Learning and Development: Trip to the Moon: Blast off!

The Early Years Foundation Stage emphasises the importance of fostering creative and critical thinking in children. Activities that involve a step away from reality and require children to suspend their disbelief will encourage curiosity and develop the imagination.

The very nature of outer space is awe-inspiring to young children and almost certain to grab their attention. However, the difficult concepts involved in understanding it make it a tricky subject to teach.

A pretend trip to the moon can stimulate a child's imagination and help them to consider what it might feel like to fly in a space shuttle, become weightless and look back at the Earth from outer space.

At First Tower Primary School in St Helier, Jersey, we sent letters to parents explaining that the children were about to embark on a voyage to the moon and would be in need of spacesuits. This was an ideal opportunity to involve parents by asking them to work with their children to make a suit at home.

We suggested low-cost ideas such as a pair of white trousers accompanied by a white polo shirt or jumper. These could then be accessorised with a tinfoil-covered box as a backpack and round papier mache space helmet. If parents would like to be more creative they could spray Wellington boots silver or use a white pillowcase to create a tunic, and help their children use fabric pens to add detail.

Before the launch

In the weeks running up to the launch we showed the children images of space shuttle launches on the interactive whiteboard. We reflected on children's experiences of travelling in different vehicles and asked them to imagine the force of the rockets thrusting.

We looked at some pictures of astronauts floating around inside a space shuttle outside of the Earth's atmosphere and discussed what it would mean to be weightless. We also studied photographs of the 1969 moon landing and imagined what it would be like to walk on the moon. This was further explored during our music and movement sessions.

The children used information books to find out more about the role of astronauts and how they are able to travel around on the moon's surface. They collected pictures of moon buggies (lunar roving vehicles) and used large cardboard boxes to make their own buggies for the impending mission.

We blocked as much light as possible out of the school hall by using black sugar paper to cover windows without curtains. Pieces of black paper with star shapes cut out of them were placed on overhead projectors and used to shine stars on the walls. Holst's 'The Planets' was played on CD in the background.

A laptop and projector were set up in the middle of the hall and used to project an image of the Earth we found on the internet. This was to help the children imagine what it would be like to look back at our planet from the surface of the moon. Finally, the children's space buggies were put in place.

Mission day

On the morning of the mission the children arrived in a throng of excitement. Their costumes were fantastic - Wellington boots covered in tinfoil, backpacks made with pop bottles taped together, large square boxes on their heads. It was clear that both the parents and the children had already had a great deal of fun.

A space shuttle able to carry eight to ten children was constructed from classroom chairs in the corridor and the children 'flew' one group at a time to the moon. We sat in the spacecraft and fastened our imaginary seatbelts, pulling the harness down over our shoulders. We commenced the countdown and held on to our chairs, the speed of the launch making us jump up and down in our seats.

Once the shuttle had left the Earth's atmosphere, we took off our seatbelts and imagined we could float around the craft. A short while later it was announced that we were landing very soon. Everyone checked their helmets, grabbed the hand of a friend and ran down the corridor, through the hall door and landed on the moon.

There was a mixture of reactions from the children. Some gasped, others shouted out and a couple just stood and looked around them. We stepped back to give them some time to explore the environment and take in their surroundings.

We also allowed the children freedom for role play and using the space buggies they had made. Some wandered over to the overhead projectors and used the light to make shadows. One child who has Down's syndrome was fascinated with the stars and spent most of his time touching the walls. Another sat staring at some stars that were moving in time with the curtain they were projected on.

After a while we began to question the children about what they could see. We asked them to imagine they were moonwalking, and how it might feel to be light and bouncy. We asked them if it was cold on the moon; were their space suits warm enough, and what might happen if they removed their helmets? We asked how the music made them feel and wondered if it would be better with the music switched off?

Perhaps the most powerful exercise was the projected image of the Earth. It was explained that this is what the planet looks like to astronauts when they are in space. This really helped to illustrate how the planets are spherical in shape. We later followed this up examining a globe and comparing it to a map of the world. This had a lasting effect upon the children.

- Marianne Sargent is an early years education lecturer at Leeds Metropolitan University. She previously worked as a foundation stage teacher at maintained schools in Jersey and England.

FURTHER IDEAS

- Decorate tricycles to turn them into lunar vehicles

- Stick hoops to the floor with tape or use tyres to represent craters

- Place rocks of different sizes around the room to represent moon rock

- Ask the children to create large-scale aliens using junk, and put them on the moon

- Investigate astronaut food - for example, noodles and soups that need water added

- Find out how astronauts go to the toilet

Areas of Learning and Development

- Begin to use talk to pretend imaginary situations

- Investigate objects and materials using all of their senses, as appropriate

- Ask questions about why things happen and how things work

- Find out about and identify the uses of everyday technology

- Respond in a variety of ways to what they see, hear, touch and feel

- Explore shape, form and space in three dimensions

- Move with confidence, imagination and in safety

Safety notes

Ensure the children understand how hot the lightbulb in some overhead projectors can become. Before the activity we spent time showing them how the projectors work and explaining why they must not touch the bulbs.

The large amount of electrical equipment meant that there were many wires involved. We covered these to prevent anyone tripping over them in the dark.