Planets Teaching Resources
Teaching about the planets in our solar system? Get printable worksheets, planet research project templates, science games and activities and more to bring these outer space objects into your elementary classroom this school year!
This collection of teaching resources is aligned with the NGSS curriculum and has been carefully created by our expert teacher team to save your valuable lesson planning time! Browse the whole collection to find differentiated and editable science printables and Google slides.
Looking to learn more about the planet curriculum for elementary school, or just need some fresh ideas to engage your students? Read on for a primer from our teacher team, including answers to kids' pressing questions about whether or not Pluto is a planet, which planet is the smallest, which is the largest and more!
What Is a Planet? A Kid-Friendly Definition
Let's begin with a definition you can use in the classroom to explain what a planet is!
A planet is a big ball made up of rock and gas that goes around the sun in space. The planet we live on is Earth, and there are other planets out there too. Sometimes you can see planets in the sky at night, right next to the stars!
Here are a few key vocabulary terms that will come in handy when teaching the planets as well:
- Terrestrial planet — A rocky planet like Earth, Mars, Venus or Mercury
- Dwarf planet — A small planet that orbits the sun but is not big enough to be considered a full-sized planet
- Gas giant — A planet made mostly of gas, like Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus or Neptune
Fun Planet Activities for the Classroom
Looking for fun planet activities to engage your students? You can explore this complete collection for printable and digital ideas and use these activities to inspire your class!
- Create a scale model of the solar system out on the school grounds. Have one student draw the sun in chalk on your playground and then measure the distance of each planet from the sun. This is a great way to demonstrate why the days vary in time from planet to planet and the time the planets take to orbit the sun.
- Take a virtual field trip to a planetarium!
- Create planet collages. Divide your students into small groups, and give each group a large piece of construction paper, glue, magazines, newspapers and other materials. Ask each group to create a collage of one planet, using the materials to show the planet's unique features, such as its size, color and surface characteristics.
Read on for more common student questions and planet facts to share with your class!
How Many Planets Are There?
There are eight planets in our solar system, including Earth. If you list out the planets in order from closest to the sun to farthest, they are:
- Mercury
- Venus
- Earth
- Mars
- Jupiter
- Saturn
- Uranus
- Neptune
Is Pluto a Planet?
Ah, it's a question you might get from students whose parents were taught that there were nine planets, and Pluto was one of them!
Up until 2006, Pluto was considered to be one of the planets in our solar system, but not anymore! That's when the International Astronomical Union (IAU) — a global group of scientists who are responsible for classifying celestial objects like planets — decided to reclassify Pluto as a "dwarf planet."
Astronomers had discovered several other objects beyond Pluto that were similar in size and composition to Pluto. That's when the IAU came up with 3 criteria to decide what they would consider a planet:
- It must orbit the sun
- It must be nearly spherical in shape
- It must have "cleared its orbit" by being gravitationally dominant in its region of space.
It turns out Pluto meets the first two criteria, but it fails to meet the third criterion!
What Is the Smallest Planet?
Pluto was once considered the smallest planet, so parents helping their children with their science homework might be perplexed as to which planet holds that distinction now!
The smallest planet in the solar system is now Mercury, which has a diameter of about 3,031 miles (4,880 km).
What Is the Biggest Planet?
If Mercury's the smallest, what's the biggest planet out there in the Milky Way? The distinction for biggest planet goes to Jupiter, which has a diameter of about 86,881 miles (139,822 km).
To give your students some perspective, that makes it more than 11 times wider than Earth!
Which Planet Has the Most Moons?
Heading off to the moon with your second or third-graders? While we're on the topic of Jupiter, it's worth noting this is the planet with the most moons in our solar system.
Jupiter has 79 moons, including Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.
What Is the Coldest Planet?
Discussing the characteristics of the individual planets? The coldest planet is Neptune, which has an average temperature of about -353°F (-214°C). Brrrrr!
Neptune is the farthest planet from the sun, so it gets very little sunlight to warm it up.
Neptune's atmosphere is mostly made up of hydrogen, helium and methane. It traps heat and contributes to its extremely cold temperature.
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If I Could Create My Own Planet Craft Template
Explore planets and let your students get creative by developing their own planet.
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Free Planet Coloring Pages
Use these black and white planet templates as coloring pages for your students.
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Inner vs. Outer Planets – Cut and Paste Worksheet
Sort inner and outer planets with this cut-and-paste science worksheet.
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Design a Planet Project
Explore the different planets during this design your own planet project for kids.
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The Solar System - Planets in Order
Show the planets in order with this beautifully designed printable science poster.
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Mars vs. Earth - Differentiated Paired Passage Worksheets
Learn about the planets with differentiated compare and contrast passages, activities, and writing opportunities.
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Planets Flipbook
Discover each of the planets of the solar system with this engaging flip book template.
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Individual Planet Posters
Use this set of posters with your space unit when teaching the individual planets.
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Order the Planets Worksheet
Help students remember the order of the planets with this cut-and-paste style worksheet.
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Our Solar System - Interactive and Printable Cloze Reading Activity
Practice and review concepts associated with the solar system using a cloze passage.
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Planet Research Templates
Explore the planets with these printable planet research templates to use with your students.
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Planets Fact Sheets and Comprehension Worksheets
Learn the facts of each of the planets in our solar system with these fact files and matching comprehension worksheets.
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Order of the Planets Display Banner
Display this banner visually showing the order of the planets for students when they learning about the solar system.
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Planets Collaborative Coloring Display
Combine coloring with awareness of the planets and the solar system with this collaborative coloring sheet.
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Planets Escape Room Activity
Navigate facts about different planets with this fun and engaging escape room style activity with your students.
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Mindfulness Planet Coloring Pages
Get mindful with this set of planet-themed mindful coloring sheets.
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Planet Facts Fan Booklet
Practice knowledge of the planets by creating this fun fan-style activity booklet.
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Which Planet Am I? Interactive Activity
Explore the planets of the solar system with this fun and engaging interactive activity.
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Planet Bookmark
Help students remember the order of the planets with these personalized planet bookmarks.
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Orbital Period of Planets Poster and Worksheet
Learn about the time it takes each planet to orbit the sun with this poster and cut-and-paste worksheet for your students.
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Objects in the Sky – Instructional Slide Deck
Teach your students about the moon, sun, stars, and clouds with this 24-slide instructional slide deck.
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Planet Puzzle Match-Up Activity
Use your knowledge of the solar system to complete 8 different planet puzzles.
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Solar System Mobile – Craft Activity
Use this printable solar system craft when learning about the planets and their position in relation to the Sun.
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The Solar System to Scale – Poster
Display information about the order, scale, and the diameter of the planets with this colorful science poster.
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The Solar System – Cut and Paste Activity
Use this cut-and-paste activity to make a mini solar system book.
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Planets of the Solar System Factbook - Worksheet
Engage your students with a worksheet that can be compiled into a factbook containing information about the planets in the solar system.
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We Are Moving – Planet Project Bundle
Use this printable Earth and Space project teaching resource bundle to create projects that develop knowledge and understanding of scientific concepts, research skills and writing skills.
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Space Adventure Board Game
Review the order of the planets with a fun space adventure board game.
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Planets of Our Solar System – Worksheet
Use this worksheet to review planet order, features, and classifications.
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Planet Mini-Book Collection
Read and learn about the planets of our solar system with this collection of 8 mini-books.
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Planets of Our Solar System – Teaching Presentation
Practice identifying the planets in Earth's solar system and their position in relation to the Sun with this 21-slide presentation.
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Planet Project Template
Practice research skills by exploring each planet and creating a visual display of information.