Getting Ready for the Solar Eclipse

Are you psyched for the eclipse? Those of us in the United States have the rare treat of a total solar eclipse happening Aug. 21.

It’s definitely worth it to get to a place where you can experience totality if you can, but other parts of the United States and Canada will still have the cool experience of its suddenly getting darker in the middle of the day.

Space.com has a great rundown of what an eclipse is, why it happens and the different kinds of eclipses that can occur.

I think we all know it’s not safe to look directly at the sun, even during an eclipse, but their are ways you can view or experience the eclipse without harming your eyes.

First, you can buy eclipse-safe filters or glasses through which you can safely view the sun. They need to have an ISO 12312-2 rating, and make sure they aren’t scratched or torn before you use them.

A classic eclipse “viewing” device is a pinhole viewer, through which you can see the shadow of the eclipse. (This is the way I “saw” a lunar eclipse back in 1996.) The Exploratorium has some great info on how to make different kinds of pinholes, plus some no-prep ways to get a glimpse at the eclipse.

If you’d like to really be able to see the eclipse, Smithsonian magazine has a good roundup of the different kinds of gear you can use to view the eclipse safely.

People throughout North America can take readings during the eclipse and report them to NASA for a citizen science project. Sounds like a fun activity to do with the kids.

I haven’t read it yet but I just checked out a book from the library about an eclipse called When the Sun Goes Dark. It’s part of this roundup of books about eclipses for kids from Growing with Science, which has books arranged by age group.

If the eclipse has you in the mood for crafting, check out these ideas:

Coffee filter eclipse craft – Look We’re Learning

Solar eclipse chalk art – Books and Giggles

Sun, earth and moon model – Enchanted Learning

Eclipse paper plate craft – JDaniel4’s Mom

More eclipse crafts for students – Orbit Oregon

Are you gearing up for the eclipse? I’d love to know what you’re planning!

[Photo of solar eclipse by Nakae, via Flickr.]

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Solar Eclipse Activities for Kids

Human brains are pretty amazing, allowing us to think, feel, create, communicate, move and more. But humans aren’t the only animals with cool brains, as Crab Museum explains in the book The No-Brainer Brain Explainer (illustrated by Bruno Valasse).

This book, aimed at kids in grades 1-4, is colorful and silly but also educational about how brains actually work, with billions of neurons sending electrical and chemical signals around the body.

“Everything we think, feel and experience comes from an electrical relay race, with neurons passing chemical batons to each other,” the book says. “The constant chatter of billions of brain cells creates your entire world.”

The book compares the brains of mammals to those of crabs (the book is “written” by a crab after all) and notes that crabs have fewer neurons and of course are much smaller, but they have separate parts of their brains that control their eyes and their legs. Crabs are also capable of remembering things, using tools and solving puzzles.

Some animals’ brains allow them to know more about their world in different ways from humans, such as spiders being sensitive to vibrations in their webs and catfish having an amazing sense of taste, with taste sensors all over their bodies.

It notes that 95 percent of brain activity goes toward things we do unconsciously, like breathing, walking and catching a ball flying toward us. It also talks about dreams, memory, how our emotions try to predict the future, where brains came from and fun facts about brains. For example, did you know a sperm whale is believed to have the biggest brain of any creature that’s even lived? Their brains weigh 18 pounds, compared to just 2.5 pounds for humans.

Information on what creatures have the smallest brains, the toughest brains, the most brains and those who actually eat their own brains will delight kids (and maybe gross them out a little bit). They’ll also enjoy learning about the mycelium network of fungi, which is like a brain without a body, and slime molds, which are like a brain without a brain.

It ends talking about why human brains are so special because we’ve found ways to work together, communicate and build communities on a scale bigger than any other animal.

Kids and adults alike will enjoy this colorful, silly and informational book about brains!

About the book: 64 pages, hardcover. Published 2026 by Wide Eyed Editions. Suggested retail price $19.99.

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