Make Your Own Solar Oven

How long it’ll take:

60 minutes

What the goal is:

Campers will create their own solar oven, made out of a clean pizza box.

What the objectives are:

Campers should be able to distinguish between foods that provide quality energy for our active bodies, and foods that are less well suited for outdoor activities. Campers should also be able to prepare a meal or snack without the use of a stove.

What you’ll need:

Supplies for Pizza Box Solar Ovens:

**This activity is an alternate cooking activity. Instructors can spend some budget on materials but should source items like glue sticks and foil, etc. from a family who has these at their home. Work with parents the day before to make sure they have these items or a good substitute. Instructors can bring used pizza boxes of their own to use also.

• 1 large pizza box (per camper)

• Glue sticks

• Several feet of aluminum foil (per camper)

• Ruler

• Pencil, pen, crayon, or marker

• Sturdy scissors/box cutter

• 1 sheet black construction paper (per camper)

• 2 ½ feet clear plastic wrap (per camper)

• 1 ft string (per camper)

• A sunny day

• Masking tape

• Ingredients for whatever you plan to bake in solar ovens (see Solar Oven pizza or cookie recipes below)

• Paper plates

What you’ll do:

Make Your Solar Oven (30 minutes)

1. Have the whole group wash hands. Ask the campers why we should wash our hands before preparing food that we or other people might eat. Discuss ways you can wash or clean your hands when in the outdoors (without a sink or running water).

2. Make the Pizza Box Solar Ovens (see instructions below). Campers will get to take these home with them.

3. Have the campers wash their hands again prior to touching the food. Again, ask the campers why you are doing this. Make the food you plan to bake in solar oven (see options below).

Pizza Box Solar Oven Instructions

1. Open up the pizza box and glue aluminum foil, shiny side up, to all the inside surfaces of the box except the top. Close the box.

2. On the outside of the top of the box, measure one inch from the edge on all sides and draw a square.

3. Cut along three lines of the square, leaving the fourth line along the box’s hinge uncut, like a door or flap. Fold open this newly cut flap, making a crease along the fourth line.

4. Open the box lid and glue aluminum foil to the inside surface of the new flap. Smooth any wrinkles in the foil as you go.

5. Glue the black construction paper to the inside bottom of the box.

6. Carefully stretch the plastic wrap over the opening of the box created by the new flap. Tape all around the edges of the plastic to seal it to the box. Make sure you can still open the box.

7. Cover any cracks or tears around the box edges with tape to prevent air leaks. Make sure you can still open the box.

To cook food in your solar oven: place solar oven on a flat, level surface in the direct sunlight. Place food inside oven and close the top of the box. Tape a piece of string to the outside of the flap. Be sure to secure it well. Pull the string back so the foil on the flap reflects sunlight onto the food in the oven. Tape the string down to the back of the pizza oven or tie it to a rock. You can peak through the plastic window to check on your food. When it’s melty and hot, it’s done!

*Food safety pro-tips: choose the items you bake wisely, and start with ingredients that are already safe to eat (so, pre-baked pizza crust is great! Avoid raw pizza dough or cookie dough with raw eggs which will likely not reach a high enough temperature to bake completely). Once food is cooked and hot, eat it right away. To avoid growth of bacteria that could cause illness, do not leave food in the solar oven for more than 1 hour.