aworthen

I've heard of people doing it with styrofoam bals. In fact
i've even seen kits in craft stores. You're right though,
making them yourself would be fun and would give you
lots of opportunity to talk about each planet as you make
it.
Amy
----- Original Message -----
From: Corallyn
Sent: Saturday, July 22, 2000 11:47 PM
Subject: [Unschooling-dotcom] Solar System

 

I don't remember how it happened but somehow today we started talking about the planets. An idea occurred to me to make a model of the solar system and hang it from the ceiling. The idea was to use balloons and paper mache to make the solar system and then paint them and hang them from the ceiling in our learning room. Has anyone done this and if so do you have any suggestions as to the best way to go about this. Oh, of course we will talk about each of the planets as we are making them, and the sun too. Also, if anyone knows of any good sites on the solar system with activies geered toward 3 and 5 year olds I would also appreciate that info. I have looked on the net but so far I can only find things for older children.   Thanks, Corallyn
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It might be also fun to make the planets out of homemade clay and then you
are expanding the activity further. Just an idea.

Corallyn

This is a wonderful idea. I didn't even think of this. I just got a 10 pack of play dough at Walmart the other day. It even has brown in it. We will have to do this tomarrow.  Thanx, Corallyn
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, July 23, 2000 8:39 AM
Subject: Re: [Unschooling-dotcom] Solar System

It might be also fun to make the planets out of homemade clay and then you
are expanding the activity further.  Just an idea.
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Corallyn

I was thinking that we would take a few weeks to do this and look up info on the net together on each planet as we go. Also, a few weeks ago I came across a site that had a space game you could print out and play together as a group. I was going to do this at the time but didn't have adobe. I downloaded the software and then it was late and I started having comp problems. I didn't bookmark the site. If anyone knows of what I am talking about I would apreciate the address or further info. The game had a game board, playing pieces, drawing cards and a spinner too I think. Corallyn
 
I've heard of people doing it with styrofoam bals. In fact
i've even seen kits in craft stores. You're right though,
making them yourself would be fun and would give you
lots of opportunity to talk about each planet as you make
it.
Amy

Olivia

We got a great book from the library (and eventually bought it through
Amazon.com) called Sticky Fingers: Space by Ting and Neil Morris (published
by Franklin Watts). It has lots of space-related activities and things to
make including a 3-D solar mobile.

Here are some online sites for kids to visit (variety of age ranges, but
mostly younger):

http://spaceplace.jpl.nasa.gov/spacepl.htm
http://kids.msfc.nasa.gov/
http://www.stargazers.freeserve.co.uk/
http://www.spacekids.com/
http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/StarChild.html

And general interest:

http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/galaxies-galore/index.html
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/solarsystem/splash.html

As you can probably tell, my son went through an interst in space last
year. :-)

Hope these are of use,
Olivia



>I don't remember how it happened but somehow today we started talking about
>the planets. An idea occurred to me to make a model of the solar system and
>hang it from the ceiling. The idea was to use balloons and paper mache to
>make the solar system and then paint them and hang them from the ceiling in
>our learning room. Has anyone done this and if so do you have any
>suggestions as to the best way to go about this. Oh, of course we will talk
>about each of the planets as we are making them, and the sun too. Also, if
>anyone knows of any good sites on the solar system with activies geered
>toward 3 and 5 year olds I would also appreciate that info. I have looked on
>the net but so far I can only find things for older children. Thanks,
>Corallyn

[email protected]

Corallyn, Hi, I also have a 5 and 3 yo. I am a bit behind on reading the
e-mail, but have been scanning through, noticing your interest in making the
solar system with your kids...Aside of making the planets from papier mache,
or clay, another idea to consider is making a mobile from thin cardboard
pieces that your kids could paint. I have a mobile like this: A cardboard
banner that says,"The solar system"--This has a hole punched at the top and
hangs from the ceiling; underneath it is a oval shaped piece with part of
the sun on the left side, and the rest of the oval is black with orbit lines
drawn for each planet. These pieces are attached to the banner above it by
punching holes and tying them; underneath this are the planets in order.
Each one is painted, has a hole punched at the top, and is tied to the orbit
pathway line it corresponds to. The whole mobile is about 3 1/2 feet long,
and looks nice hanging. It is something that will not be overly time
consuming ( which is good for young kids), and is inexpensive, too. It is
also very lightweight, and easy to hang. One other fun thing my kids got
into was making cardboard tube rockets. We covered them with foil, and
stuffed yellow and orange tissue paper in the bottom for fire, and added a
paper cone on the top. We used Pringles chips cans to make "telescopes". If
you are interested, hammer a nail hole in the bottom of the empty can.
trace the lid on black paper, and cut out the circle. Take a straight pin,
and push holes in the paper. Put it into the lid, and put the lid onto the
can. Look through the hole at the bottom of the can, holding it up by a
window or other light source, and you will see "stars in the night sky".
Hope you and your little ones have fun learning about the planets. ~Karen

Corallyn

Thanks. We did our first baloon tonight. It is hanging up to dry. We are starting with the Sun and working our way out. Seemed most logical to learn the order of the planets. I went to the NASA site this a.m. and downloaded images of the earth from space and other images from Hubble. Then printed some of them out. They were really excited about that.
 
I will have to get some pringles the next time I go shopping.They would have a blast with that. Thanks again. Corallyn
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, July 24, 2000 8:09 PM
Subject: Re: [Unschooling-dotcom] Solar System

Corallyn, Hi, I also have a 5 and 3 yo.  I am a bit behind on reading the
e-mail, but have been scanning through, noticing your interest in making the
solar system with your kids...Aside of making the planets from papier mache,
or clay, another idea to consider is making a mobile from thin cardboard
pieces that your kids could paint.  I have a mobile like this:  A cardboard
banner that says,"The solar system"--This has a hole punched at the top and
hangs from the ceiling;  underneath it is a oval shaped piece with part of
the sun on the left side, and the rest of the oval is black with orbit lines
drawn for each  planet.  These pieces are  attached to the banner above it by
punching holes and tying them;  underneath this are the planets in order. 
Each one is painted, has a hole punched at the top, and is tied to the orbit 
pathway line it corresponds to.  The whole mobile is about 3 1/2 feet long,
and looks  nice hanging.  It is something that will not be overly time
consuming ( which is good for young kids), and is inexpensive, too.  It is
also very lightweight, and easy to hang.    One other fun thing my kids got
into was making cardboard tube rockets.  We covered them with foil, and
stuffed yellow and orange tissue paper in the bottom for fire, and added a
paper cone on the top.  We used Pringles chips cans to make "telescopes".  If
you are interested, hammer a nail hole in the  bottom of the empty can. 
trace the lid on black paper, and cut out the circle.  Take a straight pin,
and push holes in the paper.  Put it into the lid, and put the lid onto the
can.  Look through the hole at the bottom of the can, holding it up by a
window or other light source, and you will see "stars in the night sky". 
Hope you and your little ones have fun learning about the planets.  ~Karen
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In a message dated 07/25/2000 5:56:31 AM !!!First Boot!!!, hape2day@...
writes:

<< Thanks. We did our first baloon tonight. It is hanging up to dry. We are
starting with the Sun and working our way out. Seemed most logical to learn
the order of the planets. I went to the NASA site this a.m. and downloaded
images of the earth from space and other images from Hubble. Then printed
some of them out. They were really excited about that.

I will have to get some pringles the next time I go shopping.They would have
a blast with that. Thanks again. Corallyn
----- Original Message ----- >>


There is a fellow out west who has a display set up in & around his town
(he's a professor and that's all I remember, I think -- so how's that for
helpful). Anyway, it is a terrific device for explaining the huge distances
involved between the planets. You can walk to a couple but it takes so many
hours on a bike to get to Pluto, etc. Maybe someone else remembers where
this is??

Nance