A shadow map with a toy elephant.

STREAM Activity: Tracing Shadows

Activity best for children ages three and up

Have you ever seen your own shadow while playing outside? Shadows are dark shapes formed on a surface when something blocks the light from a light source. When you see your shadow on the ground outside, your body is blocking light from the sun. Let’s see if we can make shadows inside with our own light source.

GUIDING QUESTIONS

  • Can you make the shadows look bigger or smaller by moving the light?

  • Do the shadows look the same shape as the object?

  • Are some of the shadows lighter or darker? Why do you think that is? (Objects that are more see-through, or translucent, should have a lighter shadow. Objects that are solid colors, or opaque, should have a darker shadow.)

  • Can you create shadows on the wall? Use these shadows to put on a shadow puppet show.

MATERIALS

  • Small household objects or toys

  • Paper

  • Pencils, crayons, or markers

  • Light source (flashlight, lamp, headlamp, etc.)

DIRECTIONS

STEP 1

Place the objects at one end of your paper.

STEP 2

Shine the light from your light source at the objects so their shadows form on your paper.

STEP 3

With your writing utensil, trace the shadows on your paper.

STEP 4

Can you create a story with the shapes you traced?