At Herolds at Home, we’re always on the lookout for fun and educational ways to bring the books we read to life. Our latest adventure was inspired by The Secret Explorers and the Moon Mission by SJ King, a captivating story that whisked us away to outer space with characters who are out to solve a space emergency! For our unit study, we combined reading, science, hands-on projects, and even a little space-themed snack to create a well-rounded, exciting learning experience for our homeschool.
Here’s a breakdown of what we did during our Moon Mission unit study and how you can extend the activities to make this an immersive learning experience for your children! This post is part 1 of 2, because I didn’t want to make it too long and because I had written this before the kids said they weren’t ready to be finished so we added another week of moon and space fun and learning!
1. The Read-Aloud Experience
We began by diving into The Secret Explorers and the Moon Mission as a family read-aloud. The story, filled with adventure and scientific facts, is perfect for sparking interest in space exploration. As we read, we kept a vocabulary list of all the space-related terms we encountered—terms like “lunar module,” “gravity,” and “orbit.” This allowed us to work on spelling and definitions while staying in the space theme.
2. Moon Phases Activity
One of the first activities we did as part of the unit study was learning about the moon phases. We created our own moon phase calendar and tracked the moon each night for the week. You can extend this by tracking the moon phases for a full month and discussing how the moon’s cycle influences tides, calendar months, and even certain cultures’ traditions.
To add more fun to the project, we made Moon Dough. This hands-on activity was a huge hit! The directions for Moon Dough are include in the Secret Explorers MOON unit study as well.
3. Rocket Launch Science Experiment
To get into the spirit of the Moon Mission, we made our own paper rockets and launched them! We used simple materials—paper, straws, and tape—to create tiny rockets, then experimented with how far they would launch when we blew into the straw. For a challenge, we adjusted the length of the straw and measured how that affected the rocket’s flight.
Extend this activity: Try launching rockets with different materials (like heavier cardstock or a balloon-powered launch) and record the data. Compare the results and talk about how NASA designs rockets to overcome gravity.
My kids took it a step further and made a simple bottle rocket using the tried and true baking soda and vinegar reaction and created a Lego launch pad. It was so cool, the kids asked to launch rockets for days. If you want more directions on this leave a comment and I will get a post together with instructions.
4. Create a Phenology Wheel
In addition to tracking the moon phases, we also created a phenology wheel to observe and record the changes in our environment throughout the week. This allowed us to discuss how even though space feels so far away, it affects us on Earth in real ways—like how the moon influences the ocean tides! You can find the phenology wheel printable in the Secret Explorers MOON unit study.
Extend this activity: Continue filling in the phonology wheel over the course of a month to explore seasonal changes in the natural world, or even track the weather each day to observe any trends that connect to the moon’s cycles.
5. Planetarium Field Trip
We took a virtual field trip to an online planetarium to explore more about our solar system, focusing on the moon and its role in space travel. There are plenty of free resources online that can help you do this from home if you don’t have access to a physical planetarium near you.
We were sick at the time so we weren’t able to take a physical field trip but plan to visit the Air and Space Museum. And since we were recovering, we took the opportunity to play the Professor Noggins Outer Space game. You can find a full list of books and resources for the Moon Mission unit study here.
Extend this activity: If you have access to a telescope, spend an evening stargazing and identifying constellations and planets. You can also create your own star map as a fun art project, pinpointing what you see in your own backyard.
6. Creative Writing: Becoming an Astronaut
After all our exploration and discovery, I asked my kids to write a short story about what they would do if they were astronauts on a mission to the moon. This exercise sparked their imaginations and let them incorporate what they had learned from The Secret Explorers book and our unit study. My youngest is only 5 so he narrated his story to me and I wrote it down for him but my oldest was able to write hers.
Extend this activity: Challenge older kids to research real astronauts and write a biographical report, or for younger learners, encourage them to illustrate their story.
With these activities and ideas, you can easily extend your Moon Mission unit study over several weeks or pack in plenty of activities for an immersive, one-week space adventure. The best part is that your kids will not only have fun but also walk away with a deeper understanding of space, the moon, and what it takes to be an explorer—whether here on Earth or out in the stars!
If you and your children dive into this unit study, I’d love to see what you come up with! Feel free to tag us on Instagram at @herolds.at.home and share your out-of-this-world creations.
Happy homeschooling! 🌕
