Craft Activity: Make a Shadow Sculpture
A Soar Together @ Air and Space Family Day Activity
Designed for families with kids ages 4 and up
Throughout time, people have built structures that are aligned with the Sun or created interesting shadows on the solstice.
Now you can make your own!
What you'll need:
Anything you have: paper, cardboard boxes, recycled containers, straws or sticks, etc.
Tape, glue, clips, or a stapler to hold it all together
Flashlight or a sunny spot
First, gather and test your materials
Start with a sturdy base for your sculpture, like a sheet of cardboard or a box. This will give you a place to attach the parts.
Experiment with your materials by holding them in the sunlight or shining a light on them.
See what makes shadows that you and your family think are interesting.
Tip: Try cutting holes out of something solid, or building an object that has its own unique shape.
Next, build your sculpture
Arrange your shapes on the sculpture base in a way that you like.
Notice what makes interesting patterns or shadows, and how those shadows change if you tilt the objects.
Using tape, glue, or other supplies, attach your sculpture pieces firmly to the base.
Finally, bring your creation into the light!
Place your sculpture in a sunny spot.
Notice the shadows it makes, and watch how they change as the Sun moves across the sky or when you rotate your sculpture.
Tip: You can try different things and change your sculpture based on the shadows you see!