Materials
Potato chip cans with lids, one per child
Black tempera paint and paintbrushes
Books and posters of the stars and constellations
Scissors
Permanent marker
Hammer and nail
White crayon
Instructions
What to do
1. Ahead of time, cut a small eyehole in each lid.
2. Ask the children to paint the outside of the can and lid.
3. While the paint is drying, invite the children to look at books and posters with pictures and
names of the stars and constellations.
4. Have the children choose one constellation. Encourage older children to draw the constellation
on paper.
5. Using a permanent marker, mark dots on the bottom of the can following the pattern of the
constellation.
6. Use the hammer and nail to punch holes through the dots (adult only).
7. With white crayon, write the name of the constellation on the outside of the can.
8. Invite the children to look through the eyehole and point the bottom of the can toward light to
see their constellation.
More to do
Field trip: Plan a trip to a planetarium or observatory.
Language: Read a story about how a constellation got its name, then have the children compose
their own stories.
Math: Count the number of stars in each constellation. Older children can find the distance
between stars.
Science: Make a list of questions about the stars what are they made of? Where did they come
from? Bring the questions with you to the planetarium or library and help the children find the
answers.
