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When your child needs to memorize the order of the planets in our solar system, it always helps to have a visual reminder hanging right there at the desk. This is a terrific activity for a child who needs just such a reminder of the names and order of the planets. It's cute too!

What You’ll Need

wire hanger
yarn
pipe cleaner
glue
9 pompoms (sizes are approximate) to make:
* Mercury - gray, 1/2 inch
* Venus - yellow, 1 inch
* Earth - blue, 1 inch
* Mars - red, 1 inch
* Jupiter - orange, 2 inches
* Saturn - yellow, 2 inches
* Uranus - green, 1.5 inches
* Neptune - blue, 1.5 inches
* Pluto - gray, 1/2 inch

Optional: old newspapers, masking tape, paints, paintbrushes

Instructions

1. Tie 9 lengths of yarn along the bottom of the hanger. These can be any length you want, but ideally at least 12 inches.

2. Prepare the pom-pom planets. If you don't have the required size, you can trim a larger pom-pom to make it smaller. If you don't have pom-poms, you can use pieces of old newspaper, crumpled into balls. Wrap with masking tape to hold its shape. Paint in the desired colors.

3. Place a pipe cleaner around the middle of Saturn, Uranus and Neptune to give them rings. Glue into place.

4. Glue the planets to the ends of the yarn. For the correct order, use this mnemonic device: "My Very Eager Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas" (each first letter corresponds to the first letter of the planet).

Submitted by Leximom