Activity:
Solar System Garland
Are you looking for an out-of-this-world activity that's both fun and educational? This solar system garland is a creative way to introduce your child to astronomy.
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What You Need:
- Air-dry clay
- Acrylic paints
- 12 nails
- Strong string
- Stiff paper
- Scissors
- Paintbrushes
- Picture of the solar system
- Empty cardboard box
What You Do:
- Take out the clay and let your child start experimenting with the texture.
- Examine the picture of the solar system with her.
- Start with Jupiter. Have your child make a ball out of the modeling clay.
- Saturn, Neptune and Uranus should be slightly smaller. Have her make these planets as well.
- For the last four balls, each one should be slightly smaller than the one before it. Tell your child that she is making Earth, Mars, Venus and Mercury.
- Have your child poke a hole through each planetary object with a nail.
- Set the planet beads aside to dry.
- Have your child use scissors to cut a doughnut shape out of stiff paper. This shape will represent Saturn's famous rings.
- Let her slip Saturn into the ring.
- Take a look at the picture of the solar system again. What color is each planet?
- Have your child carefully paint each planet the appropriate color.
- Set the planets aside to dry.
- String the beads to make a garland. Help your kids string the planetary objects according to the order in which they orbit around the sun: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and then Neptune.
- Have your kid pick a place to hang the garland. It's sure to transform any setting from drab and earthly, to truly out-of-this-world!
This garland also makes a great gift for parents and teachers who are passionate about the cosmos.
