the tip of the corner lines up with the fold.
Fold one of the bottom corners up, so the new fold is along the edge of the piece folded in the last step. Then fold the top down into the pocket created by the folds. Repeat with the other corner. These folds result in a small square with a pocket, which can be placed over the corner of pages to mark a place.
Over the seam created in making the pocket, glue a rocket (or rover or other space craft) in one colored piece or multiple in layers.
Keep the spacey fun going after dark by making:
- Constellation projectors
- Only a few materials needed:
- Flashlight or directional lamp
- Black craft paper
- Scissors, very small hole punch or nail
- Pencil
Cut circles the size of your flashlight or lamp. Draw a constellation on each, and label them. Use a nail or small hole punch to turn the stars into holes.
Tape the constellation filters over light, and shine at the ceiling.
Doing a science-themed craft can be a great way to have fun or kick off learning.
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