Space Science Unit for Kids

As a source of endless wonder in the skies above us, space offers boundless excitement for curious young minds. Blast off into the magnificent cosmos and inspire a deep love for astronomy with our comprehensive Space Science Unit Plan for Preschool and Kindergarten.

Just as children gaze up at the stars with natural wonder, this unit harnesses their innate curiosity about the universe around them. Through hands-on exploration of planets, stars, the sun, and moon, young learners begin their journey as space scientists.

Our carefully designed activities transform abstract cosmic concepts into tangible experiences that early learners can grasp and enjoy. Each lesson builds upon natural curiosity while developing crucial scientific skills:

Earth and Space Connections

Young astronomers start their journey by exploring the differences between Earth and space. Using interactive sorting games, shadow tracking, and sky observation journals, children begin to understand their place in the universe. They’ll create their own day and night sky scenes, complete with fluffy cloud crafts and glow-in-the-dark star constellations.

Solar System Adventures

Students dive into an exciting exploration of our cosmic neighborhood using familiar objects to understand the mind-boggling scale of space. A beach ball becomes the sun, while a tiny pea represents Mercury, making abstract size concepts concrete and memorable. Children love becoming human planets, orbiting around their classroom “sun” and learning about their cosmic dance through movement.

Moon Mysteries

Our nearest celestial neighbor provides endless opportunities for hands-on learning. Children track the moon’s changing phases using Oreo cookies, explore lunar surfaces in sensory bins filled with “moon sand,” and create their own moon viewers to track lunar patterns. These engaging activities help develop observation skills while making scientific concepts deliciously memorable.

Star Stories and Space Exploration

The unit culminates in an exciting mix of science and imagination as children create their own constellation viewers, learn about ancient star stories, and transform into astronauts-in-training. From launching balloon rockets to sampling “space food” and completing mission control activities, young learners develop problem-solving skills while their imagination soars.

Throughout the unit, multisensory learning experiences ensure that every type of learner can engage with the content meaningfully. Visual learners thrive with astronomical models and sky observations. Kinesthetic learners excel during planetary orbit demonstrations and astronaut training exercises. Tactile experiences abound in sensory bins and craft activities, while auditory learning comes alive through constellation storytelling and space mission communications.

Activities Include:

• 5 Complete, Standards-Aligned Lesson Plans
• Interactive sorting games
• Vocabulary Cards
• Classroom display posters
• Observation and recording sheets
• Crafts
• Movement Cards for active learning
• Dramatic Play suggestions
• Journal Pages
• Curated list of children’s books detailed in the lesson plans

Lessons Also Include:

• Objective, materials needed and a lesson outline.
• Suggested duration time for various parts of the lesson
• Reflection activity, an assessment for the lesson, and extension ideas.

It doesn’t matter if you are a parent or a teacher using the Animal Science activities to enhance your at home learning or enrich your classroom science center.  The Space Science Unit is the perfect tool to help engage young learners.

Curious to see more details? Explore the Space Science Preview here.