How Do Craters Form?

Help kiddos discover the science behind craters with this fun activity.
​Prep:
*Fill pie plate with 1 1/2 inches of flour. 
*Spread sprinkles evenly over the flour. 
* Dust with cocoa powder 

​Procedure :
Prior to experimenting, show your kiddos photos of the moon and have them describe what they see. Explain that the different colors of the moon's surface are different landforms. The small, dark circles are "old craters or bowl-like impressions; the bright spots are "new" craters.

Materials:
*​round cake pan or pie plate *flour
*cocoa powder *sprinkles *paper plate
*small rocks, cotton balls, other round objects
*grey & white paints ​ *moon photos

1) Choose an object to conduct your experiment with. Hold it 6-12 inches above the pie plate.
2) Drop (do not throw) object onto the surface of the pan. Examine the depression that forms. Notice the different colors and how they spread. This is what happens on the moon when space obejcts crash onto its surface. Underground materials "splash" to the surface.

​3) Choose another object and repeat this process. How is this crater different? Is it bigger? Deeper? Why?

​4) Redo the test with the first object, this time dropping it from a different height. What happened? Is the crater different size? Why?
5) What happens if you toss an object from a side angle? How does the crater change? What happens to all the under-the-surface materials? Keep exploring until the surface of your pan resembles the surface of our moon.
6) Then have your kiddos document their observations on a paper plate using cotton balls dipped in grey and white paints. 
7) Compare their "moon" to photos of our moon.