I love outer space and all things astronomy. I have ever since I was a young girl dreaming of being the first woman to have a baby in space. (Um, that would be a big NO from me nowadays!)
My 9th birthday featured a viewing of my favorite film (“The Dream is Alive“) and astronaut ice cream to accompany our cake.
Now I love to share my love of all things outer space with my children. We’ve traveled to another state to view the recent full solar eclipse, have been known to wake up in the middle of the night to observe a lunar eclipse, and we visit the planetarium as often as possible.
There is nothing quite like astronomy to fill our hearts with wonder and humility!
One of my favorite resources has been the Classical Astronomy email newsletters, and I’d especially like to recommend that to you. Their site and emails will keep you up to date on astronomical events and what is happening in the sky on any given evening.
This post is jam packed with all the tools and resources you’ll need to enjoy astronomically awesome textbook-free science in your homeschool with multiple ages!
Click through these links to head straight to the topic listed, or just scroll and get excited about the many wonderful outer space resources available for homeschool science.
- FREE Star Poems printable
- Books
- Constellations
- Moon
- Outer Space/Solar System
- Astronauts/Astronomers
- Outer Space Art, Crafts, and Hands-On Projects
- Astronomy Music, Video, and Podcasts
FREE Star Poems printable
You know that our family loves to include beautiful memory work in our Morning Time. Would you like to recite some star-themed poetry as you explore outer space in your homeschool? I’ve curated a printable pdf with 14 poems you can add to your Morning Basket, use for copywork, or enjoy at your next poetry tea time.
If you’re already an email subscriber, find the printable in the subscriber freebies page. Not yet a subscriber? Join here to get access to this and other fabulous free resources!
Outer Space Books
Exploring Creation with Astronomy, Jeannie Fulbright
Signs and Seasons Understanding the Elements of Classical Astronomy, Jay Ryan
Eclipses Illustrated, Jay Ryan
The Moon Book, Gail Gibbons
Stars, H. A. Rey
Fool Moon Rising, Kristi and T. Lively Fluharty
ABCs of Space, Chris Ferrie
Zoo in the Sky, Jacqueline Mitton
Glow in the Dark Night Sky Book, Clint Hatchett
The Glow in the Dark Book of Space, Nicholas Harris
Our Stars, Anne Rockwell
Exploring the Night Sky, Terence Dickinson
Moonshot, Brian Floca
Or just click here to be taken directly to my clickable Outer Space Book List on Amazon
Learn the Constellations
- Free Rabbit Trails Constellation Study and Constellation Cards Printable
- Enjoy Special Science Fun with Free Constellation Cards
- Constellation Cards for Kids
- Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star Lapbook
- Design Your Own Constellation Book
The free app, SkyView, (available for android and iPhone) is incredible. One Monday morning after an early exercise class, I noticed what appeared to be an incredibly bright star in the sky, with a slightly dimmer star closer to the horizon. I was pretty sure the former was Venus, but what was the latter? I opened up SkyView, pointed it at the sky, and all the stars and planets were identified for me! (That 2nd star? It was Jupiter!)
Nothing can replace an actual visit to a Planetarium! If you are within driving distance of a planetarium, it is worth the trip! We have sometimes bought an annual family pass that enables all of us to go to as many shows as we want in a year. My favorite part of a planetarium show is when they put up the stars for your particular location that will be visible that night! Sometimes planetariums also have special shows or activities around astronomical events like an eclipse.
Can’t make it to a planetarium? You can always enjoy a glow-in-the-dark poster, glow-in-the-dark stars, and constellations on your socks (ha!) at home.
Learn about the Moon
Oreos make everything more fun. After you read about moon phases, let your children re-create them by carefully removing portions of the top cookie from the oreos to reveal the white moon-shape of the filling! Remember, “b is for born, d is for dying.” If the white, illuminated sliver of the moon is facing the same direction as a “b,” it is a waxing moon on its way to being full. If it is facing the direction of “d,” it is waning and will disappear completely in the days ahead.
- Free Moon Unit Study and Moon Phases Printable
- Lunar Lore: Learn more about lunar lore, the full moon names, and the reasons behind them with this unit study.
Learn About Outer Space and the Solar System
I love the nature study resources from Cindy West! She has a fabulous No Sweat Nature Study: Outer Space if you’re looking for a helpful pre-made resource for your astronomy studies.
Other homeschool science outer space resources you may find helpful:
- Free Solar System Printable Pack
- Solar System Printable Unit Study
- Solar System Coloring Pages
- Space Lapbook
- Printable Planets Unit Study
- Solar System Journal
- Mars Word Search
- Mars Lesson Plans
- Mini Lesson on Solar System
Check out this song for learning “The Planets of the Solar System”
Learn About Astronauts and Astronomers
Astronomer and Astronaut Books:
- The Boy Whose Head Was Filled with Stars
- The Librarian Who Measured the Earth
- Starry Messenger
- Caroline’s Comets
- Eclipse Chaser
- Finding the Speed of Light
- What Miss Mitchell Saw
- She Caught the Light
- Nicolaus Copernicus: the Earth is a Planet
- Hidden Figures
Outer Space Art, Crafts, and Hands-On Projects
- Art in Space Video Art Course
- Moon Missions Video Art Lessons
- DIY Cardboard Space Shuttle
- Build a Solar System Model
- Build a Model Space Probe
- Make a Cute Paper Space Shuttle
And, of course, don’t forget to include some space exploration coloring books in your astronomy studies!
Outer Space Music, Video, and Podcasts
- 15 Minute Free Music Lesson on Star Wars (ok, it’s a bit of a stretch, but so fun, right?!)
- Apollo in Real Time provides a real-time journey through the Apollo missions
- The Dream is Alive (I watched this film on IMAX several times when a young girl, and it gave me goosebumps every time!)
- 13 Minutes to the Moon, a podcast from the BBC exploring the Apollo missions
- The Cat and the Hat Knows a Lot About Space
- Stars and Sky Nature Hacking Playlist from Joy Cherrick
- Free Photos from NASA
- NASA Space Place YouTube Channel includes educational videos and activity ideas
Don’t Forget to Enjoy and Marvel at God’s Creation
Look up. Sometimes it is just this simple. We head inside our houses at night, or walk briskly with our heads down towards the street or our phones. Next time you’re at your window or out and about at night, look up and see the stars. You may not know them by name, but look and wonder!
