Kids love their shadows, love to chase shadows, and love to make shadows do silly things! There are also some fun things to learn about shadows too for science and STEM! With Groundhogs Day approaching, I thought it would be fun to make simple animal shadow puppets and enjoy a fun shadow activity!
Explore Shadows For Science
Shadow animal puppets are a fun theme for both Groundhogs Day as well as the rest of the year! You would assume that all animals have some sort of shadow not just the groundhog! I bet he didn’t know his shadow or lack of was all due to simple physics!
What’s your best guess, will the groundhog see his shadow this year? Is your shadow forecast different from where Punxsutawney Phil lives? He is hanging out in Pennsylvania. Read more about the groundhog and his shadow.
ALSO CHECK OUT: Groundhog Day STEM Activities
Why Science Is Important For Kids
Kids are curious and always looking to explore, discover, check out, and experiment to find out why things do what they do, move like they move, or change as they change! Indoors or outdoors, science is amazing!
Science surrounds us, inside and out. Kids love checking things out with magnifying glasses, creating chemical reactions with kitchen ingredients, and of course exploring stored energy! Check out 50 awesome science projects to get started.
There lots of easy science concepts that you can introduce kids to very early on! You might not even think about science when your toddler pushes a card down a ramp, plays in front of the mirror, laughs at your shadow puppets, or bounces balls over and over again.
See where I am going with this list! What else can you add if you stop to think about it? Science starts early, and you can be a part of that with setting up science at home with everyday materials.
Or you can bring easy science to a group of kids! We find a ton of value in cheap science activities and experiments. Check out our helpful science resources below.
Helpful Science Resources To Get Your Started
Here are a few resources to help you introduce science more effectively to your kiddos or students and feel confident when presenting materials. You’ll find helpful free printables throughout.
- Best Science Practices (as it relates to the scientific method)
- Observation in Science
- Science Vocabulary
- 8 Science Books for Kids
- All About Scientists
- Science Supplies List
- Science Tools for Kids
What Is A Shadow?
Many objects make shadows, including our bodies or these printable shadow puppets! Since light cannot pass through a shadow puppet, it creates a shadow. A shadow is simply a dark area which is made by an object coming between rays of light and the surface.
Outside, the sun is our light to make shadows. If you are indoors, you can use a flashlight as the source of light to create shadows.
You will notice at different times of the day; shadows are different. Longer, shorter, or no shadow at all. So the size of the shadow depends on the angle of the light shining.
Can you find other things outside and inside that have shadows? What happens if light can pass through an object; is there still a shadow?
A sundial is another fun activity for exploring shadows and a great extension to this shadow activity below! See how to make a sundial from a paper plate!
Click below to get your printable shadow puppet templates
How To Make Animal Shadow Puppets
You will find your free printable shadow animal puppets download below. We used regular copy paper, but you can also print them on card stock or even laminate them! Maybe you can pair a few with a favorite book too.
Supplies:
- Printable Animal Puppets
- Straws, Craft Sticks or Skewers
- Tape and Scissors
- Flashlight
Instructions:
STEP 1. Cut out your animal shadow puppets.
STEP 2. Once you have each animal cut out, flip it over, and attach a straw (or whatever else you have available) with a piece of tape! That’s it! You are ready to explore your shadow science activity!
STEP 3. For this simple shadow science activity, you are going to need a nice beam of sunlight. Or are you? If it’s suitable, have your kids figure out where the best shadows are going to be located in the house or classroom by experimenting and testing!
Another fun idea is to check around the house or classroom at different times of the day? Is the light in different areas at different times.
Can you find a way to make a shadow without light (hint: flashlight). There are so many great questions to ask your kids to spark a little creative thinking.
Your kids will love how playful this shadow science physics activity is to use! For a craft twist, have your kids design their own animals to use. Or you can cut out and trace around our animals for them to color!
More Fun Ways To Explore Shadows
- Make these fun LEGO shadow drawings.
- Can you make shadows with your body?
- Explore shadows with groundhog puppets.
Printable Groundhog Day Activities Pack
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