Add s’more fun to your day with a DIY solar oven.
The Sun is our most
important source of energy and makes life possible here on Earth,
but did you know you can also cook with it?
All you need is a warm, sunny day and a few things
you can find around your house.
A pizza box,
aluminum foil,
tape,
clear plastic wrap,
a ruler,
scissors,
a black sheet of paper,
and for the s'mores,
marshmallows,
chocolate,
and graham crackers.
Ready to get started?
Use the scissors to cut
a square in the lid of the pizza box,
but keep one side uncut.
Try to leave about one inch between the sides of the box
and the edge of the lid.
Then fold up the flap
you just cut so it stands up when the box lid is closed.
Cover the inside of the flap with aluminum foil.
Use tape to hold it in place.
Next, open the pizza box and cover the opening
you just cut with clear plastic wrap.
Use tape to hold it in place.
Now cover the bottom of the box
with aluminum foil.
Then place a sheet of black paper
in the center of the box, on top of the aluminum foil.
Use tape to hold it in place.
Using dark-colored paper is important
because it soaks up sunlight and releases heat better than light colored paper.
This helps get our oven nice and hot.
Okay.
Time to get cooking!
Start by finding a sunny
spot to place your solar oven.
Then open the box and place graham crackers
on the black paper.
Top each graham cracker with a marshmallow.
Close the box lid tightly.
Use a ruler to prop open the flap.
As the sunlight warms the black paper,
the plastic wrap will trap all the heat inside.
Check on the marshmallows every 15 minutes until they are soft.
Once they are soft, carefully open the box and place
a chocolate square on top of each marshmallow.
Close the box lid again and use the ruler
to prop open the flap.
Watch as the chocolate melts
all over the marshmallows.
Once that's done, open the box
and add a graham cracker on top of each marshmallow.
Ta-da! Cooking is s’more fun when you use the Sun.