Moon Activities from Space Camp that are Fun & Easy

This week was Space Camp for us and we did a lot of activities that kept our campers busy and having fun learning a bit about space. The first day of camp was about the moon so we chose two activities to do! One of the activities was an orbiting project so the kids could see how the moon orbits the Earth and how they both orbit the sun. The next activity was the classic Oreo phases of the moon! That one never gets old. Our campers were between 5 and 10 and these activities were fun for all! The younger kids needed a little extra help so the older kids stepped up to help and it all worked out beautifully.

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We started the morning talking about all the things the kids knew already about space. This was the first day so that was a great introduction. We wanted to see what they knew and what they were interested in learning more about. I grabbed Magic Tree House: Midnight on the Moon and read that throughout the week. We loved it because it touched on some random facts about the moon and space that we didn’t think to mention. I definitely learned a thing or two from that story and most of the kids enjoyed it. The older kids could have ever done some of the reading. I wish I had grabbed the Space Research Guide to go along with it, but maybe next time!

Tissue Paper Orbiting Project

Onto the main events! First, we found some cute ideas on Pinterest, as usual, for space activities and ended up creating our own little template for this orbiting activity. You can download our template for free HERE. Cut out all the pieces, color, paint, or cover the Earth, moon, and sun in tissue paper, and then attach them together. We used glue and brads to attach the pieces.

The kids got creative with tissue paper during camp. The older kids took a little bit of extra time to attach the tissue paper so it had that 3D effect while the younger kids did a little collage with the squares of tissue paper. They all had fun and all of their projects turned out really cool, regardless of how they did it! Here are some samples!

We used brads to attach the pieces together so they can actually orbit too! Some of the kids were surprised to learn the moon orbits the Earth while they both orbit the sun!

Oreo Phases of the Moon

Our next project is the classic Phases of the Moon using Oreos! This is ALWAYS a hit and a decent way to practice self-control, even for adults! 😆 You can find a lot of different graphics, videos, 3-part cards, or other lessons on the phases of the moon with a quick Google search depending on the age and interest of the child. Then, get to breaking open those Oreos. The kids could label the phases if they want or even make the full moon different colors based on the special full moons throughout the year. There are some funky Oreo colors out there so get creative if you want.

If you’re a newer homeschooler and want a few of my favorite resources, here are my Top Homeschooling Resources. Tell us what you and your kids think about these two moon activities! What other ones should we try? Don’t forget to check out the other posts in this space series: Planets + Stars & Galaxies