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What child isn’t
fascinated by shadows? Take some time outside to look at the shadows around
you. This is a great activity for teaching and practicing measurement
skills. This is also gives you an opportunity to talk about the
rotation of the earth.
What you need:
- Tape measure
- String
- Paper and pencil
What you do:
- In the morning, go
outside and measure the length of the shadow of several items. Younger
children can “measure” with string. Cut the string to match the length of
each shadow and compare using words such as longer, shorter, taller,
bigger…
Make a simple chart and record
the measurements.
- Repeat this at
different times throughout the day.
- You can us a globe or
ball and a flashlight to demonstrate what is happening. Tape a stick on
the globe and shine the flashlight on the stick. Slowly turn the
globe while keeping the light in the same place. Observe what
happens to the shadow created by the stick.
What you can talk
about:
- Ask your child what
they notice about the shadows.
- Do they get longer or
shorter as the day goes on?
- Why do they change?
- Shadows are made by
blocking the light source (sun). The lower the sun is in the sky, the
longer its shadow.
Literature Link:
-
Bear Shadow
 by
Frank Asch is a great book to read with young children after doing this activity.
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