Outer Space Crafts and
Learning Activities

How to Make Crafts Relating to Outer Space, Space Travel Astronomy, and the Planets

Endeavour Space Shuttle Pop Bottle Craft

What you will need: 2-liter pop bottle, white and black duck tape or paint, 110 lb. card stock (Heavy Paper), and glue.

How to Make a Space Shuttle:

1. Print out the patterns onto card stock (Heavy Paper) and cut them out.

Right Wing Pattern, Left Wing Pattern, Tail Fin Pattern, and Engine Patterns

2. Cover the entire bottle with white duck tape or paint it white. Add black tape to the nose and bottom of the shuttle.

3. Fold the tabs back on the dotted lines on the wing patterns. Glue Tab A to the matching strip where it says "Glue Tab A Here" and glue Tab B to the matching strip where it says, "Glue Tab B Here".

4. Glue and then tape the wings to the sides of the shuttle. *Make sure that one of the bumps at the bottom of the bottle is centered between the two wings. This is where you will attach the rudder and one of the engines.

5. Cut a slit in the tail fin pattern where indicated. Fold Tab C and Tab D forward, and then fold the tail fin in half. The tabs should be sticking out on each side of the tail fin pattern. Glue the pattern closed, and then glue the rudder to the shuttle as close to the bottom of the bottle as possible. Tape over the tabs to secure the tail fin.

6. Glue the windshield and windows to the shuttle as shown in the picture above. Glue the United State's logos to the sides of the shuttle just above the wings.

7. To make the engines roll the patterns into cone shapes and glue the sides together. Glue one engine to bottom of the bottle just below the tail fin. Glue the other two engines, side by side, on the opposite side of the bottle.

How to Print or Copy these instructions.

© 2012, Digital by Design, Inc. - See Copyright Information

Printable Space Shuttle Craft for Children

What you will need: White 110 lb. card stock (Heavy Paper), Elmer's No-Wrinkle rubber cement, a low-temp. glue gun, tape, and scissors.

How to Make a Paper Space Shuttle:

Print out all the patterns onto 110 lb. card stock.

Fuselage Pattern, Wing Patterns, Tail Fin Pattern and Orbital Modules, and Main Engine Patterns (Printing Problems?)

Fuselage

1. Cut off the right and left sides of the pattern at the dark lines. Do not cut the top and bottom off.

*Important - The pattern lines do not go all the way to the edge of the paper because printers can not print at the edge, but you do need this part of the pattern. Just extend the lines all the way to the edge. If you aren't sure where they should be use a ruler and draw them out.

2. Cut the dark line between the two As at the top of the pattern.

3. Cut the lines between the grey and black triangles as indicated on the pattern.

4. Fold back the dotted lines on the sides of the As. Bend the pattern back and into a tube shape so that the two A triangles meet and over lap. Glue them together and tape them to secure them.

*Note - To make folding easier and more accurate score the dotted lines with something sharp. To score them trace the lines with a pointed object such as finger nail file, but do not cut through the paper.

5. Place glue on the grey triangles at the top of the page and bring the black triangles over the grey ones so that they cover them completely.

6. Place glue on the grey line at the left-hand side of the pattern that extends all the way down the side. Bring the other side of the pattern over the grey area to make a long tube.

7. Use a black marker to color the tip of the fuselage black.

Wings

1. Cut out the wings and score the folded line with a pointed object.

2. Fold the tabs back. Place glue on the fuselage in the grey area where it says, "Glue Wing Here". Cover the entire area with glue including the edge of the paper where your printer can not print. Stick the wings to the glue and tape them to secure them.

Tail Fin

1. Cut out the tail fin pattern and cut the small line that separates the two tabs where indicated on the pattern.

2. Fold the tabs up and then fold the tail fin in half and glue it closed, but do not glue that tabs closed. You should have a tab sticking out on each side of the tail fin.

3. Place glue on the tabs and glue the tail fin to the top end of the fuselage. The straighter side should be at the bottom .

Orbital Modules

1. Cut out the orbital modules and cut a slit in between the two As where indicated.

2. Fold all the tabs back.

3. Place glue on one of the A tabs and glue the two A tabs together so that one is directly over the other. You will have to roll the pattern slightly to do this.

4. Place glue on the two B tabs and glue them under the side tabs rolling the pattern into a half tube.

5. Place glue on the two side tabs and glue the orbitals onto each side of the rudder so that the open ends are at the bottom of the fuselage.

Engines

1. Cut out the engine patterns, roll them into cone shapes and glue them together overlapping the edges about 1/2".

2. Glue the engines into the bottom of the fuselage using a glue gun. Glue one engine directly below the rudder and the other two side by side behind top engine.

How to Print or Copy these instructions.

© 2007, Digital by Design, Inc. - See Copyright Information

Space Shuttle Links

Space Shuttle Diagrams - http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/history/shuttle-mir/multimedia/diagrams/shuttle/diagram-shuttle.htm

Good Books About Aliens and Outer Space

"We're Off to Look for Aliens " by Colin McNaughton

A comical book written from a child's perspective about his author/illustrator dad who writes a book about aliens and is apprehensive about what his sons will think about his newly published book. The illustrations are detailed and funny enhancing the rhyming story within a story. The ending will delight and surprise your children.

The Three Little Aliens and the Big Bad Robot by Margaret McNamara and Mark Fearing

An outer space version of the Three Little Pigs this book will delight young children. Filled with action and adventure with comical and expressive illustrations every child will love this book.

Not only is it entertaining, but it also introduces children to the planets in a delightful way.

Alien and Space Ship Paper Plate Craft for Kids

What you will need: Two large Paper or Styrofoam plates, paper or Styrofoam bowl, paint, sequins, glue, card stock.

How to make a UFO craft:

1. Print out the alien pattern onto card stock color it and cut it out.

2. Glue the two paper plates together, rim to rim. Then glue the bowl upside down to the center of one of the paper plates.

3. If you would like, you can cut a hole at the top of the UFO so you can place aliens in the ship.

4. Paint the space ship with acrylic paints and decorate with sequins.

How to Print or Copy these instructions.

©2003, Digital by Design, Inc. - See Copyright Information

Outer Space UFO Paper Bowl Craft for Kids

What you will need:

Large Paper or Styrofoam bowl

Large Slurpee Lid from 7-Eleven

Acrylic Paint

Card stock (Heavy paper)

Sharpie Markers

How to Make a UFO from a Paper Bbowl:

1. Paint the bowl to look like a space ship.

2. Glue the Slurpee Lid to the top of the bowl as shown in the picture. If you want the top of the space ship to open so you can put aliens in and out of the UFO tape it to the lid only on one side using clear packaging tape.

3. Print out the alien pattern onto card stock color it and cut it out. You can also make your own alien paper dolls of use the pompom aliens below.

How to Print or Copy these instructions.

©2012, Digital by Design, Inc. - See Copyright Information

Pompom Alien Craft

What you will need:

Large and small pompoms, pipe cleaners, wiggly eyes, fun foam pieces, glue, bendable straws, and anything else you can think of to make the aliens.

What to do:

Use your imagination and make the craziest aliens you can think of!

How to Print or Copy these instructions.

©2012, Digital by Design, Inc. - See Copyright Information

Spinning Space Ship Toys

How to make: Glue a Slurpy lid to each side of an CD using a low temp glue Gen. You may want to use two CD's and glue the word sides together so that both sides of the space ship are pretty. Spin them on a flat surface like you would a jack or coin.

How to Print or Copy these instructions.

©2005, Digital by Design, Inc. -*See Copyright Information

Other Alien Activities

Design your own Aliens - Have your children draw pictures of as many different kinds of aliens as they can think of. Have them write descriptions of the aliens they have created.

Make Aliens - Have your children make aliens using pompoms, pipe cleaners, play dough or clay, buttons, sequins, and anything else they can think off.