Astronaut Planting a Flag

In this coloring page an astronaut stands upright on the moon and holds a flagpole in one hand. A blank rectangular flag hangs from it, ready for your own design. The astronaut wears a full spacesuit with a helmet, a small control panel on the chest and sturdy boots. Below the feet the round lunar ground curves with a few craters.

The figure has clear outlines and medium-sized areas, so the picture suits children from about five years. You can leave the suit white and only outline its edges, while a light grey makes the lunar ground look calm.

Ideas for the blank flag

The big empty flag is the heart of this picture. Here you decide everything yourself: paint your favourite pattern, stars, stripes or the colours of a country you dream up. If you like, add a little planet or the first letters of your name, and the coloring page becomes truly your own.

How you can use it

• In nursery and school as part of a project week about space
• At home on a quiet afternoon or as a small activity while travelling
• At a birthday party with a space theme, where every child designs an own flag

A material tip: start with the large areas like the suit and the lunar ground, and colour small parts such as the control panel and the helmet rim afterwards. For the flag, bold colours work well.

Good to know

There is no air on the moon and therefore no wind. That is why real lunar flags have a bar along the top, so the flag stays spread out and looks as if it is waving. It is also why an astronaut needs the sealed spacesuit and helmet, which supply air to breathe.

Think about which sign or pattern you would like to paint on the flag, then count how many craters you can find on the lunar ground.