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!

Soar Together @ Air and Space is made possible by the generous support of Northrop Grumman.