By Tamisha Anthony
Hello Little New-Yorkers! Follow along with this post to create your very own astronaut helmet, and don’t forget to join us live every Tuesday and Friday at 3:30 pm at Little New-Yorkers @ Home where we sing a special hello song, do silly stretches and exercises, and read a storybook—all from the comfort of your home!
This February, we are celebrating Black History Month. We will feature well-known and unsung African American heroes and learn their stories of bravery, boldness, and beauty. As we read, we will learn that their stories from long ago aren’t so different from ours today.
This week, we are inspired by the book Mae Among The Stars by Roda Ahmed and illustrated by Stasia Burrington. Little Mae was always a dreamer, who looked to the stars for inspiration. So much so, that she eventually became the first African American female astronaut. Today, create your own astronaut helmet! Get ready for blast off in 3…2…1!
Supplies*
Download and print astronaut helmet template.
- Construction paper, cardstock or collage materials
- Something to color with: markers, pastels, colored pencils, crayons or a combination!
- Scissors
- Glue or tape
- Optional: drinking straw or popsicle stick
* A note on supplies: If you don’t have exactly the supplies listed, improvise! These projects are designed to be versatile, so feel free to use whatever materials and tools you have at home. And if your final product looks different than what you see here, that’s wonderful!
STEP 1: Color Astronaut Helmet
You are getting ready for take off! Quick, what color helmet would you want to wear? It can be any color of the rainbow or all the colors of the rainbow!
Does your helmet need more decorations? Try collaging! Use construction paper, card stock, or any scrap paper you have around the house to cut out and paste geometric shapes (such as stars, hearts, squares or circles) to your helmet. If you have other craft supplies such as gems, pom poms, or stickers, these would be great to add as well.
STEP 2: Cut Out Your Astronaut Helmet
*You may need some assistance with cutting out the inside of your astronaut helmet. Find a grown up or older sibling to help out. If you would rather not cut out the inside of your helmet, continue by cutting along the bold black line around the outside of the helmet. Then skip to STEP 2.5 below.
The easiest way to cut out the helmet’s center is by folding the template in half first (hot dog fold).
When folded, use your scissors to snip the very center of the helmet (the white inner rectangle).
Once you have made the snip, unfold and then cut out the white inner rectangle. Finally, cut on the bold black line around the outside of the helmet.
STEP 2.5: Design Your Astronaut’s Face
If you would rather not cut out the inside of your helmet, draw a fun face! It can be your face, a friend’s face, or even an alien!
STEP 3: Tape or Glue On a Handle
Once your helmet is complete, grab your popsicle stick, drinking straw or anything that will work as a handle. If using paper, fold it in half a few times before taping it on so your handle is sturdy. If gluing, make sure to hold down your handle for 10 seconds to make sure it sticks.
STEP 4: Let’s Play!
Now you are ready to go to space! Make more than one helmet and invite your friends or pets along on your adventure.
Thanks for following along. We hope to see you at Little New-Yorkers each Tuesday and Friday at 3:30 pm!
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