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The Many Faces of the Moon

Activity

A Lunar Storytelling Adventure

Head outside and observe the sky, focusing on the moon’s phase and its position. Which phase is the moon in today? Is it a glowing crescent, a bright full moon, or something in between? Imagine the moon telling a story over its 28-day cycle, transforming from new moon to full moon and back again. Turn your observations into a creative challenge: draw each moon phase as a character in its lunar tale. Is the waxing crescent shy, or is the full moon a big, bold performer? Label each phase and include the moon’s surroundings, like stars or wildlife.

Science Seed

The moon is the Earth’s natural satellite, completing a full orbit around our planet every 28 days. A satellite is an object that orbits a planet or star. During this time, we see eight distinct phases of the moon based on how sunlight reflects off its surface: new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, last quarter, and waning crescent. These phases create varying amounts of light at night, influencing how we see the sky and the visibility of stars. For example, during a new moon, the sky is darker, making faint stars and constellations easier to see, while a full moon brightens the night and can obscure smaller stars. These changes in moonlight also affect life on Earth. Nocturnal animals, like owls and bats, might hunt more during darker phases when they are less visible to predators. Animals like deer may stay hidden during bright full moon nights to avoid being spotted.

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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.