Sunshine Party

Some dreary days just need a Sunshine Party. We always have one in January, but it feels like we need another one. Try out a couple of these ideas out that feel sunny—or just take a break to go play in the sun.

Paint Chinet paper plates with watercolors. They are safe to eat off of. Use an extra plate to make a sundial.

Watch the first episode of Owlagories on Youtube about God as light. Do a search to see what else the Bible says about Jesus being the light.

Make sunny decorations out of anything yellow.

Look at Van Gogh’s Sunflowers (1889) from the Van Gogh Museum. Use the free resource HERE to try out your Art Critique skills. And, maybe try to create your own Sunflowers painting with the Van Gogh Museum Sunflowers COLORING SHEET or freehand it with markers or acrylic paints.

Look at Faith Ringgold’s Sunflower Quilting Bee soft sculpture. Who are the amazing women in the quilt and why is Van Gogh there? Create your own story quilt with scraps and markers or paint.

Listen to Vivaldi’s Summer Concerto and analyze the sonnet he (supposedly) wrote to go with this movement. What does a summer storm sound like? What does languishing under the blazing sun sound like? If you are musical, why do you think this Concerto is in Gminor?

Or watch Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong sing Summertime from Porgy and Bess on Youtube.

Or turn on the Beach Boys and play in the water. You could even try out this experiment on why putting your thumb over part of the hose makes the water spray harder.

Practice making shadows. Use sun paper to make artwork

Download a sunscreen science experiment HERE to see how sunscreen protects us from the Sun. This is where we got our UV Pony Beads.

Make homemade lemonade, a citrus salad, or orange push pops.

Use grass seed to make a chia pet person whose hair grows in the sun.

Make lemon or orange jello playdough. It smells amazing for days

Note: I have never made a solar oven that actually worked—at least not in under 90 degrees. I’m pretty sure it’s a scam.