Rocket Imagination Station
Wasn’t the recent super moon spectacular?!?
Have you had the chance to read astronaut Chris Hadfield’s book, “The Darkest Dark” where he shares what inspired him to the profession?*Space holds children’s imagination- the magic that is beyond us. Put out these simple materials for children to build their own rocket!
you'll need Materials
** These are only suggestions based on what we had. This is a perfect time to use up your odds and ends!**
- Cardboard tubes
- Paper (we went with black, metallics, and brights)
- Circles (in case that they wanted to make a cone shaped top, you could put out lids to make circles themselves.)
- Metallic ribbon, rick rack
- Caps
- Fabric pieces
- Adhesive jewels
- Sequins
- Bubble wrap
- Tissue paper
- Paper ribbon
- Gold cord
- Wooden pieces
- Felt
- Glue
- Scissors
- Binder clips
- Stapler and/or glue gun (Once we got busy making these, we found them quite handy!)
We always find these items helpful too:
- Smock
- Craft tray
Directions
- Place your supplies into an organizer for children to chose from, adding some glue and scissors.
- If your child/ students have some pieces to hold together while the glue is drying, you can always employ a binder clip. It often minimizes frustration and allows for hand free drying while one can move onto other parts of the project. Simply remove it the next day. A stapler or glue gun (if you are comfortable with it) are our personal favourites!
- Try to incorporate a clean-up time which allows the children to invest care into the environment, sort and work collaboratively on a common goal.
If you want to extend the project or display the rockets, here is a background based on the work of
Julia Linsteadt of Cut Out Studios: https://www.instagram.com/p/BISPZMigAw3/?taken-by=julialinsteadt&hl=en
Make A Multi-Layered Moon
- Don your smock. Lay your canvas in your tray.
- Experiment with your various types of paint and tools, layering them on top of each other to create your own individual moon.
Space-y Gift
- Love using literature as a starting point for a birthday, Christmas, etc. gift? Here are some simple ideas to pair with The Darkest Dark:
Purpose
- Using one’s imagination.
- Experimenting with different materials.
- Exploring various painting techniques and their effects.
- Developing fine motor skills.
Safety Notes
- We suggest that you wear a smock and use a craft tray to protect your clothing and surfaces.
- Use scissors, a stapler, a glue gun and binder clips (which sometimes pinch) with care and direct adult supervision.
- Cord, yarn etc. can be a strangulation hazard, therefore be sure to use with direct supervision and for its intended purpose.
- Small parts can be a choking hazard, therefore be sure to keep them out of the reach of children ages 0-3 years of age or those that tend to put things into their mouths.
