What your Preschooler will Learn:

- That the shape of the moon changes over the course of a 28 day cycle

- What a circle is

- What a crescent is

What you will Need to Teach the Phases of the Moon:

- A sheet of paper

- Pens

What to Do to Teach the Phases of the Moon:

Step one: Start this science activity by creating a chart with twenty-eight boxes on it. Put a title on it, such as 'Shapes or Phases of the Moon'. You can even print out pictures of the moon and glue them on as a border.

Step two: Check your calender for when a full moon is.

Step three: Take your preschooler outside on a full moon and have them find the moon. Point out that it's in a full circle, called a full moon. Point out the 'Man in the Moon'. If you don't know what this is, stare at a full moon. You'll quickly see how the shadows on the moon's surface seem to form a 'face'.

Step four: Draw a picture of it on your chart. It doesn't have to be perfect, so don't stress about this part.

Step five: For the next twenty-eight days (weather permitting) take your preschooler outside and have them find the moon. Every day draw a new picture of the moon on the chart. Over time, your preschooler will notice that the moon is changing in shape. It shrinks away to nothing, and then comes back to its full moon shape.

Variations:

- If you can't draw the moon shapes or want to be very accurate, print out these pictures from the US Navy Observatory and glue them onto your chart.

- You don't have to take your preschooler outside every day. Every other day or every third day should be enough for them to understand how the shape of the moon keeps changing.

Hi! I'm Theresa Halvorsen, the preschool science and nature writer for Preschoolrock.com. I have twin boys and am blown away by their fascination with preschool science and how the world works around them. I am always looking for fun and simple science activities so preschoolers can learn about science and the natural world. Please contact me with any suggestions, ideas or questions you have about this site.

Helpful Tips for Parents

• Repeat experiments multiple times. Reliability — the same result happening consistently — is a key scientific concept, and repetition gives preschoolers the proof they find satisfying.

• Science is everywhere: the kitchen, the garden, the bathroom, the driveway. Narrating daily life as science keeps curiosity active between formal experiments.

• Accept wrong predictions gracefully — "Interesting! The result was different from what we predicted. Why do you think that happened?" Models scientific resilience.

• Connect science observations to real-world applications: "This is why bridges are built this way" or "This is how your body does that." Application makes science relevant.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I keep science learning going between experiments?

Science is a mindset, not a schedule. Keep a magnifying glass accessible for impromptu investigation. Ask "why do you think...?" during daily life. Notice scientific phenomena out loud: "Look at how steam rises from the soup — where does it go?" Maintain a simple nature observation area (a window bird feeder, a terrarium, a weather chart). The child who develops the habit of curiosity about the physical world is doing science continuously, not just during scheduled experiments.

At what age can preschoolers do science experiments?

Simple science exploration begins in infancy — dropping objects (gravity), banging surfaces (acoustics), mouthing materials (texture and taste). By age 2, children engage meaningfully with water play, sand science, and simple mixing experiments. Between ages 3–5, children can follow simple experimental protocols: predict, observe, record, and discuss results. The scientific method — hypothesis, experiment, conclusion — is accessible at age 4 with appropriate support. The best preschool science is the child's own curiosity, not a formal curriculum.

Related reading: See also our weather science and our bubble experiments for more ideas on this topic.

🎓 Skills Your Child Will Develop

• 🔬 Scientific Method — Even a simple experiment teaches the predict-test-observe cycle that is the foundation of scientific thinking — and preschoolers who internalize this process approach problems with genuine scientific confidence.
• ⚖️ Cause & Effect Understanding — Seeing that one action reliably produces a specific result builds the logical framework children use in mathematics, reading (one event causes another in stories), and everyday reasoning.
• 💬 Science Vocabulary — Science introduces children to precise vocabulary — observe, predict, hypothesis, dissolve, absorb, transparent — that dramatically expands language range and supports the academic vocabulary children need in school.
• 🏗️ Engineering Thinking — Testing structures, materials, and designs to see what works develops engineering intuition — the practical understanding of forces, materials, and design that underlies all physical construction and problem solving.

The first thing preschoolers see in the night sky is the moon. Many preschoolers are fascinated with the moon; not only the shapes of the moon and but that the moon seems to follow them during long car rides. With this fun preschool science activity, you can teach your preschooler the shapes or phases of the moon and how the moon changes over the course of a month.