Act out the Moon’s phases with friends or classmates!

What you need:

• A flashlight (this is the Sun)
• A large ball or sphere (this is Earth) – a basketball or soccer ball works great!
• A smaller ball (this is the Moon) – a tennis ball or baseball is perfect
• 3 people and a dark room

How to do it:

• Person 1 (The Sun): Stand still in one spot and shine the flashlight toward the center
• Person 2 (Earth): Stand in the middle holding the large ball
• Person 3 (The Moon): Hold the small ball and slowly walk in a circle around Earth
• As “the Moon” walks around, watch how the light from “the Sun” hits different parts of the ball!
• From Earth’s point of view, you’ll see the phases change – just like in the simulation above!

💡 Pro tip: The person holding Earth can slowly spin to show how we see the Moon rise and set!