A pen and ink sketch of a dome shaped home with a table, chair, windows, and a satellite dish.

Ages: 5-12 | 20-45 mins | Make Believe | Screen Free

If you were to move to a new planet, like Mars, what would you bring to make it feel like home?

What You'll  Need: 

  • Optional: Paper
  • Optional: Pencil
  • Optional: Camera
  • Optional: Printer
  • Optional: Markers, Crayons, or Colored Pencils

1. Learn about where you're going.

Here are some Mars facts to help you plan: 

  • Mars can be much colder than Earth. It's coldest temperature is more than twice as cold as the coldest temperature on Earth. 
  • Things weigh less on Mars than on Earth. This is because there's less gravity pulling objects toward the surface. 

For older kids, you can learn more about Mars on the Museum's website. 

2. Think of what's special to you. 

  • What do you love using everyday? 
  • What are your favorite traditions? 

3. Ask others. 

Here are some of the questions you could ask them. 

  •  If you were moving to a new planet, what would you want to bring with you to make it feel like home? 
  • Are there certain traditions that your grandparents have passed down through generations that you'd want to make sure continue?

4. Make a list, take pictures, or collect objects you want to take with you. 

5. Bonus! Design your space home. 

  • Make a drawing of everything you're bringing with you in your home on Mars.
  • You can print out this template to start your drawing. 
A rendering of a robotic 3d printer with four wheels and a long arm coming out of the top, all on the surface of the Moon. The arm is printing out material into the shape of a wall.

Even though we haven't been to Mars yet, humans are thinking about how we would live there

Space agencies like NASA are thinking about how we could build homes on another planet with different supplies and very very far from Earth. 

  • Could we blow them up like an beach ball? 
  • Could we use a 3D printer? 
  • Could we build them with supplies there (like the picture shows)?

NASA also does experiments where people pretend to live and work on Mars. This way they learn what humans need to feel at home. 

For Grown Ups: More About What It Would Take to Live on Other Planets

About This Learning Resource

Grade Level

K-8

Subjects

Play Based Learning

Duration

20-45 mins

Ages

5-12

Topics

Spaceflight
Human spaceflight
Solar system

Program

Soar Together

Soar Together is made possible by the generous support of the Northrop Grumman Foundation.

Use Case

Out of School Time/Clubs
Home/Family Activity

Usage Rights

You are free to use this resource for personal, educational, and non-commercial purposes, with attribution. (Smithsonian Terms of Use)

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