planets

We’re creating puffy paint planets as we learn a little bit more about the 8 wonders that make up our solar system. You’ll love the free planet notebooking pages too. Grab more ideas on my page Exploring Space and Astronomy Free Unit Study for Multiple Ages.

There is so much about the vast solar system that we still do not know.

Take your aspiring astronomer on a journey to discover each planet with crafts, facts, and activities that will keep their hands busy, and minds engaged.

These puffy paint planets are a fun way to learn about the planets, their size, and their relation to one another as well as their general makeup.

They can be painted to look as our planets appear and you can customize them to any size you like.

Free Planets Notebooking Pages

Also, I have a fantastic set of free notebooking pages that you can also use as a template to create them.

These are handy for your child to list facts about each planet as you cover it in your lessons.

And I have included some fun facts for you to grab as well.

However, in honor of Red Planet Day on November 28th I have some interesting facts for you all about the planet Mars.

My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nachos.

There is a very handy mnemonic device that you can use to memorize the order of the planets-Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune.

Next, look at some of these books that you’ll want to add to your reading list.

I lean toward living books first, then reference books for reading.

Also, here are some facts that your child can use to add to the notebooking pages.

Facts About the Planets for Kids

Mercury

• Mercury is the smallest planet in our solar system, and it is only slightly larger than Earth’s Moon.
• It is the closest planet to the sun but is not the hottest, strangely enough that record goes to Venus, but it does have the largest temperature fluctuations in the solar system.
• Mercury’s craters are named after famous artists and writers, there is even one named Geisel after Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel).

Venus

• Venus is the second brightest natural object in our night sky after the Moon.
• Venus spins clockwise on its axis, unlike all the other planets in our solar system that spin counterclockwise.
• Astronomers believe that at some point Venus collided with a celestial body and tilted Venus so far off its original position that it is now upside down.

Earth

• The surface of the Earth is mainly water, about 71% and almost 97% of that is in the oceans.
• It is estimated that you could fit 1 million Earths inside of the sun.
• Our atmosphere is made up of gases-  nitrogen, oxygen, argon, and carbon dioxide. What we commonly refer to as air.

Mars

• Mars is called the “Red Planet” because when seen in the night sky it seems to glow faintly reddish/orange. The reddish-orange color is due to all the iron minerals and dust on its surface. 
• While humans have not been to Mars there have been 9 successful landings -Viking 1 and Viking 2, Pathfinder, Spirit and Opportunity, Phoenix, Curiosity, InSight, and Perseverance.
• Mars is one of the easiest planets that you can spot in the night sky, it looks like a bright red point. 

Jupiter

• Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system, it is more than twice as big as all the other planets put together.  
• The “stripes” on Jupiter are cold, windy clouds made up of ammonia and water.
• Jupiter was named by ancient astronomers for the Roman ruler of the gods and heavens.

Saturn

• Saturn is not the only planet to have rings, but is the most well known for it due to the size and complexity of its rings, made up of a glittering array of bits of asteroids and comets.
• Saturn is the only planet in our solar system that is less dense than water, so that means that if it fit in your pool it would float. 
• It has more moons than any other planet in the Solar System with 82 confirmed moons.

Uranus

• Uranus spins on its side and rolls around the sun like a big blue ball.
• One year on Uranus is 21 Earth years long, that’s a long wait for a day!
• It was the first planet to be found through a telescope in 1781 by an astronomer named William Herschel, but he originally believed it to be either a comet or a star.

Neptune

• Neptune has six rings and 13 confirmed moons.
• Neptune is more than 30 times as far from the Sun as Earth
• This planet is an ice giant. Meaning that it is a giant planet made up of dense “icy” materials-water, methane, and ammonia, with a small rocky core.

Finally, look at how to make puffy paint planets.

How To Make Puffy Paint Planets

You will need:

• School glue
• Craft paints
• Dish soap
• Paintbrushes
• Gallon ziplock bag
• Notebooking pages

First, the dish soap gives these puffy paint planets’ window clings a little flexibility and helps them adhere to the window.

Print the notebooking pages at whatever size you would like to make your window clings.

I printed mine 4 sheets per page and felt like that was a great size.

Slip the page inside a gallon-sized ziplock bag, you may need to trim some of the paper away to make it fit.

Combine 1 tablespoon of glue, a drop or two of dish soap, and enough paint to get it the color you want it for each color that you want to make. Stir to combine everything well.

Now you don’t have to outline the planets but it really makes them pop if you do.

To do this I add black paint and a couple drops of dish soap to a bottle of white school glue that is about half full and shake it really well until everything is mixed.

DIY Puffy Paint Planets For Kids

Then use the tip of the bottle to “draw” an outline around each of your planets. Allow it to dry partially before you move to the next step.

Use a paintbrush to fill in the inside of each of your planets with a thick layer of paint.

You do not want it thin, and it should touch all the edges so that it is sturdy and does not tear. Fill in each planet.

Allow it to dry overnight.

Carefully peel off each of your window clings and they are ready to hang up. 

If they need a little refreshing, you can swish them around in a bit of soap water for just a second and they will stick right to the window.

How to Get the Free Printable Planets Notebooking Pages