10 Moon Facts to Impress Your Students (and Maybe Your Friends too)

Want to be the most impressive teacher in the room? Start dropping moon facts. Don't know any? We gotcha.

These moon facts are guaranteed to blow your kids' minds (and maybe yours too). 

1. The moon is shrinking. Yep, it’s turning into a cosmic raisin. Over time, the moon’s core cools, causing the surface to wrinkle. These “moonquakes” create cliffs and ridges. Ask your kids: How do you imagine the wrinkles on the moon look up close? Why do you think scientist study the moon’s wrinkles?

2. We always see the same side of the moon. The moon is stuck in a gravitational tango with Earth, which means one side is always facing us. The “far side” isn’t dark, but it is mysterious. What do your kids think is back there? A moon monster? Aliens? Snacks? Let their imaginations run wild.

3. The moon is breaking up with us. Okay, not really, but it is drifting away - 1.5 inches every year. At this rate, in millions of years, it might look like a dot in the sky instead of the big glowing friend we know now. Cue existential crisis (and a cool classroom discussion).

4. There’s water on the moon. It’s not enough for a pool party, but NASA found water on the sunlit surface of the moon. Perfect conversation starter: “What would water on the moon look like – frozen, liquid, or something else?”

5. The moon controls Earth’s tides. Ever wondered why the ocean moves? That’s the moon pulling the strings with its gravity. Take your kids to the beach (or pull up a tide chart) and show them how it works. Instant connection to the cosmos.

6. Footprints on the moon will outlive us all. Thanks to the moon’s lack of wind or rain, the astronauts’ footprints from the 1969 moon landing could stick around for millions of years. A cool journaling idea: What would you want to leave behind if you walked on the moon?

7. The moon affects animals. From coral spawning to wolves howling, the moon’s cycles influence animal behavior. How does it affect your kids’ behavior? Full moon energy, anyone?

8. A day on the moon lasts 29.5 Earth days. That’s two weeks of sunlight and two weeks of darkness. A fun activity: Ask your kids to design their “moon day” schedule.

9. The moon has moonquakes. Not content to let Earth have all the fun, the moon has its own quakes. They’re caused by gravity and cooling, and some can last up to 10 minutes. Compare that to an earthquake and see who’s impressed.

10. The moon is the best teacher. Its phases show us how light moves, how shadows form, and how things are always changing. It’s like the ultimate science lesson, art inspiration, and bedtime story all rolled into one.

Seriously though, the moon is the perfect teaching theme. That glowing orb in the sky is full of science, stories, and mysteries waiting to be discovered.

Check out our Moon Study & Activity Pack, filled with observation sheets, creative activities, and hands-on learning tools.