Synergy Cents With Penny D. Pelican | Hooray for Mother’s Day
May 1, 2020
Get Moving With Thibodaux Regional Health System | Keeping Active Through Stressful Times
May 1, 2020
Shadow activities and experiments can help children learn what a shadow is and how they are formed.
A shadow is created when an object blocks a source of light. Examples of an object can be a person, animal or toy. The object must be solid or else the light can pass through (like the light through a glass window.)
The size and shape of your shadow depends on the position of the sun. In this art and science activity, ask children to use their bodies, and other objects, to block the light of the sun in order to create a shadow.
Try tracing your shadows at different times throughout the day and talk about the position of the sun and how it changes the shape and size of your shadow.
What You’ll Need:
- Sunny day
- Open space with no other shadows (driveway works well)
- Chalk paint (see tips)
- Paintbrushes
What To Do:
STEP 1
Create shadows with your body! Arms up, hands on hips, any pose you wish. You can also use toys or anything tall enough to cast a shadow.
STEP 2
Trace your shadow! You will need a partner to take turns with when tracing human shadows.
STEP 3
Use your chalk paint or regular sidewalk chalk to paint your drawing! We experimented with flour paint, regular sidewalk chalk, and chalking on the wet cement.
Tips:
- We made “chalk paint” by mixing flour and food coloring with a bit of water. It worked well when it was thick and applied with a sponge brush. Once dried, it was colorful!
- You can also make chalk paint by crushing chalk into a fine powder in a plastic bag and dissolving it in water.
- We also experimented with painting the sidewalk with water, then coloring the water with sidewalk chalk to make more vivid colors. •
Sponsored By
