Gift ideas for an almost 5yo who loves space?

[Biscuits & Gravy]

DS will be 5 in 3 weeks. He is getting hockey tickets for his birthday, but I'd love to give him a little gift to unwrap that will appeal to his current fascination with space. He has a couple of books, so I really don't want to go that route. I was considering something called the "Moon in My Room" which is a replica of the moon that hangs on the wall and lights up different phases of it. I'm not sure though, and would love some other ideas. He especially loves learning about the planets, and constellations. The only space related toy he has is an Imaginext space shuttle.

[dantesmama]

We have a Moon In My Room knock-off and my boys love it. It's the Discovery Kids one; I think I got it at Rite-Aid for something like $8. My 5yo space nut also got the Magic School Bus Secrets of Space science kit for Christmas. It has a lot of fun activities in it and he had a lot of fun with it.

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[beanma]

B&G, if I recall correctly you're in the Triangle? If you could get a spare minute to go by the Museum of Life and Science they have all kindsa spacey stuff in the gift shop there. I'm sure you'd see something that would strike you as just right. Good luck! Maybe he'd like those glow in the dark stars for his ceiling?

[beebalmmama]

For Christmas we got ds (5) those glow in the dark stars and planets. They are pretty simple and inexpensive but he likes them. I've also seen some pretty cool nightlights that put out planets/constellations on the ceiling.

[Biscuits & Gravy]

Originally Posted by beanma 

B&G, if I recall correctly you're in the Triangle? If you could get a spare minute to go by the Museum of Life and Science they have all kindsa spacey stuff in the gift shop there. I'm sure you'd see something that would strike you as just right. Good luck! Maybe he'd like those glow in the dark stars for his ceiling?

You are correct! We are actually members there. We haven't made it up there in a while, not since this new interest has popped up. I think we may go this week since he has been asking to go see the lunar lander. I'll sneak a peek at the gift shop and maybe have a friend pick up something on the sly for me. Thanks for the reminder about that!

[ASusan]

Is a telescope too much? DS (3) got one from his (single, high income) auntie, but I know we won't use it for a couple of years. Another friend just gave one to her 6-yr-old for his birthday last week, so I figure that's about the right age.

And I second the star stickers on the ceiling, if you're not opposed to stickering the ceiling.

DS has a turtle that projects the stars (constellations) onto the ceiling, but that might be a bit babyish for 5.

http://www.amazon.com/Cloud-Twilight-Constellation-Night-Turtle/dp/B000BNQC58/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1299024649&sr=8-1

Maybe a couple of homemade coupons for nights to stay up to watch the stars? A promise to get him up to watch a meteor shower? Here's a link to the 2011 ones - http://stardate.org/nightsky/meteors

[staceychev]

My sister gave my daughter this glow-in-the-dark solar system set that hangs from her ceiling. She loves it. 

[Biscuits & Gravy]

Originally Posted by ASusan 

Is a telescope too much? DS (3) got one from his (single, high income) auntie, but I know we won't use it for a couple of years. Another friend just gave one to her 6-yr-old for his birthday last week, so I figure that's about the right age.

And I second the star stickers on the ceiling, if you're not opposed to stickering the ceiling.

DS has a turtle that projects the stars (constellations) onto the ceiling, but that might be a bit babyish for 5.

http://www.amazon.com/Cloud-Twilight-Constellation-Night-Turtle/dp/B000BNQC58/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1299024649&sr=8-1

Maybe a couple of homemade coupons for nights to stay up to watch the stars? A promise to get him up to watch a meteor shower? Here's a link to the 2011 ones - http://stardate.org/nightsky/meteors

He has actually asked for a telescope. I think we'll sit on that idea and see if this interest lasts. Maybe Christmas if he is still into it. Our ceilings have that awful popcorn stuff, and we are renting, so I don't know about the stars for the ceiling. Thank you so much for the meteor shower link! We will absolutely be checking out the next one. Great idea!!

[Biscuits & Gravy]

Yikes, triple post!

Edited by Biscuits & Gravy - 3/1/11 at 8:02pm

[Biscuits & Gravy]

Double post!

[kittykat2481]

Originally Posted by dantesmama 

We have a Moon In My Room knock-off and my boys love it. It's the Discovery Kids one; I think I got it at Rite-Aid for something like $8. My 5yo space nut also got the Magic School Bus Secrets of Space science kit for Christmas. It has a lot of fun activities in it and he had a lot of fun with it.

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We have this too. I think it was $9.99 at CVS.

[StrawberryFields]

We got my ds the book "Insiders Space" for his 5th birthday (along with Insiders Dinosaurs and Insiders Volcanoes and Earthquakes).  He loves it, and it was really inexpensive used on Amazon.

He also has the Imaginext Space shuttle and all the accessories.

Oh, oops, I totally missed that you didn't want to go the book route.  Disregard!! LOL! 

[Biscuits & Gravy]

I am definitely going to have to look for the knock off moon. I'd rather pay $10 than over 2x that just in case this is short lived. :)

[fritz]

How about a space jigsaw puzzle?  Or Michael's sells a styrofoam ball solar system kit (already painted and plain versions).  All you have to do is measure and cut the included wooden dowels, apply glue to the ends, and shove them into the "planets".  IIRC, the kit's about $10, and they usually have a 40% off regularly-priced item coupons.

Or a space poster for the wall....

[Gator-mom]

My DS just turned 4 this week and also loves space.  We got him the Cat in the Hat book about space, which is really cute and gives real information in a fun way.  We also got him a poster of the solar system on Amazon for $2.50 and some planet wall stickers for about $12 and then we re-decorated his room, putting the space stickers in order of the solar system.  When we read the Cat in the Hat book, he can then reference which planet we are talking about by looking at his poster or the stickers.  He loved all of it, and it was all relatively inexpensive!