Paper Plate Sundial

What You’ll Create

Become a time-traveller and build a Paper Plate Sundial! ☀️ Before clocks and watches were invented, people used the sun to tell the time. By placing a Straw in the centre of a Paper Plate and marking where its shadow falls each hour, you can create a working clock powered entirely by nature!

How to Set It Up

Step 1: Mark the Centre

Take a Paper Plate and find the exact centre. Use a Pen to poke a small hole right in the middle. If the plate is thick, you might need an adult to help with this part.

Step 2: Decorate and Number

Using your Markers, write the number ‘12’ at the very top of the plate. This will represent noon. You can decorate the rest of the plate with suns, clouds, or stars, but leave space for the other numbers!

Step 3: Insert the Gnomon

Push your Straw through the hole in the centre of the plate. This straw is called a ‘gnomon’. To keep it steady, use some Tape on the underside of the plate to secure the straw so it stands straight up.

Step 4: Set the Time

Take your sundial outside on a sunny day exactly at noon (12:00 PM). Point the ‘12’ on your plate towards North, or simply turn the plate until the shadow of the straw falls exactly on the ‘12’. Secure the plate to the ground with a bit of tape or a small stone so it doesn’t blow away.

Have fun!

• ⏰ Check your sundial every hour and use a marker to write the new number where the shadow is pointing.
• ☁️ What happens to the shadow on a cloudy day? Keep a ‘Sun Diary’ to record your findings.
• 🏃 Watch how the shadow gets longer or shorter as the sun moves across the sky.
• 🔦 Try using a Flashlight indoors in a dark room to see how moving the ‘sun’ changes the time on your sundial!

Why It’s Amazing

• Astronomy Skills: Teaches children about the Earth’s rotation and how the sun’s position changes throughout the day. 🌍
• Number Recognition: Helps younger children practice writing and identifying numbers on a clock face. 🔢
• Patience and Observation: Encourages kids to return to their project throughout the day to see how it has changed. 🕰️
• Historical Discovery: Connects modern life with ancient technology used thousands of years ago. 🏺

Pro Tips

For ages 3-5: Pre-mark the ‘12’ for them. Focus on the ‘magic’ of the moving shadow rather than the exact time-telling.

For ages 5-8: Help them use a compass (or a compass app on a phone) to find North so they can set their sundial accurately.

For ages 8-12: Challenge them to explain why the shadow moves clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere but would move counter-clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere!