The N14 Sundial is outdoor educational equipment that measures time by the movement of a shadow. A granite dial with two hour scales, a steel gnomon and the cardinal directions on the edge let you read the time from the shadow and find north. It works well in nurseries, schools, education centres and public spaces.
It all starts with a shadow. A metal pointer casts it on the stone dial and moves it across all day. How does the shadow know what time it is? Because the Earth turns on its own axis, the sun changes its position in the sky, and the shadow follows it across the dial. But the sun's position depends on where you are on Earth, which is why each sundial is calibrated for the location where it will stand. This way of measuring time is several thousand years old: the Egyptians and Babylonians measured it by shadow, and Anaximander of Miletus used it to determine the solstices and equinoxes. The name of the pointer - gnomon - comes from Greek and means ‘the one who knows’.
For that reading to work for years, the sundial has to withstand any weather: rain, frost and sun. The dial is granite - a stone that does not absorb water or fade in the sun. The frame is galvanised and powder-coated. There is no mechanism, battery or electronics here. As a sundial for the garden of a hospital, hotel or parish, the equipment works outdoors in all weather conditions, winter included, and is covered by a warranty. The manufacturer is EduPlayground, and the sundial is made in Poland.
Training patient attention
The shadow moves slowly, so to see the change you have to remember where it was and come back a little later. It is an exercise in careful observation where the result only appears after a while - a rare thing in a world of screens.
A different shadow in winter than in summer
In winter the sun rises lower than in summer, so the gnomon's shadow is longer. The same instrument observed throughout the year shows how the sun's height above the horizon changes - a phenomenon people usually only read about.
A starting point for talking about the world
The sundial sparks questions that cannot be answered in one sentence: why does the shadow travel, why is it longer in winter, why does a watch show something different. It is a ready-made starting point for talking about the Earth, the Sun and ways of measuring time.
What makes up the sundial
Five elements: a stone dial, a metal pointer and what lets you read the time from them.
Granite dial with hour scale
The dial is where you read the time. Hour lines run across it, each with a number, so all you have to do is check which line the shadow falls on. Reading works in sunshine - when clouds cover the sky, there is no shadow.
Stainless steel gnomon
The pointer is fixed permanently at a chosen angle - and that angle decides where the shadow falls. Nothing here turns or gets reset, so the sundial works the same on the first day as it does years later.
Summer scale and winter scale
The dial has two circles of hours. In summer you read from the outer one, in winter from the inner one, marked for winter time - because clocks are changed twice a year, but the sun is not. Working out which circle applies today is a task in itself.
Cardinal direction letters on the edge
The letters N, S, E and W stand on the edge of the dial. At noon the shadow is shortest and points north, so you can check direction without any instrument - with the shadow alone. In nature and geography lessons, the sundial then becomes a tool, not an illustration.
Steel supporting post
The dial stands on a single steel post, with no frame or side panels, so you can approach the sundial from any side and look down on the dial. The shadow shows the solar time of exactly the place for which the sundial was calibrated.
Specification
Technical data
Front view - from technical drawing N14.
Catalogue no.
N14
Dimensions
diameter: 60cm | height: 76cm
Safety zone
diameter 3.6 m
Children's age
from 3 years
Material
Steel frame, granite sundial dial. Gnomon: stainless steel. Main structural profile: black steel, closed profile 120x120x3mm
Protection
Galvanised, powder-coated frame
Colour
Green (RAL 6018)
Installation
Galvanised steel anchors L=75 cm, set in the ground and concreted in; bolted connection to the equipment.
Before the sundial goes into the playground, our adviser will help you plan all the technical details. We are with you at every stage of the project, sharing our knowledge and experience so that the equipment serves children as well as possible for many years.
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