STREAM Activity: Tinker a Spaceship

3,2,1... Blast off!

Activity best for children ages 4 and up

Tinkering your own spaceship can be a fun and imaginative activity for kids interested in space exploration and science. Today, we will be tinkering a spaceship with materials that can be found around the house.

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Materials:

Glue

Tape

Markers

Paper cups

Scissors

Scrap paper

Aluminum foil

Guiding Questions:

How do you think astronauts communicate with people on Earth while they are in space?

What other materials can you use for your spaceship that can be easily found at home?

Directions

Step 1

Start by gathering your materials for your spaceship!

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Step 2

Next, grab two paper cups and tape the ends of them together to make your spaceship base.

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Step 3

Once you have created the base of your spaceship, take aluminum foil and wrap your cups with it using glue.

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Step 4

Now, grab your scrap paper and cut it into strips. Glue the paper strips to the inside of the bottom cup. This will act as the fire for the bottom of your spaceship to help it launch into space!

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Step 5

Finally, personalize your spaceship with decorations! You can use scrap paper to draw designs, cut them out, and glue them to your rocket.

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Step 6

Your rocket is ready to blast off into outer space!

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Grown Ups-Are you looking for more ways to extend your child’s learning? Check out these extension activities to build upon today’s STREAM activity!

Reading Connections

Pete the Cat: Out of This World by James Dean

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Real World Connections

In Pete the Cat: Out of This World, the author discusses what astronauts are and what they do. It’s a way to introduce young children to space and the roles that an astronaut has when they go to outer space. It teaches young children the importance of sharing, being nice to others, and cleaning up after themselves.