Ready to turn sunshine into magic? With just a few simple supplies, you’ll harness the sun’s rays to make one-of-a-kind prints. No paintbrushes needed—just the power of light!

WHAT YOU NEED
• Dark-colored construction paper
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Repositionable glue stick
• Small objects (think leaves, coins, buttons, or toys)
• Tape
• A sunny window

LET THE SUNSHINE CREATIVITY BEGIN!

  1. Shape it up!
    Use your pencil to trace around fun objects—or freehand your own wild designs—on construction paper. Cut them out carefully.
  2. Design your masterpiece
    Arrange your paper shapes on a fresh sheet of dark construction paper. Go wild! Spell your name, create a crazy pattern, or design a whole scene.
  3. Stick it down
    Use a tiny bit of repositionable glue to lightly stick the shapes onto the big paper. You want them to stay put but peel off easily later.
  4. Find the perfect sunny spot
    Tape your masterpiece (shapes facing outward) onto a window that gets tons of sunshine.
  5. Let the sun work its magic
    Leave your artwork soaking up the rays for a few days. Peek once in a while—but patience pays off!
  6. Reveal the magic!
    Once the background looks lighter (compare it to an unused sheet if you’re not sure), carefully peel off your shapes. Ta-da! Your artwork is ready!

TRY THIS TOO!
Mix it up! Try using different colors of construction paper and see which ones fade the fastest. Does red fade quicker than blue? Keep track of your discoveries and become a sunlight scientist!

THE SCIENCE BEHIND IT
Sunlight isn’t just warm—it’s powerful! It carries ultraviolet (UV) rays that can break down the dyes in paper and fabric. When UV rays hit the construction paper, they cause a chemical reaction that makes the colors fade. But wherever your shapes blocked the sunlight, the paper stayed dark. It’s the same reason your hair might lighten up after a summer of playing outside—or why old signs left in windows look faded!