Easy and fun space art ideas for little space explorers! These out-of-this-world projects are perfect for kids and astronauts of all ages.
Updated April 2024
We don’t know about you, but our kids are into space right now! Pretending to be astronauts, reading and learning about space and NASA, you name it and they’re into it!
And of course, you can’t explore space without creating some really cool art along the way! Here are some of our favorite space art activities. These projects are open-ended and great for a wide range of ages. Plus, they provide the opportunity for kids to learn about space while they create, making it an educational experience too!
And if you’re looking for some books for inspiration, check out our list of the Best Children’s Books About Space!
The Best Space Art Ideas for Kids
1. Rubbing Alcohol Swirly Planets
We LOVE the way rubbing alcohol makes watercolor paint swirl around! To make planets and moons, cover a round piece of watercolor paper with lots of paint. While the paint is still wet, use a dropper to drop rubbing alcohol onto it and watch as craters and holes appear on your planet!
2. Sparkly Salty Night Skies
To create a sparkly painting, cover your watercolor paper with paint (we used blues and blacks). Once the paper is completely filled, sprinkle coarse salt onto the wet paint. This creates an effect that looks very much like a galaxy far, far away!
When the paintings are completely dry, brush off the salt to reveal a sparkly sky. If you’re feeling extra starry, add star stickers before you start painting to create a sticker-resist effect. Or you can flick watered down white paint onto your dry painting for even more stars!
3. Geometric Constellations
To create these fantastic geometric constellations, start with a wet wash on watercolor paper, then blend on watercolors. While it is still wet, scrunch up a big piece of plastic wrap on top of the paper.
Once the paint is dry, remove the plastic wrap. The wrinkled plastic creates all kinds of interesting lines and shapes in the paint, perfect for inspiring constellations. Use a metallic sharpie and a ruler to connect a few lines, making dots or stars at each intersection. Your kids will love creating their own unique constellations!
4. Outer Space Geoboards
If you want to create a three-dimensional space project, try an outer space geoboard! Create your own solar system with stars, planets, and moons on a round piece of cork board painted black.
Rubber bands connect the thumbtack stars to create cool constellation designs. We love that these geoboards can be based on our real solar system, or completely imaginary!
5. Neon Galaxies
We love a watercolor resist technique, and oil pastels might be our favorite way to create this cool effect. Use neon oil pastels to draw planets, stars, swirly galaxies, and even a dotted Milky Way on a large piece of watercolor paper. Then paint blue, purple, and black watercolors all over the drawings and watch as the neon colors pop up through the dark paint!
6. Spin Art Planets
Use one of our favorite action art activities to make a solar system of planets! Spin painting with a salad spinner is super easy and super fun. Use realistic colors to make real planets (think: green and blue for Earth, reds for Mars, browns and oranges for Jupiter) or any color combination you like for some imaginary planets!
You could also use just about any of our favorite art activities to make planet: shaving cream marbling, splatter painting, blow painting, you name it!
7. Out of this World Sensory Play
Use kinetic sand or your favorite sensory material (try black beans for a nighttime sky!) toss in a few space toys (we love these planets and these NASA figures) or even some glow in the dark stars and watch as your kids explore and create using their senses.
8. Galaxy Playdough
How amazing does this black and sparkly playdough look?! Make a batch of your favorite homemade playdough and use candy coloring to dye it black (you need to use the candy coloring; regular food coloring isn’t strong enough make it truly black). Add some glitter, sequins, and stars and you’re ready for a deep space sensory exploration!
Which of these awesome space art activities will you try this week?
For many of these projects, we used our favorite OOLY art products:
- Lil’ Watercolor Paint Pods
- Chroma Blends Watercolor Paint Set (Neon)
- Lil Paint Brush Set
- Chroma Blends Circular Watercolor Paper
- Chroma Blends Watercolor Paper
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