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The constellations are super cool to learn about. I admit that I find it difficult to see the image for many of the constellations, but I still think it’s fascinating to know how our ancestors viewed the night sky. And I am a big fan of those constellations I can easily spot in the sky, like Orion and the Big Dipper.
My kids, too, think constellations are cool. So I knew they would love this activity where we made constellation mason jars using aluminum foil and a mini tea light.
Note: Find more constellation activities on my Space Unit Study page.
To make our constellation mason jars, I prepared the following materials:
- Jar
- Wood handled pin puncher
- Thick felt mat (to be paired with the pin puncher to protect the surface below)
- Strip of aluminum foil cut to be as tall as the jar and wide enough to go around the circumference of the jar
- Small tea light
My kids used my the Star Chart app on my phone to look at the constellation of their choosing. (Prefer something more low tech? Check out my Constellation 3-Part Cards instead!)
They used the wood handled pin puncher to poke holes in the aluminum foil in the shape of a constellation.
After poking the holes, they rolled the foil into a circle and slipped it into the jar. Then they inserted an illuminated tea light.
Then we got to watch their constellations glow! Can you tell this is Orion with the three horizontal stars in his belt?
More resources to learn about the stars and constellations
More posts from Gift of Curiosity about the stars and other objects in our sky:
- Books about the stars and constellations
- Constellations pin punching cards
- Constellation Montessori 3-Part Cards
- Constellation craft for kids
- Phases of the moon activities
- Moon phases printables
- Solar System Montessori 3-Part Cards
- Planets Do-a-Dot Printables
You’ll find more resources for learning about the stars and constellations on my Space Unit Study page and my Space and the Solar System Pinterest board.
Follow Katie @ Gift of Curiosity’s board Unit Ideas: Space & the Solar System on Pinterest.
