Today we have a Guest Blog from our good friend, Matt Zdun - enjoy!
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As you scrape the bottom of the barrel looking for at-home activities to keep your kids entertained this summer, why not try bringing outer space to your sidewalk?
The recent SpaceX launch during the coronavirus pandemic taught us that we’re all pretty fascinated with space exploration, and we all could use a little distraction these days. If your kids love space, and they love chalk, they’ll love this fun and educational activity.
How to set it up
All you need is about 10 feet of sidewalk. In that 10 feet, you can create a solar system that is about 1.5 trillion times smaller than the actual solar system.
Start by tracing out the sun in yellow chalk. Then, using your tape measure or smartphone measuring app, trace out Mercury one inch away, Venus two inches away, Earth three inches away, and so on all the way up to Uranus about six feet away and Neptune 10 feet away.
Make it a fun learning experience
Be sure to write the names of the planets and the actual distances they are from the sun. This is a great way for your kids to visualize the scale of the solar system and get a feel for where the planets are.
Also be sure to draw the relative sizes of the planets correctly for the most accurate sidewalk chalk model. (For example, Jupiter should be a lot bigger than Mercury and Venus.)
Download this fun outer space chalk printable, as well as other free staycation ideas, provided by the team at Wikibuy.