As an educator, I love hearing about what my students do over the weekends and breaks from the classroom. Enrichment opportunities such as gardening, exploring the outdoors, cooking, baking, and home experiments all help to form a student’s knowledge of their world. Oftentimes during my lessons at school a student will chip in with their real life experience, forming a deeper connection to the material being taught.  This solar oven s’mores experiment is sure to help your little one with concepts such as heat and solar energy once they are back in the classroom this fall! This is a great project to do with the kids when they say, I’m bored – and by the way, the research says boredom is great for kids. 

It’s summer in Virginia and I think we all know what that means. It’s hot, humid, and sometimes maybe even a little unpleasant outside. But that is why I love this solar oven s’mores experiment for the summer. It gives little ones an opportunity to take advantage of that harsh sun and create something delicious – and educational!

The Science Behind The Solar Oven S’mores Experiment

All energy on Earth originates from the sun. Whether it’s providing energy for plants to conduct photosynthesis and begin the food chain, warming the earth, or creating weather patterns. Humans use the sun to power solar panels, but today we will be using it to create s’mores!

There are a couple of scientific concepts behind the solar oven s’mores’ magic! 

• Reflection: Sunlight and its heat is reflected off of the aluminum foil’s surface onto our s’mores

• Absorption: A dark colored piece of cardboard or construction paper will absorb more heat than a light colored piece of paper. We want our marshmallow to turn into that ooey gooey goodness so we’re using dark paper!

• The Greenhouse Effect: By covering our s’mores with a clear layer of plastic wrap we are trapping the sun’s heat in our solar oven – not unlike how a green house stays warm even in the winter!

Building a Solar Oven at Home with Your Kids

To build a solar oven at home all you will need are a few household materials – and of course s’more ingredients! The main component of our solar oven is a pizza box, but if you don’t have one it’s very likely that any local pizza joint would be willing to donate one to your experiment in the name of science. 

Solar Oven S’Mores Supplies

• A pizza box
• Aluminum foil
• Plastic wrap
• Tape
• Black or dark colored construction paper
• Toothpicks or a skewer
• Graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows
• The sun

• Building the base of your solar oven: Cut a flap in the lid of your pizza box. The flap should have three sides, leaving about an inch of space along the border of your pizza box. Fold this flap up so that when the pizza box is closed the flap stands up.

• Line the lid and outside your solar oven: Aluminum foil is what will allow the sunlight to reflect into our solar oven. Carefully line the inside of the flap with the foil, using tape when necessary. Line the outside of your solar oven as well to help it retain heat.

• Line the inside of your solar oven: Using black and other dark colors will help your solar oven absorb more of the sun’s heat. Use dark colored construction paper to line the inside of your pizza box / solar oven.

• Create the insulation for your solar oven: Use a piece of plastic wrap and tape to line the hole in the lid of your pizza box. The sunlight will be reflected off of the aluminum-lined flap, travel through the clear film, become absorbed by the dark colored paper, then the heat will be trapped in the oven by the plastic wrap. 

• Adjust your solar oven’s flap: Using toothpicks or a skewer angle the flap so that it is capturing the most sunlight possible and reflecting it back into the solar oven.

• Cooking Time! Place your bottom layer of graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows inside your new solar oven, close it carefully, then wait for the sun to do its work!

Solar Energy in Virginia

Solar energy is a growing alternative to fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas here in Virginia. Unlike fossil fuels, capturing the sun’s energy does not release harmful carbon dioxide into the air. Next time you are driving through a neighborhood with your little one take a few moments to search for and identify solar panels on the roof. This is a great real-world connection to solar energy in action!

Take the Virginia Nature Lab Experiment Further With These Questions

Encourage your older kids to check in on and track their s’mores progress in a science journal! Every 10-15 minutes record the time, temperature, and an observation about how their s’more is looking inside the oven compared to their last observation. Here are some questions that you can ask little scientists of all ages to engage them in this solar oven experiment!

• What are some ways you could make the s’mores heat up faster?

• How do you think the tin foil helps cook the s’mores?

• What would change if we placed the solar oven on the grass vs. on the concrete?

Outdoor Learning Resources for Virginia Families

Utilize these easy to use printables and guides to make the most of your family’s outdoor adventures this summer!

Browse and Download Free Nature Printables for Kids & Families.

Learn About Virginia Animal Tracks.

More Outdoor Adventures for Virginia Families

Looking for more ways to explore Virginia’s natural world with your kids this summer?

Browse outdoor and nature camps across Virginia.

Download free packing lists and camp prep guides.