Astronaut on a Space Walk
Prepare to walk in space! Create your own astronaut as you learn about space exploration.
1. Who was the first human to venture into space? What was the mission? What did scientists discover? Read about the history of space flight and the key countries and people responsible for its success. Research the components of astronaut gear.
2. Design a replica of an astronaut in space using these ideas to whet your imagination! If you create your astronaut in several sessions, store the pieces in a resealable plastic container so the modeling compound will continue to stick to itself as you work.
3. Choose a foam ball for the astronaut’s head and space helmet. Cover it with a thin layer of Black Stars Model Magic® Fusion™ modeling compound. Blend the seams into each other.
4. Cover a chenille stem with a long rope of Glow-in-the-Dark or white Fusion. Loosely coil the coated chenille stem to look like the oxygen hose that goes from the astronaut’s pack to the spaceship. (Hint: To keep the compound from sticking to itself when coiling, wrap it around a small cup. Press the ends onto the cup to hold it in place. Cut off these ends later.)
5. Choose a snack canister for the torso of your astronaut. The bigger the torso, the bigger the astronaut! Make sure the size is appropriate for the head. For the astronaut body, create basic arms, legs, and feet out of crumpled aluminum foil. Do not add hands yet. Bend and position them how you like, stemming from the snack canister torso. Keep the arms at the top of the canister so you can build shoulders. When you’re satisfied with the position, tape the arms to the canister.
6. Use Glow-in-the-Dark or white Fusion patches to smooth over hard edges and create shoulders. Then cover the entire body with a thin layer of the same color. Using the edge of a rounded modeling tool or your fingers, push in a wrinkled texture for the suit.
7. Press the Black Stars-covered foam ball onto the top of the torso for a space helmet. Roll a thin Glow-in-the-Dark Fusion layer flat. Cut a straight edge on one side with Crayola Scissors. Cover a little more than half of the back of the helmet with it, straight edge front. Remove any extra Fusion that goes past the shoulders. Then roll two long skinny ropes of Glow-in-the-Dark and one long skinny rope of another color of Fusion compound, such as Terra Cotta, about the same length. Make them long enough that they can wrap around the base of the helmet. Wrap one of the ropes around the base of the helmet where the shoulders meet the helmet. Stack the other rope on top. Use tools to etch in details or to blend the seams.
8. For gloves, take two small balls of any color of Fusion compound and flatten them a little. With a tool, cut out two opposite glove shapes. Press the edge of a tool into the spots where the fingers touch to create the look of fingers. Then attach the gloves to the ends of the arms. To cover the area where they meet, roll two long, skinny ropes of Fusion for each glove and wrap them around where the arm and glove meet (like you did with the helmet).
9. To create the tread on the boots, roll two long skinny ropes of a light color of Fusion compound. Wrap one of them on the bottom of each boot and flatten. Use a tool to etch vertical tread marks all around the boots.
10. For the astronaut’s backpack, use a small cardboard box about the size of a box of raisins. Cover the box completely with a thin layer of Glow-in-the-Dark or white Fusion compound. Add details or pockets if you like. Press the pack on the astronaut’s back.
11. For the hoses that connect from the suit to the pack, roll four small balls of a light color and flatten onto the chest of the suit. Roll four thick long ropes of Glow-in-the-Dark or white Fusion compound similar in length. Attach each one from the bottom of the backpack to the spots on the front of the suit. Add texture to the hoses if you like with tools.
12. Attach the chenille stem air hose to the bottom of the backpack with a little bit of compound. Decorate the suit with Fusion flag patches, names and initials, or whatever you like! Model Magic® Fusion™ dries to the touch overnight and dries completely in 2 to 3 days.
Adult supervision is required for any arts & crafts project. Observe children closely and intervene as necessary to prevent potential safety problems and ensure appropriate use of arts and crafts materials. Some craft items, particularly beads and buttons, are potential choking hazards for young children. Avoid use of such small parts with children younger than 3 years. Craft items such as scissors, push pins and chenille sticks may have sharp points or edges. Avoid use of materials with sharp points by children younger than 4 years. Read all manufacturers' safety warnings before using arts and craft supplies.
Crayola Modeling Materials including Crayola Model Magic®, and Model Magic Fusion™, Crayola Air-Dry Clay, and Crayola Dough—
- Keep away from open flames. Do not use to make candleholders, hot plates, trivets, or other similar objects that will be used or placed near fire and other heat sources.
- Do not put in an oven, microwave, or kiln.
- Do not make into vessels/containers that will hold unpackaged food.
- The use of modeling material to make items that look like food is discouraged for children younger than age 5 to avoid their confusion with real food.
- Unless sealed with a water-resistant glaze, do not make projects exposed to or immersed in water, such as boats or outdoor bird feeders. They would disintegrate when exposed to moisture.
- Crayola Dough—contains gluten (wheat flour) as an ingredient.
- Crayola Air-Dry Clay, Crayola Model Magic and Model Magic Fusion are gluten-free. However, they are produced on the same machinery as Crayola Dough which does contain gluten. Although the machines are cleaned prior to the start of each production run, there is a slight possibility that trace amounts of gluten from Crayola Dough may be present in the other modeling compound products. For information regarding specific ingredients or allergic concerns, please call our Consumer Affairs department at 1-800-272-9652 weekdays between 9 AM and 4 PM Eastern Standard Time.
Modeling Tools—Use the least dangerous point or edge sufficient to do the job. For example, craft sticks, plastic knives and forks, and cookie cutters can cut or carve modeling materials.
Recycled Containers—Must be clean and safe. Do not use containers that contained bleach or other harmful chemicals (for example, household cleaners, dishwasher or laundry detergents). Do not use recycled metal cans that have sharp edges (for example, lids removed by household can openers).
Scissors—ATTENTION: The cutting edges of scissors are sharp and care should be taken whenever cutting or handling. Blunt-tip scissors should be used only by children 4 years and older. Pointed-tip scissors should be used only by children 6 years and older.
Sponges and Foam—Sponges, foam, and other expandable materials should not be used with children 3 years old and younger.
- Visit a planetarium. Learn about stars and locate major constellations. Read about asteroids, comets, and meteors. Find out how they’re different, what they’re made of, and how they’re formed.
- Create a to-scale drawing of this solar system with Crayola Sidewalk Chalk on a large, safe outdoor surface. Label each planet with fun facts such as the planet’s size, distance from the sun, and number of moons.
- Make a cosmic memory game! Cut out 12 or more paper squares. On half of them, write a space-related vocabulary word. On the other squares, use markers to draw coordinating pictures. Mix them all up and lay them upside down. Flip over one card at a time and try to locate its matching half.
- Write a short story about an imaginary trip to Mars, the moon, or another planet. Write about what you would bring along and what kinds of strange life forms you might see.
- Assessment: Are constructions accurate representations of authentic astronaut gear? How detailed are the replicas? Did students work diligently and imaginatively to design their astronauts?
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