Discuss stars and constellations with the preschooler. This can include a simple explanation about the history of the constellations/mythology, names of constellations and star identification. Use nonfiction books to display photos and illustrations of constellations, as well as age-appropriate fiction books to tell the tales behind the constellations, such as Jean Marzollo's "Little Bear, You're a Star!"
Help the child to choose one specific constellation to create. Look for a simple shape or a constellation that ties to a favorite story, animal or theme. For example, if the child loves lions, select Leo as the constellation.
Choose specific geometric shapes to use for the constellation. Look at a picture of the constellation online or in a nonfiction book. Ask the child to point out what types of shapes and/or lines he sees. These can range from a simple rectangle with a slightly curved line as seen in Ursa Minor (the little bear) to a combined shape constellation, such as the rectangle top and triangle bottom of Orion. Keep the picture handy throughout the rest of the project for reference.
Use a piece of black construction paper as the outer space backdrop. Place the paper on a flat work space, such as a table or a child-sized desk. Plot out the constellation shape with a piece of white or light colored chalk. Ask the child to draw the shape with the chalk on the front of the black paper. This should take up the majority of the space and fill the piece of paper. If the child is struggling to draw the shape, ask him or her how many lines the shape has or if it may be curved like a ball.
Highlight the star placement with small shiny star stickers. Look at the reference picture/photo or book again to see the location of each star on the shape of the constellation. Ask the child to point to each star. Help the child place one shiny star sticker onto the chalk line drawn on the black paper background at each point. For example, there is one star at the edge of each angle of Ursa Minor's rectangle shape. The child should therefore place one sticker at each edge of the chalk rectangle to signify where the stars are. Create other constellations in a similar manner, placing stickers onto the chalk lines that correspond to the stars' positions.