Here are 22 space songs for kids with full lyrics, the familiar tune each one borrows, and six videos so you can hear a melody before you teach it. Nearly all of them are piggyback songs, with new words set to London Bridge, The Farmer in the Dell or Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, so a group of three-year-olds can sing along the first time through.
The songs are grouped by how you would use them. Rocket and countdown songs come first because they get the most use: as a transition, as counting-backwards practice, and as a movement break. Then come the moon, sun and star songs, the simple sun-and-orbit songs, the planet-order lists for fours and fives, and three short fingerplays for a quiet moment. Each song ends with one line on the age it suits or the motion to pair with it.
Before the lyrics there is a short section on what preschoolers can actually grasp about space and how to build a week around it.
- How to teach a space theme to preschoolers
- Rocket, Countdown and Astronaut Songs
- Moon, Sun and Star Songs
- Sun and Orbit Songs
- Planet Order Songs
- Space Fingerplays and Counting Rhymes
- Space songs FAQ
- More song collections
How to Teach a Space Theme to Preschoolers
Start with what a three- to five-year-old can see and feel. The sun gives light and heat: stand in it, then in the shade, and ask which felt warm. The moon changes shape: look for it on the way in each morning for a week and draw what you saw on the board. Stars come out when it is dark. Rockets go up and come back down. That is the whole science content of the theme, and it is enough. Orbits, gravity and the size of Jupiter do not land at this age.
The planet-order songs suit the older end of the range. Fours and fives like long lists and will learn the names as sound long before the names mean anything. Threes can join in on the refrain, so sing the orbiting-round-the-sun line with the whole group and let the older children carry the verses. Most of these songs were written when Pluto still counted as a planet. Sing them as written, then tell fours that scientists changed their minds in 2006 and Pluto is now called a dwarf planet. The Jack Hartmann video further down is an eight-planet version if you want one.
Use the rocket countdown songs as transitions. Climb Aboard the Spaceship ends on 10-9-8 down to blast off, which is the only place in the day most preschoolers count backwards. Do it with fingers folding down, slowly, and hold the one for a beat before the jump. Once the group can count down from five without you, move to ten. Sing it to move from circle to tables. The number songs cover counting forwards if backwards is still a stretch.
Make the rocket, or be the rocket. A blanket over two chairs is a spaceship; children climb in, buckle up, and It’s A Blast gives them the sequence: spacesuit, helmet, controls, countdown. Better still, skip the prop. Children crouch small on the floor for the countdown, rise slowly through the numbers, and jump at blast off. A child who is the rocket learns more than a child watching one. If the group takes to the flying, the airplane songs and the transportation songs carry it for another week.
For the moon, use a torch and a ball. Darken the room, hold the ball at arm’s length, shine the torch on it from one side, and let children walk around it to see the lit part change from full to half to a sliver. It is the one space demonstration under-fives actually remember. Sing Mr. Moon straight after it, and end the day quietly with Stars Fingerplay.
Rocket, Countdown and Astronaut Songs
Start here. These get the most use in a space week because they do three jobs at once: they move the group from one place to the next, they practise counting backwards, and they let every child be the rocket. Clear a space before you begin. Most of them end with a jump. They also slot into circle time as the movement break after a story.
Climb aboard the Spaceship!
Sung to: “itsy bitsy spider”
Original Author: Unknown
Climb aboard the spaceship,
We’re going to the moon.
hurry and get ready,
We’re going to blast off soon.
Put on your helmets
And buckle up real tight.
Here comes the countdown,
Let’s count with all our might.
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1—BLAST OFF!!
The all-purpose countdown song for threes and up; crouch low through the count and jump on blast off.
It’s A Blast
Original Author: Unknown
Put on your spacesuit. We’re going to the Moon.
(pretend to step into pants and buckle boots)
Climb aboard your rocket ship.
We’re going to blast off soon.
Put on your helmet.
Strap yourself in tight. (pretend putting on helmets and buckling your safety belt)
Check your controls and instruments.
Get ready for the flight. (pretend to turn on switches)
Time for your journey.
The countdown has begun. (wave and salute)
Here we go, Get ready, Get set!
5, 4, 3, 2, 1
(slowly rise from seated position)
Blast off!
(jump up)
A full pretend sequence for fours: do it seated in the blanket-fort rocket and let children invent their own controls to flick.
We’re Flying
Sung to: “The Farmer in the Dell”
Original Author: Unknown
We’re flying to the moon
We’re flying to the moon.
Blast off, away we go
We’re flying to the moon.
Other verses:
We’re going in a spacecraft
We’re walking out in space
We’re landing on the moon
We’re collecting moon rocks
We’re flying back to Earth
We’re landing on the Earth
Easy enough for young threes; arms out to fly, crouch to land, and mime picking up moon rocks on that verse.
Orbiting Around The Moon
Sung to: “Coming around the Mountain”
Original Author: Unknown
We’ll be orbiting around the moon, yes we will
We’ll be orbiting around the moon, yes we will
We’ll be orbiting around the moon X 3
Yes we will
Other verses:
We’ll be landing on the Moon
We’ll be walking on the Moon
We’ll be blasting off again
We’ll be landing back on Earth
Walk the group in a circle around one child who is the moon; the four extra verses take everyone home again.
Astronaut (Where Have You Been?)
Sung to: “Where have you been BillyBoy?”
Original Author Unknown
Tell me, where have you been, Astronaut, astronaut?
Tell me, where have you been In your rocket?
I have landed on the moon, And I may return there soon
With a space station That will help me dock it!
Tell me, what did you do, Astronaut, astronaut?
Tell me, what did you do In your rocket?
I took pictures of the stars
And the craters found on Mars,
And I brought home some moon rocks In my pocket!
A call-and-response for fours: you sing the questions, the group answers, and everyone pulls moon rocks out of a pocket on the last line.
Moon, Sun and Star Songs
These are the songs for what children can see from the playground. Sing the star songs after a dark-room torch demonstration or a look at the night sky picture book. The moon songs pair with a week of drawing the moon’s shape each morning, which is also a good time to bring in the shape songs: full moon circle, half moon, crescent.
Twinkle Song
Sung to: “London Bridges”
Original Author: Unknown
Twinkle Twinkle Little stars
Friends of Jupiter and Mars
All you do the whole night through
Is Twinkle, Twinkle, Twinkle
Shine on shine on friends of mine
If wishes really do come true
Please oh please oh please come true
The wish I wish tonight on you
Then tomorrow All day through
I’ll Twinkle, Twinkle, Twinkle.
The youngest threes already know the tune, so this is a first-day song; open and close both hands on every twinkle.
There’s a Tiny Little Star
Sung to: “Little White Duck”
Original Author: Unknown
There’s a little tiny star
Way up in the sky.
A little tiny star,
Up so very high
She twinkles brightly
Through the night:
The stars are shining oh so bright.
There’s a little tiny star
Way up in the sky.
A little tiny star.
A quiet one for the end of circle; hold one finger high and wiggle it on the twinkling lines.
Stars (Twinkle, Twinkle, Giant Star)
Sung to: “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”
Original Author: Unknown
Twinkle, twinkle, little star, I know what you really are:
Giant ball of glowing gas, One of billions in a mass!
Twinkle, twinkle, little star, Oh, how big you really are!
Twinkle, twinkle, giant star, Larger than the Earth by far!
Since your distance is a lot, You look like a tiny dot.
Twinkle, twinkle, giant star, Very bright, yet very far!
Stars are twinkling, every one, Some are bigger than the sun!
Just a twinkle in the sky, Just because you’re oh, so high!
Twinkle, twinkle, little star, Oh how big you really are.
For fives: it is the only song here that says a star is a giant ball of gas, so pause on that line and let it land.
Mr. Moon
Sung to: “Mr. Sun”
Original Author: Unknown
Mr. Moon, Mr. Moon,
You’re out to soon,
The sun is still in the sky,
Go back to bed,
and cover your head,
And wait for the day to go by.
Short enough to learn in one sitting, and it fits straight after the torch-and-ball moon demonstration.
Sing a Song of Sunshine
Sung To: “Sing a song of sixpence”
Original Author: Unknown
Sing a song of sunshine
Be happy every day
Sing a song of sunshine
You’ll chase the clouds away
Be happy every moment
No matter what you do
Just sing and sing and sing and sing
And let the sunshine through!
Opens a morning on the sun and belongs just as well in your weather week; sway side to side and arms up on the last line.
Tuning Up For Outer Space
Sung to: “The Farmer in the Dell”
Original Author: Unknown
The sun is in the sky. The sun is in the sky.
Hot and bright, it gives us light.
The sun is in the sky.
The moon is in the sky.
The Moon is in the sky.
Around and ’round the earth it goes.
The moon is in the sky.
The stars are in the sky.
The stars are in the sky.
Twinkly bright, they shine at night.
The stars are in the sky.
Sun, moon and stars in three verses, so it is the tidiest summary of the week for threes; point up, circle arms, wiggle fingers.
Sun and Orbit Songs
Three songs that teach one idea: things go around the sun. They are simpler than the planet-order songs and work for threes, because the words describe a motion the children can do with their bodies. Put a yellow ball or a child in a yellow shirt in the middle of the circle and walk around it as you sing.
Space action song
Sung to: “London Bridge”
Original Author: Unknown
The planets spin around the sun,
Around the sun, Around the sun.
The planets spin around the sun,
We live on earth!
The sun is found in the middle,
In the middle, In the middle.
The sun is found in the middle,
It keeps us warm!
The stars are twinkling far away,
Far away, far away.
the stars are twinkling far away,
Now make a wish
The simplest planet song here and fine for threes; spin on the spot for the planets and hug yourself on the line about staying warm.
Solar System in Motion
Sung to: “The Farmer in the Dell”
Original Author: Unknown
The Earth turns around,
The Earth turns around.
Once a day, every day,
The Earth turns around.
The moon goes round the Earth,
The moon goes round the Earth.
Once a month, every month,
The moon goes round the Earth.
The Earth goes round the sun,
The Earth goes round the sun.
Once a year, every year,
The Earth goes round the sun.
Day, month, year: fours can act it out with one child as the sun, one as Earth turning, and one as the moon walking around Earth.
Around The Sun
Sung to: “Here We Go Around the Mulberry Bush”
Original Author: Unknown
Mercury goes around the sun,
Around the sun, around the sun.
Like the planets, everyone.
Each one in its orbit. (Continue with all nine planets)
As you continue the song, ask the children which planet would be next.
Variation: Substitute words like walk, run, jump, hop, skip for the word “goes” in the song.
Ask for the next planet name before each verse; the walk, run, hop variation turns it into a movement break.
Planet Order Songs
These list the planets by name, which suits fours and fives and is mostly sound to a three-year-old. That is fine; threes can sing the refrain. All five were written when Pluto was still counted as the ninth planet. Sing them as written, then tell older children that Pluto was renamed a dwarf planet in 2006. The two videos in this section are eight-planet versions if you would rather start there.
One Little (Nine Little Planets)
Sung to: “One little, Two little, Three little Indian”
Original Author: Unknown
One little two little three little planets
Four little five little six little planets
Seven little eight little nine little planets
Orbiting the sun.
Mercury Venus and the earth
Mars Jupiter and Saturn
Uranus Neptune and Pluto
orbiting the sun.
The tune is the one most teachers now call Ten Little Fingers; hold up a picture card for each planet so fours can match name to picture.
Nine Planets (Orbiting Round the Sun)
Sung to: “10 little Indians”
Original Author: Unknown
One little two little three little planets
Four little five little six little planets
Seven little eight little nine little planets
Orbiting round the sun.
Mercury Venus and the Earth
Mars Jupiter and Saturn
Uranus Neptune and Pluto
Orbiting round the sun.
Near-identical to One Little above; pick one for the group and keep the other as the same-tune backup.
Nine Planets (There Are Nine Planets in Space)
Sung to: “There are seven days in the week”
Original Author: Unknown
There are nine planets, there are nine planets, there are nine planets in space.
There are nine planets, there are nine planets, there are nine planet in space.
Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus,
Neptune and Pluto are the planets, are the planets in space
Written when Pluto still counted; sing it as it is, then tell fours that scientists now call Pluto a dwarf planet.
The Planets Go Spinning
Sung to: “When Johnny Comes Marching Home”
Original Author: Unknown
The planets revolve around the sun, hooray, hooray.
The planets revolve around the sun, hooray, hooray.
The planets revolve around the sun
And spin on their axis, every one.
And they all go spinning
Around and around they go!
Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, hooray, hooray.
Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, hooray, hooray.
Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars,
All whirling and twirling among the stars.
And they all go spinning
Around and around they go!
Jupiter and Saturn are next in line, hooray, hooray.
Jupiter and Saturn are next in line, hooray, hooray.
Jupiter and Saturn are next in line,
Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto make nine.
And they all go spinning
Around and around they go!
The longest of the planet lists, so save it for fives; march on the spot on hooray, hooray.
The Family of the Sun
Sung to: “Farmer in the Dell”
Original Author: Unknown
REFRAIN :
The family of the Sun,
The family of the Sun,
Here are nine planets in
the family of the Sun.
Mercury is hot,
And Mercury is small.
Mercury has no atmosphere;
It’s just a rocky ball.
REFRAIN
Venus has thick clouds
That hide what is below.
The air is foul; the ground is hot.
It rotates very slow.
REFRAIN
We love the Earth our home,
Its oceans and its trees.
We eat its food; we breathe its air,
So no pollution, please.
REFRAIN
Mars is very red.
It’s also dry and cold.
Some day you might visit Mars
If you are really bold.
REFRAIN
Great Jupiter is big.
We’ve studied it a lot.
We found that it has lots of moons,
And a big, red spot.
REFRAIN
Saturn has great rings.
We wondered what they were.
Now we know they’re icy rocks
Which we saw as a blur.
REFRAIN
Uranus is far.
It’s cold and greenish-blue.
We found it rotates sideways,
And it has a lot of moons.
REFRAIN
Neptune has a spot;
A stormy patch of blue.
The planet has a lot of clouds
And rings around it, too.
REFRAIN
Pluto’s last in line
It’s farthest from the Sun.
It’s small and cold and icy, too;
To land there won’t be fun.
REFRAIN
One verse per planet, so teach two or three a day to fours and let the threes carry the refrain.
Space Fingerplays and Counting Rhymes
Three short rhymes for a quiet moment: before rest time, while the last few children finish a snack, or as the calm-down after a rocket song. Each one counts, so they double as number practice.
Stars fingerplay
Original Author: Unknown
At night I see the twinkling stars
(fist up and open hands over your head)
And a great big smiling moon
(circle arms overhead)
My Mommy tucks me into bed
(Lay pointer of one hand across the palm of the other hand)
And sings a good-night tune.
(Rock your hands back and forth)
A settling rhyme for rest time; do the actions as written and slow right down on the last line.
Four Little Stars
Original Author: Unknown
Four little stars
winking at me.
One shot off,
then there were three!
three little stars
With nothing to do.
One shot off,
Then there were two!
Two little stars
Afraid of the sun.
One shot off,
Then there was one!
One little star
Alone is no fun.
It shot off,
then there was none!
Counting back from four on fingers; fold one finger down on each shot off.
Astronaut Poem
Original Author: Unknown
Five brave astronauts floated into space.
The first one disappeared without a trace.
The second one somersaulted past the moon.
The third one entered the atmosphere too soon.
The fourth one took off counting ten to zero.
And the fifth one landed safely like a hero
Five fingers, one astronaut each; the fourth line mentions counting ten to zero, so add the countdown aloud for fours.
Space Songs FAQ
What can preschoolers understand about space?
Concrete things they can see: the sun is bright and warm, the moon changes shape, stars come out at night, rockets go up. Threes and fours can also hold the idea that Earth is where we live and that other planets are far away. Orbits, gravity and distances in miles are for later; songs that mention them are fine to sing, but do not expect the idea to stick.
How do I teach the planets to a 4-year-old?
Use one of the planet-order songs every day for a week with a picture card held up for each name. Fours learn the order as a chant first, so do not test the names on day two. Add one fact per planet as the week goes on, the way The Family of the Sun does: Mercury is hot, Mars is red, Saturn has rings. Keep Pluto in the song if the song has it and explain it is now called a dwarf planet.
What activities pair with space songs?
A blanket-fort rocket for the countdown songs, a torch and a ball for the moon songs, and a yellow ball in the middle of the circle for the orbit songs. Cut paper stars for a night-sky ceiling and count them with Four Little Stars. Foil-wrapped helmets and a tray of rocks to collect give the astronaut songs something to act out.
How do I use a rocket song to practise counting backwards?
Start at five, not ten. Hold up five fingers and fold one down on each number, saying it slowly and together, then hold the one before you shout blast off and jump. Do it every day as the transition out of circle time. When the group can lead the five-count without you, go to ten. Climb Aboard the Spaceship and It’s A Blast both end with a countdown built in.
What age is a solar system song for?
The songs that just say things go around the sun, like Space Action Song, work from age three. The songs that name all the planets in order suit fours and fives, who enjoy lists and can hold eight or nine names in a sequence. A three-year-old can still sing the refrain and spin, and gets the idea that there is more than one planet.
More Song Collections
Space is a good theme for the darker months, when children arrive and leave under a real sky with the moon in it, but a summer version works too: the summer songs cover the sun side of the theme. The sun and star songs here also sit comfortably in the weather songs week, and the rocket countdowns will keep working as transitions long after the blanket fort comes down.