There is no better way to have fun learning about space and to get closer to NASA than getting involved with amazing NASA online learning opportunities. This article will give you ideas about several NASA activities for kids online, as well as a few in-person space activities. We hope you will find something that will best suit your interests. Good luck and have fun on your voyage!
For even more NASA fun, join an online NASA Science class for kids led live by an expert, with a curriculum designed by professionals from Google and MIT.
Explore NASA Activities For Kids
Some challenges are aimed at younger students and some are for students of all ages. Please check the details for each activity.
NASA Activities For Elementary Kids
Here are some out-of-this-world activities for elementary school students to expand their curiosity and creativity.
1. NASA Science Club
From Mars and aliens, to galaxies and rockets, space fascinates many kids and adults alike, and is the source of powerful imaginations. In this Create & Learn class led live online by an expert, your kids (in grades 1-4) will learn a wide range of topics related to space science, NASA, and practice other STEM skills. Kids will learn cool new things about space and science in a small group setting, then build small projects and play games for lots of fun and to strengthen their learning.
2. Create your own Zany Space Adventure: Space Place Loopy Legends
This is a wonderful tool to inspire young space authors to create a variety of funny space stories including about black holes, meteorites and surfing in space. Just insert a few words and out comes your new story.
3. Get to know the The Mars Rover: Perseverance
Do you want to learn more about the Mars Rover Perseverance and do some fun activities about this Rover? This site has everything you need. It includes pages for coloring and school science projects.
4. Talk to ROV-E the “Rover”
Get your space questions answered than from a NASA Rover! You can ask ROV-E any questions you have about Mars and space either by text or voice message, and he will answer you immediately.
There are also tons of NASA games and videos for elementary students to enjoy.
NASA Activities for Middle Schoolers
Here are some options for middle and high school students to consider.
5. NASA’s Europa Clipper Mission Launch Watch Party: Plan your own event (for free!)
Be a virtual guest for the launch of NASA’s Europa Clipper Mission! Scheduled for October 10, 2024, this groundbreaking mission will be the first to conduct a detailed scientific investigation of Jupiter's ocean moon, Europa. Scientists believe that beneath Europa's icy crust lies a salty ocean that may harbor the building blocks of life. Beyond Earth, Europa is considered one of the most promising currently habitable environments in our solar system.
6. Astro Camp
AstroCamp mountain adventure and science summer camp for kids and teens offers educational camp programs for 8-17 year olds who love science and space exploration. The camp takes place in the San Jacinto mountains in California. For more details contact: Diana@astrocamp.org
7. Space Center University: Space Center Houston
Over 5 days Space Center University students will discover areas such as robotics, rocketry, thermal protection systems and space habitats. Participants will be inspired as they engineer solutions to space related challenges, collaborate to find solutions and go behind-the-scenes at NASA Johnson Space Center. There are programs for students between the ages of 11 and 18 and there are some scholarship opportunities available.
NASA And Space Activities For High Schoolers
Here are some interesting opportunities for students of various ages that will get you involved with NASA and two important space companies: Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic.
8. NASA Techrise Student Challenge
Students in sixth to 12th grades attending a U.S. public, private, or charter school – including those in U.S. territories – are challenged to team up with their schoolmates to design an experiment under the guidance of an educator. Teams can submit ideas for experiments to fly on a suborbital flight platform. Competition winners receive $1,500 to build their payloads and an assigned spot on a NASA-sponsored commercial flight test. The due date for this activity is November 1, 2024.
9. Blue Origin’s Club for the Future: Send a Postcard to Space
Write or draw your vision on a postcard for what you think the future of life in space will look like—or any other message you’d like to send to space. Blue Origin will launch it into space and back on its New Shepard rocket, and return it to you stamped "Flown to Space." Send as many postcards as you'd like.
10. Mission to Mars Book Class
This fun and challenging live online creative writing course invites young space pioneers / authors to assemble an international team of astronauts and write the story of the first human landing on Mars or Titan. Steady technological progress by NASA, SpaceX and others is giving the international space community growing confidence about a human landing on Mars in the not so distant future. Titan is an attractive objective after Mars. Using a 10 chapter guide, students use their technical, artistic and imaginative skills to create the story of the first crewed mission to Mars or Titan, and in the process become authors of an exciting new e-book!
As just one example, read the Red Planet Odyssey, written by students from around the globe from Poland, China, Australia, United States and Canada.
Explore even more NASA eClips for even more ideas.
Enjoy NASA Activities For Kids In Grades K-12
We hope you and your child found a few things that caught your interest and will inspire you to continue studying and exploring space. There are so many amazing things going on at NASA, space companies and camps. By participating in these kinds of opportunities you are taking an important step to working one day in the space business. Up next, check out some cool NASA contests for students and NASA internships.
Fine tune your child's knowledge of space exploration in private Space Careers classes, recommended for students interested in developing their own space projects, and for those preparing to apply for NASA internships.
Written by Bruce Callow, a Canadian space educator and co-author of the books To the Stars: Costa Rica in NASA, The Intrepids: Costa Rican Women in Science and Technology and To the Stars: Guatemala in Space. Bruce has worked as a communications consultant for former NASA astronaut Dr. Franklin Chang Diaz. He partners in a variety of space education outreach activities with NASA and the Costa Rica Institute of Technology.
