Goodnight Moon

Ah, the moon . . . our bright and silvery moon. It’s everywhere . . . in our books, songs, poems, and hearts. “I love you to the moon and back” is a family favorite. And now that social distancing is the norm, this quote (by Paul Pierre), “Always remember we are under the same sky, looking at the same moon” resonates even more. Here are some moon, stars, and space-themed activities to help you and your children during what appears to be our current moon-phase. Remember to keep looking up!

And lastly, do you know how the moon cuts his hair? Eclipse it!

Crafts and Experiments:

Make a telescope from a paper towel roll.
- Have your child decorate the outside,
- then put a double layer of black tissue paper on the end with a rubber band.
- Using a pin, have your child poke holes to make a constellation.
- When your child looks through the telescope while it is held toward the light, he/she will see the stars.
- Or in a dark room, you can shine a flashlight (try your cell phone’s light) through the tube and see the constellation on the wall.
- Here are some instructions, plus constellation cards to print out.
Dress for space!
- Make a space suit by adding gray/silver duct tape to old clothing or cut arm and head holes from insulated foil bubble wrap mailer.
- Use the helmet printable above or make a helmet from a paper bag.
- Take sponges used to wash cars and strap them on your child’s feet using rubber bands.
- Make air tanks with soda bottles.
- Of course, silver spray paint will make ANYTHING more outer-spacey!
Engineer a Rocket ship: print, color, and cut out the rocket… use plastic straws, string, and a small bead to make your rocket soar!
Make spectacular stars: watch, and then try these with your child: How to draw a star and how to cut out a star with just ONE CUT!

Storytime:

How to Catch a Star by Oliver Jeffers
Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me by Eric Carle
Here’s a story read by an astronaut in space! The Incredible Intergalactic Journey Home by David Cadji
Find out why the Cat in the Hat is in space! There’s No Place Like Space by Tish Rabe.

Printables:

It’s a printable space helmet . . . to cut, color, and wear!
LOTS of great space-themed coloring pages! Scroll way down
to the “Get your coloring pages – Space here.”

Movement and Music:

Are you ready to get moving?! Let’s go to the moon with Coach Josh.
Sing along with “Zoom Zoom Zoom, We’re Going to the Moon”
Have you ever heard or seen someone play the Melodica? Some call it a “wind piano.” These guys have a lot of fun playing the Star Wars theme! Especially the Cantina song . .

Games and Activities

Catch the comet! Check out the night sky and try to spot the NEOWISE, a recently discovered comet that is whizzing by earth.
Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight . . . or is that a planet? Find out by exploring the universe from your backyard! Download the free app “SkyView Lite” on your phone, aim it at the night sky, and discover star names and constellations. If you get super excited about the night sky and want to take it to a higher level…check out this interactive sky map, which tells you which planets we can see and at what time!