Earlier this week, I shared with you how we made a DIY Solar Oven. The kids had so much fun seeing what they could cook in their oven, and the whole process was filled with lots of sun science learning, too! Today, I’m going to share with you more ways that you can learn about the sun, light, and heat with 15 Sun Science Experiments for Kids!

15 Sun Science Experiments for Kids

There are so many ways to learn with the sun! From learning about how color affects light absorption, to the effect heat has on air, how shadows move and change, and how we can stay safe from UV exposure. These 15 sun science experiments cover all of those topics—and more!—through fun, hands-on learning.

#1 What Absorbs More Heat – Black or White?
by Lessons for Little Ones

This is a fun little experiment to find out whether color makes a difference in how much heat is absorbed. Kids can make their predictions, set up the experiment, and learn how different colors absorb light and emit heat differently. You could also try this experiment with a black crayon and a white crayon to visibly see the effect!

#2 Solar Powered Balloons
by Naples Botanical Garden

If you completed the first experiment in this list, you’ll know that the black bottle will heat up more than the white bottle. As the black bottle warms up, so does the air inside the bottle. And when air heats up, it expands and floats upward!

#3 Solar Updraft Tower
by Almost Unschoolers

In the last science experiment, we learned that hot air expands and floats upward. How can we use that knowledge to make a fan? With a solar updraft tower!

#4 Shadow Experiment
by The First Grade Roundup

With just a piece of chalk and a partner, you can head outside and discover how the sun affects our shadows! Mark an X on the ground and have a partner trace your shadow in the morning. Now it’s prediction time! What will happen to your shadow if you stand in that same spot in the afternoon? Enjoy another activity while you wait (maybe you can build a solar oven!) then head back out in the afternoon to find out how your shadow changes.

#5 Follow a Shadow
by Science Sparks

Another fun way to learn about shadows is with this simple “follow a shadow” activity! I love how they used a chalk pen to outline the toy’s shadow to make it nice and crisp. 

#6 Experiment with Shadows
by Exploratorium

Now that you’ve learned a bit about shadows and how they move throughout the day, let’s experiment and play with making different types of shadows! Grab a variety of materials and let your kids experiment with how light makes different types of shadows. Can you make a colored shadow? Or combine two shadows to make some cool designs?

#7 Light Box Experiment
by Lessons for Little Ones

Learn about light refraction with this simple experiment! Kids can experiment with changing the bottles and position of the box to see how it affects the (really cool) light show inside the box.

#8 From Ultraviolet to Prussian Blue
by Joanna Turner et al.

This link is for a complete research paper about how to use cyanotype paper to show kids the effects of UV exposure. We made cyanotype art prints using nature items as part of our Sun Science Family Unit Study, but you can also use sunscreen directly on the cyanotype paper! What a fascinating way to see how sunscreen blocks UV light and learn about sun safety while you’re at it.

Don’t have any cyanotype paper? You can perform a similar experiment with regular construction paper like in this blog post by Playdough to Plato.

#9 Revealing UV with Color-Changing Beads
by Steve Spangler Science

Did you know that UV color-changing beads are a thing?! I didn’t until I saw this experiment! This is a great experiment to see how different sunscreens affect the color-changing beads and to see that color transformation in real time!

#10 The Colours of Sunset Explored
by STEAM Powered Family

All you need is a smooth-sided glass container, water, milk, and a flashlight to find out once and for all why the sky is blue during the day but beautiful shades of orange and red during at sunset.

#11 Simple Light Experiments
by Hands On As We Grow

Learn about concepts like reflection and absorption with this three-part science experiment from Hands On As We Grow.

#12 What Melts in the Sun?
by Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls

Oh, muffin tray, what can’t you do? Simply grab that trusty muffin tray and have your little one fill it with a variety of objects—some that you think will melt, some that you don’t think will melt, and some that might be a surprise to everyone!

#13 Solar Floating Balloon
by Becky Stern on Instructables

Can you make a balloon float with the sun? You sure can! All you need are some black garbage bags, tape, and a thin string. Watch the video above or check out the blog post to see how to make your very own floating solar balloon. So cool!

#14 How to Pop a Balloon Inside a Balloon Using Sun
by TheDadLab

This is such a fun one that’s filled with lots of learning! You could time how long it takes for different colors of balloons to pop, then when the little ones think they have it all figured out, make a double-balloon and get ready to blow your kids’ minds! 

#15 Solar Heated Home Design STEM Challenge
by Solar 4 Stem

With all of that fantastic sun science learning, it’s time to put it all together into a STEM Challenge! Challenge the kids to design a cardboard house so that it will stay as cool as possible. They can decide what color the inside and outside will be, how big the windows are, what they use for a window covering, and what direction they’ll face their house outside. Test out your cardboard houses by placing them in the sun with a thermometer inside and see how much the temperature changes in each!

Ready to dive into a hands-on unit study about the Sun?

My Sun Science Family Unit Study lays out everything for you, step-by-step, with 10 fascinating topics to explore. And the best part? It’s designed to work for children ages 4 to 12, so the whole family can learn together!

Check out a sample and grab your copy right here: https://shop.howweelearn.com/products/family-unit-study-sun-science

Thank you so much for reading, my friend!

xo
Sarah