Fun Under The Sun: Solar Playtime Activities

There is no doubt that there is a lot of sun in the Philippines. Solar panel prices are becoming affordable enough to be used by more people other than large companies seeking to cut costs. But aside from harnessing the power of the sun to help reduce our carbon footprint, how else can we show our children just what our sun can do other than shine his best and hottest for us in the summer?  

It’s April and summer has already started. The days will be long and nights short. The sun will stay with us and shine longer, brighter, and hotter for a few months while the children are on holiday from school. Aside from melting crayons, here are some more fun experiments to do with your children under the sun to help them learn more about how the sun helps us not just by shining on our plants, but also the energy we gather from him.

Solar Oven

Sure it’s going to take you a while to actually cook something in this, but it’s still a fun experiment. You will need:

·         A cardboard pizza box

·         Tin foil

·         Black construction paper

·         Heat safe cling wrap

·         Paper plate

·         Tortillas

·         Shredded cheese

First, tape your black construction paper onto the cardboard box. Darker colors absorb more heat. Over the black construction paper, tape the tin foil which will reflect the sun’s heat on the bottom and sides of the box, and on the inside of the flap.

Some people use hotdogs for this, but we’ll use cheese because that’s easier to melt. Place your tortillas on a paper plate and top them with some shredded cheese before wrapping the entire plate with cling wrap. Place the plate in the oven and set it somewhere sunny.

Prop up the cover with a ruler or something to keep it up so that it can reflect the heat into the oven. Let your children check out how long it takes the cheese to melt and write it down, and maybe if you made two ovens, you can compare the data they’ve collected.

When the cheese is melted, eat! This is a way for you to teach children about the heat of the sun and what it can do not just to cheese, but to everyday objects, plants, and even the skin and eyes.

Light Box

Who doesn’t find light interesting? This experiment will help your children understand how light works better, but they also get a ton of fun decorating their light box. You will need:

·         A large cardboard box

·         Clear water bottles

·         Scissors

·         Duct tape or similar

·         Tin foil

·         Cutter

And some more optional materials:

·         Paint and paint brushes, other coloring materials

·         Food coloring

Before you can get to work on your sun powered lights, you can let your children decorate the box first. You can use paint and paint brushes, or glue and a ton of colored construction paper. Be sure to supervise the children when using sharp objects such as scissors.

Fill your clear water bottles with clean water. You can even put some food coloring in some of them to get different colored lights. Tape the open edges of the cardboard box together, then trace holes on where you want your bottles to fit. When that’s done, place some tin foil over the holes and punch out the foil that’s over the holes. This will help reflect more light into the bottles.

On the side of the box, cut out a viewing window using the cutter. Cut a small window for the eyes so it stays somewhat dark inside the box. 

When you’re done, experiment with different colored bottles, and enjoy the light show! This is a good way to teach your child about how light can spread out from refraction.

What else other summer activities do you have planned for your kids? Learning doesn’t stop just because they’re on summer holiday.

About the author:

Laurel Santos may be a 24 year old adult but at her core she is just a little girl full of wonder. She lives in the city and works as a freelance photographer in the Philippines. She manages a small pet shop inside her village. She has a big heart for animals, especially stray dogs. She is an avid traveler because she believes that life is not lived within the borders of your own home.  Despite her busy schedule she always finds time to do one thing that she is very passionate about and that is writing.