empty box/thin cardboard (from a food tray; empty cereal or cracker box)
tape
pencil
scissors
flashlight/the sun/phone light/lamp
camera (optional)
Academic Vocabulary and Pre-Art Activities:
VOCABULARY light source: A light source is anything that produces light. There are natural light sources like the sun, the moon, or fire. There are artificial light sources like flashlights, computer screens, or lamps. Light sources in combination with objects create shadows.
shadow:A shadow is a dark area that lands on a surface where an object is blocking light from a light source.
THINK and DO Activity: Take walk inside and outside your home (take an adult outside with you!) to identify some light sources and shadows.
Where is the light coming from? What kind of shadows could you find? Could you tell which objects were blocking the light?
Make Art:
Note: Feel free to collaborate with your child as they may need help with some of the steps.
Step #1:Deconstruct the box.
Open up the box on the glued seam.
Cut the box apart on the seams/folds to get nice flat pieces of cardboard.
Separate the useable pieces of cardboard from those with glue or tears.
Step #2:Create the sticks for your shadow puppet.
Cut strips of cardboard.
Tape them together.
You may want to change the length of the stick later.
Step #3:Create a shape for your shadow puppet by drawing a shape and cutting it out.
Here is how I made my shape:
I traced the tape roll to create a circle.
Then I drew a star inside the circle.
I cut out the circle.
Then I cut out the star. I plan to use both shapes for my shadow puppet.
Step #4:Attach the cardboard sticks you made earlier to your shapes using tape.
Do you notice that I have one positive space shape and one negative space shape?
A positive space shape takes up space like the star. But the star inside the circle also creates a shape; we call this a negative space shape because the shape is created because the space around it defines its boundaries.
By using both positive and negative space shapes I cut out, I hope to get some pretty interesting shadows.
Step #5:Set up your light source.
This might mean going outside on a sunny day (if you go outside, go with an adult!). Or, you might set up a flashlight pointing at a wall or ask someone to help you position a light to aim on a wall or on the floor.
Remove the hair from the face.
Step #6:Get your shadow puppets ready - use them to block the light source so you can project a shadow!
Here you can see the shadow of the negative space star shape.
Here you can see the shadow of the positive space star shape.
Follow-up Questions:
How did you use your shadow puppets and light source to create shadows?