Start a New Hobby After School With These Activity Kits

How old do you have to be to apply for an engineering job at NASA? While you wait, practice your skills and keep them up to date with this NASA Lunar Lander Construction Kit. When fully put together, the DIY lunar lander will move just like the real thing — minus the jet-propelled flying. 

Looks like the Jedi curriculum has gotten an upgrade, thanks to the Kano Star Wars The Force Coding Kit. Don't worry, Yoda — you're not getting replaced just yet. The coding system lets you build your very own universe in the galaxy using code blocks and JavaScript. Plus, it comes with a motion sensor, so you can learn to swing your lightsaber, just like Luke himself. The more you train (and code), the stronger you will become in The Force. Say it with us now: "I am one with The Force and The Force is with me..."

Picture this: 20 or 30 years from now, when you are accepting the Oscar for best director, you can say it all began with the LEGO Make Your Own Movie kit. Hit the set after school and learn how to make movie magic happen, just on a smaller scale. Make your way through the guide to film ten mini-movies starring your favorite LEGO characters. As you get further into the process, you'll learn all about lighting, sound, and camera angles. You'll quickly be ready to move on to the next level — a live-action film starring your dog!

Awaken your senses and give any room a zen makeover with the STMT D.I.Y. Custom Candles kit. The DIY set lets you get in on the candle-making process from the very beginning. Melt the wax, pick out the scent, customize the color, and decorate the tin all to your liking. Stick with the classic scents like lavender, rose, and sweet orange, or mix and match them to create your very own. You'll have your own Etsy candle shop up and running before you know it. 

"Shine bright like a diamond:" Rihanna, and also you, after getting your hands on the Blinger™ Diamond Collection. The nifty kit helps you turn pretty much anything into a sparkly shiny object. And we mean pretty much anything: Bedazzle your jeans, your backpack, a pair of shoes, and even your hair. There will be no lack of sparkle!

Move over, Kylie — there's a new makeup entrepreneur in town! Lip kits will be a thing of the past once you get your hands on the STMT DIY Cosmetics Set kit. The DIY kit sets you up to make a custom line of makeup, picking out all of the scents, colors, and details for lip gloss, fragrances, and more. Now, all you have to do is convince your little sibling to be your real-life test model! 

Most makeup starts with a touch of science. See for yourself when you mix and match the five different fruity scents with the bold and bright colors to make your very own collection of lip balms. The mixture from the lip balm transforms into different shades of red and pink depending on the pH balance in your lips. It's basically a real-life science experiment every time you apply a new coat — and you'll never have to worry about a shade not matching your outfit again!

Sure, you could have a simple PB&J or a quick cheese quesadilla when you get home from school, or you could go the extra mile and make some homemade bagels to dig into after a long day of learning. These bagels aren't just your plain old boring bagels either. They've got everything you could want on them — seriously, they're everything bagels. When you've mastered everything bagels, move on and add rainbow bagels to the menu. 

For when you have a fashion show at four and a soccer game at five, turn to the Fashion Angels Convertibles Hair Tie Bracelets. The stylish bracelets also function as hair ties, making it easy to go from one activity to another without missing a stylish beat — or goal. The kit includes beads, charms, and chains, so you'll have no problems coming up with the latest trend.

Spice up your activities after school with a homemade hot sauce kit. The kit comes with everything you'll need to make the sauce, all you have to do is supply the peppers. Experiment with different flavors and play around with the spice levels — just keep some milk and bread nearby in case things get too spicy. When you've perfected the sauce, try them out on some chicken wings and host your own episode of Hot Ones.

If you're constantly begging for a pet, give this a sourdough bread-making kit a try instead. Confused? Hear me out! Having a successful sourdough starter is a lot like taking care of a pet: You have to feed it, give it a nice home, and keep track of it on the daily...pretty much just like a pet. Take on the challenge and test out the theory with the Farm Steady Sourdough Bread Making Kit. If all goes well, you'll end up with endless supply of bread — and maybe even a dog along the way. 

Want to rank up there with the likes of Captain America, Shang-Chi, and Spider-Man? Then you're gonna want to spend some time after school with the My Superhero Starter Kit. The interactive kit gives you the ins and outs of the superhero world, from powers to clever names. Once you complete the kit, you'll probably want to keep your phone nearby just in case Nick Fury wants to get in touch. 

Just because the leaves are falling off the trees doesn't mean the gardening has to stop. Take the garden inside the house and bring a little bit of the summer sunshine with you all winter with the Chemistry Terrarium Kit. By the time the warm weather rolls around, you'll have two very green thumbs from taking care of the terrarium.