Pizza Box Solar Oven
As summer draws to a close and back to school is on the horizon, we are trying to think of awesome new activities and fun experiments to do with the kids. This pizza box solar oven is exactly the kind of thing that is perfect for getting kids excited about learning again.
When I was younger, I remember making these super cool pizza box ovens that were heated by the sun. We were able to bake some cookies or re-heat the leftover pizza inside of it.
Of course now I would NEVER try and bake cookies in it. And I recommend you don’t let your kids do it either. The risk of salmonella is way too great, and it’s just not a great idea.
This isn’t like a real oven. It’s more like a DIY Easy Bake Oven, where you expect things to take a lot longer and maybe not cook quite as well as a traditional one.
That said, I highly recommend giving it a go and letting the kids try their hands at their very own Pizza Box Solar Oven. They will have a ton of fun!
Supplies:
- Empty pizza box
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Scissors
- Exacto knife
- Plastic Wrap
- Aluminum Foil
- Clear packing tape
- Two plastic “bendy” straws
Instructions:
Set out your empty pizza box. Use the ruler and the pencil to measure out a square on the top, center of the box that is about 10” x 10”.
Cut out this square.
Line the inside bottom of the box with two layers of aluminum foil.
Cover the opening in the top of the box with plastic wrap. Use the tape to secure it.
Cover the square with aluminum foil and secure with the tape. Put a long strip of tape on one side of the square and attach it to the top of the box (see photos).
Take the two long ends of the straws and put one inside the other.
Use the tape to secure the bended ends of the straws
Take the solar oven outside on a sunny day and experiment with the temperature. You may be able to slowly cook something or at least melt some cheese on a piece of bread!
Personally I love making grilled cheese sandwiches in ours. It’s a good one for the kids as it doesn’t take that long for the butter to melt onto the bread and even brown a bit, and the cheese will melt fairly well if you use a nice soft American.
Want some other fun projects?
Milk Carton Bird Feeder
TV Viewing Stand for your Cell Phone
Make Your Own Cardboard Castle
Cute Cactus Pots
Katie Reed is a passionate writer and mother of four vivacious boys from Salt Lake City, Utah. Drawing from her own journey through TTC, pregnancy, and the joys of raising children, she offers a wealth of insight into the world of motherhood. Beyond her heartfelt tales, Katie delights her readers with family-friendly recipes, engaging crafts, and a curated library of printables for both kids and adults. When she’s not penning her experiences, you’ll find her crafting memories with her husband and sons—Dexter, Daniel, Chester, and Wilder.
This may be a silly question, but the things you are cooking go inside the pizza box, under the cling wrap, right?