Seasons: What causes summer and winter?

The Earth goes around the Sun like a spinning top, and sometimes it tilts, that’s what causes summer and winter.

Imagine you have a big round ball (that's Earth), and it spins around another ball (that's the Sun). But instead of spinning straight up and down, Earth leans a little bit as it goes around. That leaning is called tilt, and it happens because Earth is like a slightly wobbly ball.

When one part of Earth leans toward the Sun, that’s summer for that part. The sunlight hits that side more directly, like when you stand close to a lamp; you feel much warmer than if you were far away. So people there get more sun and it feels hotter.

When that same part of Earth leans away from the Sun, that’s winter for that part. The sunlight now hits that side at an angle, like when you're standing far from a lamp; you feel cooler. People there get less sun and it feels colder.

Earth keeps spinning and tilting all year, so we get different seasons in different places! The Earth goes around the Sun like a spinning top, and sometimes it tilts, that’s what causes summer and winter.

Imagine you have a big round ball (that's Earth), and it spins around another ball (that's the Sun). But instead of spinning straight up and down, Earth leans a little bit as it goes around. That leaning is called tilt, and it happens because Earth is like a slightly wobbly ball.

When one part of Earth leans toward the Sun, that’s summer for that part. The sunlight hits that side more directly, like when you stand close to a lamp; you feel much warmer than if you were far away. So people there get more sun and it feels hotter.

When that same part of Earth leans away from the Sun, that’s winter for that part. The sunlight now hits that side at an angle, like when you're standing far from a lamp; you feel cooler. People there get less sun and it feels colder.

Earth keeps spinning and tilting all year, so we get different seasons in different places!