Imagining the Moon

I’m excited about the full moon on Thursday, November 6!  The weather is finally nice and cool here in Florida, and because of Daylight Savings Time, we have more time to spend outside gazing at the moon in the evening before bedtime.  You see, my daughter has had a fascination with the moon since she could talk.  In fact, it was one of her first words.  Maybe the moon appeals to her because we have several moon-related storybooks that I read to her before she goes to bed, or maybe she has a natural curiosity for what’s up in the sky.  Either way, she gets very excited when she sees the moon and disappointed when she doesn’t.  We have to say the moon is resting or playing peek-a-boo behind the clouds when she can’t find it.  Nevertheless, if we are outside day or night, I can guarantee that my daughter has searched the sky for the moon.

For months now, my daughter has been talking about going to the moon.  She’s even going to take her friends there with her in a rocket ship or two.  I think she’s going to take her mommy and daddy too.  She’s tried to jump there, but says, “It’s too far away.”  And she loves it when her daddy and I make up stories about her going to the moon and everything she will find there.  I often wonder if Neil Armstrong and other astronauts had similar thoughts as children.  Yet, it seems the moon has captivated people since ancient history.  There are many myths about the moon, ranging from it being a god or goddess to the story of the man in the moon.  There’s folklore about the moon’s effects on fertility as well as a belief that one feels more pain during a full moon.  Ancient cultures built pyramids and temples to honor the moon.  Even in pop culture today, everyone knows about werewolves during a full moon. 

The word lunacy is derived from the Roman goddess Luna and is often used to describe the strange way animals behave during a full moon.  However, if you take a closer look at these animals, you’ll find that their behaviors are really quite practical.  Some animals tend to be more active during a full moon while others are less active.  A full moon creates a very bright night sky.  If an animal relies on sight to hunt, all of a sudden during a full moon, the prey becomes a lot easier to see.  For example, nightjars are much more productive at catching insects during a full moon.  Likewise, some nocturnal primates will actually shift to a diurnal schedule during the new moon phase (when the moon is not illuminated by the sun) because they are better at catching food when there is light to help them see.  Since bats do not rely on sight to hunt, they actually decrease their activity during full moons because they are more likely to be seen by predators.  The full moon affects animals in other ways too.  The brighter the moon, the easier it is for baby sea turtles to follow it (or its reflection) into the water after hatching.  Unfortunately, a full moon also brings out more people to the beach, which can deter adult sea turtles from coming on shore to lay their eggs.  Even corals in the ocean pay attention to the moon’s phases.  At certain times during the year under a full moon, many corals spawn.  This synchronized release of eggs and sperm ensures greater success for future generations of coral.  Even your pet dog or cat may linger outside longer during a full moon.  Both animals require some light to see, and when the moon provides that, evening walks become more enjoyable.

To help nurture my daughter’s desire to go to the moon, we often talk about how she is going to get there, what she might find, as well as that she needs to learn from her teachers and do well in school to learn enough to go to the moon one day.  Of course taking a class in astrophysics is a long way off; but at her age, I decided we can work on her imagination.  I drew a large round circle on a piece of paper.  I told her it was the moon.  I asked her to use her imagination and tell me what she might find on the moon.  At 2 ½, she isn’t much of an artist.  So I thought I would help her by drawing whatever she said she might find on the moon.  Her eyes sparkled as I drew the things she described.  I could see she was excited about seeing her imagination develop on paper.  This is a fun and simple activity that you can do with whatever interests your child that may not be tangible.  You don’t have to be an artist either.  It will just make your child so proud that you can help put items from his or her imagination on paper.  So gaze at the moon and let your child’s imagination expand!