Shadow Puppet Show

Ages2–7
TimeAbout 20 min
MessTidy

You need

  • A flashlight
  • A blank wall
  • Your hands (or paper shapes on straws)

Let's play

  1. Darken the room and shine the flashlight on the wall.
  2. Hold your hand between the light and the wall: a shadow!
  3. Make a bunny, a bird or a dog with your hands.
  4. Move closer to the light. What happens to the shadow?
Grown-up tip: Closer to the light makes a bigger shadow; closer to the wall makes a smaller, sharper one.

More science experiments

All play ideas
Mystery Feely Bag15 min · Tidy Listening Walk15 min · Tidy Smell Detectives15 min · Tidy Living or Not Living Hunt20 min · Tidy Bean in a Bag15 min · Tidy Thirsty Celery10 min · A little messy Pine Cone Bird Feeder20 min · Bring a towel! Pasta Butterfly Life Cycle20 min · A little messy Animal Home Hunt25 min · Tidy Rain Cloud in a Jar15 min · A little messy Make a Rain Gauge15 min · Tidy Four Seasons Tree30 min · A little messy Sun or Shade Melt Race30 min · A little messy Ramp Races20 min · Tidy Foil Boat Challenge20 min · A little messy Magnet Hunt15 min · Tidy Shoebox Guitar20 min · Tidy Pepper and Soap Germ Trick10 min · A little messy Hear Your Heartbeat10 min · Tidy Recycled Robot40 min · A little messy Help the Earth Walk30 min · A little messy Moon Watch10 min · Tidy Balloon Rocket15 min · Tidy