I See The Moon
Bid ideas for littles ones.
— September 2, 2024
Does your preschooler notice the moon? My children did not at first because their first instinct was not to look up. When I purposefully began pointing out the bright, large shape in the night sky, and included poetry every time, they began actively searching for it anytime we were out after dark. They desired to hear the poetry recited by Momma. My eldest enjoys reciting the poems with me now and my middle child is quickly learning them too.
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The big universe becomes accessible to little ones in this week of lessons, Mm is for Moon. From crafts to discussing the different phases, your child will learn about big science concepts in digestible ways. A free printable is available to aid in your discussion of the phases as well as an excellent book list that includes whimsical books such as, Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson, or The Night Will Never Stay poem by Eleanor Farjeon from Doubleday’s Favorite Poems: Old and New. As well as technical books for example, I See the Moon by Jacqueline Mitton. Check out the entire week of lessons at the button below.
Do not be afraid to challenge your young learners, they will surprise you.
I remember very distinctly the first time my middle son noticed the moon during the day. It was after this week of lessons. We never spoke about seeing it in the daylight but as we sat outside eating blueberries he exclaimed, “Momma! I see the moon!” Sure enough there it was, a sliver of white against the blue and we recited the traditional, children’s nursery rhyme, I See the Moon.
“I see the moon,
And the moon sees me.
God bless the moon,
And God bless me!”
The great thing is that the lesson schedule is flexible to suit every family’s needs. Let’s take a look at what a week of lessons can look like in your home.
A sample preschool schedule for a week of moon activities.
Monday highlight: Train car wall display printable and observe the moon.
Reading books during our morning basket, that highlight the theme, is essential to creating an immersive atmosphere around my son’s Letter of the Week. After reading, my preschooler, Mick, is introduced to the new letter using the Train Car Wall Display printable. He colors in the uppercase and lowercase letters of, “M” and then hangs it on the wall next to the letter, “L.” We review the alphabet by singing the song and pointing to the letters.
This entire week, make a point to take your child outside after dark to observe it. Add some interest by reciting a poem or nursery rhyme when it’s spotted hanging in the sky.
We stayed up until dark every night this week so we could see the moon. Luckily this week of lessons fell during a week with shorter daylight hours so we did not have to stay up much later than Mick’s normal bedtime. However, that is one thing I love about homeschooling. If we do need to stay up late for an educational opportunity, the boys are able to catch up on that sleep whenever their bodies tell them to.
Tuesday highlight: Telescope craft.
After reviewing the alphabet with the train wall display and reading space themed books we jumped right into our craft. The telescope craft, or moon spotter, is a fun and easy craft to interest your child in spotting the moon.
After we made it in the morning the telescope was ready to be used that night for going out and observation. The boys loved using their moon spotters the rest of the week.
Wednesday highlight: Moon phases discussion.
After our habitual morning basket commenced I switched things up and brought out the Apple Math activity. This free printable teaches children number recognition. Mick reviewed numbers zero to ten and then I gave him the first coloring page for the week.
While Mick traced and colored the letters and pictures I gathered the supplies and set up the phases demonstration. I recommend testing out the different ball toys you have on hand with a flashlight beforehand to guarantee the demonstration will go smoothly and quickly.
After he finished his coloring page I was ready to demonstrate how the moon travels through phases. My eldest was a part of this discussion and I also asked him to hold the flashlight (sun).
This night, when we observed the moon, my middle child and I were able to discuss the phases in simple terms while my eldest wanted to know if it was waning or waxing.
Thursday highlight: Moon phases with cookies.
After the morning basket, my son completed his wooden alphabet puzzle. I recommend you only supply your child with the letters that they have learned, in this case, “A,” through, “M.” to help them focus, shorten the time commitment, and your involvement.
You have a couple options with this activity. The first is to bake cookies as a family and then use those as your moon phases. The other option is to buy cookies. We used store bought because we had an appointment in the afternoon. Before we have baked the cookies in the morning and then used them after lunch for the discussion and dessert. You can read more about the activity and get the free printable here.
After dinner, we used our craft telescope to spot the moon. Then, we enjoyed nibbling away at a cookie to demonstrate the current phase of the moon we were observing.
Fridays we attend our local Nature Group and so we do not do Letter of the Week lessons. That night though my boys of course had to see the moon again with their moon telescope.
Learning about space doesn’t stop after this week ends.
Having completed these activities my sons are now always acutely aware of being out after dark and want to be the first one to see it. Even during the day they feel it is very special to spot it and take joy in notifying everyone. I always have a simple poem or stanza from a poem ready to recite. My eldest’s favorite and mine to say when we spot the moon is by Robert Louis Stevenson from A Child’s Garden of Verses.
“The moon has a face like the clock in the hall;
She shines on thieves on the garden wall,
On streets and fields and harbour quays,
And birdies asleep in the forks of the trees.
The squalling cat and the squeaking mouse,
The howling dog by the door of the house,
The bat that lies in bed at noon,
All love to be out by the light of the moon.
But all of the things that belong to the day
Cuddle to sleep to be out of her way;
And flowers and children close their eyes
Till up in the morning the sun shall arise.”
This is a rather long poem to memorize and recite so occasionally I will only recite the second stanza. This is perfect because the boys love to hear about the nocturnal animals that are out and about when the moon is shining.
Creative activities for 3-5 year old’s
If you are inspired by this week of lessons then be sure to get it all free at Mm is for Moon. This is only one week of a 26 week curriculum that is specifically designed for at home learning with your preschooler in mind. Aa is for Apple, Bb is for Bird, … and more unique lessons teach your child the alphabet and so much more. Check it out at the button below.
A week of Mm is for Moon at a glance.
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