Science · Colouring and labelling worksheet
Phases of the Moon Worksheet (Free KS2 Science Printable)
This free printable worksheet supports the Year 5 Science topic Earth and space, helping children name and order the main phases of the Moon and link the Moon's changing appearance to its orbit around the Earth. The single line illustration shows the cycle as a ring of eight Moons for children to colour and label.
It prints cleanly onto one A4 page and works well as a lesson starter, a homework task or a quiet revision activity. A word bank is included so children can label the phases with confidence, and the answers are listed below the worksheet for the adult who is supporting them.
Phases of the Moon
Free Science worksheet · Ages 9 to 11
Activity 1
Colour in only the lit part of each Moon in the ring. Leave the shadowed side white so you can see how much of the Moon we would see from Earth at each stage.
- Colour the lit part of each Moon yellow.
- Leave the shadowed side of each Moon white.
- Colour the fully lit Moon all the way round to show a full Moon.
Activity 2
Look at how much of each Moon is lit. Write the correct phase name next to each Moon using the word bank. Then number the Moons 1 to 8 to show the order of the cycle, starting with the new Moon.
The Moon shows no lit side at all.
A thin sliver of light is growing on the right.
Exactly half of the Moon is lit and the lit part is growing.
More than half is lit and still growing towards full.
The whole face of the Moon is lit.
More than half is lit but the light is now shrinking.
Exactly half of the Moon is lit and the lit part is shrinking.
Only a thin sliver of light is left before the next new Moon.
Phases of the Moonowee.worldAnswer key
- The Moon shows no lit side at all. — New Moon
- A thin sliver of light is growing on the right. — Waxing crescent
- Exactly half of the Moon is lit and the lit part is growing. — First quarter
- More than half is lit and still growing towards full. — Waxing gibbous
- The whole face of the Moon is lit. — Full Moon
- More than half is lit but the light is now shrinking. — Waning gibbous
- Exactly half of the Moon is lit and the lit part is shrinking. — Last quarter
- Only a thin sliver of light is left before the next new Moon. — Waning crescent
What this worksheet covers
The worksheet focuses on the four most important ideas in the Year 5 'Earth and space' unit: that the Moon orbits the Earth roughly once a month, that we always see the same side of the Moon, that the Moon does not make its own light but reflects light from the Sun, and that the portion we see lit up changes as the Moon moves around us. Children colour the lit part of each Moon, then use the word bank to name the eight stages of the cycle. The task moves from the concrete (shading and colouring) to the abstract (sequencing and naming), which mirrors how the National Curriculum expects pupils to build understanding of space.
The eight phases, in order
The lunar cycle is usually described in eight stages: new Moon (we see no lit side), waxing crescent, first quarter (half lit, growing), waxing gibbous, full Moon (fully lit), waning gibbous, last quarter (half lit, shrinking) and waning crescent. 'Waxing' means the lit part is growing each night; 'waning' means it is shrinking. 'Gibbous' describes a Moon that is more than half lit but not yet full. The complete cycle from one new Moon to the next takes about 29.5 days, which is why we often round it to 'about a month'.
Why the Moon appears to change shape
It helps children to know that the Moon itself is not changing shape, and that the phases have nothing to do with the Earth's shadow (that is a lunar eclipse, which is rare). One half of the Moon is always lit by the Sun. As the Moon orbits the Earth, we view that lit half from different angles, so we see different amounts of it. When the Moon is between the Earth and the Sun we see its unlit side (new Moon); when the Earth sits between the Moon and the Sun we see the whole lit side (full Moon). A simple home demonstration with a torch and a ball can make this very clear before children attempt the worksheet.
How to get the most from it
Encourage children to colour in only the part of each Moon that is lit and leave the shadowed part white, which reinforces the idea that we are looking at light, not shape. Once coloured, ask them to put the eight Moons in order around the ring and label each one using the word bank. As an extension, older or more confident pupils can be asked to explain in a sentence why a full Moon looks fully lit, linking their answer back to the position of the Earth, Moon and Sun. Pairing the worksheet with a few nights of real Moon-watching makes the learning stick.
Frequently asked questions
What are the eight phases of the Moon in order?
The eight phases are new Moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full Moon, waning gibbous, last quarter and waning crescent. The cycle then repeats, taking about 29.5 days from one new Moon to the next.
Is this worksheet suitable for the KS2 Earth and space topic?
Yes. It is written for Year 5 Science and directly supports the National Curriculum objective to describe the movement of the Moon relative to the Earth. It also suits Year 6 revision of the same topic.
Why does the Moon change shape during the month?
The Moon does not actually change shape. One half is always lit by the Sun, and as the Moon orbits the Earth we see that lit half from different angles, so the amount we can see appears to grow and shrink across the month.
What do waxing and waning mean?
Waxing means the lit part of the Moon we can see is growing larger each night, between new Moon and full Moon. Waning means it is shrinking, between full Moon and the next new Moon.
Is this Moon phases worksheet free to print?
Yes. It is completely free to download and print. It is designed to fit on a single A4 page so it is easy to use at home or in the classroom.
Curriculum links
- Year 5 Science, Earth and space: describe the movement of the Moon relative to the Earth.
- Year 5 Science, Earth and space: describe the Sun, Earth and Moon as approximately spherical bodies.
- Year 5 Science, Earth and space: use the idea of the Earth's rotation to explain day and night and the apparent movement of the Sun across the sky.
- Working scientifically (Years 5 to 6): record data and results using scientific diagrams and labels.
- Working scientifically (Years 5 to 6): report and present findings, including explanations of results, in oral and written forms.
Made by The Owee education team. Updated 02/06/2026. Free to print and share.
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