We are studying the planet of Venus, which is covered with volcanoes.  This is one of the projects recommended in Apologia's Exploring Creation With Astronomy.  The butter represents lava which is soft, molten rock.  The experiment shows that as time passes, the molten lava hardens back into rock.

Astronomy Projects

The boys are learning astronomy using Apologia Science.  We have done a couple of fun projects that the book suggests.  The first two pictures are the boys seeing how indentions occur when craters hit a planet.  The last two pictures are of the boys making models of the planet Mercury.

The finished product.  Now we wait for them to dry...