Super space rocket craft for toddlers

I’m so excited to share with you this really simple and fun space rocket craft which is perfect for toddlers and young children.  There is so much with this activity that your little one can get involved with and you will love the end result too!

I was recently set the challenge of helping my toddler create a space rocket by his nursery and I really wanted to design a rocket craft which was really accessible for a toddler and which encouraged my son to be creative too.  We all had fun making it and it currently takes pride of place in my son’s art display at home!

Exploring space as a theme

Space is a brilliant theme to explore with your toddler and this space rocket craft could easily form part of a bigger space project or theme. There are also loads of space-themed events and celebrations every year which this craft would tie into perfectly, such as World Space Week.

You could read some space-themed books or count some shapes imagining they are planets (circles) and stars.  You could make some alien slime or make your own planets or alien creatures using play doh.  You could create a messy galaxy painting together or sit outside on a clear evening looking at the night sky, describing what you see.

Also, if you are exploring space rockets as part of a wider transport theme, then Emma from The Mini Mes and Me has loads of great ideas for how you can do this too!

There really are so many different ideas you could try with your toddler and I really hope they enjoy creating my own little contribution to their great space adventure!

Making your own super space rocket

This is a great craft for if you haven’t got a lot of time or energy or if your toddler doesn’t have much of an attention span as it can be broken down into small chunks.  All of the painting we did on the rocket was done in the bath/shower as this ensured my son was painting in an easy-to-clean environment and we could wash him easily afterwards too!

All of the materials we used should be pretty easy to get hold of too.

What you’ll need

Cardboard tube

Plain and/or patterned paper

Poster paint

Metallic poster paint

Glitter paint

Sponge

Star stickers (or other decorative elements)

Clear sticky tape

Scissors

PVA glue

Instructions

To create the rocket fumes; (and add a lovely personal touch too) paint the palm of your child’s hand in a mixture of different flame colours (I used red, yellow and clear gold glitter paint).  Ask or help them to press their hands onto some plain white paper to create flame-coloured handprints (you may wish to take a few prints so you can then select the best.  Set aside to dry.

To add colour to the main body of the rocket; help your child to use a sponge to apply the metallic paint to a cardboard tube.  Then help them to apply a layer of glitter paint on top, using the same method.  Set aside to dry.

To create the top of the rocket; draw a circle onto your chosen plain/patterned paper which is larger than the circumference of your cardboard tube (I drew a circle with a 9cm diameter for my 5.5cm cardboard tube).  Then make a cut in your circle from the outer edge to it’s center.  Overlap the the paper either side of your cut until you’ve created a point you’re happy with, then secure underneath with sticky tape.

To add your finishing touches and assemble; let your child decorate the main body of the rocket with star stickers or other decoration then place their hands back on their painted handprints and draw around to create an outline.  Cut this out.

Use plenty of glue to stick the top of the rocket to the main body and leave to dry.  Finally, attach your child’s handprint to the base of the rocket and enjoy!

Make it your own

Here are a few ideas to help your child personalise their rocket and really make this project their own:

Help your child to paint their rocket in their favourite colour or wrap it in tin foil instead.  Use different sticker shapes (like dots) or other decorative elements, such as buttons, wrapped yarns, sequins etc for different patterns.

You could hang your child’s finished rocket from the ceiling to make it look like it’s really headed off into space, I’m sure they would love that. Or you and your child could create a space scene for your rocket, adding planets, moons and stars onto black card or a painted galaxy-themed background.

So go have fun and make your own super space rocket.  As ever, let me know how you get on!

3, 2, 1 BLAST OFF!!!!!

P.S. if you’d like more crafts and activities to try with your toddler, please check out the Creativity and Crafts section of my blog.