Did you know that today, May 7th, is National Space day! This day celebrates the extraordinary achievements and benefits of exploring our dark sky. The number of fun activities you can do with your kids is astronomical! From making a space rocket to making out-of-this-world moon cookies, there is so much to do!
Fun Fact! Did you know that Neil Armstrong from NASA was the first person to walk on the moon? Edwin Aldrin and Michael Collins were astronauts on Apollo 11 that blasted off into outer space on July 16th, 1969. Now, only fifty-two years on, NASA has a whopping 20 centres and facilities across America – and the National Laboratory in Space. NASA studies Earth, including its climate, our Sun, and our solar system and beyond.
Now, let's count down five ways you can put a smile on your kid's face on National Space day!
1. Make out-of-this-world moon cookies
Who doesn't love cookies! I do! Here is a healthy and super easy recipe you can try today with your kids to make this day one to remember. Find the recipe at https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/moon-cookies/en/ along with other amazing recipes to make edible asteroids!
All you need is:
• 1/2 cup wheat germ
• 1-1/2 cups peanut butter or such as sunflower seed butter
• 1-1/2 cups honey
• 3 cups dried milk
• 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 large bowl
• 1 spoon
• Dry measuring cups
• 1 tray
• 1 cup of powdered sugar
• A small bowl
What to do?
1. Firstly, measure out all the ingredients and dump them into the large bowl.
2. Secondly, mix ingredients very well with a spoon. When the ingredients get too stiff to mix with a spoon, you can continue mixing and kneading the dough with your hands!
3. Thirdly, use your hands to shape the dough into small round moons.
4. Fourthly, Pour powdered sugar into the small bowl. Roll each moon in the powdered sugar.
Now your moon cookies are ready to taste!
2. Make a new planet
Planets come in all shape and sizes and colours. Make this day special by helping your child make their very own planet! And get them to name it and ask them questions all about it. Kids have vast imaginations, and exploring outer space gives them limitless opportunities to tap into their creative superpowers that can often surprise us.
What you'll need
1. A paper plate or plates
2. A pencil
3. Acrylic or watercolour paint and
4. One water pot
5. Some paintbrushes
What to do?
1.Firstly, take a paper plate or your empty planet and paint it inside it. You can merge allylic colours to create weird and beautiful tones to add outwardly feel to your world.
2.After the paint is dry. You can, with your hands, tear apart some different tissue and stick it on your planet to add cool textures!
3. Try out this non-sticky, easy to make, fun to play galaxy play-dough!
Kids love using their fingers to explore! Playing with playdough is a simple nursery staple that lets the kids use their imaginations and strengthen their finger muscles and strengthen motor skills they'll need to hold a pencil. Also, as kids work on unique creations, they'll naturally add new words to their ever-growing dictionary!
They will learn new words such as flatten, squeeze, and shape! You can take this opportunity to teach your kids new words surrounding space, such as galaxy, rocket, spaceship and more!
What you'll need
1. Flour
2. Salt
3. Cream of tater
4. Vegetable oil
5. Black gel food colouring
6. Blue glitter
7. Pink glitter
8. Black glitter
9. Silver glitter
What to do?
1. Add 1 cup of flour, ½ a cup of salt, a tablespoon of cream of tartar, and a tablespoon of vegetable oil to a small bowl.
2. Add half a bottle of black food colouring.
3. Mix in a tablespoon of black glitter.
4. Heat ¾ of a cup of water until boiling.
5. Pour it into the bowl along with the flour mixture.
6. Stir with a fork, then as the water cools, blend it the rest of the way with your hands.
7. Then knead the dough for 1about 15 minutes to mix the black properly. When the dough is cool, turn it into a galaxy!
8. Form the dough into a ball and sprinkle the dough with blue and pink glitter stripes. Mix the glitter into the dough.
9. Sprinkle the entire ball gently with the silver glitter to make stars.
Now Time to explore the galaxy! Give the dough to your kids and let them go wild!
Check out this recipe and more excellent DIY projects to do at home with your kids.
4. Learn about Outerspace with these books
Get your little bundles of joy reading and learning about the extraordinary ideas and concepts surrounding space with these loved fun and beautifully illustrated picture books.
• Solar System, Jill McDonald
• Our Stars, Annie Rockwell
• Jump into Science, Steve Tomecek
• Moon: A peek through Picture Book, Britta Teckentrup
5. Transform your home into an International Space Station.
Take your kids to space by letting them build their very own space fort or space station at home!
How to make it?
1. Make two rows of chairs with the backs facing each other. Make sure to space the rows of chairs about 4 to 6 ft apart, depending on the size of your blanket.
2. Place blankets and pillows on the floor of the fort to make it comfortable. Fold a comforter in half and lay it down or layer a few blankets to add cushioning to the bottom of the space fort. Then, place several cushions or pillows around the edges of the space fort.
3. Drape a blanket over the top of the fort, so it goes over the edges of the furniture. Then secure the blankets with heavy objects like books and place them on the edges of the blanket. Make the space station come to life by adding some safe old remotes, phones, and other gadgets and let the kids blast into space!
Here is an easy way to turn your living room into a space fort for a day! Find the in-depth tutorial here: https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Blanket-Fort.
