By Karen Rice
Official Kids Mag
The sun is shining, and there's nothing
better than a sunny summer day for
learning about shadows.
Here's an outdoor science lesson and a
fun way to make some art too!
It's best to do this "experiment" in a
place where you can draw on the ground
(like a driveway, playground, parking lot
or sidewalk.)
First, let's talk about shadows.
Shadows form when an object blocks
light.
When you're outside, shadows are
formed when an object (like a tree), a
person (like you), animal (like your dog),
or the earth itself blocks the sunlight.
That happens when an object is placed
between the sun and the earth.
When you block the sun, it creates
a shadow! Shadows disappear when
there's no sun. But you can capture
shadows with some shadow art!!
To do this STEAM activity, you'll need a
sunny day and some sidewalk chalk.
Use your body, your pet or other
objects like flowers, a tree, a toy, or your
bike to block the light of the sun and
make a shadow on the pavement.
It might take some experimenting to
find a position for a shadow you like best.
Move around and discover what happens
to your shadow.
Does it change size or shape? You
can even experiment with tracing your
shadow at different times during the day.
Why does your shadow change?
Strike a pose and when you have a
shadow you like, have a friend trace
around your shadow with sidewalk chalk.
Or, trace around shadows of trees, flowers
or other objects. Then, use the recipe on
the previous page to make recycled chalk
paint and fill in your shadows.
The art of
SHADOWS!
Can you
find the
correct
shadow?
Which one
matches best?
www.of f icialKidsMag.com • July 2021 • 41
