Personalized items such as banners, invitations and stickers are
a unique addition to any party theme...
personalize it at Birthday In a Box>>

Centerpiece
Cover 1-3 oatmeal boxes with aluminum foil. Fill with black and royal blue 
tissue paper and insert metallic star "sprays" from craft or party store.

A Special Astronaut Welcome
Upon arrival give the guests a fabric sash with the NASA emblem, rocket 
or star patch. You can make the sashes easily with felt and pinking shears. A simple straight seam or fabric glue will connect the ends. 
Use a fabric pen to write "Astronaut in Training" --
You can also make craft foam badges if sewing is not for you.

Enlist a talented teen to face paint a rocket on each guest as well.

SPACE PARTY GAMES AND ACTIVITIES
Whether your birthday party theme is space, solar system, 
rocket ship or astronaut, select a few of these fun activities 
to keep your party guests smiling!

Rocket Launch
 
Provide each guest with a kid-safe foam rocket slingshot.
Using a permanent marker, write names on the rocket. 
The children will take turns launching their rockets. The farthest distance wins or everyone can receive a small prize. Plan to play this game more than once -- the kids love it!

Moon Rock Relay
Before the party, cut or tear several pieces of foam padding --
like egg crate or mattress pad foam. Divide the children into teams.
Give each team a pile of "moon rocks" and a set of kitchen tongs.
Place a bucket for each team at a finish line. The object of the game is 
to be the first team to transport all of the moon rocks from the pile to the bucket using only the tongs (robot arm). The first racer will pick up a rock, run to the bucket return to his/her team and pass the tongs to the next player. This continues until all of the "rocks" have been moved.

Blast-Off ! -- Indoor Game
Similar to musical chairs...
Use fabric or butcher paper to make a large but simple rocket or a giant planet. Place the rocket/planet on the floor. Play music while the kids dance, move and play around the room. When the music stops they all have to find a place on the rocket. Variation: Instead of making just one planet, make few smaller ones -- this makes the game more fun! 

Asteroid Belt -- Indoor Game
Before the party inflate several balloons. When it's time to play
have the children form a circle. Toss the balloons or "asteroids" in 
the air and the children have to keep the asteroids from hitting the Earth. 
More than likely, the children will not stay in the circle...that's just fine.

Saturn's Rings Toss
You'll need a hula hoop, bean bags, water balloons or balls.
Mark an "X" with tape on the ground or floor. Have two helpers hold 
the hula hoop a reasonable distance from the "X". The players take 
turns trying to toss the bean bag planets through the ring. 
Variation: Hang several hoops with varying heights from a clothes 
line or tree branch.

Galaxy Treasure Hunt
Use several balls with different shapes and colors to represent the planets and one large yellow ball for the sun. Write witty rhyme clues and attach them to each planet for example:
              "This planet had rings, but not made of gold.
             Explore near the driveway like an astronaut bold!" -- Saturn
Hide the planets and sun in different rooms or other challenging spots. 
The hunt should end with the Sun, where they'll find their goody bags.

Flying Comets
Before the party make one comet for each child. You'll need Nerf foam or 
tennis balls, colored tights or pantyhose and rubber bands.
Cut the legs from the tights. Insert a ball into the foot of the stocking leg.
Secure it with a rubber band. This will leave the comet's tail. Place a hoop
or tape circle on the floor. The kids will toss their comets and try to get it into the circle. If you are using tennis balls, place this game outdoors.

Outer Space Crafts
Provide paper plates, egg cartons, TP tubes,  pipe cleaners, construction paper, paint, markers, glue sticks, scissors and other miscellaneous craft materials. Place all of the items on a protected space and allow the children to build their own rockets, UFO's or alien creatures.
Variation - Use play dough or modeling clay to make planets and aliens.

Solar System Cake
Use large and small sphere cake molds to make a galaxy cake -- You can find these cake mold at most large craft stores. Tip: For vibrant frosting colors, use food color paste to color your frosting instead of liquid.

Moon Walk Cake
Use a sphere cake mold or divide a standard cake mix between a round pan and a 2 -1/2 quart over proof glass bowl. Place the dome cake on top of the round cake - with a bit of frosting in between. Crush chocolate sandwich cookies and mix the crumbs into white frosting. Press gray NECCO candies into the frosting to create the moon craters. 
Add a flag and a small astronaut figurine to the top.

For more creative ideas check out the NASA Kids website...
Will open in a new window.

Fun Space Party Favors
Pop-Rocks candy, Milky Way bars, Mars bars, glow-in-the-dark star stickers, NASA Coloring sheets, a deck of space cards...

Photo Opportunity
Marcella from Houston, TX shared her great idea...
She painted two appliance boxes -- one with an astronaut and 
one with a rocket. Then she cut a hole in each, for the party guests faces. Each guest took turns poking their faces through the holes for a fun photo. The pictures were mailed with "thank you" notes from her son.

Space Party from Birthday In a Box

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