Moon Phases
During snack time.
— September 6, 2024
Does your preschooler love cookies? If so then why not teach them a little about our vast universe during snack time? Your child can learn about the different appearances of our moon simply using cookies and a free Moon Phases printable. Available down below!
Want to also teach your 3-5 year old about why the moon’s appearance changes? Or make a craft telescope to inspire your child to search for the moon in the night sky? Then check out Mm is for Moon. These activities, coloring pages, books suggestions, and more are available at the button below.
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Moon Phases
Depending on the age of your child will determine how in depth you make this discussion and the expectation for remembering the different names of each phase. For instance, my 3 year old is only interested is the visibility of the moon getting bigger or smaller. Will we see a full moon next, or will it disappear completely? However, my 5 year old wants to know the technical terms for the shapes. Is the moon a waning gibbous or a waxing crescent? And so on.
Frontload using books and consistent observations.
Before learning about the phases of the moon I recommend reading books about the moon. You can keep the story line as simple as Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson or as technical as The Moon Book by Gail Gibbons. I See The Moon describes the moon phases but features more animals, so this is perfect for my 3 year old. Gail Gibbon’s book on the other hand is the perfect speed for my 5 year old.
Also, try to observe the moon a few times leading up to this activity. Bonus points if you space them out over a month to observe different shapes. There are excellent apps out there for assisting you, as the parent as well. On my Android phone I use the Moon Phase Calendar app for keeping track of when a full moon will occur next and what phase our current moon is in. After church on Wednesday’s we return home after dark. This is an excellent time to observe the moon with my kids.
Now let’s jump into it! Here is a some helpful information to share in your discussion with your child. Make it as complicated or as simple as you like. Use the free printable to assist you.
Why does the moon go through phases?
The moon’s appearance goes through eight distinct phases. First we must understand that the moon is like a mirror – it reflects the light from the sun. The eight phases are caused by the moon orbiting the earth and part of the moon’s surface that is lit up being viewable to us. The phases are cyclical and repeat about once a month. Demonstrate this with a flashlight and mirror in the bathroom to help your child understand reflection of light.
Full moon versus a new moon.
A full moon is when the entire surface of the moon, facing the earth, is lit by the sun. It makes a complete circle and is usually at its brightest. There are many names for a full moon based on the time of year. Wolf Moon, Snow Moon, Pink Moon, Harvest Moon, etc. The names are fun and may interest your child so you can spend time looking up information on why they got their name and the time of year they occur.
A new moon is when the moon is between the sun and earth and none of the surface that faces us is lit up. So the moon is not visible to us!
First quarter versus third quarter
These names and phases are determined based on how far along the moon is in its cycle to the new moon. But here are some ways to help understand and remember the name.
If we consider just the surface of the moon we can see, then it looks like half the surface of the moon is lit up. However, the surface of the moon is the entire sphere and we only see half of the surface. So technically, a quarter of the moon’s surface is lit during one of these phases (first and third).
First and Third is based on how far along the moon is from the new moon. First is when a quarter of the moon’s surface is lit and between the new and full moon. Third occurs when a quarter of the moon’s surface is lit between the full and new moon. When it is waning!
Waxing versus waning.
The moon phases are either transitioning between a full or a new moon. Beginning at a new moon the moon will have additional light added to its surface over the coming days. This is waxing. I like to think of waxing as adding wax onto something, like a car.
Waning on the other hand is taking away. The moon made it to a full moon but the phases continue on. Now the light on the surface is becoming less. It is in the waning phase. To wane means to dwindle. The lit part of the moon is dwindling, or waning.
Gibbous versus Crescent
The gibbous phase occurs when the moon is mostly lit but not fully. This occurs twice: immediately before and after the full moon. The crescent occurs immediately before and after the new moon.
Now we see how all the phases and names work to help understand the phases.
Moon activity for preschool
I recommend sharing that information as your child is eating through the phases. This will create a wonderful visual as big words are being used.
No matter if you decided to make homemade cookies or bought cookies I’m sure you kiddo will be excited to have cookies for a snack. The cookies should be about the size of the moons on the printable, if not you can have the printable next to your child and have them recreate the cycle off of it.
However, do keep in mind that 8 phases could be a lot of cookies for your child to eat if they are bigger than bite size. Also, since your child will need to “nibble” away a certain amount try to have soft cookies on hand. I have done it with homemade soft cookies and hard store cookies before. The soft cookies were much easier and we didn’t have any “mistake” cookies. The cookies were so good though that I needed extra for the simple reason of my children popping a whole one in their mouth.
The hard cookies were more difficult to nibble away at and “mistake” cookie crumbs went into a bowl. The positive though was that my boys were not eating a ton of cookies for their snack.
Moon phases printable.
Place a whole cookie on each phase on the printable. Start with the waxing crescent phase and explain to your child that they need to eat away just the gray part for their cookie. The cookie shape should resemble the “lit” part of the moon on the printable. Be sure to use the technical verbiage such as, “waxing crescent.”
Begin with the new and full moon. At full moon they do not eat any of the cookie but with the new moon they can eat the whole thing. From here discuss the first quarter and third quarter allowing your child to nibble away half of each cookie.
Next, work on the waxing side up to a full moon. as you pass over the phases they have already nibbled such as the quarter phases, be sure to mention them. Have your child nibble away to a waxing crescent. Mention the first quarter. Now, they nibble away a tiny bit to make a waxing gibbous. Mention the full moon. Nibble away a tiny bit to make a waning gibbous. Mention the third quarter. Nibble away to a waning crescent. Mention the new moon.
Go back through the phases and have them repeat the names of each phase after you. Once complete you can let them eat the remnants that are the phases and the activity is complete. Be sure to the get the free printable below!
Moon activities for preschoolers
This moon phase activity is excellent for memorizing the names of the phases of the moon and its appearance. A demonstration is a better way than an explanation though to learn about why the moon goes through phases in the first place. Check out Mm is for Moon for more activities. As well as book suggestions that are both technical and whimsical all themed around the moon.
Mm is for Moon is a part of a 26 week homeschool curriculum for 3-5 year old’s. It is entirely free and available at the button below. Complete with coloring pages, book suggestions, activity ideas, and more your child will be learning the alphabet while participating and engaging in play based learning activities. It’s Letter of the Week reimagined for all that home learning has to offer.
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