Sundial

Children make a sundial using a stick and stones, marking the cast shadow every hour.

Steps

1. Conversation: why summer days are long and June 21 is the summer solstice.
2. In a sunny outdoor spot, stake a sturdy stick upright into the ground.
3. Every hour on the hour, children mark the tip of the shadow with a stone labeled with the time.
4. Observe how the shadow shifts in direction and changes in length across the day.
5. In the afternoon, check if your sundial accurately tells the time.

Tip: Children can paint the stones beforehand with acrylic paints.

Materials needed

• Acrylic paints (1 set)