Train like an astronaut
You’ll need
- Stopwatch or phone
- Something to mark lines (for example, chalk, masking tape, or rope)
- Rulers
- A4 paper
- Bowls
- Pens or pencils
- Cones
- Jigsaw puzzle
- Household objects
- Beanbags
- Tennis balls
- Tweezers
- Building blocks
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.
People that train to travel into Space on a rocket are called astronauts. They go into space in special rockets that travel at approximately 25,000 miles per hour. The first person to walk on the moon was an American called Neil Armstrong. In 1969 he took part in an exciting mission known as Apollo 11. They landed their spaceship on the moon and walked around it.
The role of an astronaut involves years of training and skills in many different and unrelated disciplines. It's a tough process, and currently only a select few meet the exacting requirements to blast off towards the stars.
Astronauts often use themselves as guinea pigs to test the effects of space on the body. The results can be used to prepare for long duration space flights, such as a mission to Mars in the future. Astronauts also typically grow a few centimetres taller in space too, because of the conditions.
(Source: BBC Bitesize)
Planning and setting up this activity
- Set up each activity in an open area, such as on tables, making sure there’s lots of space for people to move freely between stations. We’ve included some ideas for stations on this page.
- You may wish to write out or print out what to do for each challenge and leave it next to the station.
Running this activity
- Gather everyone together and explain that they’re going to take part in astronaut training. Ask everyone what skills they think an astronaut might need.
- Explain and demonstrate each of your stations, so everyone knows what to do.
- When everyone’s ready, ask everyone to get into groups or pairs, then assign each group to a station.
- You can either set a time limit for groups at each station, then signal when they need to move on, or you can let groups move around the stations at their own pace when and swap when one becomes free.
- You may wish to make a checklist of all the stations, so people can write down their times or tick the stations off as they complete them.
You could use some of these station ideas or create your own:
Set up a safe and supervised obstacle course or slalom race that people can take turns to complete. Use a stopwatch to let people record how quickly they can complete the course. Each person could do it two or three times, then write down their best time. You could make this harder by asking them to carry something, such as a potato on a spoon.
Astronauts need to be able to be good at doing tasks or solving problems that need a lot of concentration. See if you can solve a jigsaw puzzle within a set time limit. You could let people do this individually or in pairs.
Astronauts carry out lots of experiments and observations, so they need to be good at noticing lots of small details. Place several small items on a tray, let everyone observe them for 30-60 seconds, then cover the tray and ask players to recall what they saw. See who can remember the most!
Astronauts need to work together in space, so they need to be good at working in a team. In pairs, see who can carry a ball or balloon (the ‘cargo’) between them while completing a short course. They can only use their heads, shoulders or backs to hold the cargo, so they’ll need to be careful, just like astronauts need to handle delicate equipment in space. They must work together to make sure the cargo doesn't fall or get dropped along the way.
Astronauts work in space with little or no gravity, which means they need to keep everything secured down to stop it floating away. In pairs, see how long you can keep a balloon in the air, without it floating away. You could ask them to walk the balloon through a slalom course or around cones.
Astronauts need to have quick reactions. Find a partner and grab a ruler. One person should hold the ruler at the 30 cm mark, while the other prepares to catch it with their thumb and finger. Without any warning, the first person drops the ruler. Try to catch it as quickly as you can. Note the number where you caught it and write it down. Take three turns, then swap roles and let your partner have a try. The lower the number, the faster your reactions!
Astronauts need to have strong balance and control over their movements in space. Mark a line on the ground using masking tape. Each person must walk across it without stepping off. To make it more challenging, they could balance a beanbag on their head at the same time. Time each player and see who can complete the challenge the fastest or with the least wobbles!
Try this physical challenge to practice moving in a ‘zero gravity’ environment. Place dots or markers on the floor, such as floor spots or pieces of paper. People need to hop from one spot to another. You can simulate low gravity by asking them to jump with both feet together at once and keeping their balance while landing.
Have some over-sized equipment, such as gloves, helmets and boots, for people to wear. They should try to put on and take off the equipment, mimicking the actions astronauts would take when suiting up before a mission. They can then complete a simple task like moving a ball or stacking space-related objects.
Astronauts often need to work in tight spaces. Have people lie down under a table. They should try and write down their name, their favourite food and the month they were born in on a piece of paper that’s stuck underneath the table.
Astronauts often work in delicate environments where they need to be precise and keep their hands steady. Place a tray filled with small, lightweight objects, such as ping pong balls or toy counters, that people must move from one container to another using only tweezers or chopsticks. They need to be as precise and steady as possible to avoid dropping anything. Time them to see how quickly they can move all the objects.
Astronauts need a good understanding of space and their surroundings. Have a space trivia game with questions about planets, stars, the solar system, and astronauts. You can play this in teams or individually.
Astronauts must remember vital information quickly. Create a space-themed memory game using cards. Each card should have an image of a planet, star, or space vehicle. Lay the cards face down in a grid. Players take turns flipping two cards at a time to find matching pairs.
Astronauts do lots of experiments and use lots of equipment in space. Provide a set of suitable tools and a small assembly task, such as a simple object to screw together or a plastic model to build. To make it harder, see if you can do it wearing rubber gloves.
Reflection
This activity was all about teamwork, problem-solving, agility, focus and coordination, just like the skills an astronaut needs for their space missions. Think about all the challenges you did. Which challenge was your favourite? Which one did you find the most difficult or hardest?
Today, astronauts are trained to work on the International Space Station (ISS) and, in a few years, travel to the Moon, and eventually Mars. How do you think you’d be as an astronaut? How do you think astronauts use these skills in space? What skills do you want to practice more for the next mission?
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.
- Active games
The game area should be free of hazards. Explain the rules of the game clearly and have a clear way to communicate that the game must stop when needed. Take a look at our guidance on running active games safely.
- Contact games and activities
Make sure everyone understands what contact is acceptable, and monitor contact throughout the activity.
- Science
Supervise young people, and only do science activities that are advised and age appropriate for your section. Test activities first, to make sure you’re confident you can lead them safely. Use protective clothing where necessary.
- 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.
To make this activity easier, you could let people work in pairs or remove any timed elements. You could also add two levels of challenge for each activity, so there’s an easier or harder version for people to choose from.
- Make sure any actions and equipment are/is accessible for everyone. Some examples include making sure to use colours that can easily be identified for anyone who’s colourblind, having cones spread further apart to allow a wheelchair to manoeuvre through them, using lighter balls, putting items on tables rather than the floor, having bigger containers, using picture-based labels, using large print fonts, kicking instead of throwing or using items that make noise for anyone with visual impairments. If needed, you can let someone start closer to the challenge or adapt it to their needs.
- Some people struggle with lots of change or moving between multiple activities. Give people as much notice as possible if there’s a change between activities. Be specific about any tasks you ask people to complete and realistic about how much they can complete in the time available. It can be very difficult for some people to move on if they don't feel they've managed to finish a task. Make sure there’s enough time for everyone to try the activity a few times and have plenty of adults available for support.
- People can move at their own pace, so you don’t need to make it competitive unless it works for everyone. You could adapt the competitive element. You could also reward good communication, creativity or teamwork, instead of speed or being the first. Remind people to encourage each other and that it’s not about winning, but about taking part, working well as a team and having fun. This activity can be noisy or busy. If anyone’s sensitive to loud noises, try to remind everyone to be quieter or have a noise level warning system. People could wear ear defenders, you can shut doors and windows to reduce external noise, or you can have a quiet zone for people to go to if needed. You could also run the activity outside or over a larger space to reduce the noise. It might be useful to agree on a signal, such as raising a hand, to indicate when someone needs a break or wants to speak to an adult.
All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.
If you enjoyed this activity, you could try our other space activities, visit a space museum or see if you could organise a session with an astronaut.
Young people could create their own stations or challenges.