Yesterday was our last day of outer space lessons. We’ve had a blast learning about our solar system with the help of National Geographic Kids and incorporating activities to bring what we’ve learned to life. Our final lesson focused on space travel and the moon landing so we decided to make our own space shuttle. This craft can be decorated in various ways so I’ve provided the instructions for our design, along with suggestions on alternative supplies, to help make this project easy to achieve with items you already have at home.
Supply List
- Toilet paper roll
- Construction paper or card stock
- Cupcake liner
- Buttons
- Tissue paper
- Scissors
- Tacky glue
- Tape or adhesive dots
Optional Supplies
- Drinking straw
- Paint
- Stickers
- Markers
- Washi tape
To start, we cut our construction paper to match the length of the toilet paper roll. We taped one end of the paper to the roll, then slowly wrapped the paper around, securing it at the end with tape. If you prefer, the toilet paper roll could be painted for this step instead.
Next, we flattened our cupcake liner and cut a single slit from one edge to the middle. If you don’t have a cupcake liner, this could also be achieved by using a cup to trace and cut a circle on foil or paper. Once the slit has been made, you can fold your circle into a cone shape and secure with tape. To attach the cone to the roll, use glue or double-sided tape/adhesive dots around the rim of one side then press the items together.
Once the pieces are secure, you are ready to decorate. We used tacky glue to add buttons to our rocket but there are lots of ways to create your own design. Decorating alternatives include stickers, paint, markers or washi tape, to name a few. To finish, we cut tissue paper into 1 inch wide strips that each measured about 3 inches long and grabbed a drinking straw. After adhering the tissue paper strips and drinking straw to the inside bottom of the roll with tape, we were ready to play.
