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in Seasonal STEAM

Build Your Own Solar System with a Melted Pony Bead Suncatcher

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Solar system suncatchers are awesome. We love making them because we like pretty things. The best thing about suncatchers is that they are usually pretty easy to make, like this melted pony bead suncatcher we made to look like a solar system mobile for a fun STEM activity for kids!

It’s one of the many ways we’re having screen-free fun this summer and one of our favorite solar system projects for kids!

Try this project when planning your thematic units for the summer!

This activity is one of our favorite technology activities for kids!

You’ll also want to check out the ultimate list of summer STEM activities and the ultimate list of summer science experiments. 

Love planet crafts? This solar system mobile transforms melted pony beads into the solar system. This will be a favorite solar system projects for kids!

Solar System Projects for Kids: Melted Pony Bead Solar System Mobile

steam challenge cards

We didn’t have any clear pony beads, so we decided to transform our art project into a STEAM project instead and make solar system projects for kids instead by making a planet craft!

Love planet crafts? This solar system mobile transforms melted pony beads into the solar system. This will be a favorite solar system projects for kids!

Supplies:

  • Pony Beads
  • Grill
  • Yarn
  • Cardboard hanger
  • Scissors
  • Drill (we have this one and it worked great)
  • Muffin tin

First, look through the pony beads and find beads that match the colors in the solar system to make pony bead patterns for each planet in the solar system.

We couldn’t find exact matches for the solar system craft in our stash, so we just approximated. We made rings for Saturn by adding two stripes of beads to our muffin pan.

Love planet crafts? This solar system mobile transforms melted pony beads into the solar system. This will be a favorite solar system projects for kids!

Fill the bottom of each muffin pan with beads. The order you put them in the pan will be how they look when they melt. The pony beads do not move.

Heat the grill outside to about 350 (medium heat) and place the muffin tin on the grill.

Close the lid and wait about 10 minutes. The beads might take up to 30 minutes to melt, but you will want to watch it.

If you let the beads cook too long, they will turn brown and bubble, which looks terrible. As soon as the beads start to melt and smooth together on the top, remove them from the heat.

Let the beads cool about 10 minutes, then pop them out of the muffin tin. Your planet mobile is well on its way to completion!

Drill a small hole in the top of each pony bead suncatcher with your drill.

Tie a piece of yarn to the top of each planet and tie the other end of the string to the cardboard hanger. We hung our planets in order as if the sun was on the left, so the first planet on our string was mercury.

Love planet crafts? This solar system mobile transforms melted pony beads into the solar system. This will be a favorite solar system projects for kids!

Remove the metal part of the hanger and tie a longer piece of yarn to each end of the cardboard tube. Hang the planet melted pony bead suncatcher in a window that gets lots of sun.

The light will shine through the suncatcher craft and the planets will look like they are glowing.

steam challenge cards

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Filed Under: Seasonal STEAM

About Brenda Priddy

Brenda grew up thinking she hated science. But when her 4-year- old daughter was more interested in reading science facts than fairy tales, Brenda realized she had to learn more. Through simple at-home science experiments, Brenda developed a passion for science and now works as a STEMed advocate with a team of science educators to create hands-on STEM projects and curriculum for kids.

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What is STEAM?

STEAM activities for kids promote the idea that science, technology, engineering, art, and math can all work together to help kids become critical thinkers, problem solvers, and innovators!

Join us on our journey to discover just how much fun science experiments can be.

What we do… 

STEAMsational offers STEM and science lesson plans and teaching resources to provide a firm STEM foundation for children in the classroom or home.

All you need to do is find your supplies, gather your scientists, and let the innovation unfold.

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