What solar projects can you let your kids do?
- Light box – a box your kids can use to play with light and shadows.
- Solar oven – a DIY oven your kids can use to “cook” foods like s’mores.
Aside from science classes, there’s another marvelous way of letting your kids learn more about solar energy, the sun, and the Philippines’ place in the solar system–that is, through enjoyable solar projects.
This kind of activities is fantastic. Not only will the children be learning about multitudes of things (and in a hands-on way, at that), they’ll also be having fun in the process!
It’s good to let them learn about the wonders of the sun as early as plausible. They’re never too young to discover what the sun can do, how it has helped us across different eras, and how it provides us with a renewable supply of energy.
Here are 2 fun solar projects that you can introduce to the kids:
Source: True Aim
Light Box
Want to do something fun with your kids in your own home? Do this solar project that will surely introduce your kids to the sun’s impressive abilities.
Here are some of the ingredients you will need:
- Carton box
- Plastic water bottles
- Duct tape
- Scissors
Some additional materials are:
- Paint
- Paint brushes
- Food coloring
- Bleach
- Foil
- Cups
Here’s how you do it:
- Have the kids paint the exterior of the box. Let their creativity run wild!
- Fill the plastic bottles with water. To make it more interesting, you can add a few drops of food coloring to some of them. Add some bleach to the liquid mixture if you’ll be keeping these bottles around for a bit longer.
- Trace the bottles on top of the box. Mark the shape, and then start cutting the holes.
- For sunlight to reflect better, you can choose to put some foil on top of the box.
- Cut a hole on the side of the box. This is where the kids will be viewing the bottles.
- Position the bottles on the holes, and let the kids take a peek! You can put some cups on top of the bottle, to further play with shadows and light.
Source: A-to-Z of Homeschooling
Solar Oven
This project is a favorite in summer camps. After all, it only needs a few items, and it’s quite easy to make!
Here are the materials you will need:
- Empty pizza box
- Foil
- Plastic wrap
- Tape
- Scissors
- Ruler
- Paper plate
- Food to cook (such as marshmallows and smores)
Here are the steps to get you started:
- Cut a cover flap on top of the pizza box. Reserve a 2-inch border in front and on the sides.
- Coat the bottom side of the cover and the insides of the pizza box with foil. Secure everything with tape.
- Place a plastic wrap over the opening created by the flap.
- Put the marshmallows (or whatever food you’ve chosen) inside your solar oven.
- Position the flap diagonally (so that it can reflect sunlight better on the food), and prop the cover flap open using a ruler.
- Let the sun do its magic! Wait for your food to be cooked (which can take a few minutes to an hour). Enjoy!
Key Takeaway
It’s never too early to let the kids learn about the wonders of solar in your own home, and help them realize the Philippines’ place in the solar system. These projects are not only educational, but they are also extremely fun to do!