Solar System Diorama Printable for Kids
This solar system diorama gives kids a bright space backdrop, with the sun glowing in the corner and a galaxy floor, to fill with planets. They color and cut out eight planets, a rocket and a cratered moon surface, then set the planets on purple stands so they float at different heights.
It works well for a space unit, a solar system lesson or a kid who is all about rockets.
What Kids Learn Building a Solar System
Making a 3D space scene gives kids a reason to look closely at the planets. Each planet in the set has its own pattern, so kids can talk about which ones have rings, which one is Earth, and how the planets look different from each other.
The sun in the backdrop is a good starting point for talking about how the planets travel around it. The moon surface across the front shows craters up close, and the rocket adds a little fun.
Cutting around circles and rings is great practice for smooth, curved cuts, and folding the stands takes careful hands.
How the Diorama Goes Together
There are only a few steps, and each one is a small job kids can do on their own:
- Color the planets, the rocket and the moon surface.
- Cut out each piece along the dashed line.
- Cut out the purple stands and fold them along the line.
- Glue each planet to a stand so it stands up. The stands come in different heights, so some planets sit higher than others.
- Join the backdrop and the floor at the fold. Tape or glue the extra white edge on each page together, or glue both pages to a piece of cardboard.
The moon surface glues across the front, and some pieces can be glued right onto the backdrop.
Setting Kids Up to Succeed
- Color before cutting. It is easier to color a full page of planets.
- Cut slowly around the circles, turning the paper instead of the scissors.
- Save the ringed planets for last. The rings take the most care.
- Glue the planet to the top of the stand and hold it for a few seconds.
Making It Easier or Harder
For younger kids, start with a few planets and the rocket. Cutting out the stands and the moon surface ahead of time saves a lot of time.
For older kids, have them research the planets and place them in order from the sun, then write a fact about each one on a small label.
Ways to Use It
- A space or solar system unit.
- A science center with planet fact cards nearby.
- A display piece for a space-themed bulletin board or table.
- A rainy day project for kids who love rockets.
What’s in the Set
- A color space backdrop with the sun and a comet, and a galaxy floor page
- 8 planets to color, including Earth and two ringed planets
- A rocket and a cratered moon surface
- Five purple stands in different heights
Grab the Printable
The solar system diorama comes as a printable PDF with the backdrop, floor, planets and stands.
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