Hands on activities are a great way for students to put what they have learned in the classroom into action. It allows them to exercise their knowledge and have a little better understanding of what they have been learning about. It is usually at some point in the fifth grade that your child is assigned to do a solar system project. There are a lot of different ideas out there for this kind of project and some of them are a little more unique. A project for your 5th grade that will be different than others but is still fun to work on is what to look for. 

Fruit Platter

Doing a large plate with single slices of fruit on it as the parts of the solar system. You could take your child to the grocery store and have them help you pick out different fruits to represent each planet. For example, a slice of orange could be the Sun because it is larger in size and orange. A strawberry could be Mars because it is red. This would allow them to help you choose and prep the fruit to put on the platter. 

Playdough

Many children love to use playdough because it allows them to be creative. It could be used to create the solar system. You could get many colors for them to choose from for each of the planets. They could even combine some colors to create a little bit of s swirl effect. Since playdough is moldable you can do any shape or size that is wanted. This would also allow for them to put craters on their planets or moon for additional detail. 

Sugar Cookies

Baking is always a safe route when it comes to getting your child excited about doing something. Have your child help you to mix up sugar cookie dough. Then you could plan out each part of the solar system and make cookies different in sizes for each planet. Make some frosting, divide into smaller bowls, and add food coloring. Let your child decorate the cookies with colors that they feel coordinate with the planet. Once they are done line them up in the correct order and see the varying sizes. 

Rock Painting

Getting outside is a great way to explore and boost creativity. With this project, you could go out and collect rocks with your child. Picking different sizes and letting them choose the rocks that they want. Bring them home, wash them and let them dry. Then you can have your child paint the rocks to be the planets. This allows them to work on their mechanics while also allowing them to show how they interpret what they have learned about the colors of the planets. 

Get Your Child Involved

No matter what kind of project you decide to do with your child it is to help put their knowledge to action. It can be as simple as drawing on paper or a little more hands on like sugar cookies. There are a lot of options but the most important part of projects is to get your child involved in the process. Give them the tools they need and watch them put what they have learned into practice.