Location: indoor

Materials: black paper, star stickers, white paint, q tips, glitter

Many artists do not begin their lives as artists. Alan Bean is a good example of this-- he was pilot and an astronaut before he followed his dream of becoming an artist. His time as an astronaut inspired much of his art, and he painted many beautiful paintings of astronauts in outer space.

Introduce your kids to Alan Bean by reading Dean Robbins' book, The Astronaut Who Painted the Moon: the True Story of Alan Bean. After reading the book, you can invite your children to make space-inspired art.

Give your children black paper and a variety of materials they may want to use to create space art. They can add star stickers or use q tips dipped in white paint to create stars, and of course glitter is always fun to add as a finishing touch.