Moon Phases Crossword Puzzle

The moon phases crossword puzzle is a fun way for kids to review the stages of the lunar cycle and some of the trickier vocabulary that goes with them.

When my son was first learning the phases, he often mixed up waxing and waning. Working through the crossword clues helped him connect terms such as crescent, gibbous, new moon, and full moon with what they actually mean.

This free printable includes the crossword puzzle and an answer key, making it an easy addition to a moon or space science unit at home or in the classroom.

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What’s Included in the Moon Crossword

This free printable crossword puzzle gives kids a fun way to review the lunar cycle while practicing important science vocabulary.

The puzzle covers terms including new moon, full moon, first quarter, waxing, waning, gibbous, crescent, and lunar eclipse, and comes with an answer sheet for quick checking.

Across clues

• The phase when the entire face of the moon is visible (Full moon)
• The phase when the moon is not visible from Earth (New moon)
• What occurs when the Earth’s shadow falls on the moon (Lunar eclipse)
• The phase when more than half of the moon is visible but not yet full (Waxing gibbous)
• The phase when half of the moon is visible; there are two of these each cycle (Quarter moon)

Down clues

• The term used when the visible part of the moon is shrinking (Waning)
• The phase that comes after the new moon, when the right half is visible (First quarter)
• The term used when the visible part of the moon is growing (Waxing)
• The phase when a small sliver of the moon is visible (Crescent moon)

This crossword works well as a review activity, homework assignment, or science center task, giving students a hands-on way to connect definitions with the visual moon phases.

More Solar System Worksheets

Keep exploring the lunar cycle with these solar system worksheets and space activities. The moon resources work particularly well alongside the crossword for reinforcing the phases and key vocabulary.

• Moon phases worksheets – Learn and identify the eight phases of the moon with printable activities covering the complete lunar cycle.
• Moon phases word search – Reinforce terms from the crossword with a simple vocabulary puzzle focused on the phases of the moon.
• If I Were an Astronaut writing activity – Encourage kids to imagine a trip into space while adding some creative writing to a science unit.
• Planet coloring pages – Introduce the planets with coloring activities that work especially well for younger learners.

Get Your Free Moon Crossword Printable Here!

If you don’t see the form below, click here to get the free printable PDF.

Last Updated on 4 September 2026 by Clare Brown