How to Make a Solar Powered Oven for Kids

Building a solar oven is a great way to teach kids about solar energy. This working solar oven is inexpensive to make. Kids can help build this solar oven, but an adult should be present because the project requires the use of a knife and the solar oven does get hot. Watch your kid's face light up as they see their food cook through the power of the sun.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Pizza box Utility knife Aluminum foil Plastic wrap

1. Cut a square hole in the top of a large pizza box using a utility knife. A pizza box for any large size pizza will give you plenty of room to cook in your solar oven. The hole should be almost, but not quite as big as the top of the pizza box. Leave two inches along the sides of the top of the pizza box.

2. Line the inside bottom of the pizza box with aluminum foil. The aluminum foil is the main part of the solar oven. It will attract the sun's heat and cook the food.

3. Open the lid of the pizza box and place food on top of the aluminum foil. For safety reasons, choose a food item that is not raw, like a hot dog. Close the pizza box lid.

4. Cover the top of the pizza box with plastic wrap. The plastic wrap will hold the sun's heat inside of the solar oven.

5. Set the solar pizza box, solar oven, outside in a sunny area. Choose a warm area that is getting full sun. The aluminum foil will attract the sun and cook the food.

6. Watch the food cook through the plastic wrap window at the top of the solar oven. Cooking speed will depend on the how hot it is outside and the intensity of the sun. Eventually you will see the hot dog or other food item begin to sizzle.

7. Remove the cooked food from the solar oven. Be careful the solar oven, especially the aluminum foil, will be hot.

[Quickstar]

on 6/27/2009 Very interesting and a fun science project for the kids.