How to Make a Solar Oven for Kids

Harness the sun's power with a solar oven.

Solar ovens are small closed systems that cook food by the reflected heat of the sun. Sunlight reflects off foil onto a black surface, which collects and keeps the heat from the sun, cooking the food set on top. Scout leaders and home-school parents can teach children to make a solar oven, then experiment with cooking different foods in it. These ovens can be a good project for Earth Day celebrations or any Earth Science class.

Things You'll Need

• Pizza box
• Scissors
• Aluminum foil
• Black paper
• Plastic wrap
• Tape
• Pencil or stick
• Food

Instructions

1. Cut an opening in the top of the pizza box. This opening should cover about half the size of the box lid, and be cut around only three sides of the opening. When the flap that you have cut is pushed up, it will open and close like another lid set into the center of the box lid.

2. Have your child wrap foil around the inside of the flap and secure it with tape. Cover the entire inside surface of the flap with foil.

3. Open the pizza box. Lay two layers of plastic wrap over the opening that you created by cutting the flap. Secure the plastic wrap to the pizza box lid with tape, making sure that it is completely stuck down on all sides.

4. Line the bottom and sides of the pizza box interior with black paper. Cut the paper to piece it together, and tape it into place.

5. Place a graham cracker with a marshmallow on it or a hot dog onto a small piece of foil. Place the foil with the food onto the black paper in the center of the box. Close the box lid.

6. Open the flap in the lid and move the box around from side to side until the sunlight is reflecting off the foil on the flap and down into the inside of the box. Prop open the flap with a pencil or stick.

7. Check your oven every 15 minutes to see how your food is doing. Move the box if you need to in order to keep the sunlight directed exactly into the box interior.

Tips & Warnings

• Solar ovens are slower than conventional ovens, so the food will cook more slowly.

References

• PBSKids.org: Solar Cookers