With schools dismissed for the day of the eclipse, parents and guardians get to make this event memorable for the children. Here are a few easy ideas for using at-home items.
Temperature
Set out a thermometer. Notate the temperature. It will decrease during totality, then rise back up again. Without the sun, heat lessens.
Wind
Before the totality, the wind will speed up. As cool air rushes in, it pushes warm air out. Put a light scarf or windmill on a stake and watch it flutter. With this idea are clouds. Light, breezy clouds will disappear as totality nears.
Animals
If you have animals. Watch them. They are deceived into thinking night has come. Birds roost and animals bed down. Bees will rush to their hives or bed down where they are. Night sounds- like crickets- get louder.
Colors
Red and green are the last colors perceptible to the eyes before total darkness. How about putting posters or colored pieces of paper out to test your own eyes?
Pinhole Projections
Get a cardboard box. Poke a pinhole into it. With your back to the sun, it will shine through the hole onto a piece of paper. You can watch (or draw) the phases of the moon covering the sun through the pinhole. If you put even a sheet on the ground, you can hold up a colander and watch the light pass through.
Snakes
Put a white sheet, posterboard, or white piece of wood on the ground. Watch the light as it bends, looking like wiggling snakes.
Moon Phases
A fun one for easy learning comes from a package of Oreos. Screw them open to make the full moon, crescent moon, and new moon.
Constellations
On an astrological level, have the kids learn about constellations. Using marshmallows and toothpicks, find constellations online and have the children recreate them with these items.
Each of these topics can be altered in several ways, depending on what you have on hand. The internet offers more, even complex, activities. Some of the ideas gathered are from this site. This is the last total solar eclipse for a lifetime. With children alongside their parents, it can be a memorable occasion for everyone.
