February 3

Groundhog Day and Shadows

We learned about shadows on Groundhog Day in PreK classes. How is a shadow formed? Can you see the details of an object in a shadow?


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then we walked down to the conference room to play a shadow game using an old overhead projector. When we turned off the light in the conference room, we couldn’t see our hands. We need light to see. I placed objects in various positions on the overhead and projected them onto the wall. We observed that shadows are black, show only the outline of an object, and change as you turn the object around. The shadows were also larger than the object on the overhead. Then we each had a chance to make shadows with our bodies. I had a few objects that didn’t create shadows. The light went right through them! We’ll explore that concept next week.


To extend this activity at home, project the shadows of objects on your child’s ceiling before bedtime. Make shadow animals with your hands. Click here to watch a video to learn how. Go outside several times throughout the day and notice how your shadow changes. Click here to watch a fun shadow song!

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