Making a jar of space is a great way to encourage students to expand their imaginations. Start by giving each student an empty jar with a lid. Fill the jar with water and add five drops of food coloring, any color. Add three tablespoons of glitter, small sequins and bits of aluminum foil. Pour in a tablespoon of vegetable oil, then screw the lid on tightly. Shake the jar to mix the ingredients well. Instruct the students to look into their jars closely and imagine that they are looking into space.
Students can learn more about space exploration by creating a Hubble telescope out of craft materials. Cut halfway down a toilet paper tube and insert a craft stick inside it. Arrange the craft stick so that it lays perpendicular to the toilet paper tube. Wrap the toilet paper tube with aluminum foil. Cut two pieces of brown construction paper to measure four inches by four inches. Fold the squares in half to make two rectangles. Glue the rectangles to the ends of the craft sticks, arranging the rectangles so that they lay in the middle of the craft sticks. Allow the telescope to dry completely.
Students learning about the planets can create a wax Earth picture out of crayons and wax paper. Place a sheet of wax paper onto a flat surface. Place a cheese grater onto the wax paper and shave blue and green crayons onto the paper. Place a second sheet of wax paper over the shavings. Iron the paper, which will cause the crayon wax to melt. Allow the wax to cool completely, then cut out a circle from the paper. This will be the crayon Earth.