The Solar System

In an over enthusiastic attempt to make the solar system concrete and tangible, I brought a giant yellow exercise ball into Olives to use as the sun, along with a bag of crepe- papered footballs (and in the case of Saturn, plastic bags and a tea towel.) Walking through the village trying to work out how to carry the thing was a challenge. The usual parade of toddlers chanting "How ahh yoo, how ahh yoo?" came to a complete silence as I rounded the corner. They stopped, stared, and as one began to chant "BALLLI! BALLIII!!!" in disconcertingly deep voices. I quickly hoisted the thing above my head as their little hands began to stretch towards it with idolic fervour and legged it as they started to advance.

I managed to make it to school unscathed and brought Standard 5 to the field for their lesson. Hamisi held the sun (the only kid I trusted not to bounce it to oblivion) and the others took a planet each and stood in order. We went through each planet and discussed it, then the kid holding it had to walk in a circle around the sun (a very patient Hamisi) whilst turning slowly in a circle. All went well until we got to Uranus (a horrendously ill-chosen Joseph Katana.) It went something like:
"Good work Saturn, remember to keep turning! Are your arms ok Hamisi? Good work Mercury, try not to bump into-JOSEPH KATANA! DO NOT HIT JUPITER! JOSEPH! JOSEPH! JO-Jupiter, dont hit him back, I'll deal with it. Joseph, do you want to be Uranus or not? (Cue much sniggering.) Joseph, be careful, the rings falling off Uranus! (Sniggering descends into full scale snorting laughter. Hamisi laughs so hard he drops the sun, which bounces off a rock and hits Ayub in the face.)
"Ayub, bring it back. Ayub...Ayub...AYUB MTUNGA! IF YOU BOUNCE THE SUN TOO HARD ITS GOING TO BURST! YOU HAVE 5 SECONDS!...5...4...3...2... SAMUEL GET DOWN FROM THE TREE!...Well how did Mars get up the tree? Did you bounce it? I told you not to...what is it Bonface? What? No I don't have Mercury, you have Mercury...Bonface I don't know, check your pockets-AYUB! ONE MORE BOUNCE AND YOU GO BACK TO CLASS! JOSEPH KATANA PUT THE RINGS BACK ON URA-ON THE PLANET YOU'RE HOLDING! CLASS 5 SIT DOWN!"

I made it home with 4 planets tattered and torn. Uranus and Saturn had disintegrated into a sad little pile of pipe cleaners and tea towels and Mars was wedged up the tree.We never did find Mercury.....But Neptune remained intact, as did my sanity, and the kids are experts on space now. All that remains is to perfect my straight face for the next few weeks of Uranus jokes. :)

Aligning the planets correctly.

 

4 out of 9 planets revolving aint bad...