Planets and Moons
Recommended for Ages 4-8
Today we are exploring planets, moons and gravity! It’s not just the planets and stars that have gravitational pull. Everything in the universe has a gravitational pull, even you! Amplify that pull and learn about gravity and orbits with this silly game.
Directions:
1. Have everyone playing start scattered around a large open space. (This game works best if parents play too!)
2. Inform players that each of them is going to be a moon. Moons are objects in space that orbit, or travel around a planet. As a moon, each player must choose one other player to be their planet.
3. When you say go ALL players must try to run around, or orbit, their planet. This gets tricky as your planet starts to orbit someone else, who is orbiting someone else, etc.
More Fun:
• In real life a moon’s orbits either eventually become stable or the moon crashes into the planet. Is that what happened in the game?
• Orbits are actually a demonstration of gravity and inertia. The moon is constantly being pulled towards Earth, but its motion keeps it moving in a circle around the planet. Can you think of any other items in space that orbit our Earth?
• Want more spacey fun?! Check out NASA’s list of activities and our Gateway partners, Clark Planetarium.
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