Solar system crafts are fun and versatile. Solar system crafts involve activities that include painting, model making, three-dimensional art and much more. Solar system crafts are also educational. Not only are you creating something fun and spending time with your kids, but doing solar system crafts teaches children about the different sizes of planets, their individual characteristics, their distance from the sun, etc. Solar system crafts can be as simple or as complicated as you can imagine. A young child can color drawings of planets that an adult can then cut out and assemble as a mobile. Or an older child can make a detailed model of the planets by using texture, paint, and incorporating visual characteristics that are typical of each individual planet. A solar system craft can be designed to take a few minutes to make or a few months, depending on the time commitment that is desired.
Ideas for solar system projects should begin with an educational objective in mind. If there is not some science behind the solar system craft, then it is no better than if its maker had simply drawn or displayed random circles. For this reason, one of the first ideas that you should incorporate in your solar system craft is the size of the planets in the solar system in relation to each other. Another step would be to learn the colors and other significant characteristics of each planet. Here is a short list of information on each planet that you can use to get started:
1.Jupiter – the largest planet
a.143,844 km diameter
b.Yellow and red bands of gases
c.16 moons
2.Saturn – the second largest planet
a.120,536 km diameter
b.Beige with gas rings
c.18 moons
3.Uranus – the third largest planet
a.51,118 km diameter
b.Turquoise colorÂ
c.18 moons
4.Neptune – the fourth largest planet
a.49,532 km diameter
b.Deep blue in color
c.8 moons
5.Earth – the fifth largest planet
a.12,756 km diameter
b.Blue and green (water and land)
c.1 moon
6.Venus – the sixth largest planet
a.12,104 km diameter
b.Orange and yellow in color with white clouds surrounding the planet.
7.Mars – the seventh smallest planet
a.6,792 km diameter
b.Also known as the “Red Planet”
c.Two moons
8.Mercury – the smallest official planet
a.4,878 km diameter
b.Dark gray
9. Pluto – a dwarf planet that is no longer classified into the same category as the previous eight planets.
a.2,300 km diameter
b.unknown color
c.One moon (Charon)
The order of the planets starting from the planet closest to the sun goes as follows: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto (the dwarf planet).
Using this and other information that you have gathered for your solar system craft, one idea of a fun craft involves glow-in-the-dark paint. Using the glow in the dark paint, a large piece of black fabric or blanket (kids, make sure that you have your parent’s permission before painting on anything), some brushes, and some creativity use what you know about the planets to create a solar system. You can use a pencil to outline your images before applying the paint. Paint your solar system on the piece of fabric. Add the moons of the planets, rings and gas clouds. Add an asteroid belt, a satellite or even a space ship. Speckle dots of paint for the stars. Add some little green men or astronauts if you wish. Then allow the fabric to dry for at least 24 hours before playing. Tack the fabric to the wall or ceiling, turn off the lights and enjoy your homemade solar system. You can also try making solar system models, mobiles, and other types of artwork.