Make space rocket pixel art

You’ll need

Fuse beads
Pegboards for the beads
Grid paper
Pencils
Colouring pencils
Felt tip pens
Bowls
Baking paper or greaseproof paper
Iron
Ironing board
Extension lead

Before you begin

Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. There's also more guidance to help you carry out your risk assessment, including examples.
Make sure all young people and adults involved in the activity know how to take part safely.
Make sure you’ll have enough adult helpers. You may need some parents and carers to help.

Planning and setting up this activity

Fuse beads, thermobeads, iron beads, or iron-fusible beads are multicoloured tubular plastic beads that can be arranged into 2D designs on a pegboard. They can be fused together by the application of a hot iron through baking paper to form mosaics. You can find them in lots of toy shops or craft stores.
Print off or gather some pictures of different types of rockets that have gone into space. They can be a mix of modern rockets and ones from a long time ago.
Divide the beads into containers for people to share.

Running this activity

Gather everyone around and ask if anyone knows what a rocket is.
Explain that a rocket is used to carry a spacecraft from Earth's surface to space, usually to low Earth orbit or beyond. It’s sometimes called a launch vehicle. Although rockets may appear similar, no two are alike because they are complex devices with millions of pieces and systems that must be calculated and constructed to work together. A rocket is chosen based on the spacecraft’s mission requirements. For example, the farther away from Earth the spacecraft needs to go, the bigger and more powerful the rocket needs to be (Source: NASA, 2025).
Show everyone the photos of rockets from different years and different space missions. You could see if they can put them in the right order from oldest to newest.
As a group, talk about and compare the rockets. You could talk about if their size, shape, purpose or colours are similar or different. You could also ask people to vote for their favourite one.
Tell everyone they’re going to a rocket out of fuse beads. They could choose a rocket to copy.
If you’ve time, let people draw their design out on grid paper, so they can copy it. You could also print out some designs or pictures of space-themed fuse bead shapes for inspiration.
Give everyone a pegboard shape (such as a circle or a square), and a pot of beads.
Let everyone make their design on the pegboard.
When they’re done, they should place their pegboard carefully to one side, such as on a table. They can then cut out and carefully place some baking paper over their pegboard and beads, so it’s ready to be ironed.
An adult should set up the iron. Make sure any cables are tidy and safely managed, so they can’t be tripped over, and the iron must always be supervised by an adult.
For each design, an adult should hold the iron on top of the baking paper for a few minutes to melt the beads together. Always follow the instructions on for the bead’s you're using.
Once ironed, place the ironed beads to one side to cool down, out of reach of young people.
Once everyone’s finished their rocket, they could make another design. They could make a planet, a rocket, an alien or something else. They could design something to use. For example, a round planet may make a great coaster.
At the end, you could let people use thread to hang up their designs. You can pass the thread through one of the holes in the beads.

Reflection

This activity was all about rockets. Can you remember any of the rockets you saw? Was there anything that was different or the same for any of rockets? Which one was your favourite and why? What would you include if you could design your own rocket? What would it look like and what would you name it?

We made some cool rocket designs with fuse beads. Did you choose a certain rocket to copy, or did you design your own? Was it tricky to place the beads on the pegboard, or did you have fun choosing the colours? What was the most exciting part? What will you do with your design now?

Safety

All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.

You must run your activities in line with the Safeguarding Code of Conduct for Adults (Yellow Card) and report any concerns to the UK HQ Safeguarding Team.

Flammable items

Always take care when using flammable items, especially if you’re near fire. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions and guidelines.

Hot items and hot water

Kettles, cookers and microwave ovens produce a lot of heat by the very nature of them. Caution is needed when in contact with items that have been heated and young people should use them under adult supervision. Use on a suitable surface, protecting it if necessary. Never leave hot items unattended and make sure there’s a nearby first aid kit, with items to treat burns/scalds.

Sharp objects

Teach young people how to use sharp objects safely. Supervise them appropriately throughout. Store all sharp objects securely, out of the reach of young people.

Electronics

Remove any equipment you’re working on from the power source before you begin. Never assume the power circuit’s off – test it with a voltmeter (and then test it again to be sure). Only connect power to a circuit once you’ve finished working on it and have checked your work. Make sure your circuit isn’t overloaded, and return any covers you’ve removed.

Make sure that all electronics equipment is properly grounded. Use the right electronics tools, and always replace damaged equipment (for example, replace cables rather than repairing them with insulating tape). Always have safety equipment including a fire extinguisher, basic first aid kit, and mobile phone nearby.

Hot tools

Tools, such as irons and glue guns, produce a lot of heat. Never touch the hot metal parts. Use them under adult supervision and on a suitable surface, protecting it if necessary. Never leave hot tools unattended and be careful near combustible materials such as wood, textiles, or paper. Make sure there’s a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit (with items to treat burns) nearby. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for proper use. You may need to use gloves and safety goggles with glue guns.

Electrical equipment

Inspect cables for any damage before each use. A responsible adult should supervise people using equipment, and people should follow instructions on how to use them correctly and safely. They should be properly maintained and stored. Be extra cautious of trailing cables and water when using electric equipment.

Hand and electric tools

Inspect tools for any damage before each use. An adult should supervise people using tools, and people should follow instructions on how to use them correctly and safely. Tools should be properly maintained and kept sharp.

Use an appropriate surface and make sure materials are stable and supported when you’re working on them. You should cut and drill away from the body and in an area clear of other people. Be extra cautious of trailing cables and water when using electric tools. Always use a cordless tool if one’s available.

Crafting with younger sections: Be well prepared, with everything ready before you begin. Make sure equipment and materials are age appropriate. Make sure small objects are not put in mouths, ears and noses. Remind young people not to put anything in their mouth and wash hands regularly.