Kids will enjoy exploring the shadow of the sun with this fun, hands on, Sun Shadow Art and Science Lesson for Preschool, Kindergarten, 1st grade, 2nd grade, and 3rd grade kids. Great for year round on a sunny day!
There are few things more exciting than discovering the beautiful patterns hidden in our world. One day my daughter discovered that the angle of the sun made a special display in our bedroom, but it only lasted a few minutes. The changes in the way the sun effects our world is one of the key things you should be studying in science.
Today's project is accessible to preschoolers, but it would be appropriate for elementary and secondary students as well. Here's how to do the basic project.
Shadow
Materials:
- Large sheets of paper
- Paint
- Brushes
- An object to form the shadow
- A sunny day
First thing in the morning
Set your object on the paper, and observe the shadow. Use paint to color in the shadow.
Two hours later
Make sure your object is in the same place, and paint the new shadow. Repeat this process all day.
When the paint is dry
Discuss your painting. How did the length of the shadows change? Why? How did their position change? Why would those changes happen?
Shadow Extension Activities
- Use a protractor to measure the angle change between each shadow.
- Repeat at different times of year, and compare the results.
- Use your data and your latitude to calculate the speed of the rotation of the earth.
Science Activities for Kids
- Crystals - How to Grow Crystals K-6th
- Hatching ButterfliesK-6th
- Plant Lifecycle Notebook K-6th
- Scientific Method: Which Park is the Best K-3rd
- Solar System Coloring Pages
- Squishy Circuits (PreK-6th)
- Zoo Scavenger Hunts - 17 different hunts for kids Toddler - 6th Grade
Christy McGuire is a former AP physics teacher, and current mother of 4. She
and her children enjoy exploring science and math together. Head over to Thriving STEM to find more science,
technology, engineering and math ideas to use with your kids. Follow along
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