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Space is a perfect theme for these wonderful STEM toys. Who doesn’t love space right?All three of my boys love learning about space, so we have compiled this blog of fun ways to explore space with CONNETIX!
We made a model of the earth looking at the layers of Earth for earth day.
We made a big Solar System with the sequence of the planets from the Sun including, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. I used to remember the order with this acronym – MY VERY EASY METHOD JUST SPEEDS UP NAMING PLANETS (Until Pluto was announced as a dwarf planet!). To make a model of our solar system we used our black sofa as the background for space, although a black garage door, a tray or sheet would also work well. We used a variety of tiles to make them differ in shapes and sizes.
Space probes have many types and parts:
* Fly-by missions pass nearby planets and moons to take data from a distance.
* Orbiters are parts of missions designed to stay in orbit around the planet or moon without landing on its surface.
* Landers are parts of missions intended to land on a planet or moon.
* Rovers are vehicles designed to travel across a planet or moon’s surface.
A lunar lander or Moon lander is a spacecraft designed to land on the surface of the Moon. We made one of these using the clear tiles and a car base from the transport pack. A lander simply lands on another planet or moon to take measurements and if possible, explore the surrounding area but it doesn’t move.
Rovers are typically created to land on another planet to collect information about the terrain, and to take crust samples such as dust, soil, rocks and even liquids. A rover is designed to move around on the planet or astronomical object.
A spacecraft is a vehicle that travels to and operates in space. It may carry astronauts, supplies or instruments to their destination, or it simply can be the destination. The International Space Station is a spacecraft that stays in space. This could be another idea for a build, to create a space station.
A spacecraft is launched on rockets and have their own propulsion and navigation systems that then take over when they separate from the rocket, propelling them to other places in our solar system.
We had loads of fun creating rockets of various sizes. A rocket, sometimes called a launch vehicle, is used to carry a spacecraft from Earth’s surface to space, usually reaching low Earth orbit or going even farther. Our excitement came from the thrill of designing and launching these vehicles, watching them soar high above and imagining the journey they would take beyond our planet.
A shuttle is a reusable rocket-launched spacecraft engineered to carry people and supplies between Earth and space. It features advanced technology that allows it to endure the extreme conditions of space travel and safely re-enter Earth’s atmosphere. The shuttle we built (which we are very pleased with) resembles an airplane in appearance and is designed for multiple missions, reducing the overall cost of space travel. Its ability to land on runways makes it versatile and efficient for repeated use.
Satellites can be categorised into natural and artificial types. Natural satellites are celestial objects that orbit the sun, moon or planets, and are not made by humans. For example, the moon is a natural satellite of the Earth. On the other hand, artificial satellites are man-made objects that orbit a planet, the sun or the moon to send information back to Earth.
Artificial satellites have various uses, including:
When designing your satellite, you should include features like solar panels, satellite dishes, antennas and other data collection instruments. For our project, we used window tiles to represent solar panels and a ball run to symbolise a satellite dish.
My son was incredibly excited to design his own alien, which we then brought to life using CONNETIX. Seeing his creation come to life left him absolutely amazed, so I would highly recommend this activity to other parents and kids. Additionally, we made a UFO and added an extra layer of fun by using a torch at nighttime, creating a truly magical experience.
Did you know that UFO sightings have been reported throughout history, with ancient civilizations depicting mysterious flying objects in their artwork? The term “UFO” was coined in 1953 by the United States Air Force to describe “unidentified flying objects,” and it has since sparked countless theories and investigations. Some scientists believe that the vastness of the universe makes the existence of extraterrestrial life highly probable, though concrete evidence has yet to be found. Activities like designing aliens and creating UFOs can inspire curiosity and imagination about the mysteries of the universe.
We made a variety of 2D and 3D stars, then shone a torch through them to see the colours – alternatively, place the star in the sunlight to see the beautiful light refractions. We used a whiteboard to organise the stars we had made into constellations using a pen to line them up.Â
An activity I thought of doing was to hang stars from the washing line, then use them as a target practice aiming either balls or foam darts at the stars. Call it the Shooting Stars game.
I’m sure there are so many more space inspired ideas, if you have any or recreate any of these please don’t forget to tag @connetix_tiles. Plus, we would love to hear what you thought of our blog and if you want to see more ideas check us out @mylittlebrightsparks on Instagram.
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