Use this game as a way to reinforce recognition of celestial bodies. Print out pictures of different items that are associated with the solar system: planets, moons, the sun and comets, for example. Upon holding up a picture, the first student to correctly identify the celestial body earns a point. The student who collects the most points wins the game. Play this game with students at the end of your solar system unit as a way to reinforce celestial bodies, but also to test the students' knowledge of what they have been taught during the unit.
Create a planet matching game for students to play. On two sets of index cards, draw or glue pictures that illustrate the planets; there should be two pictures of each planet. Lay the cards face-down on a flat surface. One child at a time turns over two cards; if the cards that have been turned over match, the player keeps both cards and if they don't match, the cards are turned back over and another player takes a turn to try to make a match. The game ends when all cards have been matched and the player who has the most cards wins the game.
Send your students on a solar system scavenger hunt. Print out pictures of various items that relate to the solar system: planets, the sun, meteors and moons, for example. Hide the items around the room and provide students with bags. Inform the students that you have hidden solar system pictures around the room and invite them to look for the pictures. At the end of an allotted period of time, have the children meet up and count the total number of pictures they have found. The student who finds the most pictures wins the game.
The aim of this game is to build gross motor skills. On poster board, draw pictures of planets, moons, the sun or any other type of celestial body. Cut the pictures out and cut a hole in the center of them. Hang the pictures from a tree or from the ceiling in your classroom so that they hang down low enough for your students to reach them. Provide the children with beanbags and instruct them to try to toss the beanbags through the holes in the center of the celestial bodies. A point is awarded for each beanbag that makes it through a hole and the student who earns the most points wins. Before playing the game, ask the children to name the pictures of the celestial items to reinforce knowledge of the solar system.