Constellation Activities for Kids | Projects for a Starry Night!

Erin and Out
May 21
2 min read

Updated: May 27

I was a mythology fanatic as a kid (Percy Jackson, anyone?) so it was really only a matter of time before I became fascinated by the constellations. Heroes and princesses cartwheeling across the sky? I'm sold!

Having led my fair share of astronomy classes, I know that no one gets more fired up by the constellations than kids. Students love learning the stories behind the stars, especially when they're able to look up and pick out the constellations themselves!

Here are a few of my favorite kid-friendly constellation activities. I created this free constellation deck so you can do multiple activities with the same cards, just to make teaching a little easier. Warning: if you end up with an aspiring astronomer afterwards, don't blame me!

Connect-the-dots, sew the stars or craft a luminary!

Connect the Dots

If the constellations are based on shapes, why not trace them with a little connect-the-dots?Have your little ones pick out their favorite crayon and then follow the numbers. A fun way to introduce the constellations!

Materials:

Free Constellation Deck
Crayon/Colored Pencils

Pipe cleaner Star Project

I saw this activity on Steam Powered Family House and thought it too brilliant not pass on. This is a great engineering project for older kiddos who can use pipe cleaners and beads to shape the stars. I had a fun time myself bending the arms and legs of my Andromeda to get her juuust right.

Materials:

Free Constellation Deck
Pipe cleaners
Beads

Craft a Luminary

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/32ae18_0a91bdb1dcc748eaa0fe7cf15f87ef28/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

If your kids want a little more, use the constellation deck to create shining luminaries that you can project indoors. With adult supervision, use a push pin to punch out the numbers and stars. Then, go into a dark room with a flashlight and watch the constellations come alive!

Pro Tip: Tape your constellations to a piece of cardboard to punch out the numbers more easily (and safely!)

Materials:

Free Constellation Deck
Push pin
Tape
Cardboard
Flashlight

Sew the Stars

A paper constellation sewed in with string

For older astronomers, punch out the numbers in the constellation deck and then grab a bit of string. Now, they're ready to sew! This is a great activity to practice motor skills while studying constellation shapes. I would start with Cassiopeia, the simplest of the constellations, and then go from there.