Our sensational seconds have been over the moon this week—literally! As part of our study of the phases of the Moon, we explored how the Moon appears to change shape in the night sky. To make this concept extra fun (and tasty!), we used Oreo cookies to model each phase.

Students carefully twisted apart their Oreos and used the cream filling to show the eight phases of the Moon: New Moon, Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Last Quarter, and Waning Crescent.

This hands-on activity helped students see that the Moon itself doesn’t actually change shape—it’s the Sun’s light reflecting off the Moon that makes it look different from Earth.

Of course, there was plenty of excitement (and a few sticky fingers!) as students created their edible moon models. They showed wonderful focus, teamwork, and creativity while learning about our amazing lunar neighbor.

Ask your child to share which Moon phase was their favorite—or which one had the most cream!