Phases of the Moon Worksheets (Free Printable)
Get ready to explore the wonders of the moon with our free phases of the moon worksheets!
Whether you’re stargazing or simply fascinated by the night sky, these free printable science worksheets are a fantastic way for both kids and adults to learn about the different phases of the moon.
With no preparation required, simply print them out and grab some coloring pens. From the new moon to the waning crescent, these worksheets cover all eight phases of the moon.
Enhance your understanding of the moon’s cycles and embark on an astronomical adventure today!
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What are the 8 phases of the moon in order?
The 8 phases of the moon in order are:
- New moon: The moon is barely visible as it is positioned between the Earth and the sun, with the sun illuminating the side of the moon that faces away from us.
- Waxing crescent: The moon becomes more visible as a small sliver of light appears on the right side (in the northern hemisphere) of the moon.
- First quarter: The moon is half-illuminated and appears as a half-moon shape. It is called the “first quarter” because it is one-quarter of the way through its lunar cycle.
- Waxing gibbous: More than half of the moon is illuminated, but it is not yet a full moon. It appears as a bulging shape on the right side.
- Full moon: The entire side of the moon that faces the Earth is fully illuminated by the sun, making it appear as a complete circle.
- Waning gibbous: The moon begins to decrease in illumination after the full moon. It appears as a bulging shape on the left side.
- Third quarter: Similar to the first quarter, the moon is half-illuminated but appears as a half-moon shape on the left side.
- Waning crescent: A small sliver of light remains on the left side (in the northern hemisphere) of the moon before it transitions back into a new moon.
These phases occur as the moon orbits around the Earth, and they repeat in a continuous cycle.
Phases of the moon worksheet
These are no-preparation free printable solar system worksheets, so perfect if you have left lesson planning until the last minute. As you can see all you need is paper and pens for these moon printables.
Print out the moon worksheets below, they will print out on 10 full pages. Make sure to check the printer settings.
Included in these worksheets are 8 pages dedicated to each of the moon phases, allowing students to explore and understand each phase individually.
Additionally, there is a page where students can write down the names of the corresponding moon phases.
The first page of the lunar phases worksheet prompts children to think about what they want to learn about the moon, fostering curiosity and encouraging further exploration.
With these comprehensive activity sheets, students can delve into the intricacies of the moon’s phases while engaging in a fun and educational activity.
Have fun with our free phases of the moon crossword puzzle.
Printable moon phases worksheets
These worksheets, designed to cover the different phases of the moon, make a valuable addition to any homeschool science curriculum. Providing a hands-on and engaging learning experience for students.
In the first worksheet, the children learn a little about the moon such as it does not produce any light. Then they need to write what they want to learn about the different phases of the moon.
The new moon is barely visible and occurs when the Earth and moon are aligned and the sun and earth are on opposite sides of the moon.
A waxing crescent moon occurs when the moon begins to become visible again after a New Moon.
The kids will also enjoy our free phases of the moon word search.
The first quarter moon occurs when the moon reaches the first quarter of its orbit around the Earth. It looks like a half-moon but remember the moon is a 3D shape.
A waxing gibbous moon means the visibility of the moon is getting bigger. It is bigger than a semicircle but smaller than a full moon.
The full moon is visible when the moon is on the opposite side of Earth than the sun.
A waning gibbous moon comes after the Full Moon. The amount of moon visible begins to decrease. More than half of the moon is still visible.
The third quarter moon is the opposite view of the First Quarter moon. It looks like half of a moon but remember the moon is a sphere.
A waning crescent moon has less than half of the moon still visible.
The final lunar phase worksheet the kids need to write down the correct moon phase from the moon shown.
We love to add the Life Cycles book to our studies.
Additional resources about the moon
If the kids are interested even further in stargazing and finding more about the moon, I highly recommend investing in a good telescope.
We have the Celestron Star – Sense one and it is super powerful. It takes a while to set up, but it is so much fun to look out on a clear night.
Of course, I can’t write about the phases of the moon without mentioning the NASA website. They have lots of free and interesting facts and go over things in more detail.
Have fun while learning about the planet, with our free planet matching game printable.
For more solar system fun download our free planet coloring pages.
Need to print later? Add this to your Pinterest board or share it on Facebook. You’ll have it handy whenever you’re ready to use it!
Download the free moon worksheets
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Last Updated on 30 September 2024 by Clare Brown