Activity best for children age 3 and up

Get your rocket ship ready because we are headed to outer space to learn all about the moon! Throughout the month of January we will be exploring the moon through hands-on STREAM activities you can try at home.

The moon is a cratered ball of rock that is about 2,160 miles in diameter. It orbits around our planet and is usually visible lighting up the night sky. Although it may seem like the moon is shining like a star, it does not create its own light. Instead, the moon reflects the light from the sun. As it orbits around Earth, the moon can look very different. The “shape” of the moon is caused by the dark shadow created by the sun’s light. Sometimes we see just a tiny sliver and other times we see a full moon. These are called phases of the moon. Today, we are going to recreate the phases of the moon with our own light source and moon-shaped object.

Guiding Questions:

When do you usually see the moon? Have you ever seen it during the day?

Does the moon shine like a star?

How big do you think the moon is?

What “moon shapes” have you seen?