How to Make a Space Dramatic Play Area

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Are you looking for some fun, play-based ways to add science learning into your classroom?  Why not transform your dramatic play area into a space theme.  With these ideas, your little astronauts will be blasting off in no time.

I had so much fun setting up this pretend space station. Your kids will have so much fun as they learn about space and pretend to be astronauts. Let me show you how to create your own space dramatic play area.

Space center dramatic play area.
space station dramatic play area
JUST Purchase the pRINTABLES

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Here are the quick links to purchase the Space Station Dramatic Play Printables today.

The printables featured in this post can be found in my store. I added several links at the bottom of this post. Use the links and ideas to help you shop for props to add to your dramatic play center. There will be no additional cost to you when you make a purchase from a link, but a small portion of your purchase will be used towards maintaining this website…and for that, I thank you.

I added several links at the bottom of this post to help you find materials faster. Just an FYI….the links are affiliate links. Here’s how it works….I may earn a small portion of your purchase, but you will not be charged an additional fee when you purchase from the link.

Create a Mission Control Center

You can’t have a space mission without a mission control center.  You can easily set up mission control with a table and a couple of chairs.  Add some keyboards, computer monitors, old laptops, phones, headphones,etc.  Get out your plastic bottle cap collection and use it to create knobs, buttons, and dials.

Create a Mission Control Center for your space dramatic play area.

Kids can also create a flight plan and map out the mission in this area.

Make your own flight plan in your space themed dramatic play area.

Make a Rocket

Now, all you need is a rocket.  You seriously don’t need anything fancy to create a rocket or space station.  You can use a large cardboard box, a designated space in the corner of the room, or space under a table.

I recently replaced a dishwasher, so we made a rocket from the box.  I cut one of the sides out and cut a couple of portholes so that little astronauts can look out.  Kids can use their imagination to make pretty much anything, so you don’t have stress yourself out about making it look just right.  I used a gray plastic table cloth and some silver duct tape to cover the outside.

Making your rocket:  Space Dramatic Play Area.

A rocket needs a control panel.  Create one with plastic milk caps, foam shapes, or use a printable control panel.  Reinforce number recognition by adding numbers to some of the buttons.  Kids love hitting the buttons as they countdown 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 BLASTOFF!!  It’s also really fun to shake the rocket as it blasts off into space.

Your control panel for your Space Dramatic Play Area.

You don’t want things floating around in the rocket.  Use hook and loop tape to attach tools, food, clipboards, and crayons to the walls.

Space Themed Dramatic Play Area Rocket

Don’t let unauthorized personnel in your rocket, so a fingerprint scanner and a number pad are a good idea.  Have fun creating your rocket!

Make a authorization panel for your space themed dramatic play area.

Dress Up Clothing

Of course, you can buy astronaut costumes and helmets to use in the pretend play area.  Here are a couple of ideas that are friendlier on the budget.  A large white t-shirt can totally work as a spacesuit.  If you want to make it a bit fancier, add strips of silver tape or a flag.  Inexpensive disposable painting coveralls work really well too.

Remember that Velcro was first used in space.  Use some to attach tools to the spacesuits.

Dress up clothing for your space dramatic play area.

Your little astronauts might want to take a space excursion and may need a jet pack to help them get around.  Check out my tutorial to learn how to use duct tape and two empty two-liter bottles to make a cool DIY jetpack.

You too can make your own adorable jet pack for your space themed dramatic play area.

Space Food

Kids may enjoy helping you make space food for their trips.  You can use felt, torn colored paper, bits of foam, or pom-poms.

Space food for your space themed dramatic play area.
Space food for your dramatic place area.

Research Lab

Space missions usually involve some type of research.  Your kids can study materials that have come from space (moon rocks, meteorites, or soil from a planet).  They can also study plants or animals that have grown in space.

You can make moon rocks by balling up a piece of aluminum foil.  Make it more dense and smooth by hitting it with a mallet.  Want to make some moon rocks that are a little bit heavier?  Cover some rocks with foil.

Space research as part of your space themed dramatic play area.

Provide a scale, magnifying glasses, measuring tapes, & tweezers/tongs.

Add supplies for your research lab as part of your space dramatic play area.

Kids can examine, weigh, measure, and sort the rocks.

Moon sorting rocks:  Space dramatic play area.

Astronaut Training

Every astronaut needs training.  You can set up an area that is perfect for your little astronauts in training.  You can provide books so that they can learn all about space and the solar system.  They can work on learning how to use equipment like grabber tools.  You can also provide exercise equipment like light hand weights and jump ropes in this area so that they can get their bodies in shape.

Astronaut training center:  Space dramatic play area.

Observatory

While the astronauts are training they can study the night sky in a DIY observatory.  Of course, you will probably have to make a night sky.  But, this can be easily made by attaching star cutouts to a black poster board or a black table cloth.  Kids can use cardboard tubes as telescopes.

Extension: Add a literacy component to this activity by writing names or letters on the stars.  Kids can then use a telescope to search for their name or for letters in their name.

Adding literacy as part of your space dramatic play area.

Rocket Building and Testing

Provide some building materials like blocks and recyclables so that kids can design and make rockets.  They can also make little straw rockets and run test flights with them.

Rocket building and testing:  Space dramatic play area.

Purchase the Space Dramatic Play Area Printables

Well, I hope that these ideas gave you some inspiration for setting up a fun space-themed dramatic play center in your classroom.  The printables pictured in this article are available in my store as part of my Space Dramatic Play Resource or my Science Dramatic Play Bundle.  They include the items pictured, plus banners, observation sheets, and more.  Click below to purchase them today.

science themed dramatic play activity bundle
space station dramatic play area

Do you prefer to shop at Teachers Pay Teachers? You can also purchase the Space Station Dramatic Play Printables and the Science Themed Dramatic Play Bundle in my TPT Store.

Purchase the Space Dramatic Play Printables on TPT

Do you prefer to shop at Teachers Pay Teachers? You can also purchase the space station dramatic play printables in my TPT Store.


Where to Find Space Station Pretend Play Props

Below are some items from Amazon that can be used for the activities mentioned in this article. The links below are affiliate links. If you happen to purchase something from a link, there will be no additional cost to you, but a small portion of your purchase will be paid to me.  I use these small commissions to pay for the maintenance of this website.

Additional Ideas for Your Dramatic Play Center

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