Se7en’s Space Spectacular… Crafts, Facts and Fiction…

When Playing by the Book asked for books we had read about Space… well one wasn’t enough and to make it worse we had a whole ton of crafty ideas that we had to play-out before we could blog about it. Space is indeed one of those wonderful places of childhood where the world of imagination and play rest quite happily alongside a heap of facts.

We started with rockets:

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You know how we love collaborative art projects with a heap of kids taking part. Each child created their own unique space chamber and then we popped them together to make zany rockets…

  • Grab the Paints:
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  • Then we had a bit of discussion about what a rocket really needed to have on it…
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  • And heaps of bits and bobs where added: pipe cleaners, card, tin-foil, shiny papers… and a photograph of each of the astronauts…
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  • So much sticking and gluing that you may have to take a break…
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  • And finally some rockets on the cupboard door:
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    Woo-ooosh…

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If making rockets isn’t enough then you can spend an afternoon doing some rocket science. This is amazing fun and my kids simply never tire of it…

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Supposing you are in space you could collide with a paper planet… of the super quick and easy to make kind:

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Or meet up with se7en Million aliens…

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And your aliens may need their own rockets…

Whatever space fun you decide to have you will definitely need to take some books:

Se7en + 1 Fact Books About Space:

  1. Top of the pile has to go the WOW space book… this series of books just can’t be beat. So much to see and hunt down in them and so many facts to glean. It really is like visiting a museum and just unpacking it and playing I-spy with all the treasures. You can look inside it here.
  2. The Brainwaves is another fabulous series from DK books. So many facts packed in to a book and it really doesn’t feel like a fact book at all. The illustrations are busy and fun and the topics go far beyond the planets and a couple of stars. Don’t be caught tidying this book away for your kids, because I guarantee you, you will be stuck for a couple of hours!!! You can take a look inside this one as well.
  3. This one is on my middle boys wish list. My kids have borrowed this book so many time that we really should own it!!! Typical stunning photography, that you would expect from a Priddy Book and clear easy facts to read. It is simple enough for beginner readers and yet doesn’t talk down to them. My kids really love this book, and here’s where you can take a peak inside…
  4. This is my ultimate space book, I love everything about it!!! it has a more conversational flavor and tells the reader all about everything to do with space… constellations, where to find things in the night sky and so on. A practical and hands-on star-gazing guide for the beginner.
  5. Because who doesn’t love the darling Miss Frizzle, as she takes the reader on a bus tour of the universe… brilliant timeless fun, all my kids love it and I have probably read it about ten million times and don’t mind – so an enduring and an endearing book!!!
  6. This book shows the constellations in the night sky and then tells the story of the associated Greek or Roman gods. This is a fun way to get really interested in what you are looking at in the night sky. Surely everyone wants to know more about constellations and how to read the night sky. This book is it!!!
  7. Another great science series… Arty Facts takes you on a trip through the Solar System and each step of the way they have an arty project to go alongside the facts. Martian Art, Saturn Spangled Bangles, an asteroid belt… to name a few.

  8. And the Se7en + 1th Book:

  9. This book is also part of a series and my kids love them, heaps and heaps of scientific experiments… lots and lots of hands on experiments that your kids can do on their own. This is the ultimate junior scientist hand book… packed with projects and facts and activities that require very little adult help.

Se7en + 1 Fiction Books in Space…


  1. This book is definitely on our short list of all time favorite books… The martians go on a fantastic jaunt through our Solar System ending with a lovely surprise for the reader…
  2. My children have all grown up reading Tony Mitton’s transport series and quite believe they belong inside them. Who wouldn’t believe that they couldn’t be peering out of a rocket window!!! Just the right mix of story and fact.
  3. I was so thrilled to find this book, so many space themed books are created with boys in mind or appeal more to boys… well Stella to the rescue and a story, with a girl as the heroine, is launched into space!!!
  4. If you haven’t romped with Colin McNaughton’s aliens before bedtime… then really you haven’t lived!!! Fast, fun, full of roaring rhymes… just lovely!!!
  5. If you can include an Eric Carle into a list if best books – then you must!!! Beautiful illustrations of course – you just want to wander through this book again and again…
  6. And then their is of course Flat Stanley and his trip to space… A classical classic!!! Flat Stanley is always one our first chapter books. The chapters are short and easy to read and the sort of adventure that a beginner reader really wants to know more about.
  7. My boys loved the Astrosaurs Series, they are easy chapter books about a squad of dinosaur astronauts… Captain Teggs and his loyal team go on dangerous missions into outer space.

  8. And the Se7en + 1th thing…

  9. When I asked my older boys if they could think about a space book this is the one they both leapt to… So the classic Tintin lives on and on!!!

That’s us – All spaced out!!! If you are looking for more Space Ideas and book fun then head over to Playing by the Book’s Space Link-Up.

13 Replies to “Se7en’s Space Spectacular… Crafts, Facts and Fiction…”

  1. Woo hoo! What a post! A whole carnival on its own 🙂 Thanks so much for joining in with my round up – you’re always so generous with your contributions!

  2. Glad you liked it Zoe!!! Sorry we were a wee bit late with it… We planned an outdoor craft and kept waiting for sunshine that JUST never came!!! Anyway, fabulous round-up of space I love your book searches!!! Will look up next months theme so that we can get started way in advance. Lots of love!!!

  3. Hi Sara, We have been so caught up with winter and a huge garden project that we haven’t been posting a heap of crafts lately. It was lovely to have a new post for your link up this week!!! Hope you have a great weekend!!!

  4. BRILLIANT! AWESOME! and just “out of this world!!!!!” heheheheh… 🙂

  5. Hay Maggy, Always good to have you stop by!!! So glad you liked our rockets!!! Hope you have a fabulous day!!!

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