Just in case you hadn't heard, there's a major solar eclipse happening here in North America next week. It's happening on April 8th, 2024 to be exact. 

Although I'm assuming since you've stumbled upon this page, you have in fact heard about it. More than likely you were probably searching for resources to help explain the solar eclipse to your kids. 

I, too, have been on a search this week for television shows, books, magazines, and online reading resources to help explain the solar eclipse to my kids. They have had a TON of questions! 

And I've found quite a few good ones. But so as not to completely overwhelm my own children—and yours—I've narrowed it down to my favorite seven.  

I suggest streaming these resources onto your television if you're able to, as it offers the easiest way to view without crowding around a laptop or Ipad. This is what my kids and I did. Although you could easily hand your older kids this post and have them flip through the resources themselves. I have them bolded and color coded for easy access. 

Regardless of how you watch and read them, I guarantee both and your kids will approach the upcoming solar eclipse with more knowledge, safety, and excitement! 

The following post Shares seven of Our favorite Shows and Reading Resources that Will help explain the solar eclipse to kids. 

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The Magic School Bus, "Lost in Space" 

We're starting off strong with one of my very favorite television shows as a child, mom, and former teacher. The creme de la creme of science shows for kids.

Also, as an added bonus, this is the very first episode ever of The Magic School Bus where Ms. Frizzle makes her debut. It's Season 1 , Episode 1 titled "Lost in Space". 

Now technically this episode is not about a solar eclipses at all. In fact, it actually makes no mention of them whatsoever. 

But this episode is about the entire solar system and each individual planet's relation and location to the sun and Earth. It's a great place to start if your kids don't know much about astronomy and the solar system. Especially if you have younger kids who might not know how far away the sun is, and/or the other planets. This way as the eclipse is taking place, at least they'll know the suns' proximity with Earth. 

And as an allusion to solar eclipses, Ms. Frizzle does ask her students if they're wearing their special sun goggles when they get close to the sun. This can can be a great introduction into the conversation as to why we all need to wear special glasses when watching the eclipse. 

Where to Watch: Netflix  

Ready, Jet, Go! "Total Eclipse of the Sun" 

This adorable show does an excellent job explaining how a solar eclipse takes place. It explains how it happens as one is happening. They also do mention why t's important to wear those solar viewing glasses while watching an eclipse. 

It starts off with viewers watching an eclipse of their own. Then it breaks into an adorable song explaining what's happening and why. 

Because it's a cartoon song, and short time frame of about 3 minutes I'd recommend this show for younger kids.

The episode doesn't go into too much depth, but just enough for younger kids to understand what's happening.

I feel that it can also help lessen the fear that younger kids might have about the eclipse. Let's remember that during the eclipse the daylight will suddenly go dark for a few minutes. This show helps portray it positively.  

Where to Watch: PBS Kids

CBS Kids News, "The solar Eclipse Can Burn Your Eyes" 

Speaking of solar eclipse viewing glasses, the question my kids have been asking me the most over the past week is "why do we have to wear glasses during the eclipse?" 

One of my girls is very nervous and slightly fearful of the eclipse even for this reason. She keeps asking why we have to wear them, what will happen if we don't wear them or wear them properly, can she take them off for a few seconds, the difference between sunglasses, etc. So I knew one of the resources I found this week had to do a good job explaining why those solar viewing glasses were necessary. 

Solar Eclipse Viewing Glasses

By the way, if you haven't purchased solar viewing glasses yet, these are the ones I purchased for my own kids. I cannot stress this enough—DO NOT watch the solar eclipse without special certified eclipse viewing glasses.

To answer my daughters (and maybe your) question: no, you cannot wear your regular sunglasses during the eclipse. They won't protect your eyes with the proper equipment. Glasses such as the ones I'm linking here provide the right lenses recognized by the Astronomical Association Task Force to ensure safe viewing. These have safety guidelines printed on the inside. They've also been reviewed well by over 100 people, so I knew I was getting a good product. We did test them out already as soon as they arrived, and it was pretty cool being able to see the sun outside our window with them! 

My Favorite Show in This List 

As for the show, this one is absolutely excellent and probably my favorite on this list.

Not only does it do an excellent job explaining why we need to wear these glasses. It explains what happens if we don't wear them, and how harmful it can be. But it also does an excellent job explaining the different types of solar eclipses, how they take place, and what the path of totality and partial viewing is. 

The upcoming one is a partial solar eclipse, and this is why we need to wear those special glasses. This is because the sun is not going to be totally blocked from our line of sight.  

I would recommend this show for older kids and tweens. There's a ton of great information packed into this 6-minute show! 

Where to Watch: Youtube 

If you want to read about it or read more after watching the episode, you can also click here for the reading resource. 

RECESS, "Purple Day" 

Another favorite television show from my childhood, this show quickly became a favorite for my kids when I introduced it to them years ago. 

One of our favorite episodes is titled "Purple Day". While the episode itself is not about a solar eclipse but about a fight within a clique, a solar eclipse is a major theme in the show. A main character even makes a device called a pinhole projector to view the eclipse safely. 

Even as an adult I love this show. It's funny and entertaining, and brings me right back to my childhood watching it after school with my siblings. Which is a pastime I love to do now with my own children. 

Watching this episode prompted us also to learn about making our own pinhole projector, explained beautifully in this National Geographic Kids link here . 

Where to Wactch: Disney Plus

National Geographic Kids 

Speaking of National Geographic Kids, this is where my own kids first learned about the upcoming solar eclipse a few years ago believe it or not. 

I have a monthly subscription to National Geographic Magazine for Kids and once a month they receive a magazine from them. In it are all kinds of facts and activities they learn about, and I'm always so impressed by how much information they learn and retain from them! 

The solar eclipse is featured in this months issue. You can learn more about the issue and subscribe to it here .  

Yearly Almanacs 

I also purchase the yearly almanac for them. Although lately, I've gotten in the habit of purchasing two at a time, believe it or not, because my kids love reading them over and over so much they fight over it!

So eventually I just started buying the exact same book twice. We still have almanacs from four years ago they read over and over and have learned so many incredible facts about it.

The 2024 version is actually where they first learned about next week's solar eclipse over a year ago! To purchase a copy for your own kiddos click here . I cannot recommend these almanacs enough, as they're filled with so much great information and facts that are guaranteed to keep your kids entertained and learning. Like me, I'm sure you will also be impressed by how much they learn from them! 

Nat Geo Kids Online 

There are tons of resources on their website about the eclipse! 

If you want to read about what a solar eclipse is click here . 

To make your own pinhole projector like the one in the Recess episode click here. 

Bill Nye, "Solar Eclipse" 

The scientific nostalgia just keeps on coming at ya in this post, huh?! 

Who doesn't love Bill Nye? I watched him as a kid, and now my kids love watching him too! 

More importantly, I love that he's a reliable scientific source so I know I can trust the facts he shares on his show, and that he explains things pretty concisely. 

The videos I'm sharing below both explain what a solar eclipse is and answer the most popular question of them all: why do we need those solar eclipse viewing glasses? I love that both videos are super short at less than a minute each. They provide the correct information for them to learn more, but not so much that my kids are going to lose interest. 

To learn about what a solar eclipse is watch here.

If you want to learn about why we need to wear protective eyewear during the eclipse watch here. 

NASA: Total Solar Eclipse Safety 

One of our favorite places we've ever visited as a family was the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. 

While our visit there is a post I haven't shared yet, rest assured it is indeed coming and one not to be missed. The Kennedy Space Center is an absolutely incredible place, and visiting it marks a "pinch-me" moment. That's because it's one of two most important space centers in the United States belonging to the official NASA: The Kennedy Space Center and the Space Center in Houston ("Houston, we have a problem"). 

Tons of Resources Online 

My kids loved our visit here. So I knew any resource I found from here they'd go gaga over. And I wasn't wrong. They loved reading about why protective glasses are important, and more about solar eclipses in general from one of their favorite space sources (if not the space source. It's NASA after all!). 

To read the article click here. And if you so happen to be at the Kennedy Space Center or in Central Florida for Spring Break this upcoming week, they're doing a special celebration for the eclipse and Earth Day which you can learn more about here. 

After browsing these reading and viewing resources that help explain the solar eclipse, your kiddos are sure to know more about it! So much so, that during the eclipse instead of asking "what's happening?" they'll probably be able to explain it to everyone around them, as my kids have been doing lately! 

One last reminder that I can't stress enough: don't forget to purchase and wear solar eclipse viewing glasses for eye safety! Have fun! 

Know what other event is taking place next week? Eid Al-Fitr to end Ramadan 2024! To see which Eid and Ramadan books we've been reading this month click  here!