Teach children about the phases of the moon with this fun and interactive classroom activity idea!
Perfect for primary school science lessons, download our free printable phases of the moon to create an engaging classroom display that lets children take it in turns putting the phases of the moon in the correct order.
What you need
- Free printable phases of the moon
- Thin white card (to make the printables more sturdy)
- VELCRO® Brand Stick On Coins
- Black A1 card for the background
What to do
Start by setting up your display background.
We used an A1 sheet of black card that we stuck to the wall with VELCRO® Brand HANGables® Picture Hanging Squares.
The beauty of using these over pins is that they're removable and peel cleanly off the wall without leaving marks - perfect if you want to avoid damaging your classroom walls by sticking up display after display.
Once your background is stuck firmly to the wall, cut out your printables and mount them onto cardboard to make them a more sturdy.
Then stick the printable 'Phases of the Moon' title and the printable Earth to the display with glue as they'll remain fixed in place for the whole activity.
Now to attach the phases of the moon to the display! Stick the soft side of a VELCRO® Brand Stick On Coin (the loop side) to the back of each phase of the moon.
Then stick the scratchy side of a VELCRO® Brand Stick On Coin (the hook side) in position on the background.
When you're ready to put this classroom activity into action, each element can be easily peeled off and stuck back in place.
Let your class take it in turns to put the phases of the moon (and their names in the correct order). This activity works great individually or in teams, and when you're done, it'll make a brilliant space-themed display for your classroom wall!
Let us know if you try out this science activity idea and check out our teachers hub for even more classroom activity ideas, including: