This rocket hopscotch game is a perfect way to learn about the order of the planets.
We go through a lot of chalk at our house. Usually it's to write letters and numbers everywhere because #Hyperlexia. But it's also been used to create quite a few hopscotch games over the years.
We've done lots of variations of traditional hopscotch before. Music themed ones, calendar themed ones, alphabet themed ones...and now a space themed one!
Since J can read and K is already reading plenty of words by sight, I decided to focus on introducing the names and order of the planets. However, you could easily make this rocket hopscotch game with numbers instead. Do what makes sense for your child's age and abilities.
How to Make Your Own Rocket Hopscotch for Learning About Planets
All you need for this outdoor solar system activity is some sidewalk chalk and a hard outdoor surface of some kind like a driveway or sidewalk.
I drew a giant rocket out of sidewalk chalk and wrote the names of the planets in order from closet to the sun to farthest from the sun. I also drew a sun and labeled it. Not that you'd be blasting off from the sun, but we're working on the order of planets here.
Alternatively, if your child can't read yet, then you could just draw a rocket shaped hopscotch game with numbers instead of planet names. Or you could still use the planet names and just call them out or read them for your child as they hope on them.
Anyway, here's what the finished hopscotch game looked like, ready for some physical activity.
Work on Gross Motor Skills & Learn About Planets with this Solar System Activity for Kids
K was the first to try out the hopscotch games. I simply called out the planet names as he hopped on them.
When J joined in, he was curious about the sun on this DIY hopscotch game. "Oh, look! A sun, mom!"
Then J decided that the rocket hopscotch needed some numbers (hello, hypernumeracy!) just like regular hopscotch. So he grabbed a piece of sidewalk chalk and sneaked in some fine motor skills practice. He started counting and labeling each planet. It was a great way for him to practice some writing, but it also reinforced the order of the planets and how many planets there are in our solar system.
K joined in, attempting to write some numbers of his own. And, from there, we did some imaginary play by standing on the rocket, counting backwards from ten, and saying, "Blast off!" Needless to say, we had a lot of fun with this rocket hopscotch game!
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