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Art for Kids - Shadow Drawing
Creative, Stem
5-6 years old
DISCOVER
In this activity we will:
1. Learn about how light travels
2. Notice the details of various objects
3. Encourage drawing and mark-making in their play
PLAY
Materials You Need
- Torchlight
- Art paper
- Tape
- Colour pencils
- A variety of small objects such as, blocks, cars
Set it Up
- Set up all the materials in a dark corner
- Tape the art paper on the floor
Steps to Guide Little Discoverers
- Read the story The Day I Met My Shadow by Melissa Brun
- Introduce the activity by demonstrating how light creates shadow when shone on an object.
- Choose an object, cast the light and outline the shadow of the object.
- Repeat with other object but change the position of the light to create shadows of different length.
- Discuss the difference they noticed.
- What shape can you see?
- Can you describe the shape?
- How is the shape changing? (By moving the light source)
- Can you see a difference?
LEARN
This activity allows children to play, experiment and learn about how light travels and changes in accordance with the direction of the light source.
Key vocabularies to use:
Shapes, shadow, light, straight, curve, long, short, through, blocked
Ways to adapt the activity:
For beginners, they can fill up the shadows using paint and their hands instead of tracing the outline.
For advanced learners, combine a few objects to create a complex shadow formation to trace.
Continue the exploration by combining objects of different levels of transparency and observe the way light travels when it hits the object.
WHAT DID WE ACHIEVE?
By encouraging children to observe the difference as a variable is being manipulated, children are gathering information that will strengthen their reasoning skills. Outlining the shadows also works on their concentration and focus.
