Shadow Puppet Show

About 30 minutes, indoors, for ages 5 to 7.

Where it works

Works in any indoor space

Who it's for

ages 5 to 7

Try Making:

  • a bird
  • a dog
  • a rabbit
  • a monster nobody has seen before

Today's Challenge

  1. 1.What happens to the shadow when you move closer to the lamp?
  2. 2.Whose hands make the biggest shadow?
  3. 3.Can you make two shadows talk to each other?

Quick Start: What you need

  • 1a lamp or torch
  • 2a blank wall

The Goal

Use one lamp and your hands to fill a wall with animals that move.

How to start

  1. 1

    Gather what you need: a lamp or torch and a blank wall. Nothing else required.

  2. 2

    Head indoors and make: a bird, a dog, a rabbit, a monster nobody has seen before.

  3. 3

    Talk about what you made. Start with "What happens to the shadow when you move closer to the lamp?"

  4. 4

    Print the worksheet to plan it out and keep what you make.

Trace A Shadow

Hold a shadow still on this page and draw around its edge.

A shadow gets bigger when you move the object closer to the light.

If you want to push it further

  • Try a shadow that needs two people to make
  • Turn the lamp sideways and see what changes

Print it and go

The worksheet has the checklist, the prompts, and a space to draw in. One page, ready for a bag or a glovebox.

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