Order of the Planets Worksheet (Free KS2 Science)

What this worksheet covers

The worksheet supports the Year 5 'Earth and space' topic in the National Curriculum. Children name the eight planets in order of distance from the Sun — Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune — and identify the Sun as the star at the centre of the solar system. Clues on the lines (the planet we live on, the red planet, the largest planet, the one with bright rings) help children who are unsure, and talking through them is a good way to add that the four inner planets are small and rocky while the four outer planets are much larger gas and ice giants. It is designed to print cleanly on one A4 page, making it easy to use at home or in the classroom.

A simple way to remember the order

Many children find a mnemonic helps the eight planets stick. A traditional British example is My Very Easy Method Just Speeds Up Naming, where each initial letter matches a planet from the Sun outwards: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. Encourage children to say the order aloud and then write it from memory, checking each first letter against the mnemonic. Note that Pluto is no longer counted as a planet: since 2006 it has been classified by the International Astronomical Union as a dwarf planet, so the curriculum focuses on the eight planets only.

Background for parents and teachers

The Sun is a star, and its gravity holds the solar system together while the planets orbit around it. The four planets closest to the Sun — Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars — are small and made mostly of rock and metal. Beyond Mars lie the giants: Jupiter and Saturn are gas giants, while Uranus and Neptune are ice giants, all far larger than Earth. Saturn is famous for its bright system of rings, which is why it is drawn with a ring on the worksheet. Distances in space are vast: Neptune orbits roughly thirty times further from the Sun than Earth does, so no drawing on a single page can show true spacing or scale. The drawing on this sheet is for colouring only and does not show the planets in order, so children should check their list against the mnemonic rather than the picture.

Ways to extend the learning

Once children can name the planets in order, try a few follow-up questions to deepen understanding: which planet do we live on (Earth, the third from the Sun)? Which is the largest planet (Jupiter)? Which planet is known for its rings (Saturn)? You could also ask children to sort the eight planets into the four rocky inner planets and the four outer giants, or to research one fact about each planet. For an active version, send children outside to walk out the order of the planets as a human solar system, calling each name in turn.

Frequently asked questions