I found the cutest activity in Disney's Family Fun Magazine (April 2008)! It's so hot here today...and it's supposed to get worse as the week goes on. I've been waiting for a way-too-hot spell to try it, and this is the week!
S'mores are probably my favorite summer treat, with or without the campfire. I make them in the oven, you can grill 'em, but this new way is completely safe for the munchkins. Introducing....
SOLAR S'MORES!
Here's what you'll need:
- Pizza Box
- Pencil and ruler
- Craft Knife
- Aluminum Foil
- Scissors
- Glue Stick
- Black Construction Paper
- Clear plastic packing tape
- Clear plastic (like sheet protectors, laminating paper, etc)
- Graham Crackers, chocolate bars, marshmallows
- Stick or dowel
Next:
- Adults: On the top of the pizza box, draw a square that is an inch smaller than the lid all the way around. Use the craft knife to cut through the cardboard along three sides, as shown, and then fold the cardboard up along the uncut line to form a flap.
- Kids can help: Glue aluminum foil, shiny side out, to the bottom of the flap, keeping it as wrinkle free as you can.
- Glue another piece of foil to the inside bottom of the box and then tape black paper on the top of the foil.
- Tape clear plastic to the underside of the lid to seal the opening created by the flap. For the best results, the seal should be as airtight as possible.
- Place your "oven" outdoors in direct sunlight with the flap opened toward the sum, For each s'more, center two graham crackers on the construction paper. Top one with chocolate and the other with a marshmallow. Close the box and then use a stick or dowel to prop the flap open at the angle that reflects the most sunlight into the box (check periodically to adjust the angle). Within an hour (or sooner if it's a really hot day), the chocolate squares and marshmallows should melt enough to assemble into s'mores.
If you try it, let me know how it goes. It's also a good excuse to order out pizza for dinner. :)
3 comments:
Raegan, I ran across this idea over the weekend...I'll have to try and remember which blog tried it out. I remember it saying they ended up with soft marshmallows but not completely toasted. I'm not sure how hot the temps were or how long they left them out. I think it's a great idea and I'm sure it would work if they were out long enough. I'll have to save this one for when Caleb's a little older....and when I convince DH to let me feed him smores!! I just don't think it's right to let a kid go through childhood without tasting smores!
Completely awesome idea! I'm going to try this - I think my 4-yr-old would really get a lot out of it. I was thinking the same exact thing about an excuse to order pizza. :)
So we tried it! We left it out in Florida sun for two hours or so and it was soft but not totally "cooked" marshmallows. Of course the chocolate was melty. It was a lot of fun making the solar oven with my older son, though, and talking about some of the qualities of the sun that are like an oven (or vice versa, right? :)
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