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How to Build a Solar System Matching Game at Home - Safari Ltd®

How to Build a Solar System Matching Game at Home

Create a fun STEM learning activity to accompany your Safari Ltd. solar system set! You can build your own solar system matching game using recycled materials and simple art supplies that you probably have at home. The learning opportunities with this planetary playset are endless!  

Materials Needed for Solar System Game: 

  • Cardboard box
  • Scissors
  • Paint sticks or paint
  • Single hole punch or screwdriver
  • A thin marker or pen
  • Glue (hot glue or any liquid glue will work!)
  • Yellow paper and star hole punch (optional)
  • Safari Ltd. Solar System Set

How To Build a Solar System Matching Game: 

Step 1: Cut a long rectangle from your cardboard, about 12” by 5” in size. Paint your cardboard piece using paint or paint sticks. We used a combination of black, blue and purple paint sticks on ours. 

Step 2: Cut 9 small squares of cardboard (roughly 1” on each side) and use your hole punch to punch a hole in the center of each. Use paint sticks or paint to paint each of these squares the color of one of the planets or sun in your Safari Ltd. solar system set. Glue these in a vertical line down the center of your larger cardboard piece.

Step 3: Cut 9 small rectangles of cardboard and write the name of each planet/sun on each of these. Glue these next to the hole-punched pieces in order: Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

Step 4: Punch some stars out of yellow paper and glue them onto the empty space on your game board. If you don’t have a star punch, you could paint stars with yellow paint instead!

Step 5: Once your game board is dry, you can practice matching each of the planets up with its name! This is a great activity to help you learn the names of each planet in our solar system and the order of the planets!

 

Emily Limer is a science educator and mom blogger! Follow along with her on Instagram @makingwithmommy

Plus, if you need some more fun resources for playtime, here are some other solar system resources:

Our Solar System Book

Skill Builders! Outer Space Activity Set

 Suuuper Size Puzzle Solar System

 Solar System 100 Piece Puzzle

 200 piece Puzzle: Solar System

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