16 Space Printables and Crafts for Kids
Plan a little outer space adventure with these space printables and crafts for kids! From astronauts and handprint rockets to planet activities and puzzles, these ideas make it easy to choose something for a classroom theme, homeschool lesson, or afternoon at home.
You’ll find 16 projects and printable activities below, grouped into hands-on crafts, learning activities, and simple templates. Pick one that catches your child’s eye, or combine a craft with a quieter activity for a space-themed day.
Each project has its own page with the full directions and printable signup. Follow the link in its description to get the free printable for that activity.
Space Crafts for Kids
Gather your coloring supplies, scissors, and glue, then choose an astronaut, rocket, planet, or pretend alien spaceship. Some projects also use a paper bag, cardboard tube, paper plate, or paint, so check the individual instructions before you begin.
1. Build an Astronaut
Our astronaut printable craft lets kids put together their own paper space explorer. It’s a good pick when you want a cutting-and-gluing activity that starts with a printed sheet and a few basic supplies.
Mount the finished astronaut on dark paper and let children draw the view from their imaginary spacecraft. They can name their explorer and tell you where the mission is headed.
2. Paper Bag Astronaut Puppet
Turn a lunch bag into a character for a space adventure with this paper bag astronaut craft. Children build the astronaut’s suit and helmet from paper pieces, then use the finished puppet for pretend play.
This one works well before a storytelling activity. Ask the astronaut what they packed, who is traveling with them, and what they can see outside the spaceship.
3. Toilet Paper Roll Astronaut
Save a cardboard tube for our toilet paper roll astronaut. Paper details transform the tube into a standing figure that kids can add to a tabletop space scene.
Let children make a crew with different suit details, then build a landing site from scrap cardboard. Check the project’s supply list before starting so the small pieces are ready to go.
4. Handprint Rocket Ship
A child’s handprint becomes part of the design in this handprint rocket ship craft. Colored paper, scissors, and glue turn familiar shapes into a bright rocket ready for an imaginary launch.
Have kids choose their own color combinations and name their spacecraft. The finished rockets would make a cheerful group display, especially with a short mission caption beside each one.
5. Rocking Space Crafts
For a paper project with a little movement, try our rocking space craft printables. Kids color and assemble a space design on a folded, rounded base that rocks when gently tapped.
Set the finished crafts on a flat surface and invite children to compare how they move. Keep the tapping gentle, and give the glue time to dry before testing each creation.
6. Rocking UFO
This rocking UFO craft is another moving project, made with colored paper and cardstock. A friendly alien rides above a curved spaceship base, giving kids a character to build a story around.
Choose this version when your child enjoys tracing and assembling paper shapes. Picking the alien’s colors and decorating the saucer leaves plenty of room to make the craft their own.
7. Paper Plate UFO
A paper plate becomes a flying saucer in our paper plate UFO craft. Kids paint the base and add paper details, including an alien pilot, to create their own pretend spacecraft.
Plan for a little drying time between painting and assembly. You can prepare the paper pieces while the plate dries, then bring everything together for a colorful space display.
8. Cut and Paste Solar System Craft
Bring planets into your craft time with this printable solar system craft. Children color, cut out, and assemble the designs, then arrange their finished pieces on a background or classroom display.
Work on one space object at a time for a smaller project, or share the pages among a group. If you arrange the planets together, use a reference to check their order; the craft display isn’t a scale model of the solar system.
Space Printables and Learning Activities
Mix a little reading, writing, counting, or research into your space theme with these printable activities. Choose by your child’s interests and current skills; you can work together whenever they need help.
9. Planet Coloring Pages
Our planet coloring pages are an easy choice for a quieter part of your space theme. Set out coloring supplies and let children choose a planet to decorate while you read a space book together.
For a science connection, look at photographs of the chosen planet before coloring. For an art activity, let kids experiment with their own colors and patterns, then explain their choices.
10. Planet Report Worksheets
Give curious kids a place to collect their discoveries with our planet report worksheets. These are research pages for children to fill in, so pair them with a space book or another reliable source of information.
Choose one subject and a manageable number of prompts to begin. Younger children can tell an adult what they learned, while more confident writers can record their own notes and share a few facts with the group.
11. Astronaut Writing Prompt
What would you do if you could be an astronaut? Our astronaut writing prompt gives children a starting point for imagining a space adventure and putting their ideas into words.
Talk through the mission before writing: where will they go, what will they bring, and what might happen along the way? A short spoken answer, one sentence, or a longer story can all work, depending on the child.
12. Space I Spy Game
For a counting break, set out our space I Spy printable. Kids search for space-themed pictures, count matching objects, and record what they find.
It’s a useful activity to have ready while painted crafts dry or when one child finishes before the others. Encourage children to check one type of object at a time instead of trying to count everything at once.
13. Space Crossword Puzzle
Children who enjoy word puzzles can practice space vocabulary with our space crossword puzzle. Reading the clues and fitting answers into the grid adds a language activity to your astronomy theme.
Work through tricky clues together and use the supporting word bank when needed. Afterward, invite children to choose an unfamiliar word to investigate in a book.
14. Lunar Eclipse Foldout
Explore an astronomy event with our lunar eclipse foldout printable. Cutting and folding turns the pages into an accordion-style activity children can open as they talk through the eclipse sequence.
Pair the foldout with a simple explanation of Earth’s shadow falling on the Moon. Let children retell what happens using their finished booklet, keeping the discussion at a level that suits them.
Space Templates for Creative Projects
These simple outlines are handy when kids want to design their own picture. Combine them with a finished craft, or set out paper scraps and coloring supplies for an open-ended art activity.
15. Moon Templates
Use our moon templates as a starting point for a paper space scene. The crescent outlines work for tracing, coloring, and adding a moon to an astronaut or rocket display.
Children can decorate a moon on its own or combine it with their other finished crafts. For a shared project, give everyone a section of dark background paper and join the scenes together.
16. Sun Templates
Finish a space display with our sun templates. These printable outlines give children a shape to color, paint, or trace onto craft paper before adding it to their project.
Use a larger sun as a focal point for a group display, or choose smaller shapes for individual artwork. If you’re connecting the craft to a lesson, talk about the Sun as the star at the center of our solar system.
How to Choose a Space Activity
For children who enjoy coloring: Start with the planet coloring pages, a moon outline, or a sun template. Offer a few colors at a time and let them decide how to decorate the page.
For children who love making things: Choose a paper astronaut, handprint rocket, or UFO. Help with small pieces as needed, and let children handle the parts they can do comfortably.
For confident readers and writers: Try the crossword, a planet report, or the astronaut writing prompt. These give children a way to use space vocabulary and share what they know.
Put Together a Space-Themed Day
You don’t need to print every activity to make a space day feel special. Begin with a book, make one project, and leave time for children to play with or talk about what they created.
Craft and tell a story: Make an astronaut puppet, then take turns describing its mission. Children can act out the adventure first and write about it afterward.
Learn about a planet: Pick one planet to research, color its picture, and display the artwork beside a few facts. Keep the focus small enough that kids can explain what they learned.
Create a group space display: Let each child contribute a rocket, astronaut, planet, or moon. Add names and short captions so the finished display includes their ideas as well as their artwork.
Tips for Printing and Crafting
Open the printable from the individual project’s signup email and check its printing directions before you start. Print only the pages you need, and make a test copy before preparing materials for a whole group.
Regular paper works well for many coloring and writing activities. Use printer-compatible cardstock when the project calls for a sturdier base, and have an adult help with cutting where needed. Set aside a drying spot for painted and glued projects.
Start with the activity your child is most excited about. Whether they want to make a rocket, investigate a planet, or give an astronaut a new mission, there’s plenty here to keep their space adventure going.
