Hey there! Are you ready for a sunny adventure? Squeaks and I are excited because it’s a beautiful day outside, perfect for some fun experiments. Let’s learn about the sun and try some cool activities together!
The sun is a star, just like the ones you see in the night sky. It’s the center of our solar system, and Earth travels around it once every year. The sun is super hot, with a surface temperature of about 5,700 degrees Celsius (over 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit). It’s also huge, over 100 times wider than Earth!
Even though there are stars bigger than the sun, the sun looks larger because it’s the closest star to Earth. It’s about 150 million kilometers away, which is just the right distance to keep our planet warm enough for life.
Did you know you can make a rainbow at home? All you need is a glass of water, a piece of white paper, and a sunny spot. Place the paper in the sunlight, fill the glass with water, and set it on the paper. Adjust the glass until you see a rainbow appear. This happens because sunlight bends, or refracts, as it moves through the water, separating into different colors.
Let’s use the sun’s energy to make a pinwheel spin! You’ll need three tin cans, tape, a piece of wire, thumbtacks, and two big books. Stack the cans, tape them together, and attach the wire with a thumbtack on top. Make a pinwheel from paper and attach it to the tack. Place the tower near a sunny window, and watch as the sun heats the air inside, making the pinwheel spin!
Want to cook with the sun? You can build a solar oven using a pizza box, tin foil, plastic wrap, and a black plate. Cover the inside of the box with tin foil, cut a flap for a window, and cover it with plastic wrap. Use the flap to reflect sunlight into the box, and place your food on the black plate inside. The sun will heat up the box and cook your food!
Let’s make art with the sun! Use special sun print paper and place objects like leaves on it. Leave the paper in the sun until it changes color, then rinse it with water. The sunlight reacts with the paper to create a beautiful blue image where the objects were placed.
We hope you enjoy these sunny day experiments! Remember to wear sunscreen and have fun exploring the wonders of the sun. See you next time for more adventures!
Sun Tracking Journal: Start a sun tracking journal to observe how the sun moves across the sky. Each day, pick a time to go outside and draw where the sun is in the sky. Use a compass or a simple app to find out which direction you’re facing. After a week, look at your drawings and see if you notice any patterns. Discuss with a friend or family member why the sun’s position changes throughout the day and how it affects shadows.
Shadow Play: On a sunny day, go outside and play with shadows. Use your body or objects like toys to create different shapes. Notice how the shadows change size and direction at different times of the day. Try to make a shadow clock by placing a stick in the ground and marking where the shadow falls every hour. Talk about why shadows change and what this tells us about the sun’s position in the sky.
Sun Safety Poster: Create a colorful poster about sun safety. Include tips like wearing sunscreen, hats, and sunglasses. Draw pictures of yourself and your friends having fun in the sun while staying safe. Share your poster with your class or family to remind everyone how to enjoy the sun safely.
