I’m sure you have seen or heard about the solar eclipse that will pass over the United States on April 8, 2024. I have received many requests for activities and ideas for this once-in-a-lifetime event. So, I have rounded up some of my favorite space ideas and activities. There is no need to reinvent the wheel; use all your space materials and add information about the North Americaeclipse.
Grab all the space printables: Space Math & Literacy Centers, Little Learners Sun, Moon, Space, & Shadows Unit, & the Space Station Dramatic Play!
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Solar Eclipse Activities
Solar Eclipse Freebies! Grab these solar eclipse resources for 2 educational posters, a hat, I Can Build posters, and a coloring page all about the solar eclipse. These posters tell students simple information about the solar eclipse.
>>Get the FREEBIE by filling in the box at the bottom of the post, and it will be emailed to you!<<
Video List! These are a few of my favorite YouTube videos for the classroom about the solar eclipse. They are short, simple, and engaging, and they help younger students learn about the concept of a solar eclipse.
- What Is a Solar Eclipse?- NASA
- The Great North American Solar Eclipse for Kids
- Solar Eclipse – The Dr. Binocs Show
Eclipse Themed Snacks! Have your students make an eclipse snack and work on fine motor skills! Grab some plain sugar cookies, yellow frosting, and Oreos. I added in some extra yellow food coloring to make my frosting really yellow. Give each student a sugar cookie, some frosting, a knife or spoon, and an Oreo. They will frost their sugar cookie and then place their Oreo on top. The Oreo is the moon, and the sugar cookie is the sun. I added some sprinkles for the rays and corona of the sun that can be seen around the outside of the eclipse. If this is too much sugar, you can make a miniature version with vanilla wafers and mini Oreos. Another idea is to grab some moon pies for your eclipse snacks if you have to have packaged food.
Fizzy Suns & Moons! This science activity is so much funfor the upcoming solar eclipse! The day before, mix together baking soda, a little water, and liquid watercolor to create a paste/dough. Shape the mixture into balls and place them in the freezer overnight. The next day, mix together baking soda, a little water, and liquid watercolor to create a dry mixture that I placed on the bottom of my tray. Then, I put the baking soda balls in the tray. In a cup, pour vinegar and liquid watercolor (optional) with some pipettes or droppers. Add some dish soap to the vinegar for a different chemical reaction. The dish soap creates more bubbles that last longer for students to explore.
Students will use the droppers to pour vinegar into the tray and watch the chemical reaction. You can hear the fizzing as the 2 mixtures touch. You will also be able to see the mixtures foaming and bubbling. My little learners loved these hands-on projects during our solar eclipse study.
Eclipse Art! You will need a black piece of paper, a yellow circle, a gray circle, and sun-colored chalk. The first step is to glue the yellow circle (sun) on the paper and use the chalk to draw rays. Next, use a tissue to smear the chalk outwards. Then, talk about how the moon covers the sun during a solar eclipse and glue the gray circle (moon) on top of the sun. This is a great way for elementary school teachers to share with students about the sun’s corona.
Day/Night Science Table! Immerse students in learning about the day and night with these science printables that were designed for little learners. There are vocabulary words, activities, and more! Students can learn about the things that happen during the day and during the night. You can also talk about where you are located and the rotations of the sun and moon.
Sun & Moon Art! Create the sun and moon with paper plates. This is a simple craft that young children can do to celebrate the solar eclipse or when they learn about space. Begin by having students draw circles/spirals with oil pastels. I break mine in half to help them go further in the art center. Then, use watercolors to paint the rest of the paper plate to complete the project.
Moon Science Table! Explore the moon with your preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten students with this printable science unit. There are posters, vocabulary cards, activities, and more! Teach about the phases of the moon, the surface of the moon, and more with the included fact sheets and activities. I would also talk about the path of totality, which is if you are in the right area for the moon to completely cover the sun.A partial eclipse would also be discussed due to it being similar to the phases of the moon that we are studying.Depending on student interest, this is a unique opportunity to also share about lunar eclipses.
Solar Eclipse Ideas for Literacy
Moon Letter Hunt! Hide letters in pieces of foil beforehand. Then, have students open the foil, identify the letter, and trace the letter. Lastly, students rewrap the letter for the next student. This is great for arrival time, morning tubs, small groups, centers, early finishers, and more. This is great for any solar system study.
Moon Writing! Write on the moon (a piece of foil) with a dry-erase marker! It wipes right off and gives students a new sensory experience while they practice writing space vocabulary. Students can practice writing letters, sight words, peer names, or the science vocabulary words.
Space Writing Table! Set up a space-themed writing table to give your students lots of opportunities to explore space vocabulary. Set out space-theme paper, space vocabulary, black paper and chalk, stickers, and more.
Space Letter Tracing Mats! Practice letter formation with these space-themed letter tracing mats. Laminate the cards and use dry-erase markers. For a fun, sensory option, give preschoolers play dough to form the letters.
Moon Syllables! Give students an opportunity to practice syllables with this silly space animal syllable game. Laminate the cards for durability. Then, place the number mats on the workspace. Give students the animal cards and have them count the syllables in each animal’s name.
Outer Space Books! Check out my favorite space books for little learners here. There are fiction and nonfiction choices to keep your students engaged and learning during read-aloud time.
Solar Eclipse IDeas for Math
Number Space Shuttles! Build space shuttles while practicing numbers! Print on colored paper to save ink while creating this fun space math game. Students will be matching numbers, dominoes, and ten frames. If your students aren’t ready for so many options, take out the ten frames and dominoes and make the game easier. Then, students will just be matching the numbers. Differentiate the game by giving students the numbers they are ready for; Sven matches numbers 1-5, while Jacob matches numbers 1-10, and Josie matches numbers 1-20.
Space Patterns! Practice patterns with an out-of-this-world theme with your preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten students. Students can complete the patterns or create their own using manipulatives or markers. I like to use pom poms, mini erasers, and small rocks for my pattern cards.
Moon Art Printing! Use a paper plate, crumbled foil, and paint to create a beautiful and unique space art project. Crumble some foil into a wad; the looser the crumble, the more unique the painting is stamped on the paper. I used black, white, and gray paint to create a moon on a paper plate. Lastly, sprinkle glitter over the wet paint. I put my glitter in mini salt and pepper shakers for students to be able to use the glitter independently.
Sun Art Printing! Use a paper plate, crumbled foil, and paint to create a beautiful, unique space art project. Crumble some foil into a wad; the looser the crumble, the more unique the painting is stamped on the paper. I used yellow, orange, and gold paint to create an image of the sun witha paper plate. Lastly, sprinkle glitter over the wet paint. I put my glitter in mini salt and pepper shakers for students to be able to use the glitter independently. Paint printing is a fun way to complete open-ended art projects.
Space Blocks Center! Set up a space-themed STEM or blocks center in your classroom. Use the space STEM cards to give students ideas to build structures and create blueprints of space vehicles and more. Set out foil balls (astroids/meteors), mini spacemen and aliens, and some rocketships to help their creativity at this hands-on activity.
You don’t have to come up with a ton of new ideas; repurpose things you have and add new information about the solar eclipse. Remember, if you are going to take your students outside to view it, make sure they have proper solar eclipse glasses. This is a great opportunity to share a special event with your younger or older students, even if you can only see a partial solar eclipse. Lastly, don’t forget to grab all the space printables and FREEBIE!
Check out this video for more space ideas!
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