15 Solar System Projects & Intro to the Solar System
Introduction to the Solar System
What is the solar system?
Our planetary system is called the solar system because the planets orbit around the Sun. "Solar" comes from the Latin word for Sun, "solis."
The solar system includes our Sun and everything bound to it by gravity – the planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune; dwarf planets such as Pluto; dozens of moons; and millions of asteroids, comets, and meteoroids.
Interesting Facts about the Solar System
The Sun
The Sun is truly enormous - in fact, 110 Earths could fit across its width!
The Planets
Our galaxy has more planets than stars! There are eight planets orbiting our star, the Sun. The four inner planets are rocky, while the outer planets are gas and ice giants. Dwarf planets, including Pluto, exist beyond Neptune.
When you consider the distances between the planets, our solar system is humongous!
The Moon
The side of the Moon that faces Earth is always the same, no matter what phase the moon is at. The only way to see the other side of the moon is by traveling into space!
Asteroids, comets, meteoroids
Asteroids, comets and meteoroids all orbit the Sun! When a meteoroid falls to Earth, it becomes a meteor or a shooting star. When the meteor falls to the ground, it becomes a meteorite! We can collect micrometeorites with this project!
The Solar System Projects
Solar system project ideas for different ages
The magnitude and mysteries of the solar system make it a fascinating subject for all ages. There is a solar system project for every age group! These solar system science projects can help kids learn so much, deepening their knowledge and sparking curiosity about the solar system and beyond.
Preschool and Kindergarten
These hands-on solar system activities are so much fun for little ones to explore and learn about the Sun, planets, and stars in space! Get ready for some solar system fun!
Solar System Sensory Bin What happens when you mix bouncy balls, black beans, and glow-in-the-dark stars? You get a sensory bin that takes you on a tour of the solar system! Experience the wonders of space and learn about the planets, the moon, stars, and the Sun!
Galaxy in a Bottle The Milky Way is a sparkling band of light made of gas, dust, and billions of stars. Recreate its beauty in a jar with water, tempera paint, glitter, and cotton balls. Shake it and observe the calming glow that resembles the night sky.
Oreo Moon Phases Explore the fascinating phases of the Moon with Oreo cookies! Learn why the Moon looks different every night and make delicious models of the moon phases by removing the filling!
Elementary school (Grades 1-5)
These fun solar system projects are a great way to explore the names of the different planets and gain an understanding of the relative sizes and distances between them. Make a solar system model, whether it be an edible solar system or one made with playdough!
How Many Earths Fit Across the Sun? In this project, you will make a large model of the Sun and the Earth to explore how much bigger the Sun is compared to our planet.
Fruit Solar System Have you ever wondered about the sizes and distances of the planets in our solar system? With this project, you can make an edible solar system with fruity planets to explore the different sizes of the planets and their distances from the sun.
Play-doh Solar System Scale Model Create a scale model of the Earth, Moon, Mars, and the entire Solar System with Play-doh. This hands-on activity helps students visualize the relative sizes and distances of planets and the moon in our solar system.
Solar System Model with Foil, Play dough and a Balloon In this project, you will create a solar system model to learn about the planets and their relative positions in our solar system. You can create your own version of the universe using common household items like play dough, aluminum foil, and a balloon!
Middle school (Grades 6-8)
As our understanding of the solar system deepens, we can delve into various aspects such as the relative distances between planets, the different phases of the moon, or even collecting fragments of space rocks on Earth.
Pocket Solar System: A Scaled Model of Our Solar System Have you ever wondered how far apart the planets in the solar system are? With the Pocket Solar System project, you can make a model of the sun and all the planets, and see the relative distances between the planets and the order in which they orbit the sun. It's also perfect for a solar system poster since the entire solar system is on one strip of paper!
Solar System Scale Model on the Sidewalk Ever wondered how far apart the planets are? Create a scale model of our solar system and learn about the sizes and distances between planets.
Exploring the Moon's Phases Have you ever wondered why the Moon looks different in the night sky? Join us on a journey to explore the Moon's phases and discover why they change over time.
Viewing Sunspots Get ready to explore the sun! With a telescope or a homemade 'pinhole camera', you can view sunspots on the sun's surface. But be careful - never look directly at the sun!
Collecting Micrometeorites Have you ever wanted to collect pieces of space? Now you can! With this project, you'll be able to collect micrometeorites from indoor and outdoor sources.
High school (Grades 9-12)
Explore a solar system project on the tilt of the earth, the interior layers of different planets or what the colors of the solar system reveal!
Exploring the Tilt of the Earth The Earth is tilted on its axis, and this tilt is what causes the seasons. By using a globe, flashlight, and paper figures, you can explore how the tilt of the Earth affects the intensity of the sunlight at a given location.
Exploring Color and Wavelengths in Space This project delves into how the electromagnetic spectrum and wavelength are related to the colors we perceive in space. By examining the colors of stars, nebulae, and galaxies, we can gain insights into the workings of the cosmos.
Cross-section of Planets: Modeling Terrestrial Interiors in a Bottle Explore the mysteries of planetary differentiation and create your own terrestrial planet models with varying densities and layers, using a plastic bottle and a variety of materials. Shake up your creation and watch as the layers settle into place.
Browse Solar System Projects
Each solar system project includes instructions and a video tutorial!
Ideas for 3-D Solar System Models
Styrofoam Ball Solar System
Styrofoam balls can be decorated with tissue paper, fabric or construction paper to make the various planets. Use the largest styrofoam ball for the Sun. To display the planets, you can make a spinning solar system by first attaching the Sun to a rotating lazy susan tray with sticky putty. Then poke 8 stiff floral wires into the Sun. Attach one planet to the end of each floral wire.
Snow globe solar system
Find different colored bouncy rubber balls to represent each planet and the Sun. Put those into a glass jar with a leak-proof lid. Add glitter, water, vegetable glycerin and clear glue. After the lid is screwed on tightly, inverse the jar several times to mix up everything inside! The snow globe solar system is ready for you to gaze at it!
Solar System Model with Foil, Play dough and a Balloon
A solar system model can be made with everyday items like play dough, aluminum foil, and a balloon to understand planet positions in the solar system.
Play-doh Scale Model Solar System
A Play-doh model of the solar system is a fun way to illustrate the distance and size of all the planets.
Ideas for Solar System Posters
What do you put on a solar system poster?
Solar system posters are a way to represent the Sun and different planets in the solar system, usually in the correct order from the Sun. The order of the planets from the Sun are as follows: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune.
Defining characteristics of the planets can be presented on the poster, such as the colors of the planets, their relative size to each other and interesting facts about each planet. NASA has a great resource on the size of the plants and the colors of the planets.
How do you make a solar system poster?
Poster Board
The first thing you need is the poster board! We recommend getting a dark colored poster board, or using black construction paper to cover up a white poster board. The dark color represents space, and will make the solar system stand out!
Poster board can be bought from dollar stores (Dollar Tree, Dollar General), craft stores such as Michaels or Hobby Lobby, or big-box stores such as Target or Walmart.
Next, there are many different options to represent the planets on the solar system poster. Here are a few ideas on how to make a standout solar system poster!
Solar system bottle caps
Bottle caps and plastic lids are recycled in this project to make planets! Gather bottle caps and plastic lids. Order the bottle caps and plastic lids from smallest to largest. Follow the NASA solar system sizes resource to match the planets by relative size to the appropriate cap or lid. Then paint the caps and lids so that it resembles the planets.
Pom Pom Solar System Poster
This solar system craft is a colorful and fun project for young kids. Take different sized and colored pom poms to represent the Sun and planets.
Yarn solar system
Make your own pom pom balls with yarn to represent the planets! This solar system craft is a fun and creative way to show how unique each planet is! Pick yarn to match the colors of each planet and cut out a cardboard square with edges equal to the planet diameter. Wrap the yarn 20-30 times around the cardboard square. After removing the yarn from the cardboard, use another piece of yarn to tie the bundle of yarn tightly in the middle. Cut the ends of the yarn apart and fluff up the yarn pom pom. Use yarn to hang the yarn planets on the poster board.
Felt solar system
The bright vibrant colors of felt make the planets project out from the black poster board! Cut out felt circles to represent each planet and a large yellow or orange half circle to represent the Sun, with an approximate size difference between the planets. Cut out a ring for Saturn, stripes and dots for Jupiter, green and blue patterns for Earth. Glue those onto the felt circle of the planet. Glue the planets onto the poster board.
Water color solar system
Use watercolor paint to create circles of different colors on watercolor paper, representing each planet. Paint in distinguishing features of each planet, such as a ring for Saturn, green and blue areas for Earth, stripes and dots for Jupiter. After the watercolor dries, cut the planets out. Glue the watercolor planets onto the poster board.
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