Earth Layers Project for Kids - Grade School Giggles

Do you need an idea for a fun craft project for your kids? This Earth layers art project is so fun. Plus, it combines a science lesson with a hands-on art project.

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Do you have a crafty kiddo who loves making things? I do! As we were studying rocks and minerals lately, I came up with a twist on the classic play-dough Earth layers project. This project made our lesson so much fun. I can’t wait to share it with you.

You’ve probably seen models of Earth’s layers made out of different colors of play-dough. Well, I decided to use some polymer clay that I had left from some prior project. I have no idea what the prior project was because I actually found it in a box of leftover art supplies from my childhood at my mom’s house. It was probably 15 years old, but it still worked. I guess that stuff really doesn’t dry out!

We started the project by reading about each layer of the Earth and learning some fun facts. There are 4 layers to the Earth: the crust, the mantle, the outer core, and the inner core. Here are some of the cool facts we learned.

Even the bottom of the deepest ocean is still part of the crust. That means every single bit of life on the Earth is found on the crust. There is no type of life form that inhabits any other layer of the Earth.
The crust is the only layer we can actually reach. It is the only layer scientists are able to drill into, and it is definitely the layer we know the most about.
85% of the Earth’s weight comes from the mantle! It is by far the biggest layer. It’s made of solid rock, but since it is so hot, the rock isn’t completely hard. It’s more like the texture of molding clay, and it slowly moves. That movement causes earthquakes and volcanic eruptions!
The outer core is liquid rock, and it is HOT! We don’t know the exact temperature, but some estimates put it at 4,000 -6,000 degrees Celsius.
The inner core is solid rock. Even with the mega-hot temperatures, the rock can’t melt because of the amount of pressure that the inner core is under. In fact, it is as hot as the sun! Another cool thing about the inner core is that it spins at a different rate from the rest of the Earth and is magnetic.

Are your elementary school-aged students learning about the layers of the Earth? This hands-on art activity is so much fun! Use polymer clay to create colorful Earth layer beads. Your kids can even make a necklace with the beads and label the layers. Learn about the crust, mantle, inner core, and outer core. This STEAM craft project is a great way to explore the layers of the Earth.

After learning about the Earth’s layers, we started making our beads. To make the beads, we picked five colors of clay. We used pink for the inner core, orange for the outer core, yellow for the mantle, and blue and green for the crust.

We started by rolling little balls of pink clay. Then we flattened little pieces of orange clay, stuck them all over the outside, and then re-rolled our balls. We repeated the process with the yellow clay and the blue clay. At the end, we added some pieces of green on the top and re-rolled our balls one last time.

Then, I carefully cut each “Earth” in half and used a toothpick to poke holes in the top to make beads. My daughter used the leftover clay to make a bunch of smaller beads, but if I was doing this project with a group, I would use pony beads for everything but the main Earth layers bead. We baked the beads at 275 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes before using them to make some pretty nifty Earth layer necklaces.

All in all, it was a perfect STEAM project for my 8-year-old because it combined her interest in science with her desire to be a fashion designer. She loved it, and we definitely had fun learning.