The Mars landing of NASA’s Perseverance Rover is just one day away! Having traveled more than 300 million miles, he is about to enter the atmosphere of Mars and make a foreign history. NASA will broadcast the historic event live on its website as schoolchildren around the world join in on this important and historically difficult mission.
The space always holds a fascination for children, and with this mission aimed at finding past lives on the red planet, the lure of this particular mission will inspire many questions and very imaginative play. If your child is just as excited about this mission as we are, you need to spark the curiosity with these STEM toys that will inspire their inner astronaut, astrophysicist and NASA scientist.
1. An astronaut starter
Credit: KiwiCo
Kiwi Co. is one of our favorite STEM kits and this space-themed set is filled with fun artwork and fun facts.
Best for ages: 7 to 12
Shoot down STEM-based activities to get your future astronauts excited about space exploration. Kiwi Co is one of our favorite STEM kits for kids, and this space theme is filled with fun DIY activities and all sorts of fun facts about space travel, from the history of space exploration to the challenges of aerospace training, to incredible facts about the life on the International Space Station.
Get the Kiwi Co Astronaut Starter Kit at KiwiCo.com for $ 29.99
2. A miniature Mars mission
Credit: Playmobil
This Playmobil set will definitely inspire hours of imaginative play.
Best for ages: 5 to 10
Let their imagination bring them to infinity and beyond! This space station toy is ready for hours of pretend play. The set is filled with intricate little details and lots of bells and whistles with batteries such as lights and sounds to make the whole mission feel authentic – even if it never leaves the playing floor. Astronauts, a robot, space crystals, astronaut food and hydroponic plants make it a perfect play set for any child who has ever dreamed of their own mission to Mars.
Get the Playmobil Mars space station at Target for $ 58.99
3. A LEGO research shuttle
Credit: Lego
City Lego leaves for outer space with this shuttle, astronaut, rover and drone set.
Best for ages: 6 and higher
The bricks really embrace the stars, with this red planet ready 273-piece set. The Lego lover in your life will have an out-of-this-world experience with a spacecraft, astronauts, two drones and an alien rover with an articulated wrestling arm.
Get the Lego City Mars Research Shuttle at Target for $ 31.99
4. An environmentally friendly space station
Credit: PlayPress
An earth-conscious toy for children who love outer space.
Best for ages: 3 to 8
This plastic-free enclosed space station is earth-friendly and inspiring for outer space. This cohesive building set becomes a science and reconnaissance station, complete with a fully open hatch, movable solar panels and an opposite wrestling arm for the astronaut to work in space, as well as all the miniature repair tools, stumps and space equipment. that toy astronauts should keep their space station in tip-top shape.
Get the PlayPress Space Station at Maisonette for $ 24.99
5. A music box with a space theme
Credit: Janod
This music box will put them to sleep if they dream of the stars.
Best for ages: 18 months and older
This lovely music box is a souvenir outside the world that will capture the imagination of even the smallest space cadets. Turn it on and watch the rocket revolve around the small planet (with its own mini-moon), while music plays softly.
Get the Janod galaxy music box at Crate & Barrel for $ 24.99
6. A cuddly astronaut with a lovely carrying case
Credit: MeriMeri
This gentle and cuddly astronaut will definitely inspire heavenly dreams.
Best for ages: 2 to 6
Who says outer space is not nice? This lovely soft and stuffed astronaut doll with mini jetpack and a spaceship suitcase is just what they need when they are ready to cuddle and dream about the stars.
Get the spaceflight minitas doll for $ 32 at MeriMeri
7. A pixelated alien and astronaut
Credit: PlusPlus
Take me to your leader!
Best for ages: 6 and higher
Perseverance is looking for signs of life! Of course we were told that there are no real Martians, but it’s still fun to think about what kind of neighbors our red planet next door might occupy. With this cool construction set, kiddos can imagine what kind of life forms the Perseverance can find – and build the astronaut who discovers it.
Get the PlusPlus alien and astronaut bundle from Amazon for $ 24.99
8. A book with the coolest facts in space
Credit: Rockridge Press
This book by a planetary scientist is really filled with some of the coolest facts in space.
Best for ages: 6 to 10
Who doesn’t love super cool space facts? Almost any book by the planetary scientist dr. Bruce Betts is a great bet for a kid who’s really interested in space, but it’s like an exploding supernova of incredible and entertaining facts about the mystery of our galaxy and solar system and the history of space exploration.
Get Super cool space facts for kids by Dr. Bruce Betts at Amazon for $ 9.98
9. A planetarium that can bring them home
Credit: Discovery Kids
This cool toy is a night light and a planetarium all in one.
Best for ages: 3 to 10
Nothing is better than falling asleep under the stars – unless you fall asleep under enormous images of Venus, Jupiter and Mars. This projector turns their bedroom into their own planetarium where they can have a front seat for all the best attractions in our solar system.
Get the Discovery Kids space and planetarium projector at Target for $ 24.99
10. A very cool ball of dust
Credit: Humango
This globe simulates a Mars red sandstorm.
Best for ages: 5 and higher
This is a must for any Mars enthusiast. Give children a real look at what a walk through a Martian landscape would be like. This dust ball gives the birds a glimpse of what a journey across the surface of Mars can really be like during a red sandstorm.
Ge the Humango Toys Mars Dust Globe at Amazon for $ 38
11. A book series on cat astronauts
Credit: Little Brown
A book series about astronaut cats who must save humanity by exploring space.
Best for ages: 6 to 10
Nothing beats a graphic novel series to get their imagination going. In this series recommended by the teacher, cats are the best astronaut and book two is all about their mission to Mars. It’s a rush to see who will be the first cats on Mars. Will it be the esteemed CatStronauts Major Meowser, Pom Pom, Blanket and Waffles? Or will it be their competitors, the CosmoCats?
12. A finger puppet set that is out of this world
Credit: ThatsSewPersonal
This finger puppet set is perfect for the smallest aspiring astronaut.
Best for ages: 18 mos to 4
This lovely finger puppet set will inspire even the smallest spirits to explore our galaxy. This 16 puppet set contains the sun, Mercury, Venus, the earth, the earth’s moon, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, an astronaut girl, an astronaut, a star, strange spacecraft and a rocket . They all fit into an optional Earth carrying case.
Get the solar system finger puppet set from Etsy for $ 4 each
13. An astronaut with solar power
Credit: Green Science
Kids can make their own solar wanderer with recyclable products with this set.
Best for ages: 6 and higher
The perseverance will actually be powered by nuclear power, but it’s still fun to make your own moving rover powered by the sun. We love this do-it-yourself kit that turns your recycling into a STEM project and learns about alternative energy sources.
Get the Green Science mobile Mars rover on Amazon for $ 14.99
14. A space suit that looks official with a real NASA patch
Credit: Aeromax
Match them for interstellar series!
Best for ages: 3 to 12
It feels pretty good to watch the role, and with the official NASA patch, no one will deny that your little one is shooting for the stars with their aspirations for space travel. It comes with an Apollo 11 mission patch and the Apollo Program patch, plus a very official embroidered NASA cap. It comes in orange, white and pink.
Get the Aeromax Jr. astronaut suit with a cap from Amazon from $ 27
15. A space helmet for their first mission
Credit: Aeromax
This helmet makes them feel like they are ready to pull through outer space.
Best for ages: 3 to 10
No mental examination was completed without the right costume details. This helmet helps complete the look with a tinted movable visor, a NASA logo, colorful posters and an American flag.
Get the Aeromax helmet from Amazon for $ 16.95
16. A solar system mobile
Credit: 4m
A DIY cell phone set from our solar system is a fun toy and cool display of the room.
Best for ages: 8 and higher
They can make the solar system their own with this cell phone-glow-in-the-dark mobile set. This set contains eight collapsible planets, and the sun, the paint to bring them to life, and a hanging frame. It also comes with a poster for deeper knowledge of fun facts in the solar system.
Get the DIY 3-D glow-in-the-dark solar system set from Amazon for $ 20.99
17. A board game to make Mars habitable
Credit: IndieBoards
It’s a race to make Mars habitable for humans.
Best for ages: 12 and higher
It is the year 2400 and mankind has begun to reform the planet Mars to make it habitable. Players must increase the temperature, oxygen level and ocean cover until the environment is habitable for human life. Who can make the planet hospitable to humans first? This game has over 200 challenges that players can solve.
Get the Terraforma Mars board game by IndieBoards on Amazon for $ 64.39
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