Planets Bingo: Free Printable Solar System and Space Bingo With Clues
Planets bingo is a solar system bingo game with the eight planets plus space words like comet, galaxy, orbit and telescope. The caller reads a clue ("the red planet"), and players mark the matching word (Mars). Below is a 30-word planets and space bingo list with a kid-friendly clue for each word, a quick planet fact chart, and ideas for a space unit or a family star-gazing night.
The button opens the generator with all 30 space words as 5x5 cards with a free center, 25 cards in all.
▶ Make these planets bingo cards
How to play planets bingo
- Hand out cards and markers. Star stickers or gold paper circles make great "space" markers.
- Read a clue from the caller list below.
- Players guess the word and mark it if it's on their card.
- Five in a row wins. The winner shares one space fact from a marked square.
Planets bingo caller list
| Word | Clue to read |
|---|---|
| Mercury | The planet closest to the Sun, and the smallest of the eight |
| Venus | The hottest planet, wrapped in thick clouds |
| Earth | The only planet known to have life |
| Mars | The red planet |
| Jupiter | The biggest planet, with a giant storm called the Great Red Spot |
| Saturn | The planet best known for its bright rings |
| Uranus | An ice giant that spins tipped over on its side |
| Neptune | The planet farthest from the Sun, blue and very windy |
| Pluto | A dwarf planet out past Neptune |
| Sun | The star at the center of our solar system |
| Moon | Earth's natural satellite |
| Star | A giant ball of hot, glowing gas |
| Comet | A ball of ice and dust that grows a glowing tail near the Sun |
| Asteroid | A rocky object that orbits the Sun |
| Meteor | A streak of light when a space rock burns up in our sky |
| Galaxy | A huge group of billions of stars |
| Milky Way | The galaxy we live in |
| Orbit | The path one object takes around another |
| Gravity | The pull that keeps planets going around the Sun |
| Constellation | A pattern of stars, like the Big Dipper |
| Telescope | A tool that makes faraway things look closer |
| Astronaut | A person trained to travel in space |
| Rocket | Launches spacecraft into space |
| Space station | A spacecraft where astronauts live and work |
| Crater | A bowl-shaped dent made when a space rock hits |
| Rings | Bands of ice and rock circling a planet |
| Solar system | The Sun and everything that orbits it |
| Asteroid belt | The band of rocky objects between Mars and Jupiter |
| Dwarf planet | A round world that hasn't cleared its orbit, like Pluto |
| Rover | A robot vehicle that explores another world |
The eight planets in order
A handy way to remember the order from the Sun: My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Noodles (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune).
| Order from the Sun | Planet | Type | Fun fact |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercury | Rocky | The smallest planet, and a year there is only 88 Earth days |
| 2 | Venus | Rocky | The hottest planet, even though Mercury is closer to the Sun |
| 3 | Earth | Rocky | Our home, and the only planet known to have life |
| 4 | Mars | Rocky | Red because of rusty dust; robot rovers explore it |
| 5 | Jupiter | Gas giant | The biggest planet; all the others could fit inside it |
| 6 | Saturn | Gas giant | Has the brightest, best-known rings |
| 7 | Uranus | Ice giant | Spins tipped on its side |
| 8 | Neptune | Ice giant | The farthest planet, with very strong winds |
All four giant planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune) have rings. Saturn's are just the brightest and easiest to see.
What about Pluto?
Pluto used to be called the ninth planet. In 2006, astronomers decided on a new definition of a planet, and Pluto was moved to a group called dwarf planets. A dwarf planet is round and orbits the Sun, but it hasn't cleared other objects out of its path. Pluto is still a real, interesting world, with mountains of ice and a heart-shaped plain. That's why it's on the card as its own square.
Space unit and family night ideas
- Planet walk: after bingo, line up eight kids holding planet signs in order, spaced farther apart as you go out.
- Moon journal: look at the Moon each night for two weeks and draw its shape.
- Star-gazing night: on a clear evening, look for the Moon, bright planets and a constellation. Bring cocoa and a blanket.
- Make a crater: drop small balls into a tray of flour (outside!) and look at the shapes they make.
- Space station snack: talk about how astronauts eat in space while you have a snack together.
Make it fit your class
- K to 1st grade: make a 4x4 card in the generator with Sun, Moon, Star, Earth, Mars, Saturn, Rocket, Astronaut, Telescope and a few more simple words, and show pictures as you call.
- 2nd to 3rd grade: use the full card and read the clues.
- 4th to 5th grade: read the fact chart clues instead ("a year here is only 88 Earth days"), or ask players to name the planet's order number.
More science and classroom bingo
For more science, try nature bingo or weather bingo. Trivia bingo works with any subject, and vocabulary bingo helps with new science words.
Want to add moons like Titan or Europa? Open the bingo card generator and type your own list.
▶ Make these planets bingo cards
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you play planets bingo?
The caller reads a clue, like "the red planet," and players mark the matching word (Mars). Five in a row wins.
What words are on a solar system bingo card?
The eight planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune) plus Sun, Moon, Pluto, comet, asteroid, meteor, galaxy, orbit, gravity, telescope, rocket and astronaut.
Is Pluto a planet?
Pluto is a dwarf planet. In 2006, astronomers set a new definition of a planet, and Pluto was moved into the dwarf planet group.
How can kids remember the order of the planets?
Use "My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Noodles" for Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.
What grade is space bingo for?
It works from kindergarten (with a simple 4x4 card and pictures) to 5th grade (with fact clues).
