🌌🎄 Christmas Space Ideas & Activities for Primary Schools (KS1 & KS2)
- Primary Fundraising Hub
- Nov 22
- 4 min read
Christmas doesn’t have to be all glitter and elves - it can also be the perfect time to spark children’s curiosity about Space, planets, stars, rockets, and the universe. These Christmas Space activities blend festive fun with real science learning, making them ideal for classrooms, STEM clubs, homework challenges and even whole-school displays.
Whether you teach Year 1 or Year 6, these activities are simple to run, low-cost, and perfect for end-of-term excitement. Here we go... Christmas Space Ideas & Activities...
⭐ 1. Santa’s Rocket Sleigh (KS1–KS2)
STEM Focus: Forces, Air ResistanceWhat You’ll Need: Balloon, straw, string, tape, Santa sticker.How It Works:Children build a balloon rocket but decorate the balloon as Santa’s flying sleigh. Count down like a mission launch and measure how far it travels.Why It’s Great: Links Christmas magic to real rocket propulsion.
⭐ 2. Reindeer Constellations (KS1)
STEM Focus: Stars & PatternsWhat You’ll Need: Black paper, chalk, gold stickers.How It Works:Children design their own “reindeer constellation” and then map it using dots and lines like real star maps.Why It’s Great: Introduces constellations in a gentle, creative way.
⭐ 3. “Snowstorm on Planet X” Jar (KS1–KS2)
STEM Focus: Density & Immiscible LiquidsWhat You’ll Need: Jar, baby oil, glitter, paint-water mix.How It Works:A classic snowstorm-in-a-jar, but children imagine they are studying the weather on an alien Christmas planet.Why It’s Great: Encourages scientific storytelling.
⭐ 4. The Christmas Mission Control Challenge (KS2)
STEM Focus: Communication & Problem SolvingWhat You’ll Need: Simple map, “mission briefs,” timer.How It Works:Split into Mission Control and Astronauts.Mission Control gives instructions that astronauts must follow to “deliver presents across the galaxy.”Why It’s Great: Fun team-building + communication skills.
⭐ 5. Festive Solar System Orbits (KS1)
STEM Focus: Orbits & MovementWhat You’ll Need: Baubles of different sizes, string.How It Works:Hang baubles from the ceiling as planets. Children move in circular “orbits” around the sun (teacher).Why It’s Great: A brilliant physical model of the Solar System.
⭐ 6. Build a Christmas Star Finder (KS1–KS2)
STEM Focus: ConstellationsWhat You’ll Need: Paper templates, split pins.How It Works:Make simple rotating star-wheel dials but theme them with Christmas stars, winter constellations and sparkling designs.Why It’s Great: Introduces pupils to real night-sky navigation.
⭐ 7. Christmas Crater Makers (KS1–KS2)
STEM Focus: Space rocks & ImpactsWhat You’ll Need: Flour, cocoa powder, marbles, tray.How It Works:Drop marbles into a tray of flour + cocoa to explore how meteorites form craters. Theme the marbles as “Santa’s space stones.”Why It’s Great: Clear visual science and super engaging.
⭐ 8. Elf Astronaut Fitness Training (KS1)
STEM Focus: Exercise & HealthWhat You’ll Need: Cones, cards, timer.How It Works:Create a simple fitness circuit that astronauts (elf trainees) must complete to prepare for a mission to the North Pole Nebula.Why It’s Great: Perfect for active indoor days.
⭐ 9. Design a Christmas Planet (KS1–KS2)
STEM Focus: Atmosphere, Climate, HabitatsWhat You’ll Need: Paper, colouring pencils.How It Works:Children invent a festive planet (icy, snowy, glittery, volcanic Christmas lava!) and explain what creatures live there and how they survive.Why It’s Great: Links creativity with scientific understanding.
⭐ 10. The Great Bauble Gravity Test (KS2)
STEM Focus: Gravity & Air ResistanceWhat You’ll Need: Lightweight baubles, string, timers.How It Works:Children test how quickly different baubles fall, then create parachutes to slow them down—saving Santa’s decorations from smashing!Why It’s Great: Brilliant hands-on exploration of forces.
⭐ 11. Create a “Galaxy in a Bag” (KS1)
STEM Focus: Colour mixing & LightWhat You’ll Need: Ziplock bag, hair gel, glitter, food colouring.How It Works:Children squeeze and swirl the bag to create a colourful galaxy.Why It’s Great: Sensory, calming and visually spectacular.
⭐ 12. Christmas Space Quiz (Whole School)
STEM Focus: Astronomy & Space Knowledge
Questions Could Include:
How old is the Universe?
Which planet has the coldest Christmas Eve?
How fast does Santa travel if he visits every home on Earth?
Why It’s Great: Quick, fun, educational & easy to run in assembly.
⭐ Whole-School Christmas Space Activities
🌟 “Journey to the Christmas Nebula” Hall Event
5 activity stations themed around space challenges.
🎄 Winter Night Sky Display Board
Constellations + festive facts + student artwork.
🚀 Space-Themed Christmas Fair Stall
🎁 Final Thoughts on Christmas space ideas...
Christmas is the perfect time to blend curiosity with creativity. These 12 Christmas Space activities give children the chance to explore planets, stars, rockets and scientific thinking - all wrapped in festive magic.
And if your school is planning a Christmas fair or STEM day, the Space Gadget Shop is the easiest way to bring hands-on experiments into classrooms and raise money - fun, engaging, and profitable.
