ScienceMoon Craters STEM Activity: Hands-On Science for Kids
Discover how the moon gets its craters with this engaging STEM activity! Children will use dough and marbles to simulate meteoroid impacts, creating their own lunar landscape and understanding a key astronomical phenomenon.
- Craft
- Ages 4-8 · Pre-K–Grade 2Ages 4-8 · Reception–Year 3Ages 4-8 · LKG–Class 2Ages 4-8
- Video tutorial
- 3 things to gather
- 5 steps
What Your Child Will Learn
- Understand how craters form on celestial bodies like the moon.
- Develop observation skills by noticing the impact of marbles.
- Engage in hands-on scientific exploration and inquiry (STEM).
- Learn basic concepts related to the solar system and space.
How to Do This Activity
5 stepsGetting Started
First, prepare your 'moon' by shaping the dough into a ball or a flat, thick disc. Place it on a tray or flat surface to catch any stray marbles and make cleanup easier.
Step 1: Explain to your child that the dough ball represents the moon and the marbles represent meteoroids, which are small rocks in space.
Step 2: Invite your child to drop the marbles onto the dough moon. Encourage them to drop marbles from different heights and with varying force.
Step 3: Observe together what happens when the marbles hit the dough. Point out the indentations left behind.
Step 4: Explain that these indentations are like the craters on the real moon, formed by meteoroids crashing into its surface over millions of years.
Step 5: Discuss how the size and depth of the craters might change based on how the marble was dropped.
Ways to Extend
For older children, you can introduce a ruler to measure the diameter or depth of the craters. Experiment with different types of 'moon' surfaces, such as a thin layer of flour on a hard surface, to see how different materials react to impact. Research famous craters on the moon or other planets together, looking at pictures and discussing their names and sizes.
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