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Moonlight Moves

Activity

Playing Shadow Tag and Exploring the Moon’s Effect on Shadows

At night, play a game of “Moon Shadow Tag” under the light of the full moon or a bright outdoor light. One player is “It” and tries to tag others by stepping on their shadows, which are cast by the moonlight or light source. The “moonlight” tagger can only tag those who are in their shadow, and players can dodge by moving in and out of the light! Keep track of how the shadows shift as time goes on. How does the moon’s position impact the shadows you see?

Science Seed

The position of the moon in the night sky changes throughout the evening, which affects the shadows we see. As the Earth rotates, the moon moves across the sky, and this movement changes how the moonlight falls on objects, creating shadows. When the moon is low on the horizon, its light is coming at a sharp angle, causing long, stretched-out shadows. As the moon rises higher in the sky, the light comes from above, and the shadows become shorter and more centered underneath objects. The strength of the moonlight also changes depending on its phase. A full moon creates bright, clear shadows, while a crescent moon produces softer, fainter ones. During the new moon each month, there is little to no light, so there will not be moon shadows. These changes in shadows occur because the moon’s position in the sky determines how sunlight reflects off it, lighting up the Earth below in different ways.

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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).

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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.

This project was made possible by HEB.