I have always been fascinated with outer space and our solar system. It is so much bigger than my mind can even fathom. So, it should probably go without saying that I LOVED our space theme for homeschool preschool! One of my favorite activities for this theme was a Jr. Astronaut Training Program I created for the kids to participate in. This largely satisfied the gross motor portion of my curriculum/lesson plan. They were thrilled and could not wait to become junior astronauts!
I recently updated our activity packet with all of the items included for you to use. You can find it HERE if you’re interested in grabbing this adorable, low prep activity!
Here’s what you’ll need:
4-6 stars (printables included in my packet)
Sun (printable included in my packet)
Optional: Badge lanyard for ID tags
Setting up:
I set everything up in our living room area. Featured a welcome sign for a little added effect. We have hard floors throughout our house, so I used the masking tape to make the lines on the floor, including one long, straight line for balancing and five shorter lines to jump from one to the other (these are two different tasks within the checklist). I printed off the sun and stars and placed them in their designated areas. Spaces were designated for the Sit ‘n’ Spin and pop-up tunnel, as well. The stars were spaced out across the rug and the sun was secured to the floor in a separate area. The ball and rope were placed off to the side until needed. See my photo below to see what our setup looked like:
Side note: If you choose to use the sun and stars included in my packet, I included b&w versions that can be printed on colored paper!
Here are all the components I included in our program:
1. Astronaut Training Program Application
Each application included their information and two application prompts: ‘I want to be an astronaut because…” and “You should choose me to be in the astronaut training program because…” Their answers were so sweet and will definitely make for a good keepsake for them to look back on when they’re older.
2. Admittance into the Program
Our space theme featured a character named Andy the Astronaut. He was a simple cardstock cutout of a cartoon astronaut. When I created Andy, I never expected the impact he would make on the kids. He was basically a celebrity at our house. He slept in their bedroom, he was the first person they wanted to tell their latest news to.. In fact, the day I introduced him, I expected to have him oversee our lessons and just be a part of the theme. However, it somehow turned in to my oldest becoming the teacher and teaching Andy everything he had learned (that’s a good skill, right???) and my youngest ended up dragging everything out of her bedroom to show him. Oh, and did I mention he stuck around for months after our theme ended?? *facepalm*
Anyway! I said all that to say, Andy the Astronaut announced their acceptance into the Jr. Astronaut Training Program and their reactions were priceless. Andy generated far more excitement than I could have with that news!
3. Jr. Astronaut Training Program Checklist
Upon acceptance, the kids went and got dressed in their spaciest (is that a word??) outfit and showed up ready to work! I played the role of Commanding Officer very well, I felt (and somehow think I may have missed my calling…). I welcomed them to the program and we began working through the program checklist, completing things like “gravity lifts” and “stellar star skips,” “rocket launches” and “gravitational pulls,” and even the expected motion threshold test. I mean, these kids had to prove they could be top notch astronauts, right??
Pro tip: Laminate the checklist and use a dry erase marker to check off items so the document can be used over and over.
4. Certificate of Completion
When all of the checklist was completed, Andy the Astronaut helped me determine if the astronauts in training earned their new titles of Jr. Astronaut. They had worked so hard, so of course they each earned a certificate of completion. Talk about a proud moment for them!
5. Name Badges
After each of them were awarded their certificates, they posed for a quick picture before receiving the last item… a name badge to make it official! I ordered a lanyard with a connector for a badge for each of them. I laminated the name badges for more support since they would be keeping and playing with these. They still have their badges and use them frequently while playing together.
…and that was our Jr. Astronaut Training Program! I would love to see how you do this activity! Feel free to share your experience in the comments, by emailing me, or by sharing on any of my social media accounts!
Good luck, Jr. Astronauts!!
DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you make a purchase with the links I provide, I may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you!
I love this lesson! The expressions on their sweet little faces proclaim this space mission a success! Thanks for all the neat printables and links!