Animal Shadow Art

Head outside with your favorite toy animals and discover how the sun can help you create beautiful shadow art.

You’ll Need:

  • Toy animals
  • Large sheet of paper
  • Black marker
  • Small rocks (to hold the paper in place)
  • Colored markers
  • A sunny day

Let’s Make it:

  1. Place a large sheet of paper on the ground in a sunny spot and secure it with rocks. Arrange your toy animals on the paper so their shadows are clearly visible (for the best results, try this activity in the late afternoon when the sun creates longer, easier-to-trace shadows).
  2. Carefully trace around each animal’s shadow with a black marker. Once you’ve finished tracing move the animals away.
  3. Invite your child to bring the shadows to life by coloring and decorating the animal shapes with markers, crayons or paint. Add patterns, details and bright colors to make each animal unique.

Why We Love It:

  • Encourages creativity as kids transform simple shadow outlines into colorful artwork.
  • Introduces early science concepts by exploring light, shadows and how they change throughout the day.
  • Provides a screen-free activity that keeps kids engaged and learning.
  • Makes use of materials you likely already have at home.

Share this Activity

You might also like

This website uses cookies to make sure you get the best experience with us Learn more

Decline
Got it!