My favorite thing to do every night is to look up at the sky to see the stars and the moon. Something is awe-inspiring about thinking about one’s future while peering up at the night sky.
I recall being pregnant with my eldest daughter in 2017, sitting and staring at the moon and stars during a Halloween party at my boyfriend’s house. I was alone, away from the crowd, and I voiced my hopes and dreams for her as I looked at the night sky. Peering at the moon, reminiscing, and thinking about the future is something I still do as a mom of three when I need a refresh from the child-led chaos once they’re all in bed.
Here are 22 cartoons about the moon you can watch with your kids before bedtime. Don’t forget to do your own exploration with your kids by trying to find constellations and observing the lunar phase right from your backyard.
A Trip To the Moon (Season 3, Episode 21) From Peppa Pig
Peppa and her friends take a trip to a museum to learn about rockets and astronauts. They think the moon is made of cheese. They take an imaginary rocket to the moon, and the friends discover it’s not made of cheese. Peppa and the gang also learn that astronauts need space suits to explore the moon’s atmosphere safely.
What Kids Will Learn from “A Trip to the Moon”: Kids will explore the moon’s surface and learn how to equip for a space trip properly. Little ones will also learn simple space facts, such as the fact that there’s no air on the moon, which is why space suits are needed.
Space Mission (Season 3, Episode 9) From Pocoyo
Pocoyo and his friends go on a pretend space exploration mission. The friends identify the moon, stars, sun, and planets during their journey. Along the way, they “crash land” and find their new baby alien friend’s parents.
What Kids Will Learn from “Space Mission”: Imaginative play about space exploration helps kids learn more about planets, comets, and other phenomena beyond planet Earth. This is one of the cartoons about the moon that shows humans have visited the moon before.
Star Catcher (Season 4, Episode 1) From Dora the Explorer
Dora and Boots go on a journey to bring a list star (estrella) back to the moon where it belongs. They sing songs about outer space as they encounter constellations in the night sky. The little star is eventually reunited with its family near the moon.
What Kids Will Learn from “Star Catcher”: Children will learn that the moon is one part of the night sky that’s also decorated with stars that form constellations. I remember my eldest daughter learning about constellations this year in first grade. She told her teacher that her favorite constellation was Orion.
Darington to the Moon (Season 2, Episode 8) From Blaze and the Monster Machines
Darington dreams of performing a moon jump. Blaze wants to help his friend achieve his dream, so he utilizes his physics knowledge to make it happen. Blaze and Darington learn why gravity is important on Earth and why less of it on the moon.
What Kids Will Learn from “Darington to the Moon”: Kids learn that special technology is required to travel to space. The basic facts of gravity will help them understand the science of why there is more gravity on Earth than on the moon.
Mickey’s Comet (Season 2, Episode 24) From Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
Mickey and his friends observe a comet with their telescope. They are amazed to discover that the moon continues its orbit slowly and steadily while comets soar through the sky. The portable telescope starts to fall down the hill until the team uses a mouseketool to keep it in place as they observe the comet.
What Kids Will Learn from “Mickey’s Comet”: Kids will learn about the different celestial bodies in the sky, including the moon, stars, comets, and constellations. They will also learn more about a tool used to observe these celestial bodies: the telescope.
I remember having one as a child and how much fun it was to see the night sky so up close. I’m thinking about getting one for my kids. The stars are easy to see in our rural, small-town community, where we live in South Jersey.
Little Bear Goes To the Moon (Season 1, Episode 1c) From Little Bear
This Little Bear episode is one of the cartoons about the moon that holds the most nostalgia for me. He makes a cardboard space hat and takes an imaginative trip to the moon. He tries taking off to the moon by jumping and rolling down a hill in the forest. Little Bear gets dizzy from doing this, which mimics the lighter gravity of being on the moon. Thinking that he is on the moon, he finds his way back home, where Mother Bear plays along.
What Kids Will Learn from “Little Bear Goes to the Moon”: Children are encouraged to use their imagination to wonder what life could be like on the moon. Imaginative play, combined with current knowledge, helps young children unlock new discoveries.
I plan to have my kids participate in an activity on International Moon Day, where they walk while wearing pretend space helmets. This imaginative activity can mimic the low gravity on the moon.
Franklin in the Stars (Season 1, Episode 25) From Franklin and Friends
Franklin and Bear have recently been learning about constellations at school. His newfound fascination with the night sky makes him wish he could take a trip through space. As the friends go on a backyard campout, Franklin imagines taking a pretend trip to the moon to see the surrounding stars.
What Kids Will Learn from “Franklin in the Stars”: Kids will learn that the moons and stars are companions in the nighttime sky. Imaginative space exploration is combined with real knowledge. Children are inspired to examine the sky, ask questions, and learn from others about outer space.
Light In the Sky (Season 1, Episode 1) From Pajanimals
The Pajanimals feel nervous when they notice a glowing light in the sky as night falls. Luna the Moon reassures them that she’s there to watch over them during the night. This reassurance helps the Pajanimals to continue their night and have a restful sleep.
What Kids Will Learn from “Light In the Sky”: Children will learn that the moon has a recurring presence in the sky. For kids who are afraid of the dark, the moon can almost act like a nightlight. My eldest daughter is seven and is afraid of the dark, but the moonlight doesn’t help her. I have to provide her with a nightlight so she can sleep peacefully without worrying.
How Come The Moon Changes Shape? (Season 1, Episode 6) From Ready Jet Go!
Jet Propulsion and the gang discuss why the moon changes shape throughout the month. They examine models and provide each other with simple and easy-to-understand explanations for the group to explore lunar phases.
What Kids Will Learn from “How Come the Moon Changes Shape?” Kids will learn about lunar phases, such as how the moon waxes and wanes. A new moon is fully black while a full moon is entirely lit. I remember learning lunar phases in middle school. My class had to shade what the moon looked like each night for a month. It was the most fun science project I ever did.
In Search of Space Monkeys (Season 11, Episode 4) From Curious George
Curious George gets his very own solar system and wonders what it’d be like to travel to outer space. He puts it away for the night and falls asleep, dreaming of a spacebound adventure with his friends to find space monkeys. The crew runs out of fuel and must figure out how to get home.
What Kids Will Learn from “In Search of Space Monkeys”: Kids learn about basic science concepts related to the solar system. The episode also explores the problem-solving skills needed to conquer a tough challenge. It also encourages curiosity in learning more about the moon, sun, and other planets and celestial bodies in the solar system.
Sid’s Amazing Moon Mission (Season 2, Episode 16) From Sid the Science Kid
Sid learns about space travel in school during a special lesson on the moon. He discovers what astronauts must do to journey to the moon and what special equipment is needed, such as space suits. Sid and the gang collaborate to share their current knowledge and learn new concepts about space travel.
What Kids Will Learn from “Sid’s Amazing Moon Mission”: Kids can discover what a real space mission involves. Young minds will explore scientific concepts about the moon’s surface and gravity. I started showing my eldest daughter Sid the Science Kid when she was only 3 years old, and we would do follow-up science activities after some episodes. This was around the time we were home during the COVID pandemic, and I was looking for engaging at-home activities to do with her. We haven’t reached this Moon episode yet, but I plan to resume our old tradition of follow-up activities after watching the timeless adventures of Sid the Science Kid.
Moon (Season 2, Episode 4) From Storybots: Answer Time
An astronaut phones the Storybots and informs them of what they need for a space adventure. However, she wonders why the moon constantly changes shape. The Storybots tell the kids watching about how the moon is a large rock orbiting Earth. Using relatable humor and fun songs, the Storybots think about the moon’s craters and show why it shines at night.
What Kids Will Learn from “What Is the Moon?”: Kids will have a better understanding of the moon’s relationship with Earth and its role in the night sky. They will also learn basic concepts about how the moon’s orbit around Earth is the reason for its changing shape.
Umi Space Heroes (Season 4, Episode 18) From Team Umizoomi
The Umi team receives a distress call from a friend exploring space and prepares for takeoff to go help. They navigate the planets throughout the solar system and eventually discover their friend on the moon.
What Kids Will Learn from “Umi Space Heroes”: Little ones learn more than the basic concepts of solar system exploration and moon studies. They also discover how teamwork and cooperation can help them overcome challenges.
Lunar Jim: A Whole Series About Moon Exploration
Lunar Jim was a cartoon series centered on the titular character and his robot friends, who solve small problems at the moon base in each episode. Every one of the 46 episodes (92 mini-episodes altogether) explores the moon’s surface, moon dust, and what lunar living is like.
What Kids Will Learn from “Lunar Jim”: Kids learn about what it’s like to live in space and what future moon colonies will be like. Evaluating lunar geology helps expand human knowledge of how the moon and other celestial bodies formed.
Space Mission: Selfie (Season 1, Episode 9) From the Magic School Bus Rides Again
Ms. Frizzle takes a trip to outer space for the most awesome spacebound selfie. The kids learn about moon rocks, space suit functions, and the differences in gravity between space and Earth. The collaborative efforts of all the students’ inputs help the class learn about the solar system along the way and achieve their ultimate goal of taking a moon selfie.
What Kids Will Learn from “Space Mission: Selfie”: Children watching this episode can understand more about the moon’s surface and conditions. They can also understand why the difference in gravity and lack of air on the moon are reasons space suits are needed.
Baby Shark’s Space Adventure
Baby Shark and his friends sing songs during their space adventures. They stop on the moon to explore, learning about its shape, craters, and distance from Earth through singing and dancing. Along the way, they help bring Pinkfong back home by collecting different parts of a star that powers his spaceship. They also envision fictional planets, such as an ocean planet and a planet inhabited by dinosaurs.
What Kids Will Learn from “Baby Shark’s Space Adventure”: Young toddlers and grade school children will learn basic moon facts that are easy to remember through fun and catchy songs.
It’s crazy because my eldest daughter used to watch ‘Baby Shark’ when she was 2 to 5 years old. My only son is now three years old and enjoys watching “Baby Shark.” My now 7-year-old eldest daughter can barely stand to hear the “Baby Shark” theme song. Oh my, how they grow up so fast!
The Space Friends (Season 3, Episode 20) From Molang
Extraterrestrial creatures teleport Molang and his baby chick friend, Piu Piu, to the moon. The creatures are fascinated by how the bunny and his chick friend laugh, so they want to get to know them more. These alien-like creatures are space versions of bunnies who bring them in front of a class of other alien bunnies to demonstrate how they laugh in different scenarios.
What Kids Will Learn from “The Space Friends”: While there is not much immersive exploration of the moon in this cartoon episode, it’s creative with the thought of possible alien life up there. The imaginative play of what could happen during a moon visit can open children’s minds to the unknown, which can be explored beyond what they already know.
Little Bear’s Wish (Season 1, Episode 5) From Little Bear
Little Bear is preparing for bed and discusses with Mother Bear how he wishes to take a trip to the moon to see the stars. Mother Bear suggests closing his eyes and pretending he is on a cloud floating through the night sky. He begins his pretend adventure and falls out of the sky. He embarks on other wishful adventures, such as visiting Vikings and seeing a Chinese princess. Mother Bear retells his wishes in a cumulative bedtime story after Little Bear wishes she could tell him one.
What Kids Will Learn from “Little Bear’s Wish”: While only for a short time in the episode, kids will be immersed in a dreamy celestial exploration. Ultimately, little ones will learn that imagination is everything when it comes to learning new ideas and concepts about the world.
Timmy Finds Aliens (Season 3, Episode 18) From Timmy Time
Timmy and his friends create a moonscape collage that features tiny green aliens. Finlay tried to playfully trick Tinny into thinking that aliens landed in the nursery. Harriet and Osbourne assist with the prank.
What Kids Will Learn from “Timmy Finds Aliens”: Art can inspire learning, even if it’s something as imaginative as aliens on the moon. My daughter loves art and drawing, whether real scenes or imaginary creatures, which is a great blend of education and artistic exploration.
Full Moon (Season 4, Episode 3) From Hey Arnold!
Arnold and his friends hang out one night, sharing spooky stories about how the moon got its glow. They also discuss what their cultures believe about moon folklore.
What Kids Will Learn from “Full Moon”: Learning about the moon goes beyond just the scientific basis of its surface and gravity. There are also cultural ties to moon knowledge that enhance a more personal understanding based on where you have come from.
Honorable Mentions of Cartoons Featuring Moons
Here are some honorable mentions of cartoons featuring regular appearances from a moon character.
Hey, Millennials! Do you remember Bear in the Big Blue House (1997)? Bear would talk to Luna the Moon at the end of every episode to reflect on his day before going to bed. I loved this part of every episode because I was fascinated with the moon as a young child.
Let’s Go Luna! features the titular main character and her friends, Leo, Andy, and Carmen. She guides these three earth-bound companions on journeys through different countries by discussing local culture, food fare, and other pertinent traditions.
