Dive into summer with engaging, hands-on science that revolves around our nearest star. The sun, a constant fixture in our sky, offers a wealth of educational opportunities for children, making it an ideal theme for outdoor exploration. Check out these free sun-focused activities, plus some additional resources for learning more about the sun and about essential sun safety practices.
Start With Sun Safety
Teach kids the importance of protecting their skin from the sun with these free resources.
More Free Sun Safety Resources:
Head Outside And Try These Activities
Do Shadow Observations: Use this sheet to record the length of your child’s shadow at different times of the day. Talk about how shadows can tell us about the strength of the sun’s rays. This activity builds awareness of sun safety, while reinforcing observation and data collection.
Make A Sundial: Making a sundial with a few everyday materials is an easy way to explore how people used the sun to tell time long before clocks were invented. As kids track shadows and mark the passing hours, they develop observation skills, learn to recognize patterns, and begin to understand the Earth’s rotation and the movement of the sun across the sky. This simple project connects to science (astronomy, Earth science), math (measuring time and angles), and history (how ancient civilizations kept time).
Create Sun Prints: Making sun prints is a simple yet fascinating way for kids to see the power of the sun in action. By placing objects on specially treated paper or dark construction paper and exposing them to sunlight, they’ll watch how ultraviolet (UV) rays can fade colors and create photographic silhouettes. This activity introduces basic concepts in light and shadow, chemical reactions, and solar energy, while also encouraging artistic expression. It’s a perfect blend of outdoor science and art.
Build A Solar Oven: This is a hands-on way for kids to explore how sunlight can be transformed into heat energy. As they experiment with materials that reflect, insulate, and absorb heat, they’ll gain insight into basic physics concepts like energy transfer, thermal insulation, and the greenhouse effect. This activity blends science (solar energy, temperature), engineering (designing and testing), and even a bit of culinary creativity.
Make A Rainbow: Use sunlight, a small mirror, and a shallow pan of water to split white light into a rainbow. Tilt the mirror under water and angle it toward a sunny window or outdoor space. Watch as the light bends and breaks into a spectrum of colors.
For some companions to the hands-on activities, check out these free resources. The NASA Space Place Sun page is a kid-friendly educational hub dedicated to exploring the Sun through interactive activities, games, and easy-to-understand science content.
This elementary lesson on How Sunlight Affects Objects explains absorption (objects taking in sunlight energy and warming up), reflection (light bouncing off objects), and transmission (light passing through transparent materials). The resource connects these concepts to everyday experiences like why sidewalks can get hot enough to “fry an egg,” and why light-colored clothing is better in summer while dark colors help in winter.
For even more ways to dive deeper into solar science, be sure to check out the additional resources listed below. (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases).
