Combine science and art while creating a mini-model of the solar system. Craft papier mache planets, and the sun, out of papier mache. Start with balloons blown up to different sizes. Ask the students to help you match the sizes to the planets. For example, Jupiter will be the largest balloon. Invite the students to cover the balloons with cut strips of newspaper or construction paper dipped in papier mache paste. After the papier mache dries, have the students paint the planets and sun using bright tempera colors. Attach a 1-foot-long piece of yarn to each planet with an unbent paper clip. Cut a circle with a diameter of 18 to 24 inches out of cardboard. Use a compass to draw the planet's orbits. Punch a hole through each orbit, and one in the center for the sun, and thread the yarn attached to each papier mache planet through the hole in the cardboard.
There are over 7,000 known asteroids in the Milky Way solar system's asteroid belt. Help your early elementary students understand this immense number by creating a hands-on asteroid counting activity. Not only is this an imaginative way to explore the science of the solar system, but it can also double as a mathematics lesson. Collect or purchase small objects such as rocks, pebbles or even erasers to represent the asteroids. You may choose to use a mix of items or ask children to bring in objects to donate from home. Each day for a month, invite the students to count out a specific number of "asteroids," working toward 7,000. Fill a large plastic bin with your mock asteroid collection. Keep a running tally on a graph or chart to make sure the class reaches 7,000.
Explore the different moons of the solar system by having your early elementary students create their own rock-like satellites. Start with an in-depth investigation of Earth's moon, looking at photos and other pictures of its scarred and cratered surface. Give each student a softball-size amount of modeling clay and ask them to sculpt a sphere using their palms. Use clay tools or simple craft sticks to dent and mold the surface into a moonscape. Try designing other planets' moons, such as Jupiter's Io or Europa, to show the students that the Earth's moon isn't the only one.
Young grade schoolers may not yet grasp the sheer size of the solar system. Help them to explore this vast space by creating an index card measurement model outdoors in the school yard. Start at the sun and make each planet a proportional number of index cards away. Use a scale of four for Mercury, seven for Venus, 10 for Earth, 15 for Mars, 52 for Jupiter, 95 for Saturn, 192 for Uranus and 301 for Neptune. Include the preceding cards in each next planet's card count. For example, lay out four cards for Mercury, and then an additional three cards to get to seven for Earth.