Shadow Tracing With Sidewalk Chalk

Sidewalk chalk in multiple colors

A sunny day with clear, defined shadows

A pavement or concrete surface

Objects to trace — toys, bikes, chairs, potted plants, or yourselves

Head outside on a sunny morning with a bucket of chalk. The earlier you start, the longer the shadows and the more dramatic the changes you'll see.

Find an object casting a clear shadow on the pavement. A bicycle, a chair, a toy dinosaur — anything with an interesting outline.

Show your child how to trace the shadow's edge. "Follow the line where dark meets light. Go slowly along the edge." Tracing builds hand control and observation simultaneously.

Now trace each other. Have your child strike a pose — arms out, hands on hips, superhero stance — and trace their shadow in one color.

Come back an hour later. The shadow has moved. Trace it again in a different color right next to the first outline. "It moved! Why did it move?"

Explain simply: "The sun moves across the sky like a big flashlight. As it moves, the shadows change direction and size." If you do three tracings through the day, the progression is dramatic.

Use a different chalk color for each time you trace. By the end of the day, you'll have a rainbow fan of shadow positions.

Morning shadows are long and dramatic. Midday shadows are short and directly underneath. Afternoon shadows stretch the other direction.

Tracing a friend's shadow while they hold still requires patience from both kids — it's a cooperative exercise.

This is genuine earth science. You're teaching your child about the sun's apparent movement across the sky. That's astronomy on a sidewalk.