DIY Constellations

How big is your world right now?

What if you can make your world seem as big as outer space? 

Even if that’s a bit of a stretch, today’s at home, recipe for play activity, DIY Constellations, will at least let you and your kids explore not only what’s beyond the walls of our homes—but what’s also beyond the confines of our planet. Plus, it engages their senses of creativity and their imaginations, all while throwing in some science education opportunities. 

DIY Constellations 

Goals: 

• Learn about constellations 

• Engage creativity and imagination  

Children will: 

• Create a constellation—real or imagined  

• Illuminate a constellation on the ceiling or wall 

What you’ll need: 

• A dark paper cup, empty cereal box, or oatmeal container 

• Flashlight (the one on your phone works great!) 

• Something to poke holes (thumbtack, scissors, or pen) 

How to: 

• Do some research on constellations on the internet. Start with the Big Dipper and Little Dipper since they’re easy to see. What do they look like? How did they get their names? 

• Find a dark paper cup, cardboard box, oatmeal container, or something similar. Use a thumbtack or pen to poke holes where the stars might be. If you’re using a paper cup, poke the holes on the bottom of the cup. If you’re using a box, poke the holes on any side. You can copy the configuration of your favorite constellations or make up your own. 

• If you used a box, cut a small opening (about the size of your flashlight beam) in the opposite side of where you poked the holes.  

• Turn out the lights in a room (works better at night). Place the flashlight through the hole or shine it in the cup. Watch as your constellation is illuminated on the wall or ceiling!  

Check out this video demonstration from Maddie Brown, CCM’s Facilitated Programs Manager:

Bring the night sky indoors! Maddie Brown, Facilitated Programs Manager at Chicago Children's Museum, brings you this simple activity you can do with common materials from your home.

Muffin Tin Crayons

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AGES:

3 and up 

INGREDIENTS:  

• Muffin tin (single use or silicone work well)

• Crayons (old broken pieces are perfect for this)

• Oven 

• Optional: use baking cups to add fun textures!  

INSTRUCTIONS: 

1. Take paper off crayons and break them into small pieces. Let your child help! Peeling and tearing is great fine motor exercise. 

2. Preheat the oven to 190° or the lowest temperature on your oven. 

3. Place crayon pieces in the muffin tin. You can mix colors or sort them. 

4. Place in oven for 15 minutes. Add additional time if not melted. 

5. Let cool in oven for at least 3 hours, or overnight. 

6. Pop them out and draw!  

Have a Ball

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AGES:

0 and up 

INGREDIENTS: 

• Balls of various sizes (e.g., exercise ball, Wiffle balls, ping pong balls)

• Optional: containers, buckets, plastic bottles 

 INSTRUCTIONS:  

Here are some great tips for developing motor skills through play: 

1. Pair balls with containers. Observe as children experiment and discover the endless possibilities. 

2. Play catch! Roll and toss the ball back and forth. Chase the ball when it rolls away! 

3. Roll, lay, and sit your whole body on a big ball! 

4. Set up “pins” using plastic bottles and go bowling! Kick, toss, and roll the ball down the lane. 

Drawing on Metal

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Explore metal as a canvas for drawing and etching! 

AGES:

4 and up

INGREDIENTS:  

• Catering trays or disposable baking trays, available at grocery stores

• Permanent markers 

• Etching tool (chopsticks, wooden stylus, or other gently pointed object will do) 

INSTRUCTIONS: 

1. Etch on metal by gently pushing your tool of choice against it. 

2. Use permanent markers to embellish your design.

3. Combine both approaches and try coloring over the etched lines. 

Chalk Painting

AGES:

0 and up  

INGREDIENTS:  

• Cardstock, cardboard, or a chalkboard (dark colors work best)

• Chalk

• Paint brush

• Spray bottle

• Water

• Optional: mortar and pestle

INSTRUCTIONS: 

1. Place paper and materials on a table or floor. 

2. As you scribble, make dots, draw and explore, use your water and spray bottle to watch how the color of the chalk changes as it dries!

3. Try using a paint brush and some water to blend your ingredients together. You can use your whole hand to blend colors too! You can also use a mortar and pestle or bowl to mash up your chalk and mix with water into pigment.

4. Spray it with water to see what happens. Experiment!

5. Take pics and tag us on Instagram and Facebook @chicagochildrensmuseum!

Follow along with this Recipe for Play with our Art Studio Educator! Check out the tutorial below.

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Nature Mobiles

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AGES:

3 and up 

INGREDIENTS:  

• Items collected on a nature hike (sticks, pine cones, dried flowers, scrubs, etc.) or bought at a craft store

• Yarn or ribbon 

INSTRUCTIONS: 

1. Take a walk around your neighborhood (staying socially distant!) and collect items for your mobile. Use all your senses to describe the items you found! 

2. When you get back inside (and after you wash your hands), use yard or ribbon to secure 2 sticks in the shape of an X.

3. At the 4 ends of the sticks, hang some of the items you found on your hike using yarn or ribbon.

4. Do the objects balance each other out? If not, try rearranging the items or hang more than 1 item from a stick end.  

5. Now hang the mobile to see your treasure in a new way. 

Tiny Photographers

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AGES:

3 and up 

INGREDIENTS: 

• Your phone’s camera

• Black fabric, white sheet, or large white paper for a backdrop

• Your beautiful works of original art! 

INSTRUCTIONS:  

1. Set up a temporary mini photoshoot area (kitchen/dining table, game table, etc.) 

2. Tape the backdrop to the wall, letting some of it fall on the table as well.

3. Photograph works of art in both a full-view and detailed format.

4. Organize the pictures into a digital photo journal, or print them out and tape them into a notebook.

5. Encourage your child to add titles, dates, and notes describing the creative process and materials used. 

Shadow Puppets

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AGES:

4 and up  

INGREDIENTS: 

Heavy paper  

Straws or sticks  

Scissors and hole punch  

Brass paper fasteners  

Tape or string  

White sheet, desk lamp, and table  

INSTRUCTIONS:  

1. Draw the body of your puppet on paper. Cut out each body part separately.

2. Hole-­punch the spot where body parts connect. Use fasteners to link the parts together.

3. Tape the straw or sticks to the hands and feet of your puppet.

4. Create your screen by taping your sheet up. Place table and lamp behind the sheet.

5. Now put on a show!  

DIY Shakers

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AGES:

4 and up

INGREDIENTS:  

Container with a tight lid  

Beans, popcorn kernels, rice  

Tissue paper or construction paper  

Markers, sequins, ribbon  

Glue  

Scissors  

INSTRUCTIONS:  

1. Fill your container with a variety of beans, seeds, and rice. Close and test out the sound. Try adding or taking out a few beans for a different sound.

2. Cut construction and tissue paper in small confetti size pieces.

3. Decorate your shaker by gluing on the paper confetti, sequins, and ribbon.

4. Once dry, shake your shaker! Put on a show, play along with your favorite tunes, or make up your own song. 

Sensory Surprise

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Use these surprise boxes to stimulate the senses, exercise eye hand coordination, and explore cause and effect!  

AGES: 

1 to 3  

INGREDIENTS:  

Empty tissue boxes  

Select textural items to place in the boxes (scarves, fabric, balls, bean bags)  

INSTRUCTIONS: 

1. Reach your hand in to see what you find!

2. Pull items in and out, mix them up, or see how many fit in 1 box.

3. Close your eyes and use your sense of touch to guess what’s inside. 

Nature Collection

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AGES:

1 and up  

INGREDIENTS:  

Natural materials such as rocks, shells, pinecones, etc.  

Container with compartments (muffin tin, plastic egg cartons)  

Optional: magnifying glasses and view finders  

INSTRUCTIONS: 

1. Explore nature in your own back yard! Select rocks and leaves to add to your nature collection.

2. Compare, contrast, categorize, arrange, and rearrange your natural treasures in each compartment.

3. Use view finders, magnifying glasses, or paper towel tubes to see your found items in a new way.

4. When you’re ready to mix up your collection, return items to nature and start again. 

Cardboard Robots

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AGES:

4 and up  

INGREDIENTS:  

Various cardboard boxes, paper tubes, and other recycled materials  

Glue dots, glue sticks, or tacky glue in cups with popsicle sticks   

Scissors  

Permanent markers  

Shiny paper, construction paper, or tin foil  

INSTRUCTIONS: 

1. Build your robot! Use or cut slits and holes to attach arms, legs, tubes or rollers. Glue on a head, use bottle caps for gears, an “on/off” switch, etc.

2. Use paper and markers to decorate your robot.

3. Bring the robot to life with sound effects and stories.  

Finger Puppets

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AGES:

3 and up  

INGREDIENTS:  

Felt cut into approximately 3’’x3” squares

Glue dots or tacky glue in cups with popsicle sticks  

Yarn, sequins, googly eyes, and other fun small stuff  

Puppet stage   

INSTRUCTIONS:  

1. Roll felt square into a tube shape that will fit on your finger. Attach side and top with glue.

2. Add personality to your puppet. Is it a monster with 3 eyes, a person with long hair, a lamb, astronaut, or alien?

3. Put your puppet on and play! You can act out a story, sing a song, or have it tell jokes. 

Stained Glass

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AGES:

1 and up  

INGREDIENTS:  

Contact paper  

Masking tape  

Tissue paper  

Optional: ribbons, scrap paper, sequins  

INSTRUCTIONS: 

1. Using masking tape, tape up contact paper on a window with the sticky side facing out.

2. Stick tissue paper and scraps to the contact paper.

3. Explore layering materials, cutting paper into shapes and making designs.

4. When the collage is complete, flip the contact paper over and tape it to the window.

5. Watch how the light makes the art come alive. 

Painting with Paper

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AGES:

2 and up  

INGREDIENTS:  

Cardstock or poster board

Tissue paper (not bleed-­proof)

Paint brush

Cup of water  

INSTRUCTIONS: 

1. Cover a table in a tablecloth or with newspaper and set out materials.

2. Cut the tissue paper into small pieces.

3. Place a piece of tissue paper on the cardstock.

4. “Paint” over the tissue paper with water.

5. Continue adding tissue paper. Watch the colors mix! 

Bottle Cap Craze

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AGES:

2 and up  

INGREDIENTS:  

Cardstock, cardboard, or poster board

Tacky glue

Variety of bottle caps  

INSTRUCTIONS:  

1. Collect a variety of bottle caps—look for variation in colors and size.

2. Rinse bottle caps in soapy water and leave to dry.

3. Set out cardstock or other heavy paper and glue. Tip: Pour glue into a disposable cup and spread with a popsicle stick or paint brush.

4. Sort, design, and assemble a beautiful bottle cap collage. 

Make a New Friend

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AGES:

4 and up  

INGREDIENTS: 

Household item (duster, rock, sock, etc.)  

Googly eyes  

Tacky glue  

Odds and ends (caps, yarn, puff balls, fabric scraps) 

INSTRUCTIONS:  

1. Glue on googly eyes with tacky glue.

2. Decorate your new friend any way you want!

3. Once your new friend has dried, give your friend a name, go on an adventure, make up a story, sing a song, or put on a puppet show! 

Magic Fabric

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AGES:

0 to 3 

INGREDIENTS:  

Large pieces of fabric (experiment with Lycra, polyester, and/or tulle)  

INSTRUCTIONS:  

1. Holding on to 1 side of the fabric piece, toss the other side up in the air and let it float down like a wave. Can you run under it before it falls?

2. Work together to make a fabric parachute! Roll some soft balls on top!

3. Place your baby or toddler safely (on their tummy or back) on one end of the fabric and give them a gentle sleigh ride around the room.

Foamy Fun

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AGES:

1 and up 

INGREDIENTS:  

Shaving cream  

Tools, such as paint brushes or spatulas.  

Tub, container, or tray  

Optional: food coloring 

INSTRUCTIONS: 

1. Spray shaving cream into a container or onto a surface.

2. Add a drop of food coloring and experiment with different color combinations.

3. Use your hands and utensils to explore the properties of this funky foam. Painting with shaving cream is so much fun.

4. Don’t worry about making a mess—we promise this one’s easy to clean. 

Ribbon Weaving

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AGES:

3 and up  

INGREDIENTS:  

Embroidery mesh or other netting material  

Ribbons  

Masking tape  

INSTRUCTIONS:  

1. Hang or set out a large embroidery mesh.

2. Set out a basket of ribbons.

3. Weave the ribbon through the netting.

4. Tape the end of the ribbons with masking tape if you need help getting the weaving started.

5. Weave designs, make shapes, or just practice the ins and outs of this classic art form.