12/08/2026
Planning to watch the solar eclipse on Wednesday 12 August? 🌘
There are a few different ways to see it safely – but never look directly at the Sun without proper eclipse glasses.
🥣 Colander
Stand with your back to the Sun and hold the colander so its holes project onto the ground or a piece of white paper. Each hole will create a tiny image of the eclipse. Look at the projection, not AT THE SUN through the colander.
📝 Paper projection
Make a small pinhole in one piece of card and hold it above a second white sheet. The light will pass through the hole and project an image of the eclipse onto the paper below. Again, keep your back to the Sun and don’t look AT THE SUN through the pinhole.
📦 Cereal box viewer
Sunlight enters through the pinhole in the foil and projects an image onto the white surface inside the box. Look through the separate viewing hole to see it.
🕶️ Eclipse-safe glasses
These allow you to look at the Sun safely, but they must meet the ISO 12312-2 standard and be free from scratches, tears or holes. Ordinary sunglasses won’t protect your eyes.
The eclipse also links nicely to our primary science schemes. Pupils learn about the Sun in Year 3 light, before exploring the movement of Earth and the other planets in Year 5 space.
Children should always be supervised when viewing an eclipse.
