The world has four special times called seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Each season feels different. Summer is warm, and winter is cold. Have you ever wondered why we have these changes?
Many people think that seasons happen because Earth gets closer to the sun in summer and farther away in winter. But this is not true! Earth is always about the same distance from the sun. Think about an ice cream truck that drives around your neighborhood. It's always nearby, but sometimes it parks on your street, and sometimes on the next street over.
The real reason for seasons is that Earth is tilted. Imagine our planet is like a spinning top that leans a little bit to one side. As Earth travels around the sun, this tilt causes different parts of Earth to get more direct sunlight at different times of the year.
When your part of the world is tilted towards the sun, the sunlight shines more directly on you. This makes the days longer and much warmer. That is why we have summer! When your part of the world is tilted away from the sun, the sunlight hits at a slant. This makes the days shorter and colder. That is when we have winter. The tilt makes all the difference!