Shadow Drawing - Science and Art

We created these shadow drawings over the summer holidays, but they work brilliantly at any time of year as long as the sun in shining.

You can either look for shadows that have formed naturally to turn into a picture or make your own shadows and add to them.

Chalk or chalk pens work well on hard surfaces.

We made steps with toy bricks and added stick people to them.

Image of a shadow made with duplo and drawings on the ground to make a picture using the shadow. Image shows a shadow of steps with stick people drawn on the floor stood on each step.

This image was created using a shadow formed by a washing line.

chalk drawing on the floor using a shadow

Why do shadows form?

Light travels in straight lines. It cannot bend around objects. Shadows are made when light hits something it cannot travel through.

Shadows are similar in shape to the objects that cause them and are made when the objects block light from the sun or another light source. The position and size of shadows change during the day. A great way to demonstrate how shadows change is with a sundial.