Celebrate National Space Day with Solar Oven Smore's
By Dianely Luis, Arlington Parks & Recreation
Posted on April 30, 2020, April 30, 2020

Did you know May 1st is National Space Day? This day celebrates the achievements, benefits and opportunities in the exploration and use of space. National Space Day was created in 1997 by the Lockheed Martin Corporation, and the observance of Space Day has served to promote math, science, technology and engineering education in young people. If you would like to celebrate with us, making a DIY Solar Oven is the perfect experiment to demonstrate the power of our sun. Best of all, when you finish this exciting experiment, you’ll end up with a yummy treat to reward your hard work! 

What you’ll need:

  • Cardboard Box
  • Aluminum Foil
  • Cling Wrap
  • Tape
  • Scissors or Box Cutter
  • Black Paper or Paint (optional)
  • Ruler or Scratch Paper
  • Your preferred snack or meal (We opted for smore’s!)

Instructions

  1. Use a box cutter or scissors to cut a flap on the top of the box, leaving a border of at least one inch.
  2. Cover the hole you created with cling wrap and use tape to hold it in place. This will help protect the food you will cook.
  3. Wrap the bottom of the flap with aluminum foil. Make sure the shiny side is face up so that the light will be reflected well.
  4. Tape black paper to the inside of the box (or paint it black). Black absorbs the energy from light, so this step helps maintain more heat inside the solar oven. If you do not have black paper or black paint, you can line this inside of the box with aluminum foil instead.
  5. Use a ruler or similar object to prop up the lid and tape it in place. If you do not have a ruler, tightly roll a sheet of paper and tape it together then press it flat to create a sturdy support beam; tape in place to hold up the lid. Head outside to make sure the lid is reflecting light into the oven. You may have to play with the angle of the lid to get it right and adjust as the day goes by.
  6. Finally, place your ingredients inside the box to get baking! (It may be best to place them on a small plate inside the box.)

As you can see, our smore’s turned out delicious! The chocolate was perfectly melted, and the marshmallow was ooey-gooey on the inside. Yum! Keep in mind that a solar oven will not bake as fast as a regular over, so it may be a couple hours before you can enjoy your sweet treat. The rate at which your recipe will bake is dependent on many factors, so you will have to be patient. The hottest time of day is 3 p.m., so it may be best to start set up your oven around noon to give it plenty of time to warm up and get cooking. We also baked buttered toast and enjoyed it with a sprinkle of sugar and cinnamon. The best thing about this wonderful little oven is that it is safe for kids to use and be creative with different recipes!

Parks & Recreation