Outer Space: Day Two

Astronauts and Looking into Space

Read a book about studying space. Talk about how it is the job of astronauts to look into space and discover new information. You can use telescopes to gaze into the stars.

The Astronaut Song

Outer space is where I really like to go
I ride inside a spaceship, don't you know
I like to travel near the stars
Wave to Jupiter and Mars
Outer space is where I really like to go

Make your own Telescope:

Put two pieces of black tissue paper at the end of a paper towel tube and fasten it with a rubber band. Using a small object (pencil, pen, paperclip, etc.) punch several small holes in the tissue paper. Next let your children decorate their telescope however they see fit. When your children look through the telescope and hold it up to a light they will see stars!

(Or, use a toy telescope and put some star stickers up on the wall/ceiling for children to look at.)


When you look out into space, you see that there are millions of stars, too many to count. Stars are grouped into galaxies. We live in "The Milky Way Galaxy." We are going to make our own galaxy/solar system.

My Spray Bottle Solar System

Materials:

• Paint
• Spray Bottle
• Paper
• Crayons/Markers
• Planet Coloring Page

Directions:

• Dilute white paint with water and put it in a small spray bottle. Let your children spray this mixture onto black construction paper. This will make the paper look like space. Let the paint dry.
  
• Next show your children several pictures of the solar system. Have them color the planets on their own paper to look like the planets in our solar system. Then invite them to cut out the planets and place them in their own solar system on the paper.

To get a closer look into space, astronauts blast off and orbit the earth.

Flying Saucer

Materials:

• Two CDs for Each Child (AOL Free CDs work great)
• Glue
• Cup Lid or Milk Cap
• Construction Paper
• Paint
• Various Other Art Supplies

Directions:

• Glue the Two CDs together (so that only the shiny parts can be seen). Then paste the lid on so that it looks like the cabin of the flying saucer. Then let your children finish the design of the flying saucer anyway that they can.
  You can also use cardboard pieces or cardboard pizza bottoms to make the flying saucers.

Space Shuttle

Make a pretend space shuttle. Get a large box (refrigerator) and two smaller ones (oven). Put them together to form a space shuttle. You can use a third box to form the point of the shuttle. Paint the boxes white or drape white sheets over them (cheaper). Finally, cut out a place for the children to get into the box on the bottom of the box. You can cut stars out of the top of the box so that the children will see stars when they look up. For added effect give the children space uniforms (white sheets and helmets (5 gallon ice cream buckets)). Practice getting in the spaceship, buckling up, and counting down....BLAST OFF!!!

Climb Aboard The Space Ship

Climb aboard the spaceship, we're going to the moon
Hurry and get ready, we're going to blast off soon
Put on your helmets, and buckle up real tight
Here comes the countdown, let's count with all our might
10 . . . 9 . . .8 . . . 7 . . .6 . . . 5 . . . 4 . . . 3 . . .2 . . . 1 . . . blast off!

Astronaut Food

Split a package of instant pudding into about four servings. Put each serving into a Zip Loc Bag. Add the amount of milk that the package says to add. Next have your children squeeze and shake the bag until it starts to thicken. You can either eat it now or put it in the fridge through naptime. When your children eat it cut off one of the corners and have them suck it through the corner.