Hi.
Solar flares send out high energy forms of light, X-rays and sometimes gamma rays, that are blocked by our atmosphere.

When something actually erupts off the Sun and into the solar system we call that a "coronal mass ejection" or CME.
Coronal mass ejections are mostly deflected by Earth's magnetic field, but they can still effect us. We call this space weather.

One of the most obvious signs that a CME has gone by is the aurora - these are also known as the northern and southern lights - you can see them in the sky some nights if you live close enough to one of the poles.
There are some pictures and more information here:
http://www.gi.alaska.edu/asahi/

Also CMEs can affect spacecraft, power systems and other kind of technology. You can read more about that here:
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/spaceweather/

cheers,
Terry