“I believe in aliens. I think it would be way too selfish of us as mankind to believe we are the only lifeforms in the universe.”
This thought-provoking quote by singer Demi Lovato perfectly captures the wonder and curiosity many of us feel when looking up at the stars. If you have ever wondered why we are talking about extraterrestrials today, it is because we are fast approaching a very special occasion: Alien Day on April 26th!
If we can have dedicated days for almost every animal, profession, and food on Earth, why not celebrate the potential life among the stars? It is only fair! Whether you are a believer in little green men or just love the sci-fi genre, Alien Day is the perfect excuse to spark some imagination in your children.
But you don’t need to wait for April 26th. These crafts are perfect for World UFO Day in July, a space-themed birthday party, or just a rainy Tuesday afternoon. Space and aliens represent the unknown, and nothing fuels a child’s creativity quite like designing a creature that has no rules. Does it have five eyes? Sure! Purple skin? Why not!
Here is your ultimate guide to 15 Amazing Alien Crafts for Kids, categorized to help you use materials you likely already have at home.
Why Alien Crafts Are Great for Development
Before we dive into the glue and glitter, let’s talk about why this theme is so beneficial. Unlike crafting a cat or a car, where a child has a reference image of what it should look like, alien crafts are open-ended.
- Unbound Imagination: There is no “wrong” way to make an alien. This boosts confidence in hesitant artists.
- STEM Curiosity: Talking about aliens naturally leads to conversations about planets, stars, gravity, and space travel.
- Recycling Opportunities: Spaceships and robots are the perfect projects for upcycling cardboard boxes, foil, and plastic bottles.
Recycled Material Masterpieces
Let’s start by raiding the recycling bin. These crafts teach sustainability while creating something out of this world.
1. The Classic Paper Plate Flying Saucer
This is a staple in any space crafter’s arsenal. It is simple, effective, and looks great hanging from the ceiling.
- Materials: Two paper plates, a clear plastic cup, silver paint, glue, and sequins.
- The Mission: Paint the bottom of two paper plates silver or grey. Once dry, staple or glue them rim-to-rim to create a disc shape. Glue the clear plastic cup on top to act as the cockpit. You can even draw a tiny alien on paper and trap it inside the cup! Decorate the rim with “lights” using sequins or gems.
2. Toilet Roll Alien Army
Don’t throw away those cardboard tubes! They are the perfect body shape for a standing alien figure.
- Materials: Toilet paper rolls, pipe cleaners, googly eyes, paint.
- The Mission: Paint the tubes in vibrant neon colors—lime green, electric blue, or hot pink. Use pipe cleaners to create wacky antennae poking out of the top. The best part? Go crazy with the eyes. Give one alien a single giant eye (Cyclops) and another three small ones.
3. Shiny CD Spaceships
Do you have old scratched CDs or DVDs lying around? Their natural iridescence looks just like futuristic metal.
- Materials: Old CDs, plastic Easter eggs (halved), jewels, glue.
- The Mission: The CD acts as the saucer’s base. Glue half of a plastic Easter egg to the center of the CD to form the dome. Kids can decorate the shiny part of the CD with stickers or permanent markers. Thread a string through the center hole to hang them up and watch them spin and sparkle in the light.
4. Egg Carton Eye-Masks
Turn your child into the alien!
- Materials: An egg carton, elastic string, paint, scissors.
- The Mission: Cut a strip of three cups from an egg carton. Cut eye holes in the center of each cup (yes, the child will look through the gaps, but it looks like they have three eyes!). Paint the carton green or purple. Attach string to the sides. Now your little one is a three-eyed visitor from Mars
These crafts are low-mess and use supplies you probably have in your desk drawer
5. Handprint Alien Keepsakes
This is a sweet craft that doubles as a memory of how small their hands once were.
- Materials: Construction paper, paint, black marker.
- The Mission: Trace your child’s hand on green paper and cut it out. Turn the hand upside down so the fingers are pointing down—these are the alien’s legs! The palm is the head. Draw a face on the palm and add antennae to the top. These make adorable greeting cards for grandparents.
6. Foil Printed Moon Landscapes
This is a fun art technique that creates a textured, crater-like look.
- Materials: Aluminum foil, black paper, white and grey paint, Q-tips.
- The Mission: Scrunch up a ball of aluminum foil. Dip it into grey paint and stamp it onto black paper to create a textured moon surface. Once dry, cut out small paper aliens and spaceships and glue them onto the scene. It looks like a photograph taken from a rover!
7. Popsicle Stick UFOs
A sturdy craft that is great for preschool dexterity.
- Materials: Jumbo craft sticks, glue, paper triangles.
- The Mission: Paint three craft sticks silver. Glue them in a triangle shape. Cut a triangle of paper to fit behind the sticks as the “body” of the ship. Add a semicircle on top for the glass dome. These are flat, so they work well glued onto the front of a fridge magnet.
8. Blow-Painting Monster Aliens
A science-meets-art project that is guaranteed to cause giggles.
- Materials: Watered-down paint (acrylic or watercolor), a straw, paper, googly eyes.
- The Mission: Drop a puddle of wet paint onto the paper. Have the child blow through the straw to spread the paint out in spiky, random directions. These spikes become the alien’s arms, legs, and tentacles. Once dry, add eyes to the center of the splat. No two aliens will look alike!
Sensory and Modeling Fun
For kids who like to squish, squeeze, and mold, these tactile crafts are a winner.
9. Neon Alien Slime
Slime is still a massive trend, and making it “alien” themed is easy.
- Materials: Clear glue, baking soda, contact lens solution, neon green food coloring, glitter.
- The Mission: Mix your standard slime recipe but overload it with neon green color and silver glitter. For the finishing touch, mix in some googly eyes into the slime. As the kids play, the eyes will float around, looking very creepy and cool!
10. Salt Dough Alien Figures
Like Play-Doh, but permanent!
- Materials: Flour, salt, water (1 cup flour, ½ cup salt, ½ cup water).
- The Mission: Mix the ingredients to form a dough. Let the kids sculpt their own alien action figures. Bake them at a low temperature (200°F) for 2-3 hours until hard. Once cool, use acrylic paints to bring them to life. This is great for older kids who want to make their own toys.
11. Rock Painting Galaxy Stones
Hide these in the garden for a space-themed treasure hunt.
- Materials: Smooth river rocks, acrylic paint, paint pens.
- The Mission: Wash and dry the rocks. Paint them a solid base color (green, grey, or purple). Use paint pens to draw faces. You can also paint “Galaxy Rocks” by using black, blue, and purple sponges with white flecks for stars.
Fun and Wearable Alien Gear
Let the kids become the characters with these interactive projects.
12. Pipe Cleaner Headbands
The classic “bouncy antennae” look.
- Materials: A plastic headband, pipe cleaners, Styrofoam balls or pom-poms.
- The Mission: Wrap pipe cleaners around the headband to secure them. Leave two long ends sticking up. Attach a lightweight Styrofoam ball or a large pom-pom to the top of each pipe cleaner. When the child walks, the antennae will bobble around.
13. Paper Plate Alien Mask
- Materials: Paper plate, popsicle stick, markers.
- The Mission: Cut a paper plate in half. Use one half to draw an alien face. Cut out eye holes. Glue a popsicle stick to the side so the child can hold it up to their face like a masquerade mask. This is great for a classroom setting where you don’t want to deal with tying strings around heads.
14. Sock Puppet Invaders
Do you have a drawer full of unmatched socks? Problem solved.
- Materials: Old socks, felt scraps, yarn, fabric glue.
- The Mission: Put the sock over your hand to find where the “mouth” should be. Glue a felt oval there. Use yarn for crazy hair and add as many eyes as you want. These puppets are soft, safe, and perfect for putting on an Alien Day play.
15. The “Porthole” Window Craft
This is a fun room decoration that makes it look like you are inside a spaceship looking out.
- Materials: Two paper plates, plastic wrap, black paper, star stickers.
- The Mission: Cut the center out of one paper plate (creating a ring). On the second plate (the background), glue black paper and star stickers to look like deep space. Sandwich a piece of plastic wrap between the ring and the background plate. It looks like a glass window looking out into the galaxy!
Tips for a Successful Alien Craft Session
To ensure your crafting goes smoothly and remains safe:
- Prep the Area: Space crafts often involve glitter and paint. Lay down old newspapers or a reusable plastic tablecloth to make cleanup easy.
- Safety First: If using hot glue for things like the CD spaceship or heavy rocks, ensure an adult handles the glue gun. For kids, standard white school glue or glue sticks are best.
- Encourage Storytelling: As the kids craft, ask them questions. “What planet is your alien from?” “What does it eat?” ” Is it friendly?” This develops their narrative skills and makes the art more meaningful.
Conclusion
Celebrating Alien Day doesn’t require a telescope or a trip to NASA. With just a few household items and a lot of imagination, you can bring the cosmos into your living room.
These 15 Alien Crafts for Kids are designed to be flexible. If you don’t have googly eyes, draw them! If you don’t have green paint, make a pink alien! The universe is infinite, and so is a child’s creativity.
