The Badge Archive

Activity Description: Scouts create a fun sentence to help remember the order of the planets in our solar system.

• Fulfills Step 1 of GSUSA Brownie Space Science Adventurer and Junior Space Science Investigator badge requirements.

Info Needed: Planets in our solar system are very different in size. Explore the Solar System in a hands-on, memorable way.

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Items Needed:

• Paper and pencils or markers
• A list of planet names in order
• (Optional) Printed planet cards or visuals
• (Optional) Stickers or stamps for decorating mnemonic pages

Instructions (Estimated Total Time: 10–15 min):

1. Review the planet order (2–3 min)
   • Scouts look at the list of planets from Mercury to Neptune.
   • Say the names out loud together to hear the starting letters.
2. Create a mnemonic sentence (5–7 min)
   • Scouts make up a silly or fun sentence using the first letter of each planet.
   • Example: “My Very Energetic Mother Just Served Us Nachos.”
3. Write and decorate the sentence (2–3 min)
   • Scouts write their sentence on paper and decorate it with stars or planet drawings.
4. Share with the group (2–3 min)
   • Scouts take turns reading their sentence out loud.
   • Celebrate how each one helps remember the planet order.

Planet Order from the Sun: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune