Next week is World Space Week! From October 4th to 10th there is a global celebration of space science and technology! It’s the perfect time to introduce children in ECEC to the wonders of the universe. This blog post suggests space themed STEAM activities:
Space Themed Tuff Tray
Design and Build Junk Art Space Craft
Activity 1: Space Themed Tuff Tray
Set up an engaging tuff tray activity featuring moon sand and space-themed materials.
Materials Needed:
Moon sand (8 cups of flour + 1 cup of baby oil),
Small space themed toys such as astronauts/spacecraft
Black construction paper
Star stickers or glitter
Aluminium foil
Plastic planets (you could paint small polystyrene balls)
Toy rockets.
Activity Steps:
Prepare the Tray: Line the tuff tray with black construction paper to represent the night sky.
Create the Moon Surface: Spread moon sand evenly across the tray.
Add Stars: Decorate the sky with star stickers or glitter.
Make Craters and Moon Rocks: Use aluminium foil to craft craters and rocks.
Place Space Toys: Arrange astronauts, spacecraft, and rockets on the moon sand.
Add Planets: Position plastic planets around the tray or hang them above for a 3D effect.
STEAM Vocabulary & Questions
Introduce words such as: space, astronaut, moon, sun, star, atmosphere, gravity, space station, crater, meteor, orbit, comet, galaxy, solar system, milky way, universe.
Ask children questions such as:
What would it feel like to fly in a rocket ship?
What would it feel like to walk on the moon?
How long do you think it would take to fly to the moon?
If you were an astronaut where would you fly your rocket ship to?
What do you think you would find there?
Activity 2: Design and Build Junk Art Space Craft
This creative STEAM activity will work really well for preschool and older school age children.
Materials Needed:
Empty cardboard boxes (various sizes)
Toilet paper rolls
Bottle caps
Aluminium foil
Coloured paper
Glue sticks
Tape
Scissors (with adult supervision)
Markers or crayons
Stickers (optional)
Any other recyclable materials (plastic bottles, egg cartons, etc.)
Activity Steps:
Gather Materials: Collect various recyclable materials (you could ask parents to donate dry recycling materials from home). This can include cardboard boxes, toilet paper rolls, bottle caps, and more.
Design the Spacecraft: Encourage the children to think about what their spacecraft will look like. They can draw a simple sketch if they like.
Build the Body: Use a large cardboard box as the main body of the spacecraft. Smaller boxes can be attached to create different sections.
Add Details: Use toilet paper rolls for rocket boosters, bottle caps for buttons, and aluminium foil for shiny parts. Tape or glue these pieces onto the main body.
Decorate: Let the children decorate their spacecraft with coloured paper, markers, crayons, and stickers. They can add windows, control panels, and any other details they imagine.
Create Antennas and Wings: Use straws/pipe cleaners or sticks for antennas and cut out wings from cardboard or coloured paper. Attach these to the spacecraft with tape or glue.
Final Touches: Add any final touches to make the spacecraft unique. Encourage the children to be creative and use their imagination.
Display: Invite parents in to view the children's space themed creations.
STEAM Vocabulary & Questions
Introduce words such as: space, astronaut, space station, orbit, extra-terrestrial, atmosphere, gravity, galaxy, solar system, milky way, universe, orbit, comet, meteor, light years.
Introduce the children to the names of all the planets in our solar system.
Ask the children questions such as:
How many stars do you think are in the sky?
Do you know the name of any other planets in the solar system?
What do you think astronauts do on their journey into space?
What do you think it would be like to live on another planet?
Do you know the names of any other planets in the solar system?
Celebrate World Space Week by sparking curiosity and wonder in young minds. Happy exploring! 🚀🌌
Feel free to share these activities to spread the excitement of space exploration!
About the Author:
Paula's new book "Full STEAM Ahead - Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Maths in Early Childhood Education" is available NOW from Boru Press.
Paula Walshe is a published author, PhD student and Assistant Lecturer in ECE at Dundalk Institute of Technology. Her PhD research focusses on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts and maths) in ECEC.
In 2023 Paula published her first book entitled "Síolta in Practice" which is a guide to implementing Síolta quality standards in ECEC. It is published by Boru Press and is available here.
Paula has also co-founded a Twitter community of practice page and podcast @ECEQualityIrl . You can listen to the most recent ECE Quality Ireland podcast here.
You can contact Paula or learn more about her work here. LinkedIn: Paula Walshe / Twitter: @walshe_paula / Instagram: @digitalearlychildhoodeducator
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