Monday Makery - Solar System Mobile

Recycling cardboard is great, being a little creative with it first is even better! A lot of painting is done in both the sisters house's of Sisters Guild. Whilst we do try to hang them all, our walls are all too often left struggling for space for the childrens daily creativity. So I thought we could extend the art displays to hanging art from the ceiling and perhaps combine it with a little smidgen of learning.
This mobile is great and Sophia loved every part of creating it, from finding different sized circular based objects to draw around, discovering the different sizes and colours of each planet, sprinkling the universe with glitter and finally hanging it above her bed where she can truly star gaze as she falls asleep.
This mobile is easy to create, easy to assemble and all the things you'll need are easy to come by if you don't have them already.

You'll need:

• Cardboard; I used a thick strong cardboard box for the base and cereal boxes for the planets.
• String, thread or wool.
• crayons, paint or pens
• scissors

Here's how:

1. Draw a large circle onto strong card and cut it out.
2. Mark the points where each planet will be strung from and push a pencil through each point to create small holes. Try not to make them too big as the knotted string will fall through.
3. Paint the 'universe' black and sprinkle with glitter whilst the paint is still wet to represent stars, star stickers work well too but wait til the paint has dried.
4. Using different sized circular objects; cups, saucers, bowls and lids, draw around them onto your card to create your nine planets, remember the sun too. I remember being taught a useful mnemonic at school to help me to remember the order of the planets: Many Venturous Earthmen May Journey Southwards Under Nuclear Power. I've never forgotton it, though I've heard theories since that have me all confused as to which of these actually constitute a planet! I think these are still acceptable.
5. Cut them out and get colouring, painting and making a good mess. You can find images of our solar system on the internet or the library will help. Though perhaps you could make an imaginary version colouring each one as you see fit.
6. When the paint is dry make a hole in the top of each planet by pushing a pencil through the card and thread through your string. Secure it with a knot.
7. Push the other end of the string through the holes in the disc/universe matching the right planet with their position to the sun in the middle. 
8. Finally hang you mobile where you can gaze from beneath. If your mobile is big it might hang better if you tie it up from three points around the disc.

If you want to add more things you could create a rocket zooming up to discover, or a spaceship with little aliens smiling from a window. If you have older children you could use the back of each planet to write down the name and facts about each one.

There we have it. A universe (or at least a small part of it) created by little hands.

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We have more Monday Makery craft & recipe ideas here.
For behind the scenes photos of Sisters Guild we have the gallery of the A-Z of Sisters Guild here.