Oh, my starry-eyed adventurers! The Annular Eclipse will be happening in 2 days! Check online to see if you can see it locally and at what time where you are. 🚀
Do you have your Certified Safe Eclipse Glasses yet? They are the simplest and cheapest way to directly glance at the sun during the eclipse without damaging our eyes. I can hardly wait to witness the sun’s ring of fire during the upcoming eclipse! 🌞🌒
But maybe you don’t want to be simply observers in this cosmic ballet. Oh no! Do you want some ideas to roll up your sleeves, sprinkle a little scientific magic, and help kids delve into the mysteries of our sun and moon, all while having heaps of fun!
There are lots of ways to go. In addition to the activities I describe here, you might want some background music. If you want to groove to thematic tunes, check out my earlier post on that topic.
Here, I have written up a few more ideas for our young astronauts to explore. Let’s peek into a world where science meets memorable fun:
1. The Stick & Stones Compass:
Stick a straight stick upright in the ground and mark its shadow’s end with a rock. An hour later, mark the new position with another rock. Voila! An east-west line drawn by the sun, isn’t that just enchanting? Talk to kids about why this trick works and how it might be useful to find one’s way home.
2. Artful Solar Prints:
How about creating sun-kissed images with our everyday objects, showcasing the gentle yet persistent power of our glorious sun? There’s interesting chemistry going on with those sunprints: The cyanotype process was discovered in the 1840s and it’s all about the chemistry of two specific compounds: ferric ammonium citrate and potassium ferricyanide. When we mix these two compounds together and apply them to paper, it doesn’t look like much has happened. However, a fascinating chemical transformation is poised to occur once this coated paper is exposed to sunlight. UV light from the sun catalyzes a reaction where the iron(III) compounds are reduced to iron(II) compounds. Specifically, the ferric ammonium citrate reduces to an iron(II) compound, and then reacts with the potassium ferricyanide, forming an insoluble, blue compound known as Prussian Blue. Ah, the captivating chemistry of colors! So, when we place an object – like a leaf, perhaps – on the coated paper, it blocks the sunlight, preventing the chemical reaction from occurring in the areas shielded from the UV light. The result? A beautiful, detailed silhouette once the object is removed! This little experiment not only has aesthetic appeal but also showcases a fundamental chemical principle: that light can induce chemical reactions.
4. Moon Crater Magic:
For our younger kiddos, a tray of flour transforms into the moon’s surface, ready to capture the impacts of meteorite (pebble) collisions and create our very own craters. A shake of the tray hides the impacts, much like the dynamic tectonic movement on earth is constantly masking and reforming Earth’s surface.
5. Paper Plate Eclipse Craft:
Another one for the little ones: a little paint, a dash of creativity, and our sun and moon come alive on large and small paper plates, and the kids can demonstrate their cosmic dance right in their hands!
6. UV Bead Bracelets Galore:
While waiting for the eclipse, preteens and teens might enjoy making friendship bracelets with UV Beads. Those enchanting UV beads that burst into colors under the sun’s glow will surely charm the little ones while subtly whispering the science of ultraviolet rays. How do those UV beads work? UV light is a type of electromagnetic radiation that comes from the sun but is invisible to our eyes. These beads are a great demonstration of the fact that just because we can’t see something, doesn’t mean it’s not doing things around us. UV light lies in beyond the violet end of the visible light spectrum and actually has more energy and shorter wavelengths than the light our eyes are tuned to see. Those UV beads contain photochromic compounds (chemicals sensitive to UV light) which can absorb energy to change their structure at a molecular level. With that change in structure, they reflect visible light differently, which causes them to appear so different to our eyes when exposed to sunlight. Once removed from the UV light, given a bit of time for the energy to be released, they revert to their original form.
7. Solar Oven Delights:
Science and treats? Oh, yes! A homemade solar oven allows kids to indulge in fun stuff like gooey s’mores while basking in a lesson on solar energy.
My dear stargazers, let any activity you choose be a small step toward appreciating the star that provides light and warmth to our earth and the moon that has so inspired scientists and poets of every age. So grab your mini-astronauts and let’s help our kiddos make Solar Eclipse memories!
Remember to protect those precious eyes and, most importantly, to take the time to cherish their wide-eyed wonder. 🌒👀💖
Till our next stellar journey together, may your days be sunny and your nights, splendidly starry!
I’d love to hear what activities you engage in to mark the eclipse!
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