It can be challenging to find age appropriate science lessons for preschool and kindergarten. When I was in the classroom, my curriculum was seriously lacking in this area. But it’s never too early to start STEAM lessons and activities! Whether you’re a teacher or home educator, read on for some fun ways to teach little ones about outer space. We had a blast! (Pun intended!)
Fly me to the moon
We live fairly near a space museum, so we kicked off our unit with a field trip! We learned all about Neil Armstrong and his trip to the moon. We also gathered books about the moon and outer space and read them throughout the week. Our favorite was Mae Among the Stars by Roda Ahmed.
Wheel of puffy paint
Our craft was super simple to put together – puffy paint moon! We used glow in the dark paint, shaving cream, school glue, and glitter. Mix all of these ingredients together and make a puffy paint moon! To keep our moon round we made a stencil. You could also make a crescent moon this way!
Curious mars explorers
I think this was a favorite for my little astronauts! We read Curiosity: The Story of a Mars Rover by Markus Motem to prepare for our journey. Then we cut grocery bags for our helmets. We “flew” to mars in our cardboard spaceship.
Here’s how to setup your own spaceship:
Gather old keyboards, game controllers, and other toys that can be used to steer the ship. Set them up on a table in front of a screen. On YouTube, search for “outer space 360 tour”. Display this video on your screen so that your astronauts can pretend they’re flying through space!
Once we “landed”, it was time to explore. We took samples of Mars mud to research in the ship.
Out of this world sensory bin
This sensory bin was one of my favorites! We marbled playdoh and made our own planets to add to our black beans. This was a great visual for learning about the planets in our solar system! We also included these adorable spaceships and astronauts which we used for math and fine motor skills.
I hope you’ve found some inspiration for your science lessons! To find the printables featured above, click on the TPT link below. You’ll also find mini books, printable games, and an outer space unit. Click the download link for a free 1-1 Counting activity! To receive exclusive freebies, join the AWBAP mailing list today!
Adventures With Bug and Peach 
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