Preschool Eclipse Activities

I’m so happy to have these eclipse activities ready for you! Little ones can struggle with these kinds of special events because they just don’t have the frame of reference to understand why they’re a big deal to the adults in their lives AND what is actually happening. The eclipse activities that I’ve put together will help work through both of those challenges in a way that is developmentally appropriate, while also supporting the other work that they’ve been doing throughout the year.

I firmly believe that none of us can truly understand any topic if we don’t have the vocabulary to discuss it with others. Vocabulary cards like these are an excellent place to start. Introducing them gives you the opportunity to see if children are already familiar with the word, or if it needs more explanation.

These are perfect for writing centers and activities. This set includes the words total eclipse, partial eclipse, sun, moon, path of totality, eclipse glasses, rocket, comet, stars, galaxy, and shooting star.

This set also includes a set of cards that has pictures and spaces for children to practice spelling the vocabulary words with letter tiles. You could also use the second set to have each child write in the words themselves to create their own vocabulary card set.

Classroom decorations are such an easy way to create excitement for a special day. These are printable, so you can get them ready any time, and make as many copies as you like. This set includes everything that you need for an eclipse celebration. It includes a “Hello Eclipse” bunting banner, door hanging decoration, two different treat bag topper designs, and a multi-page eclipse timeline. 

There are so many different ways to practice language and writing skills, and the activities in this set offer a little bit of everything! These pages offer opportunities for children to hypothesize, examine what they already know, plan ahead, and get creative while expressing their understanding of an eclipse, and what the experience might be like. Use these in the days leading up to the event, and afterwards, in order to assess knowledge and areas for further exploration. They also require NO PREP, which is always a win!

Math doesn’t always mean counting and numbers, include some math in your eclipse activities with this set. Practice spatial and visual awareness, problem solving, and teamwork with these sequencing activities that can be done individually or in small groups. These are easy to prep and take very little explanation, making them excellent options for centers and individual exploration.

The following activities are included:

• Eclipse Timeline Sequencing – Put the eclipse images in the order that they will occur! Children can use the numbered cards to help sequence these, or the cards without numbers to really strengthen their visual recognition skills.
• Number Sequencing Puzzles – Practice number sequencing in order to complete a puzzle. Print these images on cardstock and cut the stripes apart to create a puzzle. Children can complete the numbered puzzles or the puzzles without numbers
• Space Shapes Size Sequencing – Compare the images on each card to determine which is the largest, which is the smallest, and where all of the images in between fit in the sequence. This could even be a game for two players to see who can put their sequence in order first!

I’ve written a few social stories, and they are quickly becoming my favorite resources because they are helpful for so many different situations. Social stories are designed to give children a script that they can follow in very specific situations. This story helps children understand what it will be like to experience an eclipse and begins conversation about steps that you all can take to protect your eyes during the event. A total eclipse doesn’t happen often and young children will notice that the adults around them are reacting to it in many different ways. This story will help them begin to understand why.

All of the materials I’ve shared are available in my TPT Store individually, but you can also save a little money (and time!) and purchase them in a bundle. That is available HERE!

I used my Galaxy Eclipse clipart set when making all of these materials. That is also available on TPT or in my Etsy Shop.