Rocking space crafts (Free Printables)
Blast off into creativity with this space rocking papercraft! This 6-page printable set features fun space-themed designs, including rockets, astronauts, UFOs, and more! Kids will love coloring, cutting, and assembling their craft to create a rocking motion that makes it look like their space creations are floating through the galaxy. A simple, no-prep activity perfect for homeschool, classroom learning, and space-loving kids!
If your little explorer loves space crafts, this rocking space papercraft is the perfect hands-on activity! This printable lets kids color their own space designs, cut them out, and assemble them into a fun rocking craft that moves back and forth when tapped. It’s a great way to combine art, fine motor skill practice, and STEM learning all in one. Whether you’re adding this to a solar system lesson plan, a space-themed party, or just a fun craft time at home, this printable is easy to use and super engaging!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Printable
- 🚀 Creative & Fun – Kids get to color their own rockets, astronauts, and UFOs!
- ✂️ Fine Motor Skill Practice – Cutting, folding, and pasting help with hand-eye coordination.
- 🌠 STEM Learning – The rocking motion introduces balance and motion concepts in a fun way!
- 🎉 Perfect for Any Space-Themed Activity – Great for homeschool, classrooms, or space unit studies.
Materials
- Rocking Space Craft Printables: You can grab all of them for free at the bottom of this post.
- Paper: Regular printer paper works fine, but cardstock makes it sturdier!
- Crayons, Markers, or Colored Pencils: Kids can decorate their space designs however they like.
- Scissors: To carefully cut out the pieces.
- Glue or Tape: To assemble the craft.
The Printable
This rocking space craft printable includes six different space-themed designs, each in black and white for kids to color. Every page features:
✔ A large circular base that folds in half to create the rocking motion.
✔ A space-themed object (rocket, astronaut, UFO, etc.) to paste onto the base.
✔ Easy-to-follow assembly marks for a simple and fun crafting experience.
Instructions
Print the space rocking papercraft pages. All 6 crafts come on pdf file. So you can print them all or go to your printer settings and choose just the page number of the craft you’d like to print to save paper and ink.
Color each piece before cutting them out.
Cut along the outlines of the circle base and the space-themed top piece.
Fold the large circle in half along the dotted line.
Paste the space object onto the folded base, ensuring it’s centered.
Watch it rock! Tap your craft gently and see it sway back and forth like it’s floating in space.
Top Tips
🖨 Print on Cardstock – Makes the rocking effect sturdier and more durable.
🌟 Add Glow-in-the-Dark Accents – Use glow markers to make it extra fun!
📚 Pair with a Space Story – Read a space-themed book before crafting!
🎨 Create a Space Display – Line up all the finished crafts and let them rock together.
Educational Uses and Ideas
This space rocking papercraft is more than just a fun craft—it’s a valuable learning tool that helps children develop essential skills while exploring outer space! Whether used in a homeschool lesson, STEM activity, or creative classroom project, this interactive craft offers numerous educational benefits that make learning exciting.
🌍 Fine Motor Skill Development
Cutting, folding, and gluing are great ways to strengthen hand-eye coordination and dexterity. These activities help young learners develop pre-writing skills, improving their ability to hold pencils, use scissors, and manipulate small objects—all essential for writing and drawing.
✔ Great for preschoolers and early elementary students to practice scissor skills.
✔ Encourages patience and precision when cutting and pasting.
✔ Improves spatial awareness by helping kids understand how to fold and balance objects.
🚀 STEM Concepts in Action
This craft introduces basic physics concepts, helping kids understand balance, motion, and weight distribution. When they gently tap their finished craft and watch it rock back and forth, they’re experimenting with forces in a hands-on way!
✔ Discuss how balance works—if one side is too heavy, the craft may not rock properly!
✔ Introduce the concept of gravity—explain how everything in space is affected by gravity, including astronauts floating in zero gravity.
✔ Encourage problem-solving—have kids adjust their craft’s placement if it doesn’t rock evenly.
🌠 Space Science & Astronomy Learning
This is a great addition to any space unit study! Use this craft as a fun extension to lessons about rockets, astronauts, and space exploration.
✔ Talk about how rockets work and why they need powerful engines to escape Earth’s gravity.
✔ Discuss astronauts and space travel—ask kids, “What do astronauts do in space?” and “What would you bring on a space trip?”
✔ Use the UFO or alien craft as a storytelling prompt—let kids imagine an alien world and describe what it might look like!
📖 Literacy & Storytelling Activities
This craft can easily be integrated into literacy lessons to encourage writing, storytelling, and creative thinking.
✔ Have kids write a short story about their astronaut, rocket, or alien character.
✔ Ask open-ended questions like “Where is your rocket going?” or “What does your astronaut see in space?”
✔ Pair the craft with a space-themed book like There’s No Place Like Space! or How to Catch a Star for a full learning experience.
🎨 Creative & Artistic Expression
Encourage kids to think creatively by letting them design their own space themes!
✔ Decorate the background—kids can add stars, planets, or even an alien city!
✔ Encourage mixed media—use stickers, glitter, or glow-in-the-dark markers for extra fun!
✔ Create a classroom or homeschool display—line up multiple rocking crafts and watch them all sway together like a little space parade!
🔭 Extend the Fun with Hands-On Space Exploration
Want to make this craft even more immersive? Pair it with some hands-on space exploration activities:
✔ Go outside at night for a stargazing activity—identify planets, stars, and constellations!
✔ Build a DIY “rocket launch” experiment using a baking soda and vinegar reaction in a bottle!
✔ Watch a space documentary like NASA’s Journey to Mars or The Universe to spark interest in real space travel!
Grab the Free Printable
To grab the space rocking papercraft printable, enter your name and email in the pink box below. We’ll send it straight to your inbox and keep you updated on more fun space crafts and activities.
This printable is for personal or classroom use only—please do not use it for commercial purposes. Thank you!
This rocking space craft is an exciting, hands-on way to bring outer space fun into your child’s day! Whether you’re using it for a homeschool space unit, a classroom science lesson, or just a creative afternoon, kids will love making their rocking space adventure.
Let us know how your little astronauts enjoy this activity, and don’t forget to check out more space-themed printables for even more out-of-this-world fun! 🚀
