Best presents and toys for budding astronauts and space scientists

The Universe and all its possibilities keep us in constant fascination. It’s an exciting adventure waiting to be explored. Here's our round-up of the best toys and presents for budding astronauts and space scientists.

Deep Space Home Planetarium and Projector

This amazing gadget is made up of two domes, one of which projects star patterns and the other projecting constellations onto the ceilings and walls around you! It is really easy to set up and change between the two domes. Use the projector to view the included 24 colour NASA and Hubble Telescope photographs of spacecrafts, astronauts and planets from three changeable slide discsor study the constellations with the help of the booklet included. 

It projects images up to 1 metre in diameter and maintains great clarity. At night simply replace with the night light dome and transform the projector into a comforting night light.

Solar System String Lights

Discover the fascinating solar system with these 10 LED illuminated lights, in which order they sit from the sun and what they look like!  With 9 acrylic planets of different sizes, lifelike colours and details; ideal as a nightlight for enthusiastic astronomers but could be used anywhere in the home that needs celestial decoration.

Clicformers Space Set

Build 4 space vehicles with this ingenious Clicformers set. The enclosed guide sheet shows how to make all the vehicles. All Clicformers sets are compatible with each other and let you build with endless possibilities. Age 4+

Lego Ideas Women of NASA

Create LEGO scenes inspired by 4 of NASA’s leading pioneers. Build the Hubble Space Telescope and learn astronomy with the 'Mother of Hubble' Nancy Grace Roman. Develop the software for space missions with computer scientist Margaret Hamilton. Launch the space shuttle with Sally Ride, the first American woman to fly in space, and Mae Jemison, the world's first woman of colour in space. Ages 10+

4M Kidz Labs Solar System Planetarium Model Kit

The kit comes fully equipped with paint and highlighting ink for them to design their own planets, alongside everything they need to create their own planetarium. Once assembled, just turn the lights out and watch their creations glow in the dark. Paint and glow in the dark ink included. Suitable for 8+ years

Little Labs Stars and Planets 

 This introduction to space for children helps them explore by amongst other things building a solar system, making moon craters and constellations, launching a rocket, and testing to see which planets could support life. With a 20-page detailed colour guidebook, Stars and Planets teaches science fundamentals and is a great educational gift idea and ideal for some parent and child interaction! Thames and Kosmos recommend for ages 5+ and this science kit requires adult supervision.

Fridge Rover

Brilliant little science gadget with zero-gravity! Wind up the car, put it on the fridge and watch it grip and go up the surface, defying the force of gravity! Amazing to see – and the secret is magnets and a clockwork mechanism – but don’t tell anyone!

Lego Creator Space Shuttle Explorer Set

There's lots of buildable fun with this LEGO Creator 31066 Space Shuttle Explorer Set, featuring a mini figure cockpit, large engines and an authentic white, black and grey colour scheme. Perform daring space walks with the astronaut jetpack, open the payload bay, fold out the satellite wings and use the robotic arm to launch it into orbit. And when you finally land on the moon, rebuild the shuttle to create either a futuristic Moon Station where you can experiment with growing potatoes, or a cool Space Rover for scrambling over the lunar surface.

Planet Putty

The assorted putty comes in a variety of colours to reflect the planets in the solar system. 

Engino Space Exploration 

There are 5 models to build; Future Space Transport Bus, Rocket, Space Robot, Landing Pod or a Space Shuttle. The pieces fit together with snap-fit connectivity in any direction and angle. There is also a handy extraction tool for easy disassembly, a booklet with theory, experimental activities and building instructions. In addition, all models are available as interactive 3D instructions viewed either from a PC or from smartphones and tablets through the ENGINO 3D Viewer app (kidCAD), downloadable for free in Android, Apple (iOS) and Windows mobile operating systems. This kit is great for children aged 6-12.

Colour Changing Moon Lamp 

This groovy mood lamp includes 16 different colour settings from cool ice blue, to cozy-warm orange. Flash, Strobe, Fade, Smooth and Brightness settings allow you to pick an effect to complement the ambiance you are going for. The moulded moon shape includes realistic craters of varying sizes, and even a moon-boot footprint!

Brainstorm Glow 3D Space Stickers

Self-adhesive stickers make fantastic room decorations, by day the stickers are bright, colourful and fun but then at night-time, when the lights go out, they produce a fantastic glowing display.

Nanoblock International Space Station kit

A unique 3D puzzle of the International Space Station, this construction set will develop planning skills and encourage creative play. Suitable for children aged 12 years+ because Nanoblock is an extremely micro-sized building block born.

Ground Control to Major Tim by Clive Gifford

If you want to know anything at all about Major Tim Peake and his adventures in space then this is the go-to book. This information is concise but detailed and well presented, using lots of info boxes together with some amazing photographs. There is an exteremely impressive glossary, further information section and index.

Best for younger children:

Tidlo Space station 

The Space Station has a clicking up and down lift to access all floors. Includes a telescope, hydroponic garden, computer equipment and exercise treadmill. Move cubes around with the space crane then take a ride in the buggy. Astronauts and alien included. With a plastic connector system to interchange some parts. Age 3+

Celestial Buddies

Celestial Buddies are a huge range of friendly-looking plush toy versions of the planets and other significant objects in our solar system.

This Celestial Buddies Saturn features the planet's famous rings orbiting around his head and a little tag full of interesting facts. 

Goodnight Spaceman by Michelle Robinson

Two little boys are getting ready for bed in their space-themed bedroom, decorated with posters of planets, starry duvets and spaceship mobiles. As they look at the twinkling stars through their window, the boys imagine they are astronauts, about to blast off in search of their spaceman dad. They dock their craft at his space station and join the crew on board. Dad shows them all the planets and the dazzling Milky Way before they head for home.

Opening with a special letter from the first British European Space Agency astronaut Tim Peake, this rhyming picture book will inspire any child who gazes at the night sky, longing to explore space. Informative, exciting and beautifully illustrated, it will delight anyone with an interest in finding out more about the world beyond our planet.

Dream Tents Space Adventure

Easy to pop-up, with a highly detailed themed design, Dream Tents are an exciting new way to make a fun, private space or reading nook for children. Attaching easily to any single bed, Dream Tents are complete with an attachable colour-change reading light ideal for reading or creating a soothing ambiance when it’s time to wind down. Dream Tent is packaged in a handy storage bag.

Spaceboy Backpack

Made from durable nylon and printed with a lovely pattern of stars, rockets and planets, this is a perfect gift for little tots who love to carry their books and pencils with them. It features a handy front pocket for extra storage and adjustable shoulder straps so it can continue to be used as they grow.