Updated July 2026
Looking for a fun and easy way to help children learn about the planets? Download our free solar system printable and make your own model of the solar system at home or in the classroom.
This hands-on solar system craft for kids is a brilliant way to learn the names and order of the eight planets while practising cutting, sticking and following instructions.
Simply download the printable, grab some scissors and glue, and get ready for an out-of-this-world science activity!
Learn the order of the planets by making a model solar system. Just download, print, add scissors and glue, and your astronauts-in-training will do the rest. It’s out of this world!
How to make your solar system model
You will need:
- Our free solar system printable
- Scissors
- Glue
Download and print the activity sheet, then follow the instructions to cut out and assemble your model.
As children make their solar system, encourage them to identify each planet and put them in the correct order from the Sun.
The eight planets in our solar system are:
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.
Can your young scientist remember them all?
What will children learn from this solar system activity?
Making a model of the solar system helps children explore space science through a fun, hands-on activity.
Children can:
- Learn the names of the eight planets
- Discover the order of the planets from the Sun
- Compare the different planets in our solar system
- Practise cutting, sticking and following instructions
- Build confidence with science vocabulary
It’s a simple activity for families, home educators and primary school teachers looking for an engaging way to introduce or reinforce learning about Earth and space.
What age is this solar system craft suitable for?
This activity is designed for children aged approximately 6 to 12.
Younger children may need some help with cutting and assembling their model, while older children can use the activity as a starting point for further investigations.
Try asking:
Which planet is closest to the Sun?
Which is the largest planet?
Which planets have rings?
Why is Earth the only planet known to support life?
Does this activity support the primary science curriculum?
Yes. This activity is particularly useful for children studying Earth and space in Year 5 science in England and P6 science in Scotland. 9 and 10 year olds till be taught about the solar system according the the National Curriculum for this year group.
The national curriculum includes learning about the movement of the Earth and other planets relative to the Sun and describing the Sun, Earth and Moon as approximately spherical bodies.
Making a solar system model gives children a memorable, hands-on way to practise identifying the planets and their order.
What is the order of the planets?
Starting with the planet closest to the Sun, the eight planets are:
Mercury → Venus → Earth → Mars → Jupiter → Saturn → Uranus → Neptune
Here’s a challenge for your young scientist: can they invent their own silly sentence to help remember the planets.
More space activities for kids
Did your young scientist enjoy making their solar system?
This activity comes from the Whizz Pop Bang Snip-Out Science Book, which is packed with paper-based science activities for curious kids.
You can also explore more free space activities, experiments and fascinating astronomy articles on the Whizz Pop Bang blog.
Discover Whizz Pop Bang magazine
Whizz Pop Bang is the award-winning science magazine for curious children aged 6–12.
Every month, young scientists can try hands-on experiments, discover fascinating facts, meet real scientists and explore everything from dinosaurs and space to the human body, animals and engineering.
Packed with screen-free activities, puzzles and competitions, Whizz Pop Bang makes science exciting and fun.
Subscribe to Whizz Pop Bang and give your child a new science adventure every month!
Find loads more science activities, puzzles and games in our award-winning monthly kids science magazine, Whizz Pop Bang!
Did your mini-scientist enjoy this activity? This is just one of the many fun paper craft activities from the Whizz Pop Bang Snip-Out Science Book. Click the image below to discover how much more fun your budding scientist can have with this book!
Fill your child with science wonder with a subscription to Whizz Pop Bang, the award-winning magazine for 6 to 12-year-olds. Watch their face light up with glee when their very own magazine zooms through the letterbox! Packed full of hands-on science awesomeness, it’s the gift that keeps of delighting, month after month.
