Watercolor Solar System Craft

The solar system can be a hard subject to learn, but not with this fun Watercolor Solar System Craft!

These salt planets are super fun to color in using water colors. Here we’re using a book to go along with this craft. It’s in Russian because my kids are bilingual but I’ve linked an English version for you guys. It’s an Usborne book, which are fantastic. A simple picture book with planets and space, however, is perfect because it will help kids paint the planets according to their color and order.

RELATED: Salt Snowflake Painting Craft

More fun using salT

Try this Math Tray Math Activity!

Kids will love this Salt Heart Painting activity too!

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Materials for Watercolor Solar System Craft:

• Dark blue cardstock
• Salt
• Liquid school glue
• Watercolors
• Paintbrushes
• Book (exact Usborne one we used)
• Black permanent marker
• Lids of different sizes
• Cookie tray

Instructions:

• Place the cardstock onto the tray.
• Begin by using the permanent marker to trace different sizes of lids onto the dark blue cardstock. I made about an inch of space between the lines and only got 5 to fit. Leave space in the corner for the sun.
• Next, using the liquid school glue, make about inch rounds and fill them in for the planets. One per line. At the corner make the sun.
• Lastly, sprinkle salt all over the cardstock with glue planets and press a bit into the glue. Shake the tray side to side gently and toss the extra salt. Place tray with cardstock into the freezer overnight.

Once the glue planets are frozen, be very careful to paint them. The planets may crack, but the more they stand at room temp the more softer they’ll get so the cracks blend back in.

TIP- Be gentle coloring the planets with the watercolors. Make light dabbing motions rather than brush strokes.

watch this video

What is my child learning and improving?

• Creativity
• Planets/solar system (learning about space and the planets, their order, appearance)
• Fine motor skills (holding the paintbrush to paint)
• Hand-eye coordination (painting each planet carefully)

Make learning fun with this Watercolor Solar System Craft!