Shadows are formed when light is blocked by an object. On sunny days, shadows of ourselves, trees, houses, and many more are visible. The light from the sun helps create these darker areas.
Explore this fact through these ten enlightening shadow activities that are exciting and interesting for young children.
When the sun is high, especially at noon, it is easy to find shadows outside. But is it possible to see them indoors as well? This STEAM experiment will answer this question.
Making the handprints provides a sensory experience and will help strengthen children’s hand muscles and improve their fine motor skills.
Have the children trace and cut out their handprints on white paper. Let them fold the wrist part and tape this on the edge table. Ensure that the table is pushed to the wall.
Next, have the children shine a flashlight in front of the handprint and turn off the lights in the room. Let the children observe if a shadow appears.
Have them change the backdrop using different colors of paper and textured materials, such as corrugated cardboard, bubble wrap, and others. Shine the flashlight once again and see if a shadow will form.
Let the children observe which background makes the shadow darker.
For this activity, you will need:
- Flashlight
- Plain wall
- Backdrop of different colors and textures
- Paper
- Sticky tape
- Scissors
For more information on this activity, go to PreschoolSTEAM.com.
This sensory play will help children explore their sense of sight and touch. Children will improve their observation skills, ideally before bedtime. It will also help children lessen their fear of the dark.
Cut out the cardboard box as suggested. Refer to the pictures on the site for this step. Position the box a few inches away from a blank wall. Next, have the children place the flashlight in the box’s opening.
Have them turn off the lights and place a toy. Let them look at the shadow and find out if they can point out the body parts of the toy animal.
Ask them to move the flashlight closer or farther from the toy. Let them observe the effects on the shadow as they do this.
Vary this activity by placing different toy animals and letting the children guess what they are based on their shadows. This is a delightful activity to improve visual-perceptual skills in children.
For this activity, you will need:
- Small animal toys
- Flashlight
- Blank wall
- Cardboard box
- Colored plastic
For more information on this activity, go to ALittlePinchofPerfect.com.
Using shadows to trace an image is an exciting idea to help children develop their spatial and fine motor skills. This activity is perfect for block play areas. It will also help improve children’s patience and focus.
Doing this activity in a darkened room is advisable to create vivid images of the shadows. Start by placing a long sheet of butcher paper on the floor or table. Use sticky tape to keep it in place.
Next, have the children build a tower using different wooden blocks. Remind children to ensure that the pieces are stable and not wobbly.
Position the flashlight in front of the structure to cast a shadow. Adjust its placement to create a traceable image. Provide a marker for children to trace the tower’s outline.
Once finished, take down the blocks. Let the children use the tracing on the paper to build a tower that matches the image.
For this activity, you will need:
- Wooden blocks
- Flashlight
- Butcher paper
- Painter’s tape
- Scissors
- Markers
For more information on this activity, go to HandsOnAsWeGrow.com.
Body shadows activity is a fabulous way to learn about body awareness and body movements while understanding more about it. This is an excellent outdoor activity during the summer or on sunny days.
With a science lesson, explain and demonstrate what shadows are and how they are formed. Tell children a light source like the sun is needed to make shadows.
Test this idea by letting children stay under a shaded tree and in the open under the sun. Let them observe if they can spot their shadows in both places.
Start the body shadow activity by asking the children to stand under the sun. Let them pose and observe their shadows.
Next, have them do different movements and observe how their shadows move. Ask children what happens to their shadows whenever they move.
The site suggests having children stand on one foot, reach up high, dance, or even incorporate songs that has body movements.
For this activity, you will need:
- Children
- A sunny day
For more information on this activity, go to Pre-KPages.com.
Who does not love a good game of tag? This game helps improve gross motor skills and coordination while strengthening stamina. The main goal of this game is for the “It” to tag other players by their shadows without touching them physically.
Group games teach children critical social-emotional skills like following rules, fair play, patience, taking turns, and focusing while having fun.
Gather the kids on a sunny outdoors and explain the game’s rules. Have the children determine who the “It” is and start playing the game. The rules may be tweaked depending on the number of players and the location where it is played.
The site suggests modifying this game for younger children who may have a hard time moving at a faster pace.
Instead of an “It,” pretend that a slow-moving animal is out to get them, such as a slow dinosaur, to prevent possible accidents from tripping and stumbling.
For this activity, you will need:
- Children
- A sunny day
For more information on this activity, go to TheGeniusOfPlay.org.
Some children find it challenging to start drawing a picture. This activity will help them decide what to draw. It is a simple activity that uses readily available materials and is perfect for keeping children occupied outdoors.
This is a terrific activity to help children strengthen their fine motor skills, improve their coordination, and practice their three-finger grasp. It is an activity perfect for the summer season.
Start this activity by placing paper on an outdoor table or any flat surface under the sun. Use sticky tape to secure the paper, especially when there is a bit of wind.
Next, choose small toys that will cast shadows. Small plastic animals are perfect for this activity. Position them on the paper and let the children use markers or pencils to trace the toys’ outlines.
The site suggests using chalk to trace people’s shadows on sidewalks as an alternative.
For this activity, you will need:
- White drawing paper
- Pencils, crayons, or markers
- Objects that will cast shadows
- A sunny day
- Sticky tape
For more information on this activity, go to HiMama.com.
The human sundial experiment is a great activity to teach children that the sun can tell us the time without using gadgets or time-telling devices.
With a science lesson, explain how shadows are formed and how they change locations depending on the sun’s movement. Choose a large area for this activity without obstructions from trees or structures, such as a car park.
This activity will be a wonderful sensory experience while teaching time awareness. Tracing shadows will help improve children’s fine motor skills and coordination.
On a sunny day, ask a child to stand under the sun. Have another child trace the first child’s shadow. Return after two hours and let the first child stand in the same spot. By this time, the shadow is in a different position. Let the second child trace it.
Repeat this step several times. Write the time on each of the shadows or mark the shadows traced in the morning and afternoon.
For this activity, you will need:
- Sidewalk chalk
- A sunny day
For more information on this activity, go to RhythmsOfPlay.com.
Shadow puppets are a fun way to tell stories. It is also the perfect time to explain the Science behind shadows. Use the puppets in dramatic play areas for storytelling and science centers to simulate shadows.
Create different scenarios for children to respond to and teach social-emotional skills. This will significantly help in learning to express themselves and an excellent oral language exercise.
Download and print the free animal silhouette templates from the site. Have the children cut these out or assist them in challenging areas. Once ready, have the children attach a drinking straw to the back of each animal using sticky tape.
Next, find the perfect spot, such as near the window where the sun shines through, or have the children use a flashlight.
Have the children point the flashlight at the animals and let them observe their shadows.
The site also suggests letting children create their version of shadow puppets.
For this activity, you will need:
- Printed animal puppets
- Drinking straws or craft sticks
- Sticky tape
- Scissors
- Flashlight
For more information on this activity, go to LittleBinsForLittleHands.com.
Children are most likely familiar with the black or dark gray shadows that form when the light casts against an object. It might be surprising for the little ones to discover that shadows can also come in different colors.
This activity will help children learn color recognition and color mixing. A science lesson will help children understand that colored shadows can be formed using colored lightbulbs.
Set up lamps with colored lightbulbs. Ensure that safety rules have been explained to children to prevent accidents. Place the lamps a few inches away from the white wall or background.
Next, place an object like a water bottle in front of the wall. Turn on one of the lamps and have the children observe what happens to the shadow. Repeat the process with the other colored lamps. Finally, turn them on simultaneously.
Let the children note the effects. Next, have them explore the colored shadow by using different objects.
For this activity, you will need:
- Green, red, and blue lightbulbs
- Three identical lamps
- White background
- Objects that will make shadows
- A dark room
For more information on this activity, go to Learning.InnerChildFun.com.
This beautiful shadow art is perfect for teaching children about colored shadows. It is also a great addition to a butterfly unit study. Children will improve their fine motor skills by cutting out different shapes for the butterfly’s wings from cellophane.
Download and print the butterfly template from the site. Cut out the inside part of the butterfly leaving just the outline. Refer to the pictures on the site for this step. Next, have the children carefully trace the hollowed-out butterfly onto the cardboard.
An adult should use the craft knife to hollow out the butterfly template on the cardboard. Next, have the children attach yellow cellophane to the cardboard to cover the whole area. Draw shapes on different colors of cellophane and have the children cut these out.
Let them glue these shapes on the yellow butterfly. Once dry, let the children take the butterfly and hold it under the sun to cast a shadow.
For this activity, you will need:
- Printed butterfly template
- Craft knife
- Cardboard
- Colored cellophane
- Sticky tape
- Glue stick
- A sunny day
For more information on this activity, go to TheBestIdeasForKids.com.
Conclusion
Shadows are a fascinating result when light shines upon an object. Let children work on these activities to help them understand the concept better. These activities can be tailored to fit the children’s different abilities.
Thank you for reading. Come back and check out our other activity articles soon.
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