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Make a Crater

Activity

What Meteor Impacts Teach Us About the Moon

Drop a rock, pinecone, or ball into loose dirt, sand, or snow from different heights. Observe how heavier objects or higher drops create larger or deeper craters, just like bigger or faster meteors do in space. You might also see ejecta, material that splashes outward, forming rays around the impact site, just like real lunar craters!

Science Seed

Craters on the Moon are formed when meteoroids, comets, or asteroids collide with its surface at incredibly high speeds. These impacts release a huge amount of energy, displacing material and creating a round depression called a crater. Because the Moon has no atmosphere, there is no wind, water, or erosion to wear craters away, so they can last for billions of years, preserving a record of ancient impacts.

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earn Badges

Badges can be earned through hands-on experiences within each of the 16 branches of science, or “Science Slices.” You can earn a badge in each branch of science by doing four activities in these categories. We also encourage participants to keep a Nature Journal to record their memories, and to express themselves creatively through writing or drawing after each activity. We recommend that each child (and parent if they’d like) write or draw in a journal after each activity, with expectations of your children that match their age (the goal is self-expression, not perfection).

Explore Anywhere PEEP

join Families in Nature

It is our vision to inspire all families to fall in love with nature and foster the next generation of conservationists. Becoming a member of Families in Nature will give your family the opportunity to have adventures in nature, experience field science, develop as youth conservation leaders, and make memories that will last a lifetime. Memberships are free for everyone.

Who are we?

Families in Nature works to create opportunities for nature connection with the purpose of sparking a deep love and desire to protect, conserve and restore the environment. Our mission is to connect children and their families to nature and to each other through time spent learning, playing, and volunteering outdoors. It is our vision to inspire ALL families to fall in love with nature and foster the next generation of conservationists.