Make a Shooting Star Pom Pom Shooter with your preschooler and see how far your stars shoot. It is such a fun craft to make and play with together!
Since there is a solar eclipse happening next month, I decided to have a space week with my little ones!
I thought that if we read books and did activities about space, they would get more excited about the eclipse. So, I developed a space theme to use as a guide for the week. I will make a printable for you to use and put it up once all of the activities have been posted here on the blog.
Today’s agenda is:
- Read: How to Catch a Star by Oliver Jeffers (affiliate link for your convenience)
- Sing: I’m a Little Rocket
- Make: Shooting Star Pom Pom Shooter (DIY below)
- Play: How far can you shoot your stars?
For other space activity ideas, I made a Pinterest board. If ever an activity doesn’t fit into your schedule, pull from this board to replace it: Preschool Space Theme.
Shooting Star Pom Pom Shooter – Materials
- white paper cups
- black/purple balloons
- black acrylic paint
- yellow acrylic paint
- foam brush
- small star cookie cutter
- scissors
- pom poms
Shooting Star Pom Pom Shooter – Instructions
Step 1. Setup your art station. Squeeze a small amount of black paint onto a paper bag. Have your preschooler paint the white cup with black paint. I did this activity with my 2-year-old daughter. She painted a cup and so did I! She painted herself too. The orange cup had crackers in it. Snack and paint is our thing.
Step 2. Let your cups dry or blow dry them with a blow dryer to speed up the process.
Step 3. Squeeze a small amount of yellow paint onto the paper bag. Have your preschooler dip the star cookie cutter into the paint and stamp the black-painted cup. This is developing your preschooler’s fine motor skills.
Step 4. Let it dry or blow dry the cups.
Step 5. Cut the bottom of the paper cup out.
Step 6. Cut the tip off of a balloon and secure onto the cup. Tie a knot in the balloon. This is the cup I painted:
Step 7. Play with your Shooting Star Pom Pom Shooter! Fill them with pom pom balls, pull the knot back, let go and watch them fly. Tip: the less pom poms in your cup, the farther they shoot.
Make it a game! See which pom poms go the farthest. Have your preschooler name the colors of the pom poms scattered on the floor. Play it indoors or outdoors. It’s such fun!
Here’s the Pom Pom Star Shooter in action:
Love the space craft? Check out our DIY Solar Eclipse Viewer!
Played the game? Tried the craft? Tag us in a pic on Instagram (@themamaworkshop ). We’d love to see all the shooting star fun you’re having!
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