In the first episode of The Magic School Bus Gets Lost in Space (currently available on Netflix), Ms. Frizzle's class takes an unexpected trip into outer space after leaving the planetarium. With bus stops at the sun, the moon, and the planets, their tour turns them in to veteran space explorers.
After watching the episode, take your own trip through the solar system with these activities. If you find several activities to use, download a free planner to keep track of your plans.
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View the Earth from Outer Space
- Observe the beauty of the earth's landscape from outer space in this free 172-page digital book entitled Earth as Art.
- View the earth from the International Space Station. Follow the link and click "Collections" to view photos taken by the astronauts.
- Take this Geography from Space quiz to test your knowledge of geographic locations on the Earth based on a satellite or aerial image and a brief clue.
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| Copyright: Vector Image by Stock Unlimited |
Outer Space and Space Travel
- This is one of my favorite pages of suggestions for elementary activities! Make moon rocks, moon sand, rocket ships with hand prints as the flames, and a fun "sun" art project!
- Watch Life of an Astronaut.
- Make Alka-Seltzer rockets with this science experiment.
- Older students can watch this Modern Marvels episode about a crew that faced their own near-calamitous space mission - Apollo 13.
The Planets
- Learn more about each planet with National Geographic's Passport to Space.
- Discover the planets with this Magic School Bus activity and worksheet.
- Learn about the solar system with this interactive web site that allows you to click on each planet and discover more information about each one. This site also includes videos.
- Print these planet trading cards or download the junior edition trading cards for younger learners.
- My kids love the Grandpa in Space app, which combines science, math, and language arts skills while teaching about the planets. Check out this video to see it in action.
- Compare rocky and gas planets with this activity.
- Discover your weight and age on Mars.
- Test your knowledge about the solar system by playing Go to the Head of the Solar System with this interactive quiz.
- Visit NASA's Space Place web site to explore the planets and find activities, recipes, and experiments.
The Moon, the Stars...and Our Home Planet
- Keep track of the moon's phases with this printable chart. Find other activities at the same web site on the activities page.
- Watch “Tonight's Sky” and use the online guide to know what to look for in the nighttime sky depending on the month. This stargazing guide keeps you informed about constellations, deep sky objects, planets and celestial events.
- Learn about the different layers of the atmosphere in this video.
- Make toothpick and marshmallow or glow-in-the-dark constellations.
- Play the Star Game with cupcake liners and a flashlight.
- Find the size of the sun and the moon with this experiment.
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Printable Activity Books and Pages
- Download a free 16-page activity book (features word puzzles, coloring pages, mazes, and more)!
- Your maze lovers will enjoy these space-themed mazes.
- Download a free 26-page solar system worksheet pack. (Scroll to the bottom of the post after following the link.)
- Print and complete the Surviving and Thriving on Mars Activity Book.
- Download this 52-page fun pad from NASA.
- Complete a space-themed lapbook.
History Connections
- Use this interactive site to explore the history of the telescope, from Galileo to NASA's observatories.
- Test some of Galileo's famous experiments with this online activity.
- Watch this short Reading Rainbow video on the history of space exploration
- Who Won the Space Race? (video)
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Language Arts, Math, and Art Connections
- Learn how to turn circles into spheres with this beautiful chalk pastel planet-themed art project. If you don't have chalk pastels, you can create a similar picture with watercolors and talk about the shapes in the project to make a math connection.
- Print these free Night Sky Writing and Drawing Journals to record your observations.
- Use these Space Counting Mats for addition and subtraction skills.
- Pack for a long trip to Mars, make a scale model of the solar system, learn about weather metrics and more with these math-related downloadable activities
- Go on a Space Hunt in this interactive online game and learn space facts while using math skills.
- Combine science and math skills and use these activity sheets to determine your weight on different planets.
- For older students (5th – 12th graders), complete this How High Up is Space activity
Young and Special Needs Learners
- Use this free space-themed syllable mat to incorporate language arts into your lessons with your young ones.
- Try this solar system bead distance activity; it's adapted for students with special needs but fun for all learners!
- Print and tell a story with play dough and these space-themed characters or with Legos and these Spaceland Play Mats
- Your littles can participate with this free solar system preschool (and beyond) pack.
Library Book Suggestions
- There's No Place Like Space: All About Our Solar System (Cat in the Hat's Learning Library)
- National Geographic Kids First Big Book of Space (National Geographic Little Kids First Big Books)
- Planets, Moons and Stars: Take-Along Guide
- Glow in the Dark Constellations
- Starry Messenger
- Solar System: A Visual Exploration of All the Planets, Moons and Other Heavenly Bodies that Orbit Our Sun
- The Planets
May your trip through outer space be out of this world!
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