Earth and space
Year 5 · Science
Look closely, sort your discoveries and ask why things happen.
Choose a game
Take your time, try a game and collect stars.
The planets in order from the Sun
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars… Put the planets in order from the Sun in this free Year 5 science game, with a printable worksheet and answers.
Play The planets in order from the SunEarth, Sun and Moon: days, months and years
Why do we have day and night? How long does the Moon take to orbit the Earth? A free Year 5 science quiz on the Earth, Sun and Moon.
Play Earth, Sun and Moon: days, months and years
Learning about earth and space
In this Year 5 science collection, you can practise The planets in order from the Sun, Earth, Sun and Moon: days, months and years. Choose a game above for a short activity, or explore the examples below before you play. The full guide for each game explains its controls, gives more examples and includes a free printable for practice away from the screen.
Talk it through
Start with something you can observe. Ask your child to describe the evidence for a choice, then compare a second example. A game practises vocabulary and reasoning; practical observation and investigation matter too.
Ask: “What clue helped you decide?” Give your child time to explain. Return to an example after playing and ask whether they would approach it differently.
The planets in order from the Sun
Eight planets travel around the Sun. In order from the Sun they are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. In Year 5, children learn that the Earth and the other planets orbit (move around) the Sun, and they start to build a picture of the solar system, from the small rocky planets near the Sun to the giant planets far away.
Try an example: Put in order from the Sun: Saturn, Earth, Mercury, Jupiter.
Mercury is first. Earth is third. Jupiter is fifth and Saturn sixth.
Show the answer
Mercury, Earth, Jupiter, Saturn
What to look out for
Swapping Uranus and Neptune. In the memory sentence "Up" comes before "Naming": Uranus, then Neptune, the furthest planet.
Earth, Sun and Moon: days, months and years
The Earth spins on its axis once every 24 hours, giving us day and night. It travels around the Sun once a year, about 365 days. The Moon travels around the Earth about once a month. In Year 5, children learn to describe these movements and to explain day and night and the apparent movement of the Sun across the sky. They also learn that the Sun, Earth and Moon are approximately spherical.
Try an example: Why do we have day and night?
The Earth spins. When our side faces the Sun it is day; when it turns away, it is night.
Show the answer
Because the Earth spins on its axis.
What to look out for
Thinking the Sun goes around the Earth every day. Model it: a pupil (the Earth) spins slowly next to a lamp (the Sun). The lamp stays still but seems to move.
Read the full Earth, Sun and Moon: days, months and years guide
Practise away from the screen
- Make up your own silly memory sentence for M, V, E, M, J, S, U, N.
- In a dark room, shine a torch (the Sun) on a ball or orange (the Earth) and slowly turn it to show day and night.
Curriculum connections
These games support selected practice connected to Earth and space in the National Curriculum in England. Use your school’s sequence to decide when to introduce and revisit each skill. A game covers selected examples, rather than assessing every requirement.
Questions families ask
Where should we start with earth and space?
Start with The planets in order from the Sun. Look at the worked example together, then try a round. If the task feels unfamiliar, use the full game guide or its free printable before trying again.
Does this cover everything taught at this level?
No. This collection brings together the games currently available for this learning area. It supports selected skills and does not replace the full programme of study or practical teaching.