If you’re looking for solar system project ideas that are perfect for young students, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll provide a range of projects that will help students learn about our solar system, from making a model of the solar system to learning about the planets and their orbits. With these projects, your students will have a blast learning about space. Let’s get started.
Solar System Activities for Kindergarten
1. Sugar cookie solar system
By cooking a sugar cookie solar system, you’re able to simultaneously learn about the solar system while spending quality participating in a physical activity. Our solar system is not only home to planets, but also the sun, moons, comets, stars, and much more! This activity allows your young students to better understand how all of these different celestial bodies interact with one another. Learn more.
2. Space sensory bin
The sensory bin contains glitter, models of the planets, stars and other fun shapes to help incorporate STEM learning with this helpful sensory dactivity. Learn more.
3. Hands on solar system
All you need to do to play with this solar system is get a large window and a spray bottle of water. This will even work if you’re in the bathtub! Spray the window with water and stick the planets up one by one starting with the sun. As you put them up, talked about planet names pointed out how some were closer or farther away from the sun. You can also discussed similarities and differences between planets; how some have rings around them while others don’t for example. Learn more.
4. Planets and the solar system
With your young learners, touch, read, and discover all about our amazing solar system with Smithsonian Kids! With special embossing to highlight fun facts about the wonders of space and the universe, this book engages both verbal and tactile learning skills. Embossed textures as well as bright photographs and renderings from Smithsonian are sure to engage, entertain, educate curious students. Learn more.
5. Glow in the dark decals
Last for very young students is these decals you can get as a parent. They are much bigger and more high quality than you would expect. They look great, are highly detailed, glow in the dark and are perfect for the child that shows interest in space and the solar system. Learn more.
Solar System Activities for Grades Kindergarten – Grade 1-2
6. Solar system hat
A great activity that helps students practice their motor skills while learning about the solar system. You as the teacher may need to help out with the writing, but the coloring and cutting can be done by the children.
7. Space tray
The space tray allows endless possibilities for the imagination to run wild. This space-themed tray is great for developing language skills, curiosity about the natural world, numeracy skills, cause and effect awareness, and fine motor skills. Learn more.
8. Clothes pin paint stick solar model
A great idea is to turn clothes pins into painted sticks that point to the different planets. Students can create both the planet cloth and decorate the pins. The activity can be adjusted for difficulty and you can require students to label the planets as well. Learn more.
9. Solar system made of chalk
A simply yet brilliant idea is to use chalk outside to create and label the solar system. This solar system science activity requires you and your students to step outside for a fun learning experience. By measuring the sun’s scaled distances from each planet, provided by NASA, your students will get an understanding of how large our solar system really is. Learn more.
10. There’s no place like space
The last on our list for kindergarten is a book by Tish Rabe. It’s a great activity to help students learn about the solar system as they start to read. Students will learn basic vocabulary and this book can help lead into the activities mentioned previously. Learn more.
11. Lava Lab – Prep book
An excellent workbook with both content and visuals. Math, tracing letters, finding differences, coloring, cutting pasting, this book has it all and for rising levels of difficulty too. There’s plenty of explanation pages with lots of blank space to practice on. Essential to help your students understand solar concepts you want to teach. Learn more.
12. Solar system balloons
These balloons are large, detailed and perfect for use in a project with young learners. Consider using these balloon outside during PE class with a parachute to help demonstrate the size and scope of our solar system. Learn more.
Solar System Activities for Grades 3-5
13. Solar system foam model
Create a foam model of the solar system (foam ball set here). Students can engage in this activity through painting, drawing and creating. They will also need to get material to best represent the size of each planet. An overall fun activity students can spend a day or two creating. Learn more.
14. National Geographic Kids Window Art Kit
With this captivating craft kit, children can make an beautiful window solar system display. The set includes 8 acrylic planets, 1 paintbrush, 5 glow-in-the-dark paints (red, green, orange, yellow & blue), 2 metallic paints; and kid-friendly instructions & learning guide. A great choice for home school. Learn more.
15. Solar system model making kit
Children will love learning about the solar system with this 4M Solar System Planetarium set. They can paint and assemble the planets, rods, and string included in the set, then use the stencils and glow paint pen to create their own starscapes.
The wall chart is filled with facts about planetary bodies, orbits, rotations, distances from the sun – everything kids need to know to explore our little corner of space. And when they’re done playing planetarium engineer you can test their knowledge. Learn more.
16. Solar craft projects
Contains a few simple crafts students will enjoy. Ideal for ages from 4-10. Overall a bit basic and not as in-depth as other options on the list, but if you’re homeschooling your children and want a few, simple but fun activities then consider looking at this offering from Jack in the Box. Learn more.
17. Playdough solar system (3 lbs minimum)
Use art dough or Playdough to create models of the different planets. Students need to be responsible and creative for this activity to work. In addition you’ll need a lot of art dough to complete this project. You can purchase tubs of different colors of dough for an affordable price. Learn more.
Solar System Activities for Grades 6-8
18. Solar system model
Upper elementary students will have a blast creating an old-fashioned 3D diorama like the one pictured. Not only are these projects fun for kids, but they’re also great learning tools. Students can research facts about planets and then use that information to create their own solar system model. This is a great way for them to show off everything they’ve learned throughout your solar system unit. Learn more.
19. Solar system online model
SolarSystemScope.com provides an excellent virtual model of the solar system. You can download it to your desktop or mobile device. It provides an up-to-date model of the Solar System, night sky and outer space. Students can learn interesting facts about each object while viewing their accurate positions in real time. Learn more.
20. Planetary Exploration by Google Earth and Mirakan
This is a walkthrough tutorial and educational program of exploring the planets provided by a partnership of Google Earth and Miraikan, the national museum of emerging science and engineering. Ideal lesson and project introduction for any computer class. Learn more.
21. Planet project
A classic option for older students is to create a dedicated project about a single aspect of our solar system in greater detail with graphics, facts, research as well as artistic effort and design.
Solar system projects ideas – conclusion
You now have a few ideas for your solar system project. You can create a scale model of the solar system, or use different materials to represent each planet. The sky is the limit when it comes to creativity. No matter which project you choose, you’ll have a blast learning more about our amazing solar system.
