10+ Solar System Activities To Engage Children And Spark Curiosity

3/24/2024

Are you thinking about teaching a solar system unit to your students? Capture the attention and wonder of these young children with a hands on approach that allows them to actually see how different aspects work and why they are so phenomenal.

Here are some activities and experiments that will help your students better understand the workings of our amazing solar system.

10+ solar system activities to engage children and spark their curiosity

Solar System Activities And Projects

Creating models, doing research on the planets, making mobiles, making puzzles or games or other activities will all make the solar system more understandable for your students and they will have fun learning as well.

Here are a few specific activities that can be done.

Solar System Models

Encourage students to create a three-dimensional model of the solar system using everyday materials such as clay, papier-mâché, or recycled materials. As they design and construct their models, they'll gain a deeper understanding of the relative sizes, distances, and orbits of the planets. They can paint each planet according to its distinctive colors and sizes and then arrange them in order around a central "sun" display.

Get students to create space-themed mobiles featuring the planets and other celestial bodies. They can use colored paper, string, and craft materials to construct their mobiles, incorporating facts about each planet into their designs.

Planets Facts Activities

Assign each student or group of students a planet to research and create a fact sheet. They can include information such as the planet's size, distance from the Sun, number of moons, and any interesting facts they discover. Encourage them to use both text and illustrations to present their findings.

Have students research individual planets and create informative posters or digital presentations highlighting key facts, such as size, composition, atmosphere, and unique features. They can use their creativity to design eye-catching visuals and share interesting tidbits about their assigned planets.

Create puzzles or matching games featuring images of the planets and their names. This activity reinforces students' recognition of the planets and helps them learn their order from the Sun.

Planet Orbits

Set up a large-scale model of the solar system on the floor or outdoors using hoops, tape, or markers to represent the orbits of the planets. Have students take on the roles of different planets and walk or run along their orbits to understand the concept of planetary motion.

Phases Of The Moon

Use Oreo cookies to demonstrate the phases of the Moon. Have students carefully scrape away the cream filling to represent each phase, from new moon to full moon, and then arrange the cookies in the correct order.

Another Moon Activity

Invite students to explore the surface of the Moon by designing and building their own lunar landscapes. Using a variety of materials such as sand, rocks, and modeling clay, they can recreate the craters, mountains, and valleys found on Earth's natural satellite.

Space Themed Story Writing And Illustrating

Encourage students to let their imaginations take flight by writing and illustrating their own space-themed stories or comics. They can invent characters, plot exciting adventures, and explore the wonders of the solar system in a creative and imaginative way.

Solar System Experiments

These experiments are fairly easy to do as a class and they provide hands-on opportunities for students to explore fundamental concepts related to the solar system while fostering curiosity, critical thinking, and scientific inquiry.

Relative Sizes And Distance Of The Planets From The Sun

The sizes of the planets will range from a peppercorn to a large balloon and the distances will be so great that you may need to take the experiment outside to relatively see just how far away some planets are from the sun.
Note: These suggestions are not totally to scale, but are just to see the differences comparatively in size and distance. This experiment will help students visualize the scale and arrangement of the solar system.

Here are some size tips to help. (Note: Pluto was included just for interest as it used to be considered a planet).
Sun - large beach ball
Mercury - pea
Venus - ping pong ball
Earth - tennis ball
Mars - golf ball
Jupiter - soccer ball
Saturn - large balloon
Uranus - medium size balloon
Neptune - medium size balloon
(Pluto) - peppercorn

Here are some approximate measurements for distance based on 50 yards between the sun and Neptune. (Note: using 50 meters will not significantly change the distances as a meter and a yard are only a few inches different in length).
Mercury - 0.65 yards
Venus - 1.3 yards
Earth - 1.66 yards
Mars - 2.52 yards
Jupiter - 8.66 yards
Saturn - 15.92 yards
Uranus - 31.87 yards
Neptune - 50 yards
(Pluto) - 65.57 yards

Orbital Motion Experiment

Use a spinning chair, like a computer chair, to demonstrate orbital motion. Have students sit on the chair while holding a ball (representing a planet) and spin slowly. As they rotate, explain how the combination of forward motion and gravity keeps planets in orbit around the Sun.

Gravity Experiment

Explore the concept of gravity by dropping objects of different sizes and weights from the same height. Discuss how gravity affects the motion of objects in space and why planets orbit the Sun in elliptical paths rather than flying off into space. Here is an experiment that shows how gravity works.

Click here to get a free copy

Moon Related Experiments

Use a flashlight and a ball (representing the Moon) to demonstrate the different phases of the Moon. Have students observe how the position of the light source (Sun) relative to the ball creates shadows, mimicking the waxing and waning phases of the Moon.

Create impact craters similar to those found on the Moon's surface. Fill a shallow tray with flour or sand, then drop small objects (marbles, rocks, or balls of varying sizes) onto the surface from different heights. Observe and discuss the shapes and sizes of the craters formed.

Use a flashlight and objects of different shapes to explore how shadows are formed. Move the objects closer to or farther from the light source and observe how the size and shape of the shadows change. Discuss how sunlight creates shadows on planets and moons.

Exploring Planet Atmospheres Experiment

Create mini "planets" using balloons filled with different gases (helium, carbon dioxide, air). Observe how the balloons behave in various conditions (e.g., heated or cooled) to understand the role of atmospheres in planetary dynamics.

Student Projects

Student projects are a great way to involve the family as well as classmates when learning about the solar system. Check out this blog post for some ways that my students have created projects in the past.

capture the wonder and curiosity of kids with solar system activities

By combining teaching about the solar system with a variety of student-led projects, we'll not only deepen our students' understanding of the universe but also encourage creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration. Embarking on this cosmic journey with your students can inspire the next generation of astronomers, engineers, and explorers!