Explore and Play: Shadow Freeze Dance

Materials

• one or two desk lamps with a 100-watt bulb (or a slide projector)
• flat blank wall, projector screen, or other surface to project shadows onto
• MP3 or CD player, or other source of music

Key Science Concepts

• You can make shadows with your body and other objects.
• You can change the shape of a shadow by moving and turning your body or the object making the shadow or by moving the light source.

Directions

Tell children that they are going to be playing Freeze Dance with their shadows.

1. Explain the rules of the game: I will play music while you and your shadow dance. When the music stops, make your shadows freeze. 
2. Have everyone find their own space to stand between the lamp and the wall. Dim the lights and turn on the lamp. Put on the music and let the game begin!
3. When you stop the music and everyone freezes, pause for a moment to give children a chance to comment on the interesting shadows they’ve made.
4. Encourage children to be creative with their shadow’s dance moves. Call out a few challenges:

• How can you make your dancing shadow look really big?
• How about really small?
• Or really thin?