Montessori Mom

We live on the planet Earth. Earth is part of a family of bodies that travel together in space around the sun — our solar system. The sun is a huge yellow star made of glowing gas, and it sits at the center. Everything else orbits around it.

The eight planets

Besides Earth, seven other large bodies travel around the sun. Going outward from the sun they are:

1. Mercury
2. Venus
3. Earth
4. Mars
5. Jupiter
6. Saturn
7. Uranus
8. Neptune

All of the planets orbit the sun in the same direction — counterclockwise, if you look down on the solar system from above the sun's north pole.

Inner (rocky) planets

The four planets nearest the sun — Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars — are called the inner planets or terrestrial planets. They are made mostly of rock and metal, so they are sometimes called the rocky planets. Earth is the largest of the four.

Outer (gaseous) planets

The four planets farthest from the sun — Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune — are called the outer planets or gas giants. They are much bigger than the rocky planets, and they are made mostly of gases like hydrogen and helium. They are also spaced much farther apart from each other than the inner planets.

Printout

Here is a printout of the rocky inner planets and gaseous outer planets you can use with your child.

Try this at home

• Say the planet names in order from the sun and back again — make it a little song.
• Sort small objects (marbles, stones, cotton balls) into "rocky" and "gassy" piles, then name a matching planet for each.
• Go outside on a clear night and see if you can spot a planet. Venus, Jupiter, and Mars are often visible to the naked eye.

Books we like

A couple of picture books that pair well with this lesson (affiliate links):

• The Solar System (Let's Learn About Space) — clear photos and short text, good for ages 3–7.
• A Child's Introduction to the Night Sky — longer read-aloud for curious 5–9 year olds who want planet facts and constellations.