World Space Week is just days from launching! Taking place 4-10 October each year, it’s a celebration of science, technology and exploration, and a fantastic opportunity to get your child inspired and excited about the wonders of the universe. And what better way to bring space down to Earth than sensory play? It’s fun, engaging, and a wonderful way to encourage imaginative play, enhance fine motor skills and introduce STEM learning.

Let’s blast off with three out of this world space-themed sensory play activities — perfect for little explorers and budding astronauts!

1. Moonscape

No mission to the moon is complete without a little lunar dust! This space-themed sensory base is made using cloud dough (sometimes called moon sand). Super soft, crumbly, and mouldable, it’s perfect for creating your own miniature moonscape.

What you'll need:

• 4 cups of flour   
• ½ cup of vegetable oil   
• Optional: bio-glitter, charcoal, chalk, or powder paint for colouring
  

How to make it

Mix the flour and oil together until you get a soft, crumbly texture. If your child might be tempted to taste the dough, bake the flour first at 350°F/180°C to kill any bacteria. To create a natural moon-grey colour, grate a small piece of charcoal into the mixture. You can also use chalk or powder paint for brighter colours, and a sprinkle of bio-glitter adds a magical sparkle. Store your cloud dough in an airtight container and it will keep for ages — ready for countless lunar landings! We set ours up in the PlayTRAY, which makes it easy to contain the mess for a stress-free cleanup.

2. Melted Wax Planets

This space-themed colourful craft is taken from The Easiest Kid’s Crafts Ever by Jacinta Sagona (give her a follow on Instagram @cintaandco). It’s also a fantastic way to give broken crayons a new lease of life! The melted wax creates stunning, one-of-a-kind planets that your child (and you) will be proud of. 

What you'll need:

• White paper 
• Old wax crayons 
• A sharpener or grater
• Kitchen roll
• An iron (grown-up job!)
  

How to make it

First, use a pencil sharpener or kitchen grater to create shavings from the crayons. This initial step is a great way to practice fine motor skills. To inspire creativity and encourage communication, ask your child which colours they would use for each planet, like swirling blues and greens for Earth or fiery reds and oranges for Mars.

Next, fold a piece of paper in half and arrange a thin layer of shavings on one side. Fold the paper over, place the kitchen roll on top, and carefully iron for a few seconds until the wax melts. Once cool, open the paper to reveal your design, then cut out circles to create planets. And if you’re making Saturn, don’t forget its iconic ring!

Sensory Play Idea

The melted wax effect is striking, especially if you leave a few white gaps for a marbled, galaxy-like look. To turn the craft into a full sensory small-world play scene, we displayed our planets in the PlayTRAY filled with black beans for a dramatic space backdrop.

Our scoops are the perfect tool for scooping and pouring the black beans in the space scene, and this repetitive action is a great way to improve fine motor skills and concentration, while they explore their new solar system.

3. Galaxy Snow Sensory Play

Instant snow isn’t just for winter — it’s a sensory superstar all year round! Give it a cosmic twist by adding coloured water for a cool galaxy effect. Instant snow is fun to scoop and pour, and it’s also mouldable, making it the perfect sensory material to create miniature planets, craters and rockets.

What you'll need:

• Instant snow 
• Water 
• Food colouring or liquid watercolours
• Optional: plastic stars or space-themed figurines 
  

How to make it

Prepare your instant snow according to the instructions, then add drops of coloured water in shades of purple, blue, and pink for a beautiful nebula-like effect. Gently mix the colours to create swirls, but try not to blend them completely. We added plastic stars to complete the galactic scene. Check out our Instagram Reel below to see it in action! 

Top Tip

Choose colours that blend nicely when mixed, and keep some of each colour in separate compartments of the PlayTRAY so kids can add more as they play. Instant snow is wonderfully mouldable, which is fantastic for developing children’s hand and finger strength. Our Nesting Bowl Set is perfect for making deep craters and shaping homemade planets.

Mission Complete! 

Whether you’re making moonscapes, crafting colourful melted wax planets, or exploring a galaxy of sensory snow, these space-themed sensory play activities are perfect for sparking curiosity and creativity during World Space Week and beyond.

The PlayTRAY is our go-to tool for keeping things contained, making setup and cleanup easier, and separating different colours and materials. If you don’t have one already, check it out!

If your mini astronauts give any of our space-themed activities a go, please tag us @inspiremyplay. We love seeing your creations and the joy they bring children.

Happy exploring!