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Exploring the wonders of the sun and stars can captivate young minds and spark curiosity about the universe! Whether you’re diving into a sun unit, teaching about stars, or weaving astronomy into your science lessons, hands-on activities make learning truly memorable. From crafting DIY sundials and phenology wheels to creating tasty constellation snacks and building solar ovens, these engaging sun and star activity ideas are perfect for your classroom or homeschool.
Before we dive in: If you’re an educator planning to teach about the sun or stars, great activities are key to deepening understanding! I think you and your students will love my complete Sun Unit (plus you’ll support my blog with your purchase! ❤️)
1. DIY Sundial
DIY Sundial – use the Sun to tell the time by creating your own sundial. All you need is a paper plate, a straight stick, and a compass.
- Sun dial activity guide from Generation Genius
- A different version of the activity from PBS Kids
2. Phenology Wheel
Phenology Wheel – record your journey around the Sun by creating a phenology wheel.
- There is a phenology wheel template in my sun unit.
- Or, here’s one from the Montana Natural History Center
3. Constellation Snacks
Constellation Snacks – this is for sure the tastiest star activity, and always a big hit with kids of all ages! Form different constellations out of pretzel sticks and marshmallows. Then eat them!
- Here are some free constellation printouts that can be helpful for this activity, from Little Minds Prints
- You can find more constellations online at Constellation Guide or Star Date
- Don’t have a printer? You can also use a set of constellation flashcards.
4. Suncatchers
Suncatchers – create brightly colored suncatchers with tissue paper. Display them in a sunny window for all to see!
- A suncatcher craft guide from PBS Kids
- Another suncatcher guide from WikiHow
- Prefer a kit? Skip the hassle of gathering materials! Try a classroom suncatcher kit like this one!
5. Solar Oven
Solar Oven – build a solar oven out of a box and aluminum foil. Try melting cheese on nachos or making s’mores in the solar oven!
- Here is a solar oven guide from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
- Here is another guide from NASA Climate Kids
- This is a solar oven made from a pizza box, from Museum of Science + Industry Chicago
6. Learn to use a Telescope!
Telescope – learn how to use a basic student telescope for an elevated star-gazing experience! Locating and observing celestial objects is a great hands-on way to learn about outer space!
7. Ode to the Sun
Ode to the Sun – show some gratitude for the Sun by writing a poem about it. For example, create a cinquain poem about the Sun using the following format:
- Line 1: one noun
- Line 2: two adjectives
- Line 3: three verbs ending in –ing
- Line 4: four-word phrase or statement
- Line 5: one noun
This activity comes from my Sun Unit where you can learn background information about the sun to help inspire ideas for your poems!
8. Solar Printing
Solar Printings – One of my favorite sun and star activities! Make sun prints with this special sun print paper! Arrange small objects on top of the special paper, then set them in a sunny outdoor area. The shadows of the objects become imprinted on the paper.
- A Sun Print activity guide from PBS Kids
- A different type of sun print guide from Natural History Museum
9. Model the Seasons
Model the Seasons – learn about the Earth’s tilted axis in a hands-on way. Rotate an orb on a stick with a tilted axis while shining a light on it. Mark the equator, Arctic Circle, and Antarctic Circle so you can track what happens in these unique places.
- Here is an in-depth modeling of the seasons guide from climate.gov
- This video explains why we have different seasons, from California Academy of Sciences
- Or, try this Arctic seasons model from NASA
10. Distance Model
Distance model – calculate the relative distance each planet is from the Sun on a tape measure. Start with Neptune, then work your way backward from there.
- Worksheets and guides for this activity are available in my Sun Unit.
- Or, check out this page about making a scale solar system from Jet Propulsion Laboratory
- Here is a True Scale Model of the Solar System webpage from Tennessee Tech University
- How big is the solar system? By Las Cumbres Observatory
11. Mnemonic Devices
A mnemonic device is a type of memory aid. A memorable phrase, word, or pattern is swapped out for the important information. Different parts of the phrase, word, or pattern help remind you of different parts of the important information. For example, some people use the phrase “Eat An Apple As A Nice Snack” to remember the 7 continents on Earth: Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, Antarctica, North America, and South America.
Create your own mnemonic devices for remembering the 8 planets orbiting our sun in order: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. You can find worksheets for this activity and more sun lesson plan materials in my Sun Unit!
12. Eclipse Model
Eclipse model – model a solar eclipse using two orbs on sticks and a flashlight. Place the smaller orb (Moon) between the light source and the larger orb (Earth) to make a shadow on the larger orb.
13. Eclipse Viewer Box
Eclipse viewer box – build a solar eclipse viewer box from common household materials! Find a helpful activity guide and download directions and eclipse worksheets.
Bonus: Study the Sun with Wild Earth Lab
Try out my Sun Unit – complete with even more sun and star activities, posters, handouts, worksheets, and much more.
Explore units from Wild Earth Lab:
If you enjoyed the star activities in this post, I know you will love using my environmental science materials in your classroom!
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