Solar System Activities and Ideas
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If you plan on teaching your class about the solar system this year, you will love all of these solar system activities and ideas for your classroom!
I grew up in a family that LOVED anything to do with outer space. My brother and dad would frequently watch rocket launches and we even visited the Kennedy Space Center in Florida while on vacation when I was about 10 years old. It was magical to see the space shuttle in person and to experience a virtual launch. My brother even went on to work for NASA as a research scientist! How cool is that?!
I wanted to bring this experience back to my classroom in the most real way possible because I realized not all children will have the chance to go to a space center or even see a shuttle launch on television!
A TRIP TO SPACE POWER POINT
This is the perfect way to start off your unit or lesson on space or the solar system. Try setting your classroom up like the inside of a space shuttle and take your students on a trip through outer space! They will never forget it.
The PowerPoint lesson will help teach your students all about astronauts, the space shuttle, the planets in our solar system, and even meteorites and comets! I created this to work for all students between grades 1-5. It really will be one of your favorite ways to teach about the solar system!
Click HERE to grab the Trip to Space Power Point
Here are a few fun YouTube videos that will help make the experience come alive for them!
Space Activity Book
This space activity book goes along perfectly with the Trip to Space PowerPoint. You can have your students working on it while they’re on their trip to space or as a review activity afterwards. It’s fun to let them do this in pairs and talk about all that they learn.
You can download the free activity book by subscribing to my email list below! Youāll get my weekly newsletter loaded with classroom decor tips, updates, and access to great freebies like this!
(Your personal email works best! Remember to check your junk mail if you don’t see it in your inbox right away!)
I like to do a contest to see who can crack the alien code first! Whichever pair cracks the code and has their answer written down first could win some extra recess time, lunch with the teacher, or they could choose their own seat in the classroom! Of course, candy is always a good motivator too!
Outer Space Writing Craftivity
These no-prep craftivities are another fun way for them to review all that they have learned and get a little crafty at the same time!
I like to start students off with the brain maps that are included. This gets even your most reluctant writers going! There’s a blank option for advanced writers who can think of their own ideas, and there’s another option which includes questions to prompt their imaginations!
Can you even imagine what your students will come up with when writing about you as an alien?! I promise they will having you rolling on the floor with their ideas!
Next, I have students form complete sentences with their ideas from their brain maps and perfect them on this practice sentences page.
Finally, they get to transfer their sentences onto their final draft writing page and color and cut out their topper. The final products make for a great bulletin board display!
Your students will have so much fun with these activities – and the best part is that almost all of the prep work is already done for you!
Grab the Writing Craftivities HERE
Remember to grab the free activity book to go along with it by subscribing to my email list!
You can also check out these other “Trip To” PowerPoints and activities in my TPT shop! And if you’re looking to take your trip to space a step further, check out my Space themed classroom decor in either my website store or my TpT shop!
I hope your students have a blast with all of these activities! Share your favorite ways to teach about the solar system in the comments below!