Universe Sandbox in the Classroom
Universe Sandbox is a science-based physics and space simulator.
It offers unlimited freedom to create, explore, and experiment on an unimaginable scale.
Learn about gravity, Earth's fragile climate, the beauty of our Solar System and our stellar neighbors, and much, much more. Universe Sandbox is a powerful yet accessible tool that provides teachers and students with an intuitive sense of how our universe works.
Educational discounts available. See below
What Can a Class Explore in Universe Sandbox?
A true-to-scale solar system
- From dice and the Great Pyramid of Giza to Jupiter and the largest known stars
- Realistic properties for celestial objects
- Material compositions of rock, water, hydrogen, iron
Realistic physics
- N-body, Newtonian physics simulated in real-time
- Learn about laws of motion and orbital mechanics
Unlimited experimentation & control
- The sandbox environment encourages creative experimentation, from hypothesis to analysis
- Edit dozens of properties to see how it affects the simulation
- Speed up or slow down time and see your experiment unfold
Historical events & the latest astronomical discoveries
- Ride along with New Horizons past Pluto and skim past the Sun with the Parker Solar Probe
- View the trajectories of distant objects like "Farout" 2018 VG18 or the first known interstellar visitor ʻOumuamua
- Learn about recently discovered exoplanets and the habitable zones of distant stars
The universe in virtual reality
- Get a true sense of scale in VR: fit a galaxy in your hand, or walk next to the life-size Saturn V rocket which took us to the moon
- VR hardware required
- Learn more about VR in Universe Sandbox
Earth's changing climate
- Change the level of CO₂ emissions and see how it affects Earth
- Model different scenarios for the future of Earth's climate
- Learn more about our climate model and RCP scenarios
What Are Educators Saying About It?
According to Kokoa Standard evaluation, Universe Sandbox 2 represents high educational quality and is proven to promote learning efficiently.
Our outreach visits consist of teaching a selection of topics, among them moon phases, seasons, gravity, use of technology in the solar system, and scale and distance of the solar system and universe. Universe Sandbox has proven itself incredibly useful in illustrating some of these concepts in such entertaining and engaging ways; the students have absolutely loved it.
It was a HUGE asset to our school's science program.
The software is brilliant from an educational standpoint and we've just scratched the surface.
Really had some great WOW moments... It is fascinating to work with.
My kids in my classroom are still loving it and sharing it at home with friends and family.
My students really enjoyed using this program. ... I congratulate your team for both the simplicity and complexity of it. It’s a surprisingly small program that packs a lot of content and visualization.
Purchasing
We can offer yearly recurring licenses based on your needs, whether it’s per seat, per classroom, or site-wide. If you are interested in purchasing Universe Sandbox for education, contact us
Please include in your email:
- How many computers you would like to install Universe Sandbox on
- Approximate number of students/other users (museum patrons, etc.) who will be using Universe Sandbox
- Any budgetary restrictions you have
We accept purchase orders and will send you an invoice.
What you get
- Access to an offline, DRM-free copy of Universe Sandbox
- All education licenses come with free updates as we continue to develop Universe Sandbox for the subscription duration
Pricing
Educational discounts are available based on the number of computers Universe Sandbox will be installed on or the number of students who will use it. Contact us for details.
Orders & Licenses
Who are education licenses for?
Our education license is for all educational institutions including primary and secondary primary and secondary schools, universities, museums, homeschool organizations, and libraries.
If you are not sure if your organization qualifies for an education license, contact us.
I previously bought a license through TeacherGaming. Can I still receive updates?
We want to make sure that everybody who purchased copies of Universe Sandbox through TeacherGaming continues to have access to updates in the future.
To access continued Universe Sandbox updates, please contact us and provide proof of purchase if possible.
I have another question about purchasing education licenses.
If you have any other questions about purchasing education licenses, please contact us.
Feedback
Can give feedback or suggestions?
Yes, we want to hear from you!
We'd love to hear about your ideas for improvements or features that would make Universe Sandbox more useful in your classroom
Please let us know in email, on our Steam forum, on Discord, or in-game via Home > Send Feedback.
System Requirements
Will Universe Sandbox work on our computers?
See our general FAQ for system requirements. If you have any further questions, please contact us.
Does Universe Sandbox work on tablets?
Not yet, but we are currently working on an iOS and Android version of Universe Sandbox. Learn more and sign up to be notified when it's available
Does Universe Sandbox work on Chromebooks?
Universe Sandbox does not run on Chromebooks right now. There may be limited compatibility in the future when the Android version is released (see question above).
Usage
Can I use Universe Sandbox in my demonstration/lecture/educational video?
Yes, we encourage it! Please see our Usage page for guidelines.
