Supplies:

• Containers
• Spacecraft materials (Choose One!)
  • Rocket Ship: Paper towel tube
  • Spaceship: 2 paper plates + clear dome
• Color cardstock
• Pencil
• Kid Scissors
• Acrylic paint (base color and glow-in-the-dark colors)
• Pipe cleaners
• Googly eyes
• Aluminum foil
• Adhesive (tape, glue dots, etc.)
• Stickers, gems, etc.

Prep/ Set Up Details:

• Organize all shared supplies in containers (e.g., paper, paint, stickers, adhesives, etc.)
• Prepare a few relevant fun facts or questions to enrich the activity discussion!
  • Did you know that the bottom wings of a rocket ship are called “fins”? Can you think of an animal that has fins?
  • If you took a ride on your rocket ship, what kinds of things might you see in space?

Preparing for younger CAMPers (ages 3-6)

• Pre-cut shapes like planets, stars, etc.
• Opt for less messy options (e.g. stickers, glue dots, etc.)

Preparing for older CAMPers (ages 7+)

• Allow them to measure, cut everything themselves
• Inspire them to come up with a custom name for their spacecraft
• Consider more sophisticated options (e.g. glitter, etc.)

Activity Instructions:

Counselor(s) Prep (30 minutes before)

Doors Open (5 minutes before)

Gather (right on time)

• When all CAMPers are seated, welcome everyone!
• Introduce yourself and any other Counselors assisting the activity
• Give CAMPers a brief overview of what to expect and show CAMPers a completed “demo” or what the final product of this craft can look like
• Briefly review the tools they’ll be using and highlight any tools/techniques that require either (1) special care or (2) direct Counselor intervention
  • E.g. “Scissor edges can be sharp, so take care to always grab them by their handles and set them down gently every time!”

Icebreaker (5 minutes)

• We’re going to play Nice to Meet Ya!
• Instruct all CAMPers and Counselors to sit in a circle
• Go around the circle having each participant tell everyone their name and their favorite thing in outer space (planet, star, movie alien..)
• Counselors can go first to set an example for CAMPers 

Craft (25 minutes)

1. Paint your spacecraft with acrylic base paint and allow to dry
   
   
2. Build your spacecraft:
   1. For a rocket ship
      1. Cut a sheet of color paper in half, roll it into a cone, and tape the cone together
      2. Cut off the excess and glue it on top of your rocket
      3. Draw and cut out three fins
      4. Figure out the best spot for each fin and glue them onto your rocket
   2. For a spaceship
      1. Glue the two painted plates together to make a saucer
         
3. Decorate with glowing acrylic paint and allow to dry
   
   
4. Create your space buddy
   1. For an astronaut
      1. Cut two pieces of foil - one big (~12” x 12”) and one small (~5” x 12”)
      2. Fold the big piece in half, and then in half again (into a smaller square), and then cut notches in the middle of each side
      3. Scrunch the four corners together and bend the foil until you create two arms and two legs (an astronaut’s body!)
      4. Scrunch the smaller foil into a ball and glue the ball (head) onto the astronaut body you created
      5. Decorate the astronaut helmet and spacesuit with glowing paint
      6. Glue the astronaut onto your spacecraft
   2. For an alien
      1. Wind a pipe cleaner around a pencil to create a spiral alien body
      2. Cut a pipe cleaner in half (alien arms) and insert through the spiral body
      3. Glue pom-pom (alien head) to the pipe cleaner
      4. Cut a pipe cleaner in half and bend to create squiggly alien antennae
      5. Glue on a googly eye (one or more!)
      6. Glue the alien onto your spacecraft
5. If building a saucer spaceship, glue the clear dome onto your ship
6. Make it extra with stickers or more glow paint!
7. Voila! Ready for blastoff!

Play/ Perform (10 minutes)

• Instruct all CAMPers to sit in a circle
• Go around the circle and have each CAMPer introduce us to their space friend - they can make up a name, where they live, and where they are trying to travel to in space!

Wrap-Up/ Goodbyes (5 minutes)

‍Reset/ Cleanup (After - 10 minutes)