The size depends on what you are cooking and how much access you need.
Solar oven shoe box smores.
This is a fun optional step.
How to make pizza box solar oven smores 1.
A solar oven is a box that traps some of the sun s energy to make the air inside the box hotter than the air outside the box.
Harness the energy of the sun to make the best snack ever invented s mores.
Our door was large to maximize our s mores capacity.
All you need to do is create an enclosed windowed space that will retain heat.
Take this fun stem project outdoors the next hot day you have this summer.
Keep the s mores kind of spread out on the black paper in your oven.
With scissors or xacto knife with adult help cut a three sided flap out of the top side of the box leaving at least a 1 inch border around the three sides.
The marshmallows are cooked during absorption when the heat energy is transferred into the marshmallow.
You could probably just make the s mores on your car dash if you wanted but that s less fun and way more messy.
I wanted something that will mostly work even if the kids are sloppy putting it together.
In this video you will learn how to make a solar shoebox microwave oven.
Make s mores with a solar oven.
In this video you will learn how to make a solar shoebox microwave oven.
No campfire needed with this engineering classic.
Line the inside of the cardboard box with black paper.
Put it in a spot that you can see through the plastic liner so you can keep track of the temperature inside your solar oven.
However my aim was to demonstrate the science principles rather than make something capable of cooking lunch although s mores would probably work.
1 cut the oven door flap on the box.
A shoe box or pizza box works well because the lid stays attached.
2 decorate your solar oven with sharpies.
Really any box will do.
Summer stem isn t complete until you have made your own sun oven or solar cooker for melting s mores.
Just have an adult use a craft knife or scissors to cut the solar oven door.
Here s the science behind how the solar oven works.
From shoe boxes to pizza boxes the choice of materials is up to you.
Design and build a solar oven with a whole group or as a backyard boredom buster.
In other words the solar oven is like a super greenhouse.
Before you close it up for cooking you might want to tape a thermometer near the black paper inside the box.
When thermal light energy from the sun enters your oven the foil in the box reflects the light heat concentrating the heat into your oven.
