Learn everything you need to plan for watching a lunar eclipse. Make it educational with these learning activities for kids.
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During a lunar eclipse, the Earth is between the moon and sun and the moon moves into Earth’s shadow. This happens during a full moon, which makes it even easier to watch.
This is a great learning opportunity and you can watch a lunar eclipse from home without any special equipment. Light pollution, trees, tall buildings, or cloudy skies may affect your view, but if you can see the moon, you can watch an eclipse.
If you do have binoculars or a telescope, you’ll be able to see even more details.
When is the next lunar eclipse
Check your location at Time and Date to find out when the next lunar eclipse will be visible from your home.
- Mar 2-3, 2026
- August 27-28, 2026
During a total lunar eclipse, the entire moon will be shadowed and might appear red. During a partial lunar eclipse, the moon won’t entirely be covered in Earth’s shadow.
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Things to do before the eclipse
Watching a lunar eclipse isn’t quite as exciting as a solar eclipse, but its still impressive if you’ve never seen one before. Here are a few lunar eclipse activities to do with kids beforehand to help them understand what to expect.
- Check the time and date for an upcoming lunar eclipse. Check the weather to make sure the sky will be clear.
- A night or 2 before the eclipse, go outside and look for the moon at about the same time. This will help you find it easily and see what it looks like when nearly full.
- Learn the difference between partial and total lunar eclipses.
- Teach kids about the phases of the moon. Explain how a lunar eclipse happens.
How to watch a lunar eclipse
Once you know what to expect, get ready! Usually a lunar eclipse is relatively slow (compared to a solar eclipse) and can last several hours.
- Check the exact beginning and end times for your location, as well as the duration of totality.
- Go outdoors where you have a clear view of the sky and look at the moon a few minutes before the eclipse, then watch it begin.
- If it will be a while until totality, you probably want to do other activities and check on the moon every 15 minutes.
- Be sure to watch again during totality.
More learning activities
After the eclipse, do a few fun science activities to learn about the sun and moon.
- Make a moon collage using blue scrap paper.
- Paint a picture of the moon using glow-in-the-dark paint.
- Learn about the moon landing and build a paper straw rocket.
- Read an outer space book together.
- Learn about the stars, planets, and other things you can see in the night sky.
- Keep a moon observation journal.
- Make moon sand for a sensory bin and create craters with small rocks.
Learning about the moon and the night sky is a great way to get kids interested in science. Even if there won’t be a lunar eclipse soon, many of these activities are fun to do during a full moon any month of the year.
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