This play mat lets your budding astronaut plot a course through space anywhere, anytime! The felt pieces can be easily moved around, allowing your child’s creativity to lift off in the waiting room, in the car or as a quiet activity while you’re making supper. Chasing aliens has never been so much fun!
Supplies for the voyage
- Sheet of black felt
- Scraps of colourful felt
- Scissors
- Needle
- Thread
- Button (optional)
Travel plans
1. Trace and cut out paper templates from the pattern (click link).
2. Pin paper template to your coloured felt and cut out shapes.
3. Make as many stars as you want!
Build your rocket
4. Pin the pieces of the rocket in place (see photo) with the two fin pieces slightly underlapping the sides of the rocket body.
5. Stack the flame accent on top of the flame base and pin just under rocket’s straight edge.
6. Whip stitch along the edges where the pieces meet to hold them together. Try whip stitching around the entire rocket shape for visual consistency.
Alien invasion!
7. Pin the mouth of the alien in place on the body and use a whip or running stitch to secure.
8. Use a couple of small stitches to sew the black pupils onto the whites of the eyes. The white thread gives the effect of a highlight or glimmer. Continue using white thread and small running stitches to sew the eyeballs onto the alien body. Feel free to get creative with where you put them!
Final check before take-off
9. We found a cool-looking button in one of our many button jars that was perfect as a window accent on our rocket. You could also decorate it with your child’s initial cut out of felt or embroider it right on. Add stripes, a pin, patch or badge - whatever you can find!
For slightly older kids or for the space keeners in your life, cut out at least a dozen stars and form constellations on your mat. Kids love challenges and guessing what the constellations are make time in the back seat of the car pass much more quickly. They can even invent and name some constellations of their own!
