Eight Simple Activities to Commemorate the Moon Landing with Kids

Over 50 years ago, astronauts landed on the moon.  Those of us who are old enough to remember witnessed it on television.  It's an event that you can never forget.  On July 20th, 1969, Neil Armstrong walked on the moon.  It was the day when the meaning of the word "impossible" lost some of its influence over us.  We exceeded our own expectations for the twentieth century.  We allowed our imaginations to lead us.  And so they did - to the moon and back.

The moon landing anniversary is the perfect time to promote children's natural curiosity about the moon, the Earth, and the planets within our solar system.  The activities listed below are sure to be a hit with preschool and elementary school-aged children.  Best of all, they are inexpensive and require little or no preparation.

1.  Pretend Play
Get a large empty box.  (Household appliance boxes are great!)  Make an opening in the box to represent a window or hatch.  Cover the exterior of the box with aluminum foil or use silver spray paint.  Write "Apollo 11" on the box.  The children can play inside the box and pretend to be astronauts on a voyage to the moon. 
2.  Books
Go to a local library and check out picture books about the moon.  Schedule a storytime or a book browsing time on the anniversary of the lunar landing.
3.  Craft
Make a space capsule with gray construction paper or silver craft paper.  Have the children decorate it with windows, gears, and a hatch.  Click the image below to get a space capsule pattern.

4.  Watch It
Watch a replay of the moon landing.  Here is a website where you can see it happening:  Apollo In Real Time
5.  Take a Trip 
Schedule a trip to your local planetarium.  Not sure about a planetarium in your area?  Contact the science department at a nearby university.  Check to see if they offer shows that are open to the public.

6.  Computers or iPads
Test your knowledge of the moon with online activities.  Here's a quiz about the moon for older elementary children:  Moon Quiz
7.  Lift Off Reenactment
Children pretend their bodies are Apollo 11.  The teacher says, "We are go with Apollo 11.  Twelve, eleven, ten, nine.  Ignition sequence starts.  Six, five, four, three, two, one, zero.  LIFTOFF!"  Children jump into the air at the phrase, "Liftoff."
8.  Snack
Purchase Moon Pies.  Have the children spread peanut butter or frosting on the top surface.  Give each child a gumdrop.  The gumdrop represents a space craft.  Have children stick the gumdrop in the peanut butter or frosting.

View my next blog post and get freebies about about learning the planet names.  Find the post HERE. 

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Molly McMahon, Lessons by Molly