Oreo Phases of the Moon

Over the last few years, I get asked more often about the moon and space than I did early on in my career. It’s not just kids interested in space; this activity can be a fun one for the adults to participate in, too!

What You Need: 

-a flat surface or plate

-at least 5 Oreo cookies (generic brands work just as well)

What to Do: click here to watch my video demonstration

-pull the cookie sandwiches apart, trying to get all the icing on one cookie

-using a dull knife or spoon, scrape away some of the icing from the cookie to create different phases of the moon (refer to the picture below)

-discuss the science before devouring the snack ;) 

What This Teaches: 

The moon governs our tides and months here on Earth, and the phases of the moon can help us mark those changes. By recreating the shape of the moon in its different phases, those shapes will be familiar next time you look in the night sky! The appearance of the moon, or how much we can see of it, changes because the moon rotates around the Earth. Use this diagram to help guide your creation of the moon phases on your cookies!

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech