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Build a Marvel Iron Man inspired solar oven

Make a solar powered oven and cook some delicious s’mores.
Plan a session with this activity

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You’ll need

  • Pens or pencils
  • Rulers
  • PVA glue
  • Aluminium foil
  • Pizza box (larger boxes are better for the oven)
  • Black A4 paper
  • Craft or utility knife
  • Cling film
  • Strong tape, such as duct tape
  • Wooden skewers
  • Marshmallows
  • Biscuits
  • Fruit, chocolate, or other treats for inside the s'more
  • A sunny day (outside temp above 23°celcius)

Before you begin 

  • Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. There's also more guidance to help you carry out your risk assessment, including examples.   
  • Make sure all young people and adults involved in the activity know how to take part safely. 
  • Make sure you’ll have enough adult helpers. You may need some parents and carers to help.

Planning and setting up this activity 

  • You will want to ask the group to collect pizza boxes ahead of time to bring in for this activity. 
  • Ensure you check the dietary needs of your group ahead of running this activity.
  • You may wish to show a Marvel clip in this activity. You can find a variety of clips that can be shown without licences on the Marvel HQ YouTube page.
  • Use our movie licensing guidance to find out more.
  • Ask parent and carer permission before watching any clips. 
Marvel logo
  • Check for allergies, intolerances, fasting, food-related medical conditions, eating problems, food sensitivities or dietary requirements, then adjust the food items used as needed. This may include making sure there’s no cross-contamination of packaging and no cross-contamination during the storage, preparation, cooking and serving. 
  • You may need to use separate chopping boards, equipment and utensils, such as tongs or toasters, for different dietary requirements, allergies and foods.
  • If you’re unsure, check with the young person and their parents or carers. You can check with the adult directly if it’s a volunteer or helper.
  • Some people may not like certain food textures or tastes and that’s OK. People don’t need to use all the ingredients if they don’t want to, and no-one should be made to try foods if they don’t want to. You can try to find an alternative for them. 
  • If you’re using a kitchen too, you could run our kitchen safety and hygiene activities, Kitchen risk bingo and Home kitchen hygiene prior to running this session.
  • Remember to have a hand washing station and take extra hygiene precautions when handling raw meat, such as regular hand washing, having separate equipment for raw and cooked meat, and washing up equipment as soon as it's been used. Look at our guidance on food preparation.
  • Make sure you have all the ingredients ready. 
  • Remember to check your ingredients against any allergy or dietary requirements to ensure everyone can enjoy the recipe. This may mean using alternative ingredients. 

Running this activity 

  1. Gather everyone around and ask them what they know about  different types of energy and how they can be used in our everyday life? Do they know anything about Marvel's Iron Man (Tony Stark’s) Arc Reactor?
  2. You may want to show the young people images of the Arc reactor. Inform them the purpose of the Arc Reactor is as a power source to power his suit. Additionally, inform them about different types of renewable energy such as solar power, wind power, hydropower, geothermal and biomass energy.
  3. Tell the young people that in this activity we will look at how The Arc reactor acts as a power source and be looking at a power source in our universe, the power of the sun and solar energy. Explain to the young people how they will make solar powered oven to cook s’mores. Explore with the group why solar power is a good energy source to use for this activity.
  4. Give each team a pizza box. Draw a square on the top of the box lid that is about 2cm from the edge.
  5. Using a craft knife cut the box along the lines you have drawn, but not the line that runs along the hinge of the box. 
  6. Line the inside of the lid with aluminium foil, with the shiny side up. Glue the foil in place.
  7. Cut out some cling film and stick on square cutout on the inside of the box
  8. Use duct tape on the edges of the cling film to attach it to the lid to make a cling film window. Use clear sticky tape along the cling film to seal the gaps between the sheet of clingfilm.
  9. Line the inside of the pizza box with more aluminium foil. Glue the foil in place.
  10. Tape or glue black paper on top of the aluminium on the base of the box.
  11. Tape a wooden skewer about 90-degree angle for the rest of the box, to create a flap. The solar oven is ready for cooking.
  12. On a small piece of aluminium foil, assemble your s’more. Place the marshmallow and any other goodies in between two pieces of biscuit.
  13. Place the foil with the s’more onto the black part of the solar oven.
  14. Put the solar oven outside where it gets full and direct sunlight.
  15. Turn the flap of the oven so it is facing the sunlight. You may need to turn the box every so often to make sure that the flap is facing the sunlight, until your s’more is cooked.
  16. Enjoy eating your delicious s’more that you cooked using solar power.  

©2024 MARVEL

Reflection

In this activity everyone learnt about renewable energy through the engaging concept of Tony Stark’s Arc Reactor. By learning about different types of renewable energy and their practical applications, the group gained a deeper understanding about the benefits of solar power and different ways it can be used. Using this knowledge the group made some tasty s’mores. How well did the solar oven cook the s’mores? Can you think about how we can use renewable energy in our daily life?  

Safety

All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.

Hot items and hot water

Kettles, cookers and microwave ovens produce a lot of heat by the very nature of them. Caution is needed when in contact with items that have been heated and young people should use them under adult supervision. Use on a suitable surface, protecting it if necessary. Never leave hot items unattended and make sure there’s a nearby first aid kit, with items to treat burns/scalds.

Glue and solvents

Always supervise young people appropriately when they’re using glue and solvent products. Make sure there’s plenty of ventilation. Be aware of any medical conditions that could be affected by glue or solvent use and make adjustments as needed.

Sharp objects

Teach young people how to use sharp objects safely. Supervise them appropriately throughout. Store all sharp objects securely, out of the reach of young people.

Food

Remember to check for allergies, eating problems, fasting or dietary requirements and adjust the recipe as needed. Make sure you’ve suitable areas for storing and preparing food and avoid cross contamination of different foods. Take a look at our guidance on food safety and hygiene.

To make this activity easier, you could cut the window in the boxes ahead of time

Make it accessible

All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.

Scouts Environmental Conservation Activity Badge
Scouts Outdoor Challenge Award

If you enjoyed this activity, why not try some other MARVEL inspired activities!