Preschool Space Activities (2024)

Are you ready for some out of this world fun with preschool space activities? This preschool space theme is going to be so much fun for your early learners! Get ready to have fun teaching planets to preschoolers and enjoying exciting hands-on space activities for kids.

In these space themed activities, I’ve included fun space themed book suggestions, an ABC moon craters printable activity, and lots of math space center activities too. There are so many fun ways to build early numeracy, literacy, and fine motor skills with your preschoolers while learning about outer space. Keep reading to discover all the fun you can have teaching your preschoolers about space this year.

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What Do You Teach Preschoolers About Space?

Sometimes the concept of outer space can be a bit challenging for early learners. It’s a good idea to begin with things they are familiar with. Start teaching your preschoolers about outer space by focusing on building vocabulary for things like night, day, the moon, the sun, and the stars.

Preschoolers can see the sun, moon, and stars in the sky, so it’s a good idea to start there. You can begin by exploring these together with your preschoolers through space theme books, hands-on space activities, and singing songs about space together. Keep reading for tips on teaching planets to preschoolers and lots of hands-on preschool space activities and space theme learning ideas.

Tips for Teaching Planets to Preschoolers

Wondering how to get started teaching your preschoolers all about the planets? In this preschool space activities bundle, I’ve included a lesson plan with 20 space theme activities for all kinds of learning fun with your preschoolers as part of a week long outer space unit study.

Learning about our solar system at an early age can inspire your preschoolers to study astronomy, take an interest in math and science, and ignite their imaginations as they begin to explore outer space through the space theme lessons and hands-on learning activities in this fun space theme.

Space Theme Books for Preschoolers

Have you ever listened to a story being read aloud from outer space? Astronauts read stories to kids from space as a part of a really exciting program called Story Time from Space. Check out the website to listen with your preschoolers as astronauts read aloud while in orbit.

Reading books is one of the very best ways to help your preschoolers build important early literacy skills and expand their vocabulary while falling in love with reading. You can use space theme books with your preschoolers to help teach them about the planets, the stars, and all the wonders in space.

Check out some of our favorite space theme books for preschoolers to get you started. You’ll find space theme printables and hands-on preschool learning activities to go with these awesome picture books in the printable space lesson plan.

Preschool Space Songs to Sing

Music is fantastic for helping preschool learners develop important early learning skills! You can use songs about space to help your preschoolers remember important space facts. Plus, space songs reinforce lessons your preschoolers are learning about space too.

Using music in your preschool classroom gets the mind and body working together, so it’s a great way for preschoolers to get their wiggles out, have some fun, and learn lots of space theme lessons too. Check out some of these fun preschool space songs to sing with your kids:

Zoom, Zoom, We’re Going to the Moon by The Kiboomers
Astronauts by Bounce Patrol
The Solar System Song by A.J. Jenkins
I’m So Hot (song about the sun) by Storybots
It’s My Time to Shine (song about the moon) by Storybots

The Storybots songs are my personal favorite, son definitely don’t miss those. Your preschoolers will be singing “it’s my time to shine” for weeks and you won’t mind a bit.

Space Centers for Math Learning Fun

There are so many fun and exciting ways to explore space with your preschoolers while building numeracy skills too. Space centers in your preschool classroom or learning space can help encourage your kids to explore math skills like counting, one to one correspondence, and number identification. Check out some of the preschool space theme printables I’ve included in this printable lesson bundle to help your preschoolers explore math with a fun space theme:

Alien Addition
Counting Shooting Stars
Space Shape Memory
Measuring Planets
Counting Moon Craters

Don’t miss my Free Space Theme Number Mats for extra numeracy practice with your preschool learners.

Keep reading to discover more hands-on preschool space activities and preschool space theme printables to use in your classroom or homeschool lessons this year.

More Preschool Space Activities to Enjoy

Looking for more preschool space theme printables and activities to explore with your early learners this year? I’m so excited to share all the fun activities in my space theme unit with you!

Read alouds, silly space songs, and math learning centers are just part of the fun. There are lots of great ways to build literacy and language arts skills too.

Check out some of the exciting early literacy space theme activities:

ABC Moon Craters
Rhyming Rockets
Space Prepositions
Alien Beginning Sounds
Space Shuttle Names

These preschool space activities will help your kids learn about rhyming, build phonemic awareness, master prepositions, and practice writing their name. Plus, they’ll love the fun outer space themed twist.

Hands-On Space Theme Activities

Besides silly songs and math center activities, there are lots of ways to squeeze in hands-on space learning. After you get silly singing some of the space songs above and building preschool math skills with those awesome free space themed number mats, check out some of these fun space theme activities:

Space Picnic with Cosmic Kids Yoga
Space Scavenger Hunts from NASA
Build a Galactic Mobile together with NASA Space Place
Have preschoolers dress like planets and orbit the sun (teacher or stationary object)

Astronaut Craft for Kids

Another fun way to get creative with your preschoolers is to try some space theme crafts together. Crafts are a fun way to help kids explore their creative side and learn to express themselves through art. Plus, it’s a super fun way to build fine motor skills and finger strength for handwriting later.

Check out the cool space theme crafts in this outer space lesson plan:

Astronaut Helmet
UFO Handprint
Telescopes
Alien Handprint
Rocket Launcher

Solar System Crafts with Paper Plates

Are your little astronauts eager to learn all about the moon and solar system? If so, you’ll have to create these adorable paper plate planets during your next space unit. They’re easy to make and the perfect way to tie together crafting and science.

Then tie it all together with this fun way to teach the phases of the moon. Your little space explorers will get a kick out of learning all about the universe with this yummy snacktivity.

Preschool Rocket Launch Space Experiment

Looking for a STEM project that’s out of this world? Get ready to launch some rockets with your preschoolers as a fun space themed STEM experiment they definitely won’t forget! Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

Materials:

Emptry juice box with included straw
Standard size straw
Colored cardstock or construction paper
Washi Tape or Scotch Tape
Modeling Clay or play dough

Once you’ve gathered all the ingredients, follow these simple step by step instructions to make juicy STEM stomp rockets with your preschoolers:

Instructions:

First, cut off the end of the small flexible straw that was included with your juice box. You’ll want to cut it at an angle.
Next, enter the pointed end of the straw into the hole on your juice box.
Then, cut the standard size straw in half. It will be your “rocket.”
Then, create three trapezoid shapes (3 inches x 2 inches) from cardstock or construction paper. You can draw the templates for these trapezoids and have your preschoolers practice cutting skills during this step.
Set two of the paper trapezoids aside for fins and cut the final paper trapezoid in half vertically.
Next, tape one half fin to each full fin at a perpendicular angle. If you chose washi tape, your preschoolers can take this opportunitiy to get a bit creative with the tape.
After that, roll a bit of clay or play dough into a ball and use it to seal the top of the straw completely.
Finally, launch your juice box rockets! Blow into the small flexitble straw to inflate the juice box and then have preschoolers stomp hard on the juice box to watch it takeoff.

In Conclusion

I hope all these hands-on space theme activities and preschool space printables with lesson plans, book suggestions, silly songs, and more have given you tons of ideas for your own preschool space unit. Share your favorite preschool space activity ideas in the comment section. I can’t wait to read them and try a few with my own kids this school year.