This Clever Shadow Drawing Project Will Entertain Your Kids All Summer

Jun 19, 2018

Want to make sure your kiddos spend a little more time outside and a little less time glued to their screens this summer? This shadow drawing project from child-care center "Above and Beyond" is a fun, easy way to get your kids outdoors! Not only is this project fun and creative, but it can also be done over and over again all summer long! You may be asking, "What is shadow drawing anyways?" 

Check THIS out! We first learned about this project when the "Above and Beyond" Facebook page made a post about it.

It involves setting up drawing "subjects" (they used animal toys chosen by the kids) and a piece of paper. All you have to do is make sure the sun is shining on the "subjects" and casting a shadow onto the piece of paper. Have them trace the outline of the shadows and voila! Fun at your fingertips! If you want to get creative but don't have any ideas yet, check out Facebook and Instagram--there are tons of kids sharing their creations on social media. User Rachel Drew shared this photo of a little boy having a blast tracing the shadow of a dinosaur!

Along with the animal toys, you can also use small blocks or other objects to give your kids various settings and scenes to trace, adding to the fun!

Another fun idea using this same concept is to get one of your kids to stand facing away from the sun so that they are casting their shadow on a concrete or asphalt surface. Then, get the other kid/kids to trace the outline of their shadow in different colored chalk!

Take it a step further and get involved yourself! Nothing beats hanging out with your family outside, and kids of ALL ages can enjoy this fun summer project!

Parents all over the world, even celeb-status parents like Kate Middleton, have expressed how much they enjoy bonding with their families outside. Middleton wrote a letter to the East Anglia Children's Hospices that read, “Spending quality time together is such an important aspect of family life and for me, as a mother, it is the simple family moments like playing outside together that I cherish."

All parents can relate to this love of spending time with their children. If you think you and your kids would enjoy this shadow drawing project, there are plenty more like it that you can try! You could also spend time outside watching birds, going on nature hikes or walks, and making cool, creative rock art!

Imagine all the fun that you could have, and give it a try with your kiddos this summer! The possibilities are limited only by your imagination. Get others involved and spread the summer fun with everyone you know!