Inspire a love of space by learning about the Moon with our phases of the Moon-free printable worksheets. Our worksheets are beautifully designed and interactive to capture your child’s interest and help them to learn.
What’s included In Our Worksheets?
Moon Phases Printable Poster – page 1
The fun begins with our 8 phases of the Moon printable poster. Perfect for displaying on bedroom walls, and handy for checking the answers when learning about Moon phases in the rest of the pack.
Why Are There Phases of the Moon?
- The Moon does not produce its own light but is lit up by the Sun.
- As the Moon orbits Earth the parts of the Moon that are reached by the light from the Sun change.
- When the Moon and Sun are on opposite sides of the Earth we have a full moon, as we can see the side of the Moon that is fully lit by the Sun.
- When the Moon is between Earth and the Sun the side of the Moon that is in shadow is facing us and we can’t see it. This is called a new moon.
Use our printable phases of the Moon chart to ask your child questions like;
‘Does the amount of the Moon that is lit up by the Sun increase or decrease after the new moon?’ This will help them to notice the order of the Moon phases, indicated by the arrows.
Moon Fact – WAXING means getting bigger and WANING means getting smaller. Can your child see that the lit part of the Moon is getting larger at the waxing crescent and gibbous and smaller at the waning crescent and gibbous?
Moon Phases Cutouts – Page 2
Time to get interactive. Your child can cut out our printable pictures of the phases of the Moon and stick them onto the sheet in order. This activity will support your child in being able to recall the phases. They can check their answers on the Moon Phases Printable Poster (page 1).
Moon Fact – The word GIBBOUS comes from the word humpback. It describes a curved shape larger than a semi-circle but smaller than a circle.As can be seen in the waxing and waning gibbous moon phases.
Moon Phases – Page 3
Let’s start naming. Now that your child has seen how the shape of the Moon changes, it’s time to learn the names of the Moon phases. This is an ideal look, cover, write, check activity. Your child can use Moon Phases Printable Poster (page 1) to look at the names and spellings before giving it a go themselves.
Moon Fact – The surface of the Moon can be extremely hot and also incredibly cold. When the Sun is lighting it up, temperatures can reach higher than boiling, 127oC. When the Moon is in shadow, temperatures drop to a very frosty -153oC.
My Moon Diary – Page 4
A fantastic way to cement learning Moon phases is to experience it in real life. Your child now has the chance to use our Moon phase tracker to observe the changes for themselves. Simply look for the Moon each night and shade the circles to show the amount of Moon lit up. Can they name the phases they have observed?
Moon Fact – It takes 27.3 days for the Moon to orbit the Earth.
Moon Phases Flashcards Printable – Page 5
Use our beautiful phases of the Moon printable cards to aid recall of the phases of the Moon. Hold up the flashcards, taking care to cover the name, and ask your child which Moon phase is being shown. Correct answers go in a pile on the right and incorrect in a pile on the left. As you repeat the game more cards should end up on the right, fantastic!
Moon Fact – The Moon has earthquakes too. They are called MOONQUAKES! They are not as strong as our earthquakes but they can last up to 30mins.
Create Your Own Moon Phases – Page 6, 7 and 8
Here we have another fantastic opportunity for interactive learning.
- Cut the white ‘main image circle’ out of page 6.
- Cut the Moon out of page 7 – take care to keep the tabs attached.
- Glue the Moon to the back of page 6 by gluing the tabs. Now your Moon should be shining in the sky through the hole you made on page 6.
- Cut out the slider on page 8.
- Slide the slider in front of your Moon.
- Congratulations! Your child can now create their own Moon phases. Give them examples e.g. crescent and gibbous and ask them to demonstrate them for you.
Moon Fact – The Moon is slowly drifting away from Earth by about 3.8cm every year. This means that in 50million years it would take the Moon 47 days to orbit the Earth.
Moon Wordsearch – Page 9
Here your child can practice their new Moon vocabulary and pick up some new words too. They will have fun seeking them out in this beautiful wordsearch.
Moon Fact – The surface of the Moon is covered with craters caused by impacts from comets and asteroids. As the Moon does not have weather, like us, the craters haven’t been worn away. This is why we can see them clearly so many years later.
Find the Way to the Moon – Page 10
One last challenge, your child can enjoy following the paths to see if their rocket can make it to the Moon.
Moon Fact – The first person to walk on the Moon was Neil Armstrong in 1969, but most people know that. However, did you know that a total of 12 people have walked on the Moon? The last person to walk on the Moon was Commander Eugene Cernan on the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.
DOWNLOAD THE FREE WORKSHEETS HERE.
Did your child enjoy learning the Moon phases with our phases of the Moon printable worksheets pdf? Try our Downloadable Earth and Space Activity book to continue the theme. Or give our Downloadable Fun Activity Book to Learn the Time a go for something different.
By Laura Davies