All About Shadows

Try this handy way to explore some shadow basics. 

What you need:

Hand Shadow 
  • lamp or flashlight
  • blank wall
  • dark room

 

What you do:

Go into a dark room. Have your child hold his or her hand in front of a lamp or flashlight so it casts a shadow on the wall.
 


What you talk about:

  • Tell your child that shadows are made when something gets in the way of light and blocks the light out.
  • Have your child make another hand shadow. Tell him or her to move the light closer to the hand.
  • Then ask, "What happens to the shadow when the light is closer?" (The shadow gets longer.)
  • Next, have your child move the light farther from the hand.
  • Then ask, "What happens to the shadow when the light is farther?" (The shadow gets shorter.)

 

Illustration: Art Explosion

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