Explore Shadows – 3MB PDF
Designed for early childhood classrooms, this exploration unit invites children to explore shadows in the world around them. Outdoors, make shadows in the sunlight. Indoors, explore shadows with lamps and flashlights.
Watch the featured PEEP videos
After watching, encourage children to make connections between their own shadow discoveries and those shown on the videos. What ideas did the videos give them for new shadow explorations they might like to try?
PEEP story
Night Light
Quack and Peep find a flashlight and have fun making big and little shadows.
Kids Explore — Live-action videos
Making Shadows
Kids play with shadows indoors. Then they go outdoors and trace their shadows with chalk.
Watching Shadows Change
Kids trace shadows outside. Later in the day they notice how the shadows have moved.
Playing with Shadow Puppets
Kids make shadow puppets and a shadow theater; then they put on a show for friends.
Family Science Letters
Extend the fun and learning with these take-home activity, book, and Web site suggestions.
Exploring Science with Kids – 131KB PDF
Explore Shadows with Your Child – 207KB PDF