Learning Package: Discover the Mystery of the Solar Eclipse
Children
by Monster's Mission
Introduction
You’re walking down the streets one day, and suddenly, a large shadow is cast over you. You look up to see nothing, but wait – the Sun is slowly being covered!
That is a solar eclipse, and it happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth at just the right moment as the Moon orbits around the Earth, and as the Earth orbits around the Sun.
This causes the Sun’s light to be temporarily blocked by the Moon, which casts a shadow on parts of the Earth.
Check out this video to find out more about the different types of solar eclipses and why scientists find them so cool!
How can you view a solar eclipse safely?
Solar eclipses are amazing to behold as it is an uncommon occurrence of alignment of the Sun, the Moon, and the Earth in just the right positions. Imagine bumping into all your best friends in the same shopping mall, in the same store, buying the same things!
However, even though the Sun is temporarily blocked by the Moon during a solar eclipse, it is still very dangerous to look at it directly.
Watch the Monsters' Missions video!
Click here to join Hutsy and Camy as they get transported into a sunny desert. They experience a mysterious phenomenon where the Sun disappears, and the inhabitants of the desert are thrown into panic! Can Hutsy and Camy solve the mystery and bring back the Sun?
Check out more episodes here!
Here are some ways you can view a solar eclipse safely:
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Viewing through a pair of eclipse glasses or safe handheld solar viewer. Eclipse glasses are not the regular sunglasses.
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Viewing indirectly through tools like a pinhole projector, which projects an image of the Sun onto a nearby surface.
Activity 1: Make Your Own Pinhole Projector
Check out this DIY craft project by author Meg Thacher on how to make a pinhole projector!
Make a Pinhole Projector: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/storey/storey-for-kids/make-a-pinhole-projector/
Activity 2: Learn About Light and Shadows
Discover the magic of light and shadows - from the sun's incredible 8-minute journey to Earth to creating your own shadow puppet theatre! Try this activity sheet to explore how light travels and bring stories to life with just your hands and imagination.
Check out the activity sheet here: https://go.gov.sg/nlb-mmscienceactivitysheet
Conclusion
Solar eclipses do not occur very often, so keep an eye out for the next one coming your way! Be sure to view the solar eclipses safely with the proper equipment and always check in with an adult if you are unsure. Have fun! .
Check out the book recommendations below!
1. The eclipse of 1919 : how Einstein's theory of general relativity changed our world
Call No.: 530.11072 MAC | Collection Junior
Author: Emily Arnold McCully
Publisher: New York : Christy Ottaviano Books, 2025
Synopsis: An awe-inspiring picture book biography about Albert Einstein and the story of how he proved his Theory of Relativity during the 1919 solar eclipse.
2. The Ultimate Kid's Guide to the Universe
Call No.: 523.1 MAR | Collection Junior
Author: Jenny Marder
Publisher: New York : Grosset & Dunlap, 2024
Also available as an eBook on NLB Overdrive.
Synopsis: With stunning photos of outer space and easy at-home experiments, this is the only guide kids need on their journey of learning about all things astronomy: the stars, the planets, the moon, and so much more! Buckle up and let Jenny Marder, a senior writer for NASA, be your guide to the universe! First stop: the moon!
Book covers are the copyright of their respective publishers.
Sources
NASA. (2024, November 4). Eclipse viewing safety - NASA science.
https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/safety
NASA Space Place. (2023, February 22). What Is a Solar Eclipse?. YouTube.
Last accessed: 10 October 2025
Thacher, M. (2024, March 28). Make a pinhole projector.
https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/storey/storey-for-kids/make-a-pinhole-projector
Last accessed: 10 October 2025