Everyone knows s’mores over the fire, but have you heard of s’mores cooked by the sun? This at home STEAM lesson was featured by Mountain View School’s STEAM teacher, Blair Butler, as a fun (and delicious) activity to do at home. The project is an easy, DIY way to learn about solar power and engineer an oven powered by the sun!

Since summer is the hottest time of the year, children can harness its steamy power to make some yummy treats. A solar powered oven might sound daunting, but the best part of this project is that it is made with materials that you most likely already have in your home. The “oven” is made from a (clean) pizza box, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, scissors, a skewer (or any other stick), and tape. Of course, you will need ingredients for s’mores as well: graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows. The pizza box is lined with the foil, a flap is cut to allow sunlight in, and the plastic wrap creates an airtight seal. Detailed instructions can be found here. 

Essentially, the foil and enclosed box create a greenhouse effect that heats up the s’mores using the sun’s energy. What better way is there to learn science than to eat some scrumptious snacks along the way?

Try this out at home and share your creations with us on Instagram @goletaedufdn!