Free Printable Solar System Craft (Cut and Paste Activity)

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This free printable solar system craft gives kids a hands-on way to explore space with crayons, scissors, and glue. The 12-page black-and-white set includes the eight planets, plus Pluto, the Sun, the Moon, and a comet for kids to color, cut out, and assemble.

Add a space explorer to your planet display with our astronaut printable craft. Children can build their astronaut, choose a planet to visit, and tell a story about the mission.

Use this cut and paste solar system activity for a classroom space theme, a homeschool science lesson, or an afternoon of crafting. Kids can work on one page at a time or put their finished pieces together for a larger space display. Our handprint rocket ship craft would make a fun addition to that display, too.

For a little more planet study, pair the craft with our planet report worksheets. Children can choose a planet, find a few facts, and display their report beside their craft. You’ll find more ways to extend the lesson in our collection of space printables and crafts for kids.

Why You’ll Love This Printable

• Color it your way: The black-and-white pages let kids choose their colors. For a coloring-only activity, try our planet coloring pages.
• Practice cutting and pasting: Children work on scissor control and placing the pieces.
• Explore planet names: Use the finished crafts to practice identifying the eight planets.
• Make a group display: Give each child a different page and bring the finished pieces together.

Materials

• Solar system craft printable: Sign up for the free set below.
• Printer paper or cardstock: Paper is easier to cut; cardstock makes sturdier pieces.
• Crayons or colored pencils: Color before cutting to make the small details easier to hold.
• Scissors: Younger children may need help with detailed outlines.
• Glue stick or tape: For attaching the pieces.
• Optional background paper: Use black or dark blue paper, or a larger sheet for a group display.

What’s Included in the Solar System Craft Printable

The 12-page set includes printable planets to cut out, along with a few other familiar objects from space:

• Eight planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
• Pluto: An extra craft to introduce dwarf planets.
• The Sun, the Moon, and a comet: More pieces for your space-themed collection.
• Black-and-white designs: Color the pages before cutting and assembling.

A quick note about Pluto: Our solar system has eight planets. Pluto is included in this printable, but it is a dwarf planet. You can still enjoy making its craft while explaining that difference to kids.

If your kids enjoy assembling paper crafts, our rocking space crafts are another activity to try during your space theme. Their finished designs rock back and forth when gently tapped.

How to Make the Cut and Paste Solar System Craft

1. Print the pages. Choose one craft to start with or print the whole set for a group activity.
2. Color the designs. Keep the page whole while coloring so the smaller pieces are easier to manage.
3. Cut out the pieces. Follow the outlines and help younger children with tricky sections.
4. Arrange before gluing. Each page has separate pieces that fit together to make its planet or space object. Use the small colored example on the page as a guide, and lay out the pieces before attaching them.
5. Glue or tape the pieces in place. Allow the glue to dry before moving the finished craft.
6. Create a display. Add the finished crafts to background paper and write the planet names beside them if you like.

Top Tips

• Start small: One page may be plenty for a younger child. Save the other crafts for another day.
• Prepare tricky pieces: Pre-cut detailed sections when you want children to focus on coloring and assembling.
• Use a larger background: A poster board or roll of paper gives a class more space to display everyone’s work.
• Keep the science clear: Treat this as a craft, rather than a scale model of planet sizes or distances.

Educational Uses

Practice planet order. When arranging the planet crafts, use this order from the Sun: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Label Pluto separately as a dwarf planet, and place the Moon beside Earth when discussing Earth’s Moon.

Try a planet guessing game. Choose a finished craft and give a simple clue, such as “We live on this planet” for Earth. Children can point to the matching craft and say its name.

Compare a craft with a real planet. Look at a planet photograph together and talk about the colors and features kids notice. Explain that their finished artwork can use imaginative colors, too.

Older children can review space words with our space crossword puzzle after crafting. It makes a useful follow-up for children who are ready for a reading and vocabulary activity.

Printing Tips

Open the printable PDF and preview your chosen pages before printing. Select “Fit to page” if any outlines are being clipped, and print one test page before making a classroom set. Use single-sided printing so each craft can be cut out separately.

Regular printer paper works well for coloring and cutting. Choose cardstock for a sturdier display, keeping in mind that thicker paper can be harder for little hands to cut.

Grab the Free Solar System Craft Printable

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Whether you make one planet or the whole set, this solar system craft gives kids a chance to color, build, and talk about space. Display their finished pieces with the planet names so they can revisit what they’ve learned.