Space Activities for Kids

If your kids are outer space enthusiasts, then this space theme activities are just the thing to add learning and skill building with space activities. This collection of space activities for kids are actually part of a DIY summer camp that we designed. When the kids need a backyard summer camp or something fun to look forward to, easy and creative activities based on a space theme can do just that. This summer, create a home summer camp with an Outer Space theme…all while building skills in therapy or at home. Our space theme slide deck is just one way to help kids build skills, and a great way to lead into space theme learning and play with the kids!

For another space themed virtual therapy activity, try this free outer space Connect 4 game. It’s great for kids of all ages.

Space camp ideas for home programs or DIY summer camp with space fine motor, galaxy crafts, and space sensory play

Here, you’ll find everything you need to plan a space camp fun that builds skills like fine motor skills, gross motor skill development, sensory input, regulation, emotional support, bilateral coordination, eye-hand coordination, executive functioning skills, and more. Read on for all of the outer space fun!

Space Camp for Kids

Whether you are planning a space camp in your therapy programming or trying to think of ways to build skills for kids this summer in a fun and creative way, this space camp idea is for you. For parents that need something out-of-the-box this summer (that doesn’t break the bank!), a backyard space camp can be just the thing to get excited about.

Outer space activities for a space camp or space theme home program

Space theme ideas

You’ll want to check out some other space activities we have here on the Toolbox website. Add these ideas to your space camp planning. These ideas can get you started with planning. Scroll below to find more specific space activities based on skill area.

For more creative ideas with a space theme, be sure to check out my Outer Space Awesome Pinterest board.  

We even grabbed up a handful of our all-time favorite Outer Space books from the library to share with you.  If you’re looking for activities to do with the kids this summer, a space theme will be a sure hit. Your Summer Camp at home will be complete with Space crafts, Space snacks, Space sensory, fine motor, and gross motor learning and play.

Outer space theme activities for kids

Space theme

These activities are set up by theme (books, snacks, crafts, solar system models, sensory play, and movement learning activities) so that you can pick and choose activities for each day of your themed camp.  Make the week work for you!  Choose just one or two activities for each day, or go all out and do one from each category.  It’s totally up to you and your little campers! 

space fine motor activities for using to improve fine motor skills with a space theme

Space Fine Motor Activities

Use this outer space play dough mat printable to work on hand strength, fine motor skills, and eye-hand coordination. Simply print it off and slide into a page protector to use each day during your space camp.

 We made this Outer Space model using pipe cleaners.  We didn’t get into planet size, but rather checked out the size of each planet compared to the others from The Planets book and crafted them based on the pictures in the book. we strung the pipe cleaner planets along fishing line and taped it between two walls. This was a fun way to explore how the planets are spaced from the sun.

Outer Space Pipe cleaner solar system model

Space Visual Motor Activities

Visual motor skills and visual perception can be worked on with a space theme. Grab this free space visual discrimination worksheet to incorporate visual processing into a space camp.

Here is another free space visual perception worksheet to print off and work on visual processing skills.

This space maze is a visual motor activity that my own kids loved. Use Wikki Stix to build a maze and work on eye-hand coordination and other visual processing skills to work through the outer space maze.


Outer Space Books

Start off your daily activities during a week of Space activities with a Space book.  Some of our favorites are ones we read weekly and others are ones we love to check out from the library.
Here are outer space books for kids.



Outer Space Snacks

Cooking with kids is a huge way to build motor skills and executive functioning skills through cooking. Below are outer space snacks that the kids can help to make while building skills.

Outer space themed snack Stars and Planets snack for kids

Affiliate links included below.

We quickly made this space snack while doing a little space reading.  Kids will gobble up the stars and planets. We even made it a fine motor sorting activity by sorting the stars and planets from the snack mix.  This outer space themed snack will be a hit during your Summer Camp at home or space themed week.  We used a cup of Cheerios Cereal and a cup of Puffs snacks to make our stars and planets snack mix.  Have the kids sort the planets and stars into separate bowls for fine motor practice that Toddlers and young Preschoolers will love.

More Space themed snacks to fill the rest of your week:

Outer space snack ideas for kids

Eat the solar system from Creative Kid Snacks
Rocket Ship Wrap from Creative Kid Snacks
Eat the Moon snack from Things to Share and Remember

More Solar System Models for Kids for the rest of the week: 

Make a solar system mobile like Artsy Craftsy Mom
Use recycled plastic lids to create a solar system like Still Playing School
Make a solar system with Legos like Kitchen Counter Chronicles.

Outer Space Crafts

If there is one thing that occupational therapists love, it’s the use of kids crafts as a therapy tool. Be sure to check out our Constellation crafts.  There are a bunch of space and star craft ideas based on constellations and outer space…that double as a fine motor and visual motor skill building tool.

Use this space martian craft that the kids can make to build fine motor skills, and then use in handwriting activities to space between letters and words.

Use these outer space crafts to make one each day of the week of your DIY summer camp…or just use them with your space-loving kiddo!

Make a Rainbow Rocket ship like Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails
Create a Textured Moon craft from Fantastic Fun and Learning
Make Q-tip Star Art like Mess for Less
Kids will love this Launching Rocket Ship toy from Lalymom.
This Moon mobile will be a hit. (from Fantastic Fun and Learning)

Outer Space Sensory Play

 Our Outer Space sensory activities were a huge hit in adding proprioception, vestibular, and tactile sensory play into the day. Use them as part of a sensory diet with learning components. Mix these space sensory ideas into the schedule as a reward that also meets the sensory needs to benefit regulation and social-emotional skills.

These space themed sensory play ideas are ways to teach about planets, with an astronaut theme in mind. Know a little future astronaut? They will love these sensory play and learning ideas.

Lots of ideas are to be found on our Outer Space sensory  round up!

Space Themed Move and Learn Activities

I love the rocket ship in this space themed party!  Climb in and out of a cardboard rocket ship for lots of movement and play. 
Then, use another cardboard box to make this glow in the dark space fort like Lalymom.
Nurturestore made a great Space math game.

Space Fine Motor Kit

Know a kiddo that loves all things space, astronauts, and planets? The Outer Space Fine Motor Kit is your chance to develop fine motor strength, dexterity, and coordination skills.

Addressing hand strength, endurance, and precision is out of this world fun! The Outer Space Fine Motor Kit includes:

  • Fine Motor Mazes
  • Fine Motor Ten Frames for motor activities
  • 1-20 Star Counting Cards
  • Bead Copying Strips
  • Space Alien Directed Drawing Sheets

This fine motor kit includes 24 pages of printable resources. Included in this printable pack are:

  1. Two pages of color coded bead copying strips
  2. Two pages of blank bead copying strips
  3. Four pages of “draw and write” directed drawing activities with a space theme (Includes 3 styles of handwriting lines: highlighted lines, single rule, and double rule)
  4. Nine pages of fine motor mazes
  5. 1-20 Outer Space Counting Cards
  6. Four pages of fine motor ten frames activities

These printable activities extend to work on a variety of other functional areas, too: handwriting skills, numbers, math, adding, subtracting, one-to-one correspondence, scissor skills, coloring, and more.

Click HERE to grab the Outer Space Fine Motor Mini-Kit.

Outer Space Fine Motor Kit



Have fun with your Outer Space themed week of fun! 

Outer Space and Star Wars

For even more space themed activities for kids, add some of these Star Wars occupational therapy ideas to your therapy planning. We’ve broken down a bunch of space ideas using the Star Wars theme and include handwriting activities, sensory play, executive functioning ideas, crafts, gross motor ideas, and more. Kids will love it!

Colleen Beck, OTR/L has been an occupational therapist since 2000, working in school-based, hand therapy, outpatient peds, EI, and SNF. Colleen created The OT Toolbox to inspire therapists, teachers, and parents with easy and fun tools to help children thrive. Read her story about going from an OT making $3/hour (after paying for kids’ childcare) to a full-time OT resource creator for millions of readers. Want to collaborate? Send an email to contact@theottoolbox.com.

Space camp ideas for home programs or DIY summer camp with space fine motor, galaxy crafts, and space sensory play