Chances are that your child has asked you questions about the sun, the moon or the stars. Space is a curious thing for curious little young minds. They can see it but they can’t touch it. They can’t go on a field trip there to see what it is like. It’s large and they can see space for as far as the eye can see. It makes sense that children would have questions about what is in the sky.
What makes a star shine? What makes the sun hot? How far away is the moon? Do people live on the moon? These are just a few examples of questions that your child might have about the solar system. Teaching such a complex subject can seem daunting at first, but it is also easy to make learning fun with these solar system projects.
Scavenger Hunt
The scavenger hunt that is lined out in the link above is very educational. It will require some preparation on the part of the parent or teacher. However, another approach to a solar systems scavenger hunt could be to have the child explore the home, classroom, playground, or outdoor area for things that resemble things in space.
Scale Model
It is extremely difficult to understand just how much space there is in the solar system. The distance between planets is probably shocking to some adults and all children as they are likely learning this concept for the first time. The vast amount of distance is hard to grasp and any project regarding this part of the solar system will require a lot of space. If you are in a school, a hallway to unravel an entire roll of toilet paper would do.
Mini Books
Doesn’t everyone love small things? Puppies, babies, travel size anything are almost always a hit with people. There is something novel about the extremely small size. And in contrast to the project above, making a mini book can be really fun and different for kids. You as the parent or teacher could provide a fill in the blank print out, or you could have the students, depending on the age, research and compile the information themselves.
Planet Sizes
Most solar system models showcase the planets as relatively the same size. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. Doing a few of these planet size exercises could help your child understand just how different each planet is. Of course planets differ in more than just their size. However, starting out with an around the house or classroom activity is a tangible way for even young minds to understand how different each planet size is.
Create Your Own
Any good project has opportunities for kids to be creatively expressive. Learning about the planets distance from the sun and how that affects its make-up is just part of understanding why each planet is different. Once kids have explored some facts about all of the planets, you can give them the freedom to design their own. Just make sure they explain the why behind it! This is a fun opportunity for them to choose shapes, colors, life forms, space placement, etc.
What Solar System Projects Have You Tried?
Have you tried your own solar system projects? If so, what did you do? What would you do differently if you did it again? If you try these or any other solar system projects, let us know in the comments below!
