Aaron specially requested this lesson since he currently wants to be an astronaut when he grows up! We've been having a lot of fun reading our space books and playing with three different kinds of space sensory bins. Now, it's time for the lesson itself!
Click here to get the free printables! And click here for the solar system printables from my Etsy shop!
We started off with this coloring page, and he colored while I talked about the different space things on his table.
Introduction to the Solar System
Next, we talked through the solar system flashcards, and I had him track the planets on this printable! I set out the assortment of pom poms and asked him which pom pom best resembled each planet. That was a great way to talk about the color and size of the planets!
Solar System Counting
Next up, we counted out the planets, the sun, and Pluto. I put the numbers all mixed up on the little wooden plate, and he had to search for the numbers and then place them on the planets. This was really good practice for his fine-motor skills!
Then, I asked him to line up the numbers in the right order. Just that request was a good challenge for him to understand and follow my directions, and we talked about horizontal lines vs. vertical lines vs. clumps of things, ha! Once the numbers were in place, I asked him to put the same number of stars under each number to visually show how the numbers grow! It was another great way to practice counting and his fine-motor skills, and it works on number awareness as he can see that 10 is the biggest number!
Learning Shapes: All About Spheres
This next printable was fun for Aaron to color while I talked about the difference between a circle and a sphere. It helped having the pom poms on the page too as quick examples of a 3D shape. Then, we got up and walked around the house looking for spheres! Once he found them all (a decorational globe, a baseball in his room, an inflatable beach ball, and an orange in the fridge), I wrote in his answer in pencil and had him trace the number in marker.
Moon Phases
Well, he may have learned more about the deliciousness of Oreo's than the phases of the moon, but this was still so much fun! I talked through how the moon is always there, but we can't always see the whole thing! He was excited to pay more attention to how the moon looks each night after having learned about this.
Planet Earth Gross Motor Skills
This activity got us out of our chairs and practicing gross motor skills! I played some fun space-themed music and then challenged Aaron to hit the earth beach ball (found at The Dollar Tree) 10 times in a row! First, I showed him how to do it without touching the ground, and he did his best to keep it up in the air. It was a fun way to sneak in some more counting practice.
Here a couple of fun songs to listen to:
I hope you enjoy doing this lesson with your little ones too!
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