Draw 15 circles with a line under each one for the date and time of your observation. If you are using white paper and pencil, draw a circle for each observation and then use the pencil to shade in the part of the moon that is not visible on a given night. If you are using black paper, you will draw circles and then color in the part of the moon that is visible with a white crayon.
Prompt the child to make predictions without correcting the predictions. Ask such questions as, "Is the moon always in the sky?" and "Can we see the moon during the day?" Record the predictions to see if the observations will validate them.
Choose a day and time to begin your observations. For convenience, choose a time when the moon is visible during the day or early evening.
Teach vocabulary that is appropriate for the age of your child. You may want to identify a new moon (completely black), a waxing moon (the visible part is growing larger each night), a waning moon (the visible part is growing smaller each night), a gibbous moon (more than half of the moon is visible) and a crescent moon (less than half of the moon is visible).
Make your observations at the same place and time each day. Prompt the child to draw the moon exactly as he observes it.