Pin the Sun at the Center of the Solar System

Have some fun with your Sproutlets and the Solar System; it will be out of this world!

How To Make This Craft

Supplies

  • 2 foot square piece of cardboard or poster board
  • Printable Solar System cutouts; Planets and Suns
  • Yarn or ribbon
  • Blindfold (optional)
  • Small prizes
  • Pencil
  • Markers or Crayons
  • All-purpose white glue
  • Masking tape
  • Ruler
  • Hole punch
  • Safety scissors

 

Instructions

Before the party:

  1. Print the planets that will be glued on your cardboard and the Suns that will be your game pieces. Print at least one Sun per guest.
  2. Write guest names on each Sun.
  3. Color planets if needed, cut out, and set aside.
  4. Mark the center of the cardboard square.
  5. Draw a circle around the dot to represent where the Sun should be.
  6. Draw eight circles getting gradually larger to represent the orbit for planets around the Sun.  (Tip: use a ruler to measure 1-inch between each of your circles.)
  7. Beginning at the outside edge of the Sun, use a ruler to mark dots one inch apart on each center-line, and then connect the dots in nine more circles. The circles represent the orbit of the planets around the Sun!
  8. Glue planets on each drawn circle in the following order from the Sun outward: Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune.
  9. Punch a hole in the top two corners, tie on ribbon or yarn, and find an area to hang the game.
  10. Roll a piece of masking tape into a small loop and attach to the back of the Suns.

At the party:

  1. Line children up and, if you feel that they are old enough, cover their eyes with a blindfold and let them tape their Suns onto the center of the Solar System!
  2. The winner is the guest who sticks the Sun closest to the center!