With that said, it’s not always easy to teach young children about science and astrology. The reason for this is limited exposure. Kids learn creatively in their own way. Most children do best with early education when they can physically touch items and see things with their own eyes. Unfortunately, most textbooks about outer space are filled with nothing more than static pictures and monotonous facts. That’s hardly enough to get kids excited. Luckily, there’s no shortage of educational toys to take advantage of. The best solar system toys give your kids the chance to learn all they can about the outer reaches of space in a fun and memorable way.
Why Teach Your Kids About the Solar System
While reading, writing, and arithmetic are certainly important when it comes to early childhood education, learning about the solar system has its benefits. For one, space exploration lets kids use their imaginations. It’s an interesting topic that can get your little ones excited to learn! That alone is worth its weight in gold.
From an educational standpoint, the solar system also offers more avenues to learn about secondary topics. Your kids won’t just be learning about celestial bodies. They’ll also be exposed to concepts of the basics of physics and science. Solar system toys can teach kids about gravity, mass, temperature, oxygen, and so much more. By learning about individual planets, children can also learn more about geology. There’s a wealth of topics to cover.
It’s not just science that your little ones will learn about.
The solar system has always been a source of wonder throughout time. Just take a look at the names of planets, star clusters, nebula, and other celestial bodies. This opens up the doors to tackle history, Greek mythology, religion, and more.
Whether you decide to invest in a spaceship or a feature-rich planetarium, space toys can open up your child’s mind, boost creativity, and provide them with a head start on the things they’ll be tackling during their school days. Check out our list below of some of the best solar system toys for kids on the market.
Best Solar System Toys For Kids
4M Solar System Planetarium
Key Features:
- Paintable planets
- Finished display rotates
- Includes detailed assembly instructions
- Fun DIY project
No discussion about space toys is complete without talking about planetariums. This kit from 4M gives your child the opportunity to create a model of our solar system from scratch. It comes with several pieces that must be assembled. The heart of the planetarium is the stand, which rotates to show orbital planes.
Before you get to that point, your child must first prepare the small planet models. Each celestial body is molded out of durable plastic. The two sides of the planet must be assembled and painted before you can assemble the rotating stand. Luckily, the set comes with a paint set and brushes. Your little ones can use their existing knowledge of the planets of the solar system to make the molds come to life.
HYODREAM Solar System 3D Optical Illusion Lamp
Key Features:
- Doubles as a night light
- A beautiful depiction of the solar system
- Customizable colors
- Has flexible power options
This lamp is not like your typical night light. It’s an LED-powered lamp that uses creative optical tricks to produce a stunning visual. The main portion of the lamp is a large piece of acrylic. Etched into the acrylic is our solar system. The cool thing about the etched design is that your kid can appreciate it even during the daytime.
However, during the night is when the image comes to life. The base shines a powerful LED light into the acrylic panel, causing the etched picture to glow. The lamp comes with remote control for easy operation. Not only does the remote turn the lamp on and off, but it can also be used to choose between 16 different light colors.
Learning Resources Giant Inflatable Solar System
Key Features:
- Large and fun to play with
- Each piece has a unique printed design
- Comes with a manual pump and repair kit
- Can be hung from the ceiling
Let your little tykes appreciate the size of the solar system with this inflatable set. The largest piece, which is the sun, measures about 23 inches in diameter. The remaining planets and celestial bodies take on slightly smaller sizes to help distinguish the relative size differences in our solar system.
Setting up these solar system toys for play time is easy thanks to the included foot pump. It takes only a few minutes and it’s simple enough for your child to do. The best part of this set is that the inflatable components are all washable for easy maintenance. Plus, a repair kit is included to take care of accidental tears.
National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Space
Key Features:
- Contains bright and colorful images
- Has large text
- Includes simple words to help with reading
- Hardcover
If your child is just learning how to read, this book may be the toy you’re after. It’s part of National Geographic’s iconic child series, so it’s specifically designed to help young readers. All of the words are printed in large font that your child can read aloud.
Accompanying the text is some vibrant pictures. Artistic depictions of the planets, the Earth’s moon, Pluto, and asteroids are all included. There are even some interesting facts that your child will remember for years to come.
Melissa & Doug Solar System Floor Puzzle
Key Features:
- Has colorful and exciting graphics
- Smooth surface is easy to clean
- Promotes hand-eye coordination
- Challenges critical thinking skills
- Contains 48 pieces
This floor puzzle will make your young space explorer thinking. While the simple 48-piece set may seem easy for us adults, it’s a serious undertaking for young ones. Your child will need to analyze each piece and get it to fit in the right spot. During this process, they will be building hand-eye coordination and learning important problem-solving skills.
Once complete, the puzzle serves as a useful visual tool for solar system education. It’s bright, colorful, and filled with whimsical art. Of course, labels for all the planets are included to further remind your child of the beauty that lies beyond our planet. This is one of those solar system toys that is fun, educational and has good longevity for younger kids.
Authentic Models Hanging Solar System Mobile
Key Features:
- Can be placed above crib or bed
- Slowly turns to keep young kids entertained
- Has accurate coloring and fine details
- Easy to assemble
This solar system set offers a gentle way to expose your child to the cosmos. After a brief assembly process, the mobile can be hung on the ceiling. The natural weight of the plastic planets causes the mobile to spin. Young kids will become fascinated with the toy. Whether they fixate on the sun, Mars, or the tiny included Pluto, they’ll stay entertained until they fall asleep.
USA Toyz LED Constellation Globe for Kids
Key Features:
- Doubles as a lamp at night
- Features accurate globe and geographic map
- Includes 88 different star constellations
- Works with an available smartphone app
- Measures 13.5 inches tall
If you’re looking to show your kids a depiction of the night sky, this globe will do just that. It doesn’t focus on the planets like other toys on this list. Instead, it has constellations and elliptical paths. The skies come to life when plugged in. However, the globe can be used during the day, too.
When the lamp is turned off, the globe looks like a normal map. You’ll find labels for all the countries, longitudinal and latitudinal markings, and the equatorial line. It even shows geographical features like mountains, lakes, and rivers.
Bigtime Signs Solar System Poster
Key Features:
- Measures 16 inches tall by 6 feet wide
- Made of a strong vinyl material
- Features high-definition graphics
- Complete with interesting facts
Looking for something to decorate a playroom or study area? Check out this enormous wall chart. This 6-foot wide poster can dominate any space and command attention. It’s beautifully designed and features all of the planets in our solar system in order. Below each graphic is some key information that your child can reference.
From a quality standpoint, this poster checks off all the boxes. It’s made out of tough vinyl that’s strong and damage-resistant. Because it’s not made out of paper, you can easily wipe the poster down if it ever gets dirty.
FloraCraft Foam 17-Piece Solar System Kit
Key Features:
- Pre-painted planets for easy assembly
- Planets are made out of lightweight XPS foam
- Comes with simple display stand
- Contains 17 parts in total
From FloraCraft is this simple solar system model set. It’s true that ‘handsy’ toys make great solar system toys for kids, and this set is definitely ‘handsy’. The various celestial bodies are all made out of XPS foam. The material is lightweight and easy to handle. To connect all of the planets together, wooden dowels are used. All you have to do is pierce the planets and attach them to the sun. Small extras, such as a foam ring for Saturn and a simple stand are included as well.
Some of the smaller pieces in this set do pose a choking hazard. As a result, it’s not ideal for kids younger than three. Provide proper supervision to ensure that your kids stay safe.
Celestial Buddies Stuffed Planet Jupiter Toy
Key Features:
- About 7 1/2 inches wide
- Made of soft polyester
- Has embroidering for more detail
- Cute and quirky depiction of Jupiter
This stuffed animal from Celestial Buddies brings the planet, Jupiter, to life! Rather than a plain round model, this toy turns the planet into an emotive character. The stuffed animal has arms, legs, and an adorable little face.
The exterior of the stuffed animal is made out of polyester and features printed coloring to match the look of the gas giant. So that your child never forgets what the planet is called, its name is embroidered onto the stuffed animal’s foot. This solar system toy is part of a larger collection, which makes a great gift for preschoolers.
Chanys Solar System Outer Space 3D Puzzle
Key Features:
- Contains 146 pieces
- Customizable setup
- Acts as an attractive display piece
- Accurate depiction of planets
Want to challenge your child’s motor skills and push their creativity? This three-dimensional puzzle is a great science toy to have. The puzzle ships flat. However, the pieces combine to create fun shapes. Like Legos and other building toys, younger kids will enjoy watching the creation come to life.
The cool thing about this puzzle set is that its surprisingly accurate. It does not include Pluto and each piece is printed with photorealistic art. The models for Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune even have rings, which is something that most toys and educational resources forget to include.
The puzzle is ideal for ages 5 and up. Some small parts could be dangerous for younger children.
Great Explorations 3-D Solar System
Key Features:
- Includes 240 pieces
- Comes with stickers and hangable planets
- Vibrant glow-in the dark finish
- Lifetime glow guarantee
Many adults remember having glow-in-the-dark stars in their room as children. Well, this set from University Games lets your children have that same memorable decor. While glow stickers of the past were basic, this set takes things to a new level. Not only are filled with vibrant neon hues, but the unique Glomonite glow paint formula ensures that the decor shines a bit longer.
The solar system toy kit comes with 240 separate pieces. The stars of the show are three-dimensional planets. They can be hung on the ceiling. The remaining start stickers will complete the look. Get creative with your child to create constellations and galaxies.
iPlay, iLearn Wooden Solar System Jigsaw Puzzle
Key Features:
- Includes 48 pieces
- Made of natural wood
- Tested for safety
- Fun cartoonish design
Made for 3 to 7 year old kids, this puzzle offers a fun challenge with a rewarding payoff. The entire puzzle is made out of natural wood. The material is highly durable and built to last. For peace of mind, the puzzle set was tested by third-party laboratories for safety. It passed the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Standards.
The pieces are large and come together to create a circular image. Instead of going with realistic artwork of the cosmos, the makers of this puzzle went with a more outlandish art style to appeal to young space explorers. In addition to the planets, you’ll find astronauts, spaceships, and even a flying saucer.
Space-Themed Science Art Craft Toy Box
Key Features:
- DIY arts and science kit
- Comes with components for 6 activities
- Includes detailed activity guide
- Made for children between 6 and 10 years old
This 6-in-1 kit offers hours of fun for children. Opening up the box will reveal several fun activities that your child can complete. These activities include art projects to promote creativity and challenge your child’s motor skills, games to socialize with friends, and science experiments to explore space concepts in the real world.
All of the activities are simple and come with instructions for guidance. Some of the things your child can make with this kit include a custom kaleidoscope, a hanging solar system mobile, and a window constellation streamer.
Smart Kids: Space: For Kids Who Really Love Space!
Key Features:
- Covers our dark solar system and beyond
- Includes artistic depictions and colorful photographs
- Written for easy kids as young as 3
Here’s another book that can be used to teach young readers about the mysteries of outer space. As the title would suggest, this book is made to get your kid excited about the wonders of the universe. It doesn’t just go into detail about planets and celestial bodies in our solar system.
You’ll find fun facts and images of deep-space objects. There’s also some fun information about space shuttles, the history of space travel, and even unidentified flying objects! Thanks to simple grammar, the book is easy for young kids to understand and enjoy.