In most schools, children are encouraged to do science experiments as a way of reiterating the lessons that they are taught in the classroom. One of the most popular science projects that children have the opportunity to do is to re-create the solar system. Naturally, lessons on astronomy include details on the planets that reside in our solar system. Making a solar system science project is a fun, colorful and relatively simple way of incorporating the lessons learned and a hands-on activity. Solar system science projects also allow for a great deal of versatility when it comes to making the project more or less complex depending on the age of the child and the amount of detail that is appropriate.
There are many different strategies that you can use to make a solar system science project. One technique is to make a mobile. Mobiles are simple to make and illustrate flight or suspension in space in a very un-intimidating way. To make a mobile, all you need is a hanger, some thread or fishing wire, and something that can be used to represent the planets. Naturally, Styrofoam balls make easy work out of creating all of the planets in the solar system. However, not everyone has these balls at their disposal. Thus, some creativity is needed in order to create the planets that will be suspended by the mobile. If you have other balls around the house (i.e. sports balls) that you can recycle and use in your solar system science project, a little paint can make those sports balls look very different. You could also make your planets to the exact sizes that you need by making those planets out of papier-mâche. By using balloons blown up to certain sizes and covered with papier-mâche paste and newspaper, you can create a whole solar system for next to nothing at all.
Once you have all of the components of your mobile. All that you need to do is suspend string to each of the planets and then tie that string to the hanger. That’s it! Of course you also have a wide range of opportunities to decorate the planet shapes that you have found. This project can also vary greatly depending on the age and ability level of the child. For example, a young child can use solid colors to decorate their planets with, whereas an older child could make the project more challenging by paining the planet in a way that more accurately reflects the natural appearance of that planet. For example, the model of the planet Earth could be decorated in such a way that the land masses and bodies of water are recognizable, much like a model. Other materials could also be used to embellish the planets. Some planets are known for their cloud coverage. By using pulled cotton balls, the illusion of clouds can be created. Other planets have rings; you can be creative with how you add the rings to these planets and even add in smaller spheres for the moons that rotate around many of the planets. The more detail you are able to add to your solar system science project, the more interesting and educational the project becomes.
Solar system science projects can also be mounted on a piece of wood and the planets attached to that wood by dowels. You can take the same planet shapes that you make and create entirely different solar system creations depending on the material that you happen to have on hand. Work with what you have and you are sure to come up with a solar system science project that is fit to win first prize.