Shadow Drawing
What you need
- chalk
- two or three soft toys with clear shapes
How to do it
- On a sunny day, sit the toys on a path or paving slab so their shadows fall clearly beside them.
- Ask your child to draw round each shadow with chalk.
- Play something else nearby, then come back and look: has the shadow moved away from the chalk line?
- Draw round your child's own shadow too, while they stand very still, then swap.
Why it matters
Drawing round a shadow makes it stay put, so when the real one moves they can see that something has changed.
What they're learning
- Drawing round a shape
- Following the edge of a shadow with chalk.
- Noticing change
- Comparing the shadow with the line they drew.
- Asking why
- Wondering where the shadow went, and why.
What to look for
Notice them comparing the new shadow with the chalk line and saying it has moved.
A tip
Stay in sight of each other and away from the road, and wash chalky hands afterwards.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: draw round their own shadow only, and let them colour it in
Harder: draw the same toy's shadow three times across the day and talk about why it moves
