eclipse Archives - JDaniel4s Mom

Code and Color Eclipse Coloring Pages

March 28, 2024 By Deirdre

These code and color eclipse coloring pages focus on number recognition and basic shapes. The directions for completing each of the pages are displayed on Blockly coding blocks. Each page comes in two versions. One page has colors assigned to each step. The second version invites children to pick their colors.

More Eclipse Code and Color Pages

Another set of eclipse code and color pages is available on my TPT shop. It has many of the same pictures, but focuses on addition and subtraction facts to twenty.

Featured Eclipse Stages and More

The pages features several stages of an eclipse. There are also pictures featuring children wearing eclipse glasses. Your children will have fun identify the stage displayed in each picture.

Beginning of the Eclipse

Full Eclipse

Beginning of the End of the Eclipse

Watching the eclipse with eclipse glasses.

Getting the Code and Color Eclipse Coloring Pages

First, you will need to download the set.

Code and Color Eclipse Coloring Page Download

Second, if you don’t have Acrobat Reader you will need to download it. The algorithm page is an Acrobat Reader PDF file.

Third, you must go to your download file and open the page. You may be asked if you want the file to open right after you download it. You won’t have to hunt for it in your download file if you are.

Building Background

If your children don’t know a lot about eclipses, you may want to read a book or do an activity that features them before you start these pages.

The links below are affiliate links.

Total Solar Eclipse: A Stellar Friendship looks at how the moon helps the sun shine in a different way during an eclipse.

Eclipse: How the 1919 Solar Eclipse Proved Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity looks at the science behind an eclipse.

The Sun Plays with the Moon looks at lunar and solar eclipses.

Understanding the Directions Code and Color Pages

If you are having a non-reader work on the color-by-code pages, you may want to help them highlight what they need to do. First, you can have them underline the number or shape they are focusing on for each step. Next, children will need to place a line that matches the color mentioned in that step over or under that number or shape. That is what I have done with my children.

Some children will be fine with just highlighting the directions. However, there will be some who need to draw a dot near the shape or number in each section that matches the assigned color. They can go back later and color in the whole section.

More Algorithm Code and Color Pages

Apple Life Cycle Mandala

Decorating an Umbrella Based on an Algorithm

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish Algorithm Page

Eclipse Snack Ideas and Printable Snack Bag Tag

August 20, 2017 By Deirdre

Whether you are celebrating an eclipse event or studying about eclipses with your children, these eclipse snack ideas would be fun to serve. Each of the eclipse snack ideas has a space theme!

We are going to an eclipse event at a local science center and I wanted some fun eclipse snack items to share with my family in a snack bag. You could easily place your eclipse snack idea items in a basket or bowls for your family or guests to have if you are at home. You would also be able to serve some fun eclipse-themed drinks. I have listed some eclipse snack ideas and drink ideas below.

Bonus: An eclipse code and color page set has been added to my blog. You can click on this link to get it for free.

Eclipse Snack Ideas

You will notice that the items pictured in the snack bag are not very healthy. You will probably want to add some other ideas to your bags like Sunmaid Raisins to balance out all the sugar in it.

Contents of the Snack Bag

Vanilla Moon Pies
Chocolate Moon Pies
Eclipse Gum (If you can find sticks of gum, you could put in a single piece.)
Starburst Candies
Milky Way Candies

Addition Eclipse Snack Ideas

Snack Bag Tags

I have created a printable snack bag tag that you can attach to a plastic bag via glue. You could also punch a hole in the bag and one in the tag. The tag could then be attached to the bag with a yellow or black ribbon.

Here is the printable for the tags Eclipse Snack Pack Printable Tags.

Building Background

If your children don’t know a lot about eclipses, you may want to read a book and share facts about them.

The links below are affiliate links.

Total Solar Eclipse: A Stellar Friendship looks at how the moon helps the sunshine differently during an eclipse.

Eclipse: How the 1919 Solar Eclipse Proved Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity looks at the science behind an eclipse.

The Sun Plays with the Moon looks at lunar and solar eclipses.

More Eclipse Ideas for Kids

Eclipse Viewer – Camera Obscura Made From a Cereal Box

June 21, 2017 By Deirdre

Earlier in the week, I showed you how to make a pinhole camera with an oatmeal container and a STEAM solar eclipse paper plate craft. If you have young children, it is a little bit easier to make then the camera obscura it. Your children will probably notice that the cardboard is thicker on the oatmeal container. The cardboard on the camera obscura is a little thinner and may need some re-enforcement.

Why am I sharing how to make the camera obscura with you if is tricky? Well, it gives your children the opportunity to plan the best way to add support to their boxes.

Creating the Camera Obscura

Supplies

Cereal Boxes (Small boxes are easier to work with.)
Bag from Inside the Cereal Box
Scissors
Clear Packing Tape
Small nail or pin
Foil
Glue
Support Materials (Chopsticks, Straws, Strips of Cardboard, Toothpicks)
Ruler
Pencil

Putting the Camera Obscura Together

Making the Viewing Screen

You will need to trace the bottom of the cereal box onto the bag from inside the box. Then you will need to cut out the rectangle. Next, you will glue it to the bottom of the inside of the box. You have just created your camera obscura screen.

Getting the Flaps Ready

Now it is time to create the projector. You will need to make two partial cuts from either end of the in the top flap. You don’t want to cut it into even thirds. The middle section should be two or three times bigger than the side sections.

Then will cut the two outside sections away from the box. They will be your viewing sections.

Adding Support

Before work on the viewing sections, you may need to add corner supports to your box. If your cereal boxes lean or squish down when you try holding the box with both hands, you can tape straws or another tall object into the corners on the inside of your box. It will make your camera obscura box much easier to hold.

Finishing The View Area

The side section on the left will be left alone. You don’t have to do anything to that area.

Next, you will need to close the flaps in the center section. You can permanently seal this section with clear tape if you like.

Finally, you cut out a piece of foil a little bigger than the right-hand section. Before you attach the foil to the box, you will need to place a small hole in the center of it. Then you can attach it to the right-hand section with tape.

Using the Camera Obscura

You will need to hold the camera obscura so the sun is shining through the hole. That means the sun will be behind you.

You will look into the left-hand section to view the sun.

More Eclipse Activities

Total Eclipse Painted Plates

How to Make an Oatmeal Container Pinhole Camera

Pinhole Activities (You will need to click on translate for this page, but it is worth it.)

Sun and Moon Crafts- Total Solar Eclipse Painted Paper Plates

June 19, 2017 By Deirdre

We live right in the path of the total solar eclipse taking place in August of 2017. I know that some of you are too! Before the eclipse, you might want to do some eclipse related activities with your children. Earlier I shared with you a simple way to create pinhole camera out of an oatmeal container and a camera obscura out of a cereal box. Today I have two sun and moon crafts to share with you. Well, really it is two painting crafts combined to create a total solar eclipse craft.

Sun and Moon Crafts for the Total Solar Eclipse

Supplies

Small Sections of a Pool Noodle
Yellow Paint
Red Paint
Gold Paint
Black Paint
Two Paper Plates Per Child
Hole Punch
Brass Fasteners

Creating the Sun and Moon Crafts

Painting

The first thing you will need to do is place the paint on paper plates. The plate for the moon painting will just need black paint. The sun painting will need a plate paint tray that has yellow, red and gold paint. (The sun is made of so many different colors. ) If you just want your children to paint the sun plate yellow that is just fine.

Your children will need to dip small sections of a pool noodle into the paint. The pool noodles sections are super easy to hold onto. They also create a cool texture with the paint on the plates.

Putting the Sun and Moon Plates Together

Once each child’s sun and moon plates are dry, they can stack them one on top of the other. They can then use a hole punch to create a hole in both plates.

Then they will place a brass fastener into the hole and flatten it on the back of the plate.

Creating a Totally Eclipse

Children will need to turn their plates so the moon plate is facing down and the sun plate is facing up. Then they will slowly move the moon plate around until it totally covers the sun plate.

As they are moving the plates they are demonstrating what will happen during a total eclipse. Your children will notice that slivers of the sun still show. Those slivers represent the sun’s corona.

If you like this STEM activity, here are some more you will love.

STEM Chocolate Chip Cookie Excavating

Edible Rock Cycle

ABC’s of Binary Code

Do Crackers Make Good Pinhole Lens?

Three Blind Mice Activity with LEGO Braille Letters

How to Make an Oatmeal Container Pinhole Camera for Eclipses

June 18, 2017 By Deirdre

We happen to live in a wonderful area to see the total eclipse in August. It will be so exciting to watch it. You can’t look directly at the sun during an eclipse. You can use a pinhole camera or camera obscura to watch it. Today I am sharing with you how to make a pinhole camera. Later in the week, I will share with you how to make a cereal box camera obscura.

Even before the eclipse, it will be fun for your children to use the pinhole camera outside. They will have fun viewing the world upside down.

Creating the Pinhole Camera

Getting Ready

The first thing you will need to do is gather the supplies. You will need the following.

Supplies

Oatmeal Container
Sharp Object (Knife, Push Pin, Thumb Tack)
Parchment Paper
Glue
Scissors
Ruler
Clear Tape
Duct Tape

Constructing the Pinhole Camera

Getting the Oatmeal Container Ready

You will need to start by place a small hole in the bottom of the oatmeal container. It is easier to put the whole in the container while it is in one piece.

Then you will need to draw a line around the container about 2 1/4 inches from the bottom.

Next, you will cut along the line to separate the bottom section of the oatmeal container from the top.

Creating the Screen

Now it is time to trace the bottom of the lid to the oatmeal container onto parchment paper. Once you have it traced you can cut it out.

The parchment paper circle will need to be glued onto the top of the lid. Once the glue is dry, you can place the lid on the bottom section of the oatmeal container.

Finishing Up the Pinhole Camera

The final step is to tape the two sections of the oatmeal container together. There are two steps to this process.

You will need to line up the edges and place clear tape vertically across the seam in several places. This will make it easier to add the duct tape. If you skip this step, the two sections may be hard to hold together and tape.

Finally, you will add the duct tape horizontally across the seam between the two sections. The thickness of the duct tape will keep light from seeping into the pinhole camera.

If you like this STEM experiment, here are some more I think you will like:

Shooting Star Spinner Toy

Straw Rockets with Free Rocket Template

Constellation Tubes

Free Printable Constellation Mats for Kids

How to Grow a Space Garden

If you would like to read about eclipse with your children, here are some wonderful books:

When the Sun Goes Dark – This book explores ways to create an eclipse in your house and how to get ready to view the total eclipse outside.

TOTAL Eclipse Or Bust!: A Family Road Trip– A family heads out to see an eclipse and information they learn about eclipses.

Eclipses (The Night Sky: and Other Amazing Sights in Space)– This book shares a lot of information about eclipses at a level children will understand.