Space Science Activities for Curious Kids

By Diana Kowalski · October 7, 2026

The Universe Starts in Your Backyard

You don't need a telescope to explore space. The moon, stars, and sun provide endless opportunities for observation and discovery right from your own yard.

Moon Activities

Moon Phase Journal

Draw the moon every night for a month. Use Oreo cookies to model each phase: full (top cookie intact), new (top cookie removed), quarter (half scraped). Eating your model is optional but encouraged.

Lunar Crater Experiment

Fill a tray with flour and dust cocoa powder on top. Drop marbles from different heights to create craters. Measure the diameter of each crater. Heavier drops from higher up make bigger craters—just like real meteorites.

Star Activities

Constellation Projector

Poke holes in black paper in the pattern of a real constellation. Hold it over a flashlight in a dark room. The stars project onto the ceiling. Make several and quiz family members.

Star Wheel

Create a simple planisphere from a paper plate and printed star chart. Rotate it to match the current date and time to see which constellations are visible tonight.

Sun Activities

Solar System Scale Model

Use a basketball for the sun. Then place a peppercorn 26 yards away (Mercury), another peppercorn 41 yards out (Venus), and continue. Walking the distances makes the vastness of space tangible.