With all of the press surrounding the Mars Rover Curiosity’s most recent findings, it’s a perfect time for children to learn more about space exploration and the solar system. Educational space toys are a fantastic way to encourage children to learn about space and the planets and help them develop an appreciation for a much larger universe than just our world.
Your child could be the next space explorer, astronomer, or brilliant scientist who discovers life on Mars or creates a spaceship that transports people quicker to planets. Children (and adults) are fascinated by space and the solar system. These space toys will provide hours of fun and educational play, from objects glowing in the dark to build-your-own space shuttles.
And if you are on the hunt for a telescope for your child, check out our guide on the best telescopes for kids.
Educational Space Toys Compared
 | Learning Resources Giant Inflatable Solar System | Check price at |
 | Curious Space STEM Flash Card Gam | Check price at |
 | Discovery Kids Planetarium Projector | Check price at |
 | Playmobil Mission Rocketship | Check price at |
 | Playmobil Mars Space Station | Check price at |
 | 4M Solar System Planetarium Glow-In-The-Dark kit Lowest Price | Check price at |
 | 4M 3D mobile Solar System kit | Check price at |
 | Ravensburger Space Puzzle | Check price at |
Best Educational Space Toys Reviewed
Overall Best Educational Space Toy: Learning Resources Giant Inflatable Solar System
The Learning Resources Giant Inflatable Solar System is one of the best toys for kids who dream about stars, planets, astronauts, and outer space. Transform your kid’s bedroom, playroom, or classroom into an interplanetary experience.
The kit comes with a foot pump to inflate the sun, eight planets, Pluto, and Earth’s moon. Proportionally sized, the planets, sun, and moon help kids learn about their unique properties, their shapes, the order of the planets, and where they fit concerning the other elements in the solar system.
By looking at the solar system decoration in their bedroom, kids may quickly identify the planets’ order and their rotation. The sun, the largest heavenly body, is 23 inches in diameter, the moon is 5 inches, and the planets are in between those measurements, with Jupiter about 14 inches in diameter.
Made from durable vinyl material, the solar system is washable and folds for convenient storage. The set includes loops for easy hanging and a repair kit. The activity guide contains fun facts about the planets that may inspire an interest in science and astronomy in a kid from ages 5-12 years.
More interested in our solar system? Read about the best solar system toys for kids.
Best Portable Educational Toy For Future Astronauts : Qurious Space STEM Flash Card Game
The Curious Space STEM Flash Card Game is an interactive, educational game for aspiring astronauts, family, and friends. With 90 double-sided laminated playing cards securely packed in a collector’s tin, the solar system game is easy to pack. It will safely travel with the family on road trips, vacations, and camping weekends.
With 72 Quiz Cards, 18 Spin Cards, and 72 Match and Explore Cards, the game opportunities are endless. Kids from 3-years old may test their knowledge about NASA facts, science, and space. Memorize the facts and impress peers or play a fast Match game with siblings. Each deck includes trivia and solar system facts to help expand your knowledge.
The card games are designed to inspire problem-solving, spatial reasoning, social skills, STEM interest, and analytical knowledge. Whether your kids engage in the Photo Trivia game, Matching Pairs, Memory Game, or Space Speed Matching Game, they are going to learn more about astronomy and memorize fun facts. Be innovative and create your unique game with your set of space-theme rules on how to play.
The game allows for two to ten players comfortably. You can play up to 18 kids, which means nobody must sit out; everyone can join in the fun. With four game variants, the card games may keep young and older children entertained for hours.
These high-quality cards are laminated on both sides, which increases their durability and makes them easy to clean.
Best Educational Toy For Planetarium Astronomy Experience: Discovery Kids Planetarium Projector
If your child enjoys the planetarium, the Discovery Kids Planetarium Projector is a fantastic gift for your young stargazer. Now they can view stars, planets, galaxies, and spaceships from the comfort of your home. Set the planetarium projector up in their bedroom, the living room for a family experience, or in the classroom. It’s one of the easiest science kits to get up and running quickly.
Mesmerize your kid by setting up the planetarium projector to fill their bedroom with stars, nebulas, planets, and other space wonders. The 24 phot slides give your kid an up-close view of the planets and galaxies, an experience many adults may envy.
The double-sided projector comes with a stationary and moving mode. The moving mode features two slow-rotating layered translucent domes projecting moving stars onto any surface. Transform the child’s room into a world of stars or cycle through the slide showing interesting outer space images.
The projector set comes with a double-sided poster to enhance your child’s interest and improve their solar system knowledge. Designed for kids from ages 6 years and up, teenagers and adults may also enjoy the planetarium experience.
Best Astronaut Rocket Ship Educational Toy: Playmobil Mission Rocket With Launch Site
The Playmobil Mission Rocketship is an excellent toy for your 6-year old astronaut who needs a rocket ship for imaginative space exploration. Help the crew get the rocket ship ready, launch the rocket, and safely dock the space capsule.
Any space-loving kid may be thrilled with the space rocket’s functioning lights and sound effects. The thrusters, countdown, and space communication are brought to life with exciting, imaginative role-playing. A movable maintenance platform helps the crew prepare the rocket for launching. The rocket’s cockpit holds two astronauts. Help them put on their space boots, suits, and space gloves.
Your kid may enact missions that mimic the realistic situations of docking a transport container or the crewed space capsule safely on the rocket. Expand the experience by docking at the Playmobil Mars Space Station. When landing on Mars, your budding science and research expert would want to explore and set up experiments They need the right vehicle. One of the options customers considered for their kids to explore the red planet’s surface creatively is the Playmobil Mars Research Vehicle.
The two AA batteries needed for the lights and sound effects are not included in the package. The space toy kit contains small pieces which are choking hazards for kids younger than three years old.
Best Space-Themed Robot Kit and Coding: LittleBits Star Wars Droid Inventor Kit
If your kid needs a droid for a NASA space mission, then the LittleBit Star Wars Droid Inventor Kit is an excellent choice. Who doesn’t want their personal Star Wars droid robot sidekick? The award-winning space toy is one of the best toys for kids ages 8 years and up interested in electronics, science experiments, engineering, computer science, and wanting to take their coding development to the next level.
After building the robot droid toy, kids may learn how to control the droid with code. With over 22 missions in the smartphone app, your kid can personalize the droid and teach it new skills. The robot kit comes with all the Droid parts, the electronic blocks, a 9V battery, and the free app.
The instruction manual gives easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions, which means your kid may assemble their droid without a parent’s help. Your kid may create their personalized, unique droid using household items, decorating it with the stickers included in the kit. It’s one of the easiest robots we’ve seen to work with.
Your child’s coding abilities and desire to learn may inspire them to reconfigure the droid with additional skills. A wave of your child’s hand may guide their droid. The in-app controllers include a joystick, sliders, and tilt mode to navigate and drive the robot toy. The droid toy has a mind of its own when it comes to obstacles in its way; it merely bypasses the obstacles on its path and continues in the altered course.
Suppose you were looking for toys and gifts for kids who dream about the future and space exploration. In that case, the droid is a delightful challenge to inspire STEM-related skills—preparing your child for the future working with robotics, astronomy, space travel, and other exciting careers.
Best Outer Space Gift For DIY And Educational Fun: 4M 3427 Solar System Planetarium—DIY Glow In The Dark
With the 4M Solar System Planetarium Glow-In-The-Dark kit, kids get to build, paint, and then enjoy the solar system model they have created. The glow-in-the-dark solar system is one of the most excellent gifts for kids who like building toys and want to learn more about the solar system.
The DIY solar system planetarium kit includes everything needed to build the solar system: planets, stencils, glow paint pen, string, rod, and even a fact-filled wall chart, and ten sets of educational questions. Kids ages eight years and older may enjoy learning interesting facts and quizzing peers about the solar system. A great combination of art and science education.
It is a great teaching tool if you often use aids and models like this one to supplement the regular PA Cyber Charter School curriculum. Hands-on play or crafting-building projects are significantly better at reinforcing learning than visual material alone.
When completed, the planets move in their orbits (no batteries required). The completed model measures 16.5 x 16.5 inches, ideal for displaying on a desk or in your child’s bedroom. If your child wants a hanging solar system, the 4M 3D mobile Solar System kit comes with a hanging frame, snap-together planets, glow paints, and measures 29.5 inches across. The 4M Solar System educational space toy kits also have a 4M KidzLabs Earth-Moon model kit for more solar system fun.
Best Wall Décor And Night Light For A Astronaut in Training: Uncle Milton Moon In My Room Remote Control Decor
One of the most decorative space toys, Uncle Milton Moon In My Room is a realistically detailed moon model that hangs on the wall and illustrates the phases of the moon. It is one of the best gifts for kids who are enthusiastic to see the moon appear in the night sky and the various lunar phases.
The moon phases can be set to change automatically, or your young astronomer can adjust it manually with the remote control. The 12 phase settings match the real moon’s phases. Your child may learn more about the moon by comparing the current moon phase and duplicating it with the moon model in their room. The toy set includes an MP3 download code for a guided moon tour.
It is made of quality materials, is rather sturdy, well made, and quite large. The 3D lunar landscape has grooves on the surface to model what the moon looks like; it is very realistic. At the back, it is marked with hanging areas for the northern and southern hemispheres to ensure that no matter where you are in the world, the moon is in the correct position.
The moon model also functions as a night light. If your astronaut kid wants to fall asleep staring at the moon, then the auto feature shuts down after 30 minutes to conserve battery life. The batteries (4 AA batteries and 2 AAA batteries) are not included in the package.
Kids from ages 6-years and up may appreciate the light-up moon space toy. You could use it for an Outer Space or Cosmic-themed birthday party decoration for kids of all ages.
Best Historic Mission Space Toys: Space Shuttle with Kennedy Space Center
A 28 piece set of space toys, the Space Shuttle with Kennedy Space Center contains much of the historic Space Program. Young astronomers can learn and play with the Apollo Lunar Module, Apollo Lunar Rover, Space Station, Rockets, Space Shuttle, and much more. Perfect for any little ones who want to be an air force pilot and be a part of the space program when they grow up!
Any budding astronaut from ages 3-year and older will enjoy extraordinary deep space exploration adventures with the seven astronaut figurines included in the set. Although the NASA logo and American flag are well represented, the set is based on various national and international space missions, including Apollo 15 moon mission from the 60s and Apollo-Soyuz and Skylab from the 70s. The beloved Moon Space Rover is in this set as well.
If your toddler wants a spaceship for Christmas or you have children that love anything to do with outer space, then this set may provide some interesting, adventurous fun. This blast from the past may inspire young kids to dream big and be the innovative astronauts and space adventurers of the future; it is an excellent gift as an alternative to video games.
The set is not that big; the plane is about the hand’s size, which makes it an excellent toy for developing hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. The small pieces could be a choking hazard for kids younger than 3-years. Although the toy set is designed for kids three years and up, older kids may also benefit from the history represented with this toy.
Best Kit For STEM Space Science Activities: The Magic School Bus: The Secrets of Space
The Magic School Bus: The Secrets of Space kit provides hours of exciting learning and fun. Everything is included, except a few household items, to do several activities, including constructing a night-vision flashlight, creating a constellation mobile, recreating the phases of the moon, and much more.
Ms. Frizzle from The Magic School Bus takes toddlers and children from ages 5-12 years on a wild ride into space. The series has won over 40 awards, and the STEM kits are designed by Harvard graduates, scientists, and parents to create engaging learning products. It’s highly likely this set will become a favorite toy.
The activity manual guides little scientists through their educational journey to space. Your children may follow along with the Magic Schoolbus book from Scholastic or watch the NETFLIX series. The set is very colorful, and the kit comes with lots of age-appropriate space information. It includes lots of experiments and activities. I like the fact that there is a parent guide at the end of the manual and an online clubhouse to explore the topic in even more detail.
The Magic School Bus: The Secrets of Space is one of the best educational space toys for boys and girls interested in STEM-related topics. The learning and educational STEM toy may strengthen a child’s problem-solving skills, improve hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.
Best Educational Space Puzzle: Melissa & Doug Solar System 48 pcs Floor Puzzle
The Melissa & Doug Solar System 48 pcs Floor Puzzle is a beautiful illustration of the solar system and a fun, durable puzzle. The high-quality, thick cardboard pieces are tough enough to endure handling by enthusiastic kids; it is also comfortable for small hands.
Puzzles are excellent toys and gifts for kids of all ages. The solar system puzzle is designed for kids ages 3-years to 6 years old. Finding the right piece and connecting it strengthens hand-eye coordination, improves problem-solving techniques, and entertainingly teaches logical thinking.
Kids may experience a sense of accomplishment when they find a piece that fits with this Melissa & Doug puzzle. Completing a puzzle gives them a sense of satisfaction and teaches them the reward of being patient. Outer space enthusiasts may be delighted with the beautiful original artwork used to display the solar system. The colorful picture may inspire your child’s curiosity and wanting to know more about the planets.
Jigsaw puzzles teach patience, and smaller children learn about colors, shapes, and how various pieces fit together. Suppose your child has not experienced the satisfaction of completing a puzzle yet. In that case, the solar system puzzle is an excellent way to introduce them to the exhilaration of watching the picture unfold. A puzzle is also a fun way to interact, connect, and have screen-free family time.
The floor puzzle has easy-to-clean surfaces. When assembled, the puzzle measures 2 feet by 3 feet, which means you need floor space. The large size allows siblings to have fun together without being in each other’s way.
Are you looking for a puzzle with more pieces for older children? The Ravensburger Space Puzzle is an excellent 100-piece puzzle that is very sturdy; not as bendy as most puzzles. After you put it together, you can quiz your child on Solar system facts.
Best Educational Space Toy LEGO and Space Shuttle Fans: LEGO City Space Mars Research Shuttle 60226
Creativity meets space toys. Explore space and Mars with the LEGO City Space Mars Research Shuttle playset. If your astronaut kid wants to explore new worlds, then this LEGO set is an excellent place to start. The LEGO set will encourage maker skills, follow instructions, and continue to foster an interest in the universe beyond.
The 273 pieces LEGO City set includes a NASA-inspired space shuttle toy model, a helidrone, a storage drone, and two LEGO City Mars astronaut Minifigures to assist your kid in their adventures. Place the Minifigure astronaut in the shuttle cockpit. While the pilot is orbiting Mars, your kid sends the rover to the planet’s surface.
The Mars scenery build comes with a secret symbol. Find out what the secret signs mean with the helidrone scanner. The rover’s solar panel powers it while the grabbling arm retrieves the geodes. The space shuttle’s doors open to provide landing space for the helidrone with its essential cargo. The open flaps reveal the research lab inside the space shuttle.
The gift toy is perfect for a young child, learning to follow directions. The instruction manual is also available in the LEGO life app for smartphones and tablets. Intuitive building instructions help young kids through the building process. Your kid may also use the ghost model to zoom, rotate, and visualize the build.
Commonly Asked Questions About Educational Space Toys
What Age is Best For Playing With Educational Space Toys?
Generally, the optimum ages for playing with educational space toys are from ages three years and older. A 3-year old toddler’s curiosity is limitless; it is an excellent time to introduce educational toys to them. Educational toys and gifts that appeal to kids in a fun way may help your child strengthen and improve motor skills, spatial awareness, and other essential skills for their age.
If your children or toddlers are interested in the stars and space, educational space toys will continue to feed their fascination. Introducing your child to the solar system and space-related toys may create their interest in the topic. Learning about robotics in satellites and other non-terrestrial objects can get them on the science path.
How Will Solar System Toys Impact My Child’s Learning and Education?
Solar System Toys may introduce your child to wonderful intergalactic experiences that may positively change their life. Your child may discover the exciting universe and learn the nature and characteristics of the planets, stars, moon, and sun. By creating awareness with solar system toys, parents may invoke a desire in their kids to explore new worlds. Experiments are soon to follow.
Kids may create an interest in STEM-related topics when playing with solar system toys. These toys have tremendous educational value; even if your child does not become an astronaut or astronomer, the science, math, engineering, and technology they are exposed to may benefit them at school and in the grown-up world.
How We Selected Solar System Toys & Educational Space Activities
After days of researching and reading customer reviews, we selected the top solar system toys and created a shortlist for parents’ benefit. We considered the most excellent gift for a child interested in planets, stars, and exploring the space world. We also included a toy introducing a child to the solar system, toys that educate and engage, and toys that inspire STEM skills.
When we created the list, we also considered the different ages and development stages of kids. Although a 3-year old toddler’s interest in the solar system may be as intense as kids from ages 6 years and older, their needs differ and, therefore, the type of gift too.
What Is Considered An Educational Toy?
An educational toy is an engaging toy that stimulates learning and helps develop various skills. Kids of all ages may benefit from a learning toy that is age-appropriate and designed for a specific milestone. Most customers purchase toys according to the child’s age and development. Always consider your child’s age, their emotional and skills development levels when purchasing any toy.
Educational toys have two purposes. The toy helps strengthen, inspire, and promote your kid’s skills and progress. Secondly, an educational toy is designed so that your toddler or child is learning while having fun. Customers may purposefully buy an educational toy as a gift to enhance their child’s skills, abilities and prepare them for school and their future. Most kids, however, won’t even realize their play is a learning environment when using an educational toy.
Educational space toys teach various science skills and give young scientists a greater understanding of the universe. Does your child have a favorite space toy? Please share it in the comments below!