It’s time to launch your imagination into outer space! This week, we are celebrating all things deep space, and really, who hasn’t wanted to be an astronaut at some point? We’ve done plenty of space-related DIY’s and blogs, but this DIY Jetpack is probably our coolest one yet.

Now that autumn is in full swing, we know you’re looking for some indoor activities to keep your kids inside and, better yet, off their screens. Keep on reading!

Docking Port 6FT Tunnel

This 6′ interior padded tunnel was smartly designed to get your little one from one side to the other while keeping their hands and knees both safe as they crawl through. To spice up the fun, attach this Docking Port to either the Space Module or you can add it to another docking port tunnel for a truly custom intergalactic space station! The inventive graphics and mesh windows combine for hours of space exploration and imaginative play with your DIY Jetpack indoors or outdoors.

When it’s time to head back to planet Earth, simply collapse the tunnel and secure it closed with the Velcro tabs attached for easy travel and storage. When you are ready for the next space adventure, just disconnect the Velcro tabs and the tunnel will ‘spring” back into position, ready for the next takeoff. Easy to clean with a damp cloth and mild soap if needed, this Docking Port tunnel is designed to give even the most discouraged astronaut a safe and secure travel experience.

DIY Jetpack

This week, we are launching the next astronauts into deep space with this awesome DIY Jetpack! And, hey, with Halloween coming up, it’s also a great head-start into getting ready for costume fun, especially if they’re looking to be an astronaut. It’s also a great idea for a pet’s costume as well, if you’re taking your pup along with you for the trick-or-treating festivities! The best part is it’s not rocket science, so let your little one help as much as possible!

What you need

• (2x) 2 Liter bottles
• Silver/grey spray paint
• Red, yellow and orange tissue paper
• Scissors
• Double sided tape
• Ribbon
• Glue gun
• Square piece of felt

How you make it

1. Spray paint the emptied of fluids and cleaned bottles silver and set aside to dry
2. Cut out pieces of tissue paper to look like fire – use as many as you’d like to make the fire seem bigger and more awesome!
3. Put double sided tape inside of the bottle opening and tape your paper flames to it
4. Glue the two bottles together at the center. *Pro tip: try to avoid using a glue gun here, we did on our first attempt and noticed the bottle melted so we went back in with double side tape but regular glue would work here you would just need to allow time for it to dry.
5. Take a square piece of felt and glue to the back of the bottles for extra reinforcement.
   1. NOTE: This piece of felt won’t be seen at all. It will touch their backs for a little comfort, and will just be there to help hold the bottles together. The bottles will get a little melted from the hot glue gun here but this won’t be visible.
6. Cut out two strips of ribbon that will be used as shoulder straps to hold the packs on the kid’s shoulders and glue them on. We recommend putting a ribbon bar across their chests to avoid the  ribbon from slipping off their shoulders.
   1. NOTE: We used wide silver ribbon, but you can use any color, even to match your child’s clothes to make them less noticeable!

Astronaut games

So now that you’ve got your jetpacks, it’s time to play like a real astronaut! While just using your imagination in the tunnel can be awesome in and of itself, here are some of our favorite astronaut games that we’ve rounded up from The Spruce work into play time if you’re looking to spice things up a bit:

Solar System Scavenger Race

To set up for this game, hang two poster boards side-by-side on a wall. Draw the sun in the center. Make two sets of the solar system’s planets by cutting the shapes out of cardstock. Label the planets and hide them around the house.

Divide into two teams. The teams must race to find a complete set of the planets. Once they have collected all of their planets, they have to hang them in the correct position on the poster board. The first team to complete their solar system poster wins!

Musical Planets

For an outer space version of the traditional party game, musical chairs, replace the chairs with “planets.” Use colored playground balls, basketballs or volleyballs that are sturdy enough for kids to sit on. Line up the balls and have kids circle these “planets” while the music plays. When the music stops, they must sit on a ball. The player left standing is out of the game. Any player who loses balance and falls off of a planet is also out of the game. Keep playing until only one player is left.

Rocket Ship Rings

The object of this game is for kids to fly their rockets through a series of space rings. Hang hula hoops, so they suspend at varying levels from above the ground. To downsize the scope of this game, you can cut the centers out of paper plates and use them as your rings. Have kids use small toy spaceships, or let them make their own by molding sheets of aluminum foil into the shapes of rocket ships.

Players should take turns tossing their rocket ships through the series of rings. Score one point for every ring a ship sails through without hitting the sides. The player who scores the most points wins, or you can award different trinket prizes based on point totals.

Asteroid collecting

Have your little ones go outside to find some asteroids (rocks), clean them off and paint them with glow-in-the-dark paint. Once they are dry, hide them around and see if they can find them with all the lights off! Make it competitive by painting the rocks two different colors and seeing who can find their designated color first.

Let us know!

Did you make the DIY Jetpack? Which fun games did your little one play with it? Let us know in the comments below!