Christmas Astronomy Activities for Kids

Our 5 days of Christmas science projects continue with Christmas astronomy activities! Turn your eyes to the sky and dig deep into the mystery of the Christmas Star, see what Christmas looks like on Mars, and explore the phases of the moon this December. You can enjoy some more unusual Christmas activities throughout this 5 day Christmas science countdown series!

CHRISTMAS SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

You may be thinking that there is not much that astronomy has to do with Christmas, but there is! While our modern view of Christmas has become all about glittery trees, candy canes, gingerbread houses, and presents…

The real Christmas is about Christ, and it all started with the Christmas Star! But did you know about the mystery that surrounds the Christmas Star?

Also, read on to explore the moon and Mars this Christmas season…

ASTRONOMY ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS

1. THE CHRISTMAS STAR

The Christmas Star or the Star of Bethlehem as it is also known is a significant symbol of the Christmas season. Everywhere you look you can see stars hang up and decorating Christmas trees.

It originates from the account of a star appearing in the night sky that lead 3 wise men or kings to Jesus after he was born. These distinguished foreigners came bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Was that first Christmas star real? The origins of the Christmas star are regarded as a scientific mystery to both physicists and astronomers. Was this “star” a meteor, comet, super nova or nova, or planetary conjunction? Read more here. Find out what explanation astronomers think is most plausible for this amazing phenomenon!

2. CHRISTMAS AT THE MOON

Another fun Christmas astronomy documentary is Apollo 8: Christmas at the Moon. Follow the events of the historic Apollo 8 voyage in this fascinating documentary. Christmas At The Moon includes insights from both NASA’s behind the scenes workers and the astronauts who partook in NASA’s second voyage to space.

3. CHRISTMAS ON MARS

With the recent landing of the Mars rover InSight, it’s a great time to explore what Christmas will be like on Mars one day.

If the Mars One mission becomes a reality, in 2027, a team of 4 humans will spend their first Christmas on Mars. What will it be like? Since Mars is tilted on its axis like the Earth, the planet does have seasons. Winter lasts 4 months, while summer lasts 6 months. However, the summer months are still very cold and may not top -4 F, so you can imagine how cold winter probably gets!

For more information about winter on Mars, read through this article with your kids.

4. MOON PHASES FOR KIDS

If you want to extend your astronomy learning, go ahead and explore the phases of the moon this month with our printable pack. You can also have the kids learn how to say moon in other languages too (perfect to pair with Christmas Around The World).

Christmas Astronomy Activities for Kids