Did you know a vegetable garden should receive about 6 hours of sunlight each day? If you’re not sure where to put your garden, this sun mapping activity for kids will help you find the best location with ideal sunlight.
Sun Mapping Activity for Kids
Before you begin…
It is best to do sun mapping on or near June 21 in the northern hemisphere (the summer solstice, when the sun is highest in the sky.) However, June 21 is after the ideal planting time in many places. Do this in spring before you plant your garden for the second-best results.
1. Sketch a Map of your Property from a Bird’s-eye View
Imagine with your children: if an eagle flew over your house, what would it see? How would an eagle’s view be different from yours on the ground?
When you create the bird’s-eye view sketch of your property with your children, they get to
imagine a different, fun perspective. This activity will grow their spatial thinking, map, and
observational skills. Let’s not forget they’ll get to witness the effects of the earth’s rotation.
Grab a piece of graph paper, a pencil, and some colored pencils. Help your kids draw four maps of your property as close to scale as possible and be sure to include anything that might cast a shadow (buildings, trees, fences, etc.) Color or label all of the objects on the maps. Each map will be used at a different time of day, so label each of them with a specific time: 9am, 12pm, 3pm, and 6pm.
You can download and print graph paper for free in the shop.
2. Observe Sunlight and Shadows
On a sunny day, step outside at 9am, 12pm, 3pm, and 6pm. Each time, go with your children on a hunt to find and measure the shadows cast by all of the objects on your map. Sketch the length of the shadows on the designated graph paper.
3. Compare Sun Mapping Sketches
Is there a specific part of your yard that receives at least 6 hours of sunlight throughout the day? That’s your ideal garden space!
Expand the Learning
Activity: The Sun, Earth, and Cardinal Directions by National Geographic
Over the course of 5 days, this activity will help kids understand the “concepts of cardinal directions and Earth-sun relationships.” Tracking the location of the sun each day, they’ll begin to notice a pattern and be able to connect it to east and west.
Map Skills & Cardinal Directions
Activity: Places in the Park by National Geographic
This would be a fun activity to do with the kids before sun mapping your property. Children acquire skills and get to practice their cardinal directions, map symbols, and spatial organization of the areas around them.
Time & the Earth’s Rotation
Activity: It’s About Time… to Make a Sundial! by Scientific American
Making a sundial is fun science activity for all ages. In the morning and throughout the day, children can measure the time by witnessing the effects of the earth’s rotation and the shadows created by the sun.
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- Vegetable Garden Design: How to Find Inspiration
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