3…2…1… Blast off your child's birthday party with our Space Party Ideas! Read on for general party planning tips as well as great space-themed decorating, food, game, and activity suggestions.
Party Planning
For peace of mind, begin planning 6 - 8 weeks in advance to allow time to purchase and mail invitations, as well as to give your guests time to RSVP and make travel plans, if needed. Don't panic if you find yourself short on time; you can still plan a great party! Planning ahead simply reduces the risk of conflicts with guests' plans and may increase attendance.
To simplify the rest of the party planning process, check out our Party Planning Timeline, take a look at our When & Where to Have the Party page, and read the paragraphs below for information on selecting decorations, supplies, activities, and more for your child's party.
What Do I Need for the Party?
If you plan to use paper tableware and themed party supplies, our Suggested Party Supply List may be helpful when placing an order. Please note that you may not need everything on the list; it is intended only as a guide.
Fun Facts About Space
Something to Share with your Guests…
Since the beginning of time, children and adults alike have been captivated by the night sky and all that space has to offer. Here are a few facts about the "last great frontier" to share with your curious, space-loving guests:
- The word "planet" means "wanderer." Ancient Greeks assigned this name because the planets seemed to wander around space.
- Saturn is the second-largest planet in our solar system. Galileo, who invented the telescope, discovered Saturn's rings in 1610. There are seven main rings, which are made of chunks of ice. In 1980, Voyager 1 discovered that Saturn has thousands of smaller rings as well.
- Seven of the nine planets in our solar system have moons orbiting them. Unlike most of the moons, the two moons of Mars are not round; they are more oblong like baking potatoes. Moons are usually round because when they form, their gravity pulls the material around them evenly, but the moons of Mars are very small and do not follow this general rule.
- Although Venus is farther from the sun than Mercury, Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system. Its clouds are 15 miles thick and act like a greenhouse, trapping in heat and causing the planet's temperatures to remain at about 900 degrees Fahrenheit.
- An eclipse occurs when one body in space blocks our view of another. For example, when the moon passes in front of the Sun, we see a solar eclipse. When the moon passes in front of the Earth's Shadow, we see a lunar eclipse.
Decorating & Food Ideas
Fun Ideas to Set The Mood
- Start your party by playing mood-setting background music from Star Wars, Star Trek, or 2001: A Space Odyssey.
- Decorate the party table to like the moon! Use play dough to form craters on the table. Collect rocks, spray paint them silver, and set them on the table.
- Hang strings of small white lights (Christmas tree lights work well) in the form of constellations from the ceiling or along the walls of the party area.
- Purchase glow-in-the-dark stars, available at most toy stores, and affix them to the ceiling or use them as balloon weights.
- Make moons by gluing dry beans or round cereal to paper plates, and then cover the plates with aluminum foil. The beans/cereal will form craters. After making your moons, hang them on the walls throughout the party area.
- Spray paint Styrofoam balls to represent planets, and hang them from the ceiling along with stars and a moon. You can also attach them to helium balloons.
- Set up a "Pin the Hat on the Martian" game using our Martian and Hats printouts.
Astronaut Edibles
When it comes to food, partygoers are usually perfectly content to eat pizza or hotdogs, which is certainly much easier on the hosts! However, if you have the time and would like to serve up some dishes that are out of this world, consider these ideas:- Serve "Saturn Fruit Salad." Purchase a large melon, such as a cantaloupe or honeydew melon. Slice the melon in half, and scoop out the seeds. Then, cut the melon into rings. Stack up a few rings, with the largest one on the bottom and the smallest on top, and then fill the center with watermelon balls, fruit salad (homemade or from a can), and/or ice cream.
- Using our rocket cake diagram, turn your child's birthday cake into a rocket ship. Start with a standard-size sheet cake, and then cut it according to the diagram. Lay out the pieces, and then get creative with the decorations! Use icing, sprinkles and other edible decorations to "draw" a cockpit, metallic designs on the body and wings, jet flames at the bottom, and a name for the vessel.
- Use round- and star-shaped cookie cutters to cut out sandwiches that look like planets and stars.
- Arrange bowls of snacks and other items you are serving in the shape of the big dipper on the table.
- Check out NASA's website if you want to purchase actual space foods, such as dried astronaut ice cream.
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