This month I will be talking all about space, starting with the planets in our solar system! This week is packed full of planet-themed preschool activities that your child will love! Buckle up and join us as we BLAST off into this exciting space adventure!
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Science:
Did you know that Venus has hundreds of volcanoes? I can’t think of a better way to explore the hottest planet in our solar system than to build and erupt a volcano! As a bonus art project, we created a papier-mâché volcano.
Next, we used baking soda and vinegar to create an eruption. Make sure you have more baking soda and vinegar than you think you will need because your little one will probably demand to see this again and again!
Pro Tip: This activity is best done in a container or outside!
Math:
Next in our lineup of planet-themed preschool activities, I created a simple Saturn’s Ring puzzle on Canva.
This puzzle has numbered rings to help your child become familiar with numbers and their order. This concentric circle puzzle will also help your child develop practice ordering by size starting with a small circular ring and moving out to a larger ring.
Art:
On our trip around the solar system, we are heading to Neptune for an art project. Did you know that Neptune is INSANELY windy?!
For this activity, we used cardstock, acrylic paint, water, and straws. First water down the acrylic paint. The more water you add, the more translucent the paint is. With a child who is still developing the muscles to blow through straws, water down the paint a little more and it will be easier to blow across the paper. Now just have your child blow through the straw to simulate the wind on Neptune! As your child blows, they will create the storms that occur on the cold, stormy planet.
After the windy storm passes over your Neptune, cut out your circular planet and ENJOY!
A few things to consider. Neptune and Uranus are the “ice giants” and are blue. Try using blue paper and different shades of blue paint.
I used blue paper, dark blue paint, white paint, light blue paint, and silver paint. The watery silver paint gave our planets such an interesting look!
Language:
For this activity, we visited Mars and collected Martian Dust to practice our writing! Well…kind of…I just visited my kitchen baking shelf and found baking powder, cocoa powder, and red sprinkles. Using a 2:1 ratio of baking powder to cocoa powder and enough red sprinkles to give it a red tint.
Pro Tip: you don’t need much. I started with two cups of baking powder and 1 cup of cocoa powder and it was way too much. Start with half of these amounts and I think you’ll be just fine.
ALSO…if you don’t like messy activities, I recommend putting a baking sheet under the container you use. Somehow the Martian dust always finds its way onto the floor and surrounding surfaces.
If you haven’t already, check out my FREE resource page and get your printable letter, shape, and color cards.
Once you have your cards, you can have your little practice tracing the letter in the Martian dust or their shapes! This is a great way to practice pre-writing skills.
Music:
Last but not least in our planet-themed preschool activities, let’s practice learning a new dance! My recommendation for the child who loves to learn new dances and will take the time to learn the steps, aka future TikTok stars, is this video from Ms. Linky: Fun K-8 Science Lessons with Activities, Teacher Resources, and More (youtube.com)
There is not a shortage of planet-themed dance songs on YouTube if you are craving more!
Resources for Parents:
If you are interested in learning more about space or need some additional reading materials, check out my favorite space-themed books!
- On the Launch Pad: A Counting Book About Rockets by Michael Dahl
- A Smithsonian Kids book: A is for Astronaut
- Rylee The Young Rocketeer by JoAnn M. Dickinson
- SPACE! The Universe as You’ve Never Seen It Before
Check out my space-themed morning basket for additional space fun!
Please let me know what you think about this lesson plan and preschool activities! Did you and your child enjoy this themed activity? Let me know in the comments! Just a quick reminder, all children develop at their own unique pace. If you are concerned about developmental delays, it is best to seek advice from your child’s doctor. These activities are designed to be done with a parent. Please supervise your child while these activities are being done!