Set Up Your Sunbath Experiment

Time to be a scientist

Today you run a real experiment. You will give some mushrooms a sunbath and keep others in the shade. Then you can compare them. That is how scientists learn things!

First, the golden rule. Wash your hands with soap and water. And keep your grown-up nearby the whole time.

Use safe, grown mushrooms from your kit or the shop. Oyster mushrooms or white button mushrooms both work well. Never use wild mushrooms.

What you need

• Fresh mushrooms (enough for two small piles)

• Two clean plates

• A sunny spot with direct sunlight

• A shady spot indoors

• A grown-up to help with any slicing

Slice for more sun

Ask your grown-up to slice the mushrooms. You plan and watch; the grown-up uses the knife.

Why slice them? Slicing opens up more surface for the sun to reach. More surface means more vitamin D. Whole mushrooms work too, but slices work faster.

Make your two teams

Split your mushrooms into two equal piles.

1. Team Sun: Lay these on a plate, gills up, so the underside faces the sky.

2. Team Shade: Put these on the other plate and keep them in a shady spot indoors.

Team Shade is your comparison. It shows what a mushroom is like with no sunbath. Scientists always keep one to compare!

Sunbathe, then bring them in

Put Team Sun where the sunlight hits it directly. Open the window, or set the plate outside with your grown-up. Remember, closed glass blocks the good rays.

A sunny midday is best. Leave them for at least 15 minutes, and up to about 2 hours. Do not leave them out all day, though. Too long in the sun and the vitamin D starts to fade.

Set a timer and check the clock. When time is up, bring both plates inside. Great work, scientist! Next, we compare them.