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Shadow Experiments and Activities for Kids

August 11, 2022 By Emma Vanstone 2 Comments

Long, sunny summer days are a great time to experiment with shadows . I’ve put together a fun list of shadow activity ideas with ( hopefully ) something to appeal to kids of all ages.

I use chalk pens for drawing shadows as they are a bit less messy than normal chalk and last a long time.

What is a shadow?

For a shadow to be formed, an object must block light. The object must be opaque or translucent to make a shadow. A transparent object will not make any shadow, as light passes straight through transparent objects.

Transparent Materials

Transparent materials let light pass through them in straight lines so that you can see clearly through them.

Translucent Materials

Translucent materials let some light through but scatter the light in different directions. We can not see clearly through translucent materials.

Opaque Materials

Opaque materials do not let any light pass through them.

Shadow Experiments for Kids

Shadow frame.

Make a shadow frame using cardboard and contact paper. These are great for experimenting with different shapes and types of materials. Try translucent and opaque materials to investigate how the colour of the shadow changes.

Draw Shadows

Use building blocks to make shapes you can draw around. Children can think about how the shadow changes when the object is rotated and observe shadows at different times of the day.

3D shapes are fun to draw around too!

I love how Rhythms of Play painted inside their shadows! Another idea is to draw around a person’s shadow and then add organs or a skeleton inside.

Sundial Experiment

Rhythms of Play also has a fantastic human sundial experiment . You can use the same idea to make a smaller version using a LEGO tower on white paper.

Another idea similar to making a sundial is to follow a shadow through the day, watching how the size and shape of a shadow formed by the same object changes!

Shadow Puppet Theatre

Build a shadow puppet theatre like Inner Child Fun. This would be great for linking shadows to literacy work.

Shadow Experiments – Shadow People

Try building people or animals with pipe cleaners. It was quite a challenge to get ours to stand up. Kids can experiment with different sizes and shapes of shadow people.

Shadow Experiments – Shadow Sculptures

The Artful Parent has some brilliant shadow sculpture s. It could be quite fun to use the same idea but make models of chemical molecules and draw the shadows too.

Shadow Puppets

Childhood 101 has some brilliant Star Wars shadow puppets .

We love these Gruffalo’s Child shadow puppets too.

You could also try some Christmas or other holiday-themed shadow puppets . We made a big Christmas tree shadow puppet and then smaller puppets for the decorations.

More Shadow Experiments

Try experimenting with shadows at different times of the day. You should find that the Sun makes the longest shadows at the beginning and end of the day when the Sun is lowest in the sky and the shortest shadows at midday when it’s highest in the sky.

Suitable for Early Years Foundation Stage

Suitable for Key Stage 2 Science

Can you think of any more shadow activities for us?

Science concepts

Last Updated on June 19, 2023 by Emma Vanstone

Safety Notice

Science Sparks ( Wild Sparks Enterprises Ltd ) are not liable for the actions of activity of any person who uses the information in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources. Science Sparks assume no liability with regard to injuries or damage to property that may occur as a result of using the information and carrying out the practical activities contained in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources.

These activities are designed to be carried out by children working with a parent, guardian or other appropriate adult. The adult involved is fully responsible for ensuring that the activities are carried out safely.

Reader Interactions

August 20, 2016 at 7:57 pm

I love these ideas! I think my boys would enjoy painting their own shadows in particular 🙂

March 01, 2019 at 6:55 pm

I love your guyses ideas but you need to get older kid things on this websites.

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Rhythms of Play

Art, Crafts, DIY; Raising Creative Outdoor Kids

Fun Shadow Activities and Experiments for Kids

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission. Updated: February 2, 2023 Published: January 9, 2020 6 Comments

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Here’s a list of fun educational shadow activities and science experiments for kids with several fun ways to play with shadows to learn about light and shadow outdoors and indoors.

Shadow activities and experiments can help children learn what a shadow is and how shadows are formed through experience. This list of interactive indoor and outdoor shadow activities for toddlers, preschoolers, kindergartners, and elementary-aged kids is perfect for groundhog day on February 2, or year-round fun at home or in the classroom. And, of course, summer break is also a great time to play and learn with shadows. You might also enjoy learning about Imbolc , an ancient spring holiday also on February 2.

What is a shadow, and how are shadows formed?

This post is filled with interactive outdoor shadow activities for toddlers, preschoolers, kindergartners, and elementary-aged kids that are perfect for groundhog day and year-round fun at home or in the classroom!

A shadow is made when an object, plant, animal, or person blocks light. The thing that blocks the light must be translucent or opaque for a shadow to form because light can pass through transparent objects.

Light travels away from the source in straight lines. When an object blocks a light source, it creates a shadow. Shadows fall away from the light and form in the opposite direction of whatever is blocking the light source. This means that three things must be present to make a shadow.

Related: Kid’s Books That Teach Important Life Lessons

Three things are needed to make a shadow:

• a source of light.
• an object to block it.
• a surface behind the object for the shadow to fall upon.

The sun is a natural light source, while a lamp or flashlight is an artificial light source. And the size and shape of a shadow will depend on the size and position of the light source compared to the relative size and angle of the object blocking the light.

Related: Outdoor Activities for Kids

7 Educational Shadow Activities and Science Experiments for kids

This list of educational shadow activities and science experiments makes learning about shadows and how they are formed fun. Try the shadow play ideas and experiments on the list below as a hands-on way for kids to learn more about the sun, shadows, and the science of light. These fun shadow activity ideas are great for groundhog day and year-round learning fun. You might also enjoy this list of Rainy Day Activities .

1. Play with your shadow

There are so many fun ways to play and learn with your shadow. A child’s imagination is an endless source of inspiration. Have a tea party with your shadow, play games with your shadow, or invite some friends to play shadow tag!

How to Play Shadow Tag

Shadow tag is best played outdoors on a sunny day. The main idea is to step on another player’s shadow to “tag” them.

• Start by selecting the player that will be “It” or the “tagger.”
• Before starting play, decide if there will be a “base” or place where players can be temporarily safe from “tagging” if they need a minute to rest and where this “base” will be.
• On the word go!, all players try to keep their shadow from getting tagged by the person that is “It,” while the player that is “It” does their best to step on another player’s shadow to “tag” them.
• When another player is tagged by “It” or the “tagger,” that player then becomes “It.”
• Continue to play until the players decide to end the game of shadow tag.

Chasing Shadow Play

My daughter’s favorite playtime activity with her shadow is to be chased by it. Whenever she notices that her shadow is following her on one of our daily walks, she shrieks with joy and tries to run away from it as if it were chasing her.

She continually looks over her shoulder at it as she runs, chirping with excitement and giggling with joy–Oh, to be a kid again!

Related: Best Board Games for Kids and Families

2.  Dance with your shadow

Put on some fun music in a sunny outdoor area where children can see their shadows and have fun dancing with them. Feel free to add shaker eggs and other musical instruments of your choice.

Add in more fun by turning off and on the music and having your kids freeze when the music stops. Your kids will have difficulty not giggling at their silly frozen shadows. Speaking of music, are you looking for kids’ music that won’t drive you nuts, click on the link!

3. Experiment with Shadows

Blocking different light sources with different objects at different angles will form different kinds of shadows.

Encourage children to experiment and have fun playing and learning with shadows. Invite children to try any of the simple shadow experiments listed below.

• Play with natural sources of light versus artificial sources of light.
• Experiment with casting shadows on a surface–wall, floor, table, etc.
• See what happens when you move objects at different angles.
• Experiment with the difference between translucent, transparent, and opaque objects.

Related: Science Experiment with Watercolor Resist Mediums

4. Human Sundial Shadow Science Experiment

This shadow experiment for kids is both fun and educational. Making human sundials with my classmates in elementary school was so much fun that I decided to try it with my daughter as a homeschool lesson. She loved it! Pop over to look at our Human Sundial Shadow Science Experiment to learn how to conduct shadow science experiments with children at home or in the classroom.

5.  Make Shadow Art

Making art with shadows is another fun shadow activity for kids. Shadow art can be done indoors, with artificial light, and outdoors in the sunlight.

There are two primary ways to create shadow art. One way to create shadow art is by tracing or drawing shadows to create shadow art. Another creative way to make shadow art is by making sculptures that cast realistic shadows on a wall, table, or surface.

Shadow sculptures are fun to make with random objects, pieces of wood, paper, and even junk! You can use anything with a bit of creativity to cast artistic shadows upon a wall, floor, or another surface. Some of the shadow art in the video below will blow your mind!

Indoor Shadow Art Instructions:

• Choose a light source to cast shadows upon objects, etc.
• Find an object, or objects, to block the light and create shadows with them.
• Either create art with shadows similar to the sculptures shown in the video or trace and color the shadows to create art.

Shadow Art Supplies for Tracing and Coloring Shadows:

Use any or all of the following to draw or color shadows to create shadow art. Look at this list of the best art supplies for our favorite recommendations, or visit our Amazon Store .

• Drawing paper, watercolor paper , or poster board
• Colored pencils
• Chalk paint
• Tempura paint
• Watercolor paint
• Acrylic Paint

Outdoor Shadow Art Instructions:

Bring art supplies outside to an area where the sun is shining and look for shadows to trace, shade, or paint. Place a piece of paper under the shadow, choose your artistic medium, and get creative! Or, try Shadow Art Outdoor STEAM for kids

6. Make Shadow Puppets

Making shadow puppets is another form of shadow art that makes experimenting with blocking light and creating shadows fun for kids.

Invite children to block light with their hands and arms to cast animals and other fun shapes onto a wall, screen, or curtain. Simple shadow puppets include a dog, a bunny, and a bird. The video below shares how to make shadow animals with your hands–watch it with the kids!

7. Take Pictures of Your Shadow Antics

This shadow activity is always a hit with my daughter. You can see some of our shadow fun in the photo of our family in the shadow below.

Taking pictures of your shadow can be tricky, and it’s hard to find a way to take a picture without seeing the camera in the photo. In the image below, I held a point-and-shoot camera at my chest.

It’s also hard to take pictures of other people’s shadows without finding some part of your own shadow in the frame, but it is sure fun to try!

Shadow Science for Kids

The educational activities and shadow science experiments for kids listed above are a hands-on way to learn about shadows, the sun, and the science of light, and that makes most of these activities perfect for Groundhog’s Day on February second, or year-round fun. You might also enjoy learning about Imbolc , an ancient sabbat festival that shares the same date. 

More Activities and Experiments for Kids

• Sorting and Classifying Rocks
• Coin Sorting Montessori Sensorial Activity
• Experiment with Watercolor Resist
• Rock Balancing and Stone Stacking
• Rainbow Rainy Day Art
• Magnet Fishing: Cool Science for Kids

In case we haven’t met outside with the kids…

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What fun ideas! Shadows are such a fun topic to cover and being able to get outside and play makes it even more so. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks! My daughter loves playing with her shadow so we are always coming up with fun new ideas. So glad you like them! 🙂

I love the shadow art pictures. My youngest likes jumping on my shadow when I’m walking along. I’ll give these ideas a go with her.

Oh, thanks for reminding me Debbie… Shadow tag is another fun game!

I think these shadow activities are a great way to teach children to understand the rules of reflection. The theory of reflection of light can help them in excelling in many games such as caroms. Thanks for sharing the pictures of this interesting activity. The kids look really cute in these pictures.

I agree Sachin, these shadow activities are a great way to understand some of the rules of reflection. So glad you like it!

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Shadow Activities For Preschoolers

Using shadows and reflections for science play is a great way for kids to explore the physical sciences, and add in some much-needed gross motor play! When kids use their bodies to explore shadows, they’re having a fun learning experience that costs nothing more than getting outside and being active. Find out how to set up cost free, fun and playful preschool science activities !

Shadow Play For Preschool Science

Exploring shadows with body movements is a great way to get kids active and excited about learning; it’s a full-body experience! See our list of fun exercises for kids!

You may even want to try this at different times of the day to catch the sun in different positions. If it’s a rainy day, try a flashlight indoors instead!

Explore shadows with preschoolers for fun and playful learning. Plus, we have some more easy shadow activity suggestions at the end for you.

Why Science Is Important For Preschoolers

Kids are curious and always looking to explore, discover, check things out, and experiment to find out why things do what they do, move like they move, or change as they change!

Indoors or outdoors, science is amazing! Let’s introduce our younger kiddos to science at a time in their development when they have so much curiosity about the world around them!

Science surrounds us, inside and out. Preschoolers love looking at things out with magnifying glasses, creating chemical reactions with kitchen ingredients, and of course exploring stored energy! Check out 50 awesome preschool science projects to get started!

There lots of easy science concepts that you can introduce kids to very early on! You might not even think about science when your toddler or preschooler pushes a car down a ramp, plays in front of the mirror, fills a container with water, or bounces balls over and over again.

See where I am going with this list! What else can you add if you stop to think about it? Science starts early, and you can be a part of that with setting up science at home with everyday materials.

Or you can bring easy science to a group of kids! We find a ton of value in cheap science activities and experiments. Check out our helpful science resources below.

Helpful Science Resources To Get Your Started

Here are a few resources to help you introduce science more effectively to your kiddos or students and feel confident when presenting materials. You’ll find helpful free printables throughout.

• Best Science Practices (as it relates to the scientific method)
• Science Vocabulary
• 8 Science Books for Kids
• All About Scientists
• Science Supplies List
• Science Tools for Kids

What Is A Shadow?

Many objects make shadows, including our bodies! Since light cannot pass through a body, it creates a shadow. A shadow is simply a dark area which is made by an object coming between rays of light and the surface.

Outside enjoying this body shadow science activity, the sun is our light. If you are indoors, you can use a flashlight as the source of light to create shadows.

You will notice at different times of the day; shadows are different. Longer, shorter, or no shadow at all. So the size of the shadow depends on the angle of the light shining.

We know the sun moves to different positions over the course of the day. When you move, your shadow moves with you because you change the shape of the area the light passes through.

Can you find other things outside and inside that have shadows? What happens if light can pass through an object; is there still a shadow?

A sundial is another fun activity for exploring shadows and a great extension to our outdoor shadow activity! See how to make a sundial from a paper plate !

Make Shadows With Your Body

What better way to make shadows for a simple shadow activity than with your body! Plus, it’s a great body awareness activity too!

• A sunny outdoor day
• Flashlights if you can’t get outside

1. Shadow Games

You can play fun shadow games by calling out different shapes, letters, or numbers and inviting the kids to do their best to create them in shadow.

Or, call out movements like standing on one foot, reaching up high to touch the sky, and walking on all fours. Also, choose kids to lead the activity and come up with ideas!

Dancing around with your shadow is also fun! All of these movements will help develop body awareness.

We incorporated one of our favorite silly songs into our shadow play, which made the shadow movements extra funny. Sing the song: Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes to get your kids moving and examining their shadows.

3. Drawing Shadows

Take a few pictures of the shadows they made for the kids to look at afterward. Then invite the kids to draw a picture of themselves with their shadows. What a great STEAM activity!

Alternatively, grab some sidewalk chalk and pair up if you have the space. Outline your partner’s shadow and then swap places.

If you want to make some observations about shadows and daylight, draw outlines at different times of the day!

More Fun Ways To Teach Kids About Shadows

Shadow puppets.

Make these printable animal puppets that kids can use to explore shadows. Or make these fun groundhog day puppets !

Drawing LEGO Shadows

A fun shadow activity that incorporates a bit of brick building too!

More Fun Pre-K Learning Activities

• Toy Car Ramps and Friction
• Exploring Volume
• What’s Magnetic and What’s Not
• Set Up A Nature Table
• Bridge Building: Community Helper STEM
• 5 Senses Sensory Station

Preschool STEM Lessons Packs

You asked, and we answered! This year we will be featuring preschool thematic units designed with the help of a preschool teacher!

Who Are These Packs For?

 These packs are perfect for kiddos ages 3-5 (older and younger as needed)! Teachers, parents, caregivers, and group leaders can use these activities easily.

What’s Included:

There are 4 fun preschool themes to get you started. This is an ” I can explore” series!

• My 5 Senses
• All About Me
• Science and Scientist

Each unit contains approximately 15 activities, with instructions and templates  as needed. Hands-on activities are provided to keep it fun and exciting. This includes sensory bins, experiments, games, and more! Easy supplies keep it low cost and book suggestions add the learning time. 

Subscribe to receive a free 5-Day STEM Challenge Guide

~ projects to try now ~.

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Shadow Activity For Preschool Guide: Ideas, Crafts, And Experiments

January 5, 2024 //  by  Christina Swiontek

Shadows can be very fun for children, but they can also be a little scary. Incorporating shadow activities into your preschool lesson plans is a great way to make sure students are comfortable with shadows. Students will learn the science of light and how shadows are formed by angles of light. You can have fun with shadows by featuring colored lights, fun indoor shadow games, and more. To help ease any anxiety preschoolers may have, check out our collection of 12 fun shadow activities. 

1. Follow the Leader: Kid-Created Shadow Play

Students will line up to make body shadows along the wall. Students will take turns being the leader and making movements; reflecting their ideas about shadows. Classmates will copy the movements of the leader. This is a fun game for students to experiment with shadow shapes.

Learn More: The Inspired Tree House

2. Shadow Mosaic 

Preschoolers will be entertained by creating shadow mosaics. You can draw an outline of a flower, tree, or any other picture and have students trace it by posting a large piece of paper on the wall. Then, children can fill in the artistic shadows by adding color and stickers.

3. Art with Shadows 

This outdoor shadow activity is an entertaining way to teach preschoolers about shadows and light sources. The required art materials are;  colored cellophane, cardboard, tape, a glue stick, and an x-acto knife for adult use. You will cut out the desired shape and use the cellophane to project a colorful shadow.

Learn More: The Best Ideas For Kids

4. Shadow Science Experiments 

Teaching about shadows can make for a fun science activity. Students will learn about the science of light with shadow science experiments. Gather items including translucent material and objects that are not. Hold them in front of the light and have children guess if they will see a shadow.

Learn More: KC Edventures

5. Shadow Tracing

Shadow tracing is a fun activity to teach kids about shadows. You can allow your child to pick a favorite toy or item to trace. You will place it on white paper and have your child use a pencil to trace the shadow of the object. 

Learn More: The Dad Lab

6. Shadow Counting Game

This activity allows for the creative exploration of shadows. You can use multiple flashlights for this activity and count the number of shadows with students. They will see really cool shadows that will prompt you to explain the science behind the shadows themselves. 

Learn More: Exploratorium

7. Shadow Zoo Parade

This is the perfect shadow activity for a sunny Summer’s day. Preschoolers can pick a zoo animal to draw by tracing its shadow. When the drawings are complete, you can have a zoo parade with animals and drawings around the school or neighborhood. This is a demonstration of the science of shadows.

Learn More: Simple Most

8. Shadow Painting

This fun form of shadow art may change your child’s ideas about shadows for the better. If your preschooler has a fear of shadows, try encouraging them to paint them! You will need non-toxic paint, paint brushes, white paper, and light sources as well as objects to form shadows. 

Learn More: Artful Parent

9. Shadow Matching Game

This online shadow activity is great for preschool-age children who wish to learn about all kinds of shadows. This is especially engaging for children who love robots! Little ones will look at the character and click on the matching body’s shadow. 

Learn More: Tiny Tap

10. Shadow Puppet Theatre

Having a shadow puppet show is a fun way to teach preschoolers about shadows. Creating a shadow puppet sparks creativity. Children can then position their shadow puppet to be larger or smaller based on the position of the flashlight beam.

Learn More: Science Buddies

11. Shadow Dance Party

This video invites little ones to dance along with their favorite animals. Firstly, they will see the shadow shape of the animal. Then, the teacher can pause the video for the children to guess the animal. When the animal appears, dancing begins!

Learn More: Tidi Kids – Songs And Nursery Rhymes

12. Shadow Shape 

Preschool-age children will love this game! This interactive online game will show children how shadows appear larger when an object is closer to the wall and becomes smaller when closer to the focused light. 

Learn More: Peep And The Big Wide World

10 Easy Science Experiments: Shadow & Light Activities

By: Author Jacquie Fisher

Posted on Published: January 10, 2018

Categories Kids Activities & Crafts , Science Experiments

Explore the science of light & shadows with these easy science experiments !

I know it might be hard to believe but making shadows is actually a simple science experiment !

Yep, all those shadow puppets you tried as a child or those evening walks with your kids when they’re trying to step on your shadow to see if it hurts ( does anyone else’s kids do this or just mine ?!) = Easy Science Experiment!

And with Groundhog’s Day right around the corner, it’s a great time of year to play with shadows!

10 Easy Science Experiments: Shadow & Light Activities

Groundhog’s Day is actually one of my favorite mini-holidays but not for the reason you think. 

Yes, I do enjoy science and all but more importantly, it was the day my husband & I first met.  I don’t even think he knew it was Groundhog’s Day until years later when I mentioned it — just one of those funny things you remember.

But I digress … back to shadows (the REAL ones, not the kids when they follow you everywhere 😉

Here’s the BEST thing about these science experiments — you don’t need anything but light! 

Explain to your kids that the basic science behind shadows is an opaque object is blocking some light source from shining through it.

So if you’re outside in the sunlight, your body blocks the light from shining on the ground in front of you thus making a shadow.  Look around at the trees and you can see the same principle — sunlight can’t shine through a tree so it casts a shadow.

Now try something that’s not opaque — like a window. 

Kids will see that a transparent item (one you can see through) will allow light to pass through it so there is no shadow created.

If you’re indoors, the light in the room or a flashlight can be used to cast a shadow on the wall or floor — or even the ceiling!  Now that’s fun 🙂

Picture Books about Shadows

Here are a few of our favorite shadow science books along with their affiliate links so you can read more about each one:

Light & Shadow Science Experiments

Now let’s make this science hands-on!  We’ve included some awesome shadow experiments along with affiliate links for science items you’re kids will enjoy as they explore this topic:

Explore shadows and Groundhog’s Day with these fun books & activities!

Re-enact your favorite Star Wars movie with these awesome DIY Star Wars Shadow puppets !

Or create your own hand shadow puppets with this Hand Shadow Puppets guide !

Make your own clock and tell time with shadows with this fun DIY Sundial project .

Have a fun afternoon creating shadow puppets with toys !

Explore the impact of shadows with this super cool Sun Art Paper too — great STEAM project!

Use these free printable constellation cut-outs and turn your flashlight into a star-viewer!

I love this idea from Handmade Kids Art of engineering with LEGOS and shadow drawing !

Kids will also enjoy building their own LEGO groundhog and playing with his shadow.

And how about a challenge?  Head outdoors and see how you can make your shadow bigger or smaller!  Hint:   you’ll have to move your body 🙂

And be sure to check out the Light & Refraction Science Experiments for more easy science ideas!

More Easy Science Experiments too!

The Science of Sound: Create Your own Gong

How do Leaves Breathe?

How much Water is in Snow?

10 Enlightening Shadow Activities for Preschoolers

Shadows are formed when light is blocked by an object. On sunny days, shadows of ourselves, trees, houses, and many more are visible. The light from the sun helps create these darker areas. 

1. How to Make Shadows Activity

When the sun is high, especially at noon, it is easy to find shadows outside. But is it possible to see them indoors as well? This STEAM experiment will answer this question. 

Have the children trace and cut out their handprints on white paper. Let them fold the wrist part and tape this on the edge table. Ensure that the table is pushed to the wall. 

Have them change the backdrop using different colors of paper and textured materials, such as corrugated cardboard, bubble wrap, and others. Shine the flashlight once again and see if a shadow will form. 

For more information on this activity, go to PreschoolSTEAM.com .

2. Shadow Sensory Play

Have them turn off the lights and place a toy. Let them look at the shadow and find out if they can point out the body parts of the toy animal. 

3. Blocks Shadow Matching

Using shadows to trace an image is an exciting idea to help children develop their spatial and fine motor skills. This activity is perfect for block play areas. It will also help improve children’s patience and focus. 

Position the flashlight in front of the structure to cast a shadow. Adjust its placement to create a traceable image. Provide a marker for children to trace the tower’s outline. 

4. Body Shadows Activity

With a science lesson, explain and demonstrate what shadows are and how they are formed. Tell children a light source like the sun is needed to make shadows. 

Next, have them do different movements and observe how their shadows move. Ask children what happens to their shadows whenever they move. 

5. Play Shadow Tag

Group games teach children critical social-emotional skills like following rules, fair play, patience, taking turns, and focusing while having fun. 

Instead of an “It,” pretend that a slow-moving animal is out to get them, such as a slow dinosaur, to prevent possible accidents from tripping and stumbling. 

6. Shadow Tracing and Drawing

Start this activity by placing paper on an outdoor table or any flat surface under the sun. Use sticky tape to secure the paper, especially when there is a bit of wind. 

7. Human Sundial Shadow Experiments

The human sundial experiment is a great activity to teach children that the sun can tell us the time without using gadgets or time-telling devices. 

On a sunny day, ask a child to stand under the sun. Have another child trace the first child’s shadow. Return after two hours and let the first child stand in the same spot. By this time, the shadow is in a different position. Let the second child trace it. 

8. Printable Shadow Puppets

Create different scenarios for children to respond to and teach social-emotional skills. This will significantly help in learning to express themselves and an excellent oral language exercise. 

Have the children point the flashlight at the animals and let them observe their shadows.

9. Make Colored Shadows

This activity will help children learn color recognition and color mixing. A science lesson will help children understand that colored shadows can be formed using colored lightbulbs. 

Let the children note the effects. Next, have them explore the colored shadow by using different objects. 

10. Cardboard and Cellophane Shadow Art

An adult should use the craft knife to hollow out the butterfly template on the cardboard. Next, have the children attach yellow cellophane to the cardboard to cover the whole area. Draw shapes on different colors of cellophane and have the children cut these out. 

Conclusion 

Thank you for reading. Come back and check out our other activity articles soon.

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The Ultimate List of Shadow Experiments for Kids

Categories STEM Activities

Try these fun and educational shadow activities to teach children about how shadows work and what you can learn from them using these shadow science experiments for kids!

Shadows are fascinating for kids. They seem to move on their own and many kids have an awe and natural fear of shadows. These shadow experiments will show children there is nothing to be afraid of in the shadows and will help them uncover the science of shadows so they will never be afraid of a shadow again.

You can do these shadow activities any time of year, but Groundhog day and long summer days are two perfect times to try out these shadow STEM activities.

What are Shadow Experiments?

A shadow experiment is a fun way to teach preschool, kindergarten, and first grade kids about shadows. Many early learning science curriculum has a unit on shadows and light.

You can use shadow activities to show kids how light moves and changes throughout the day. This satisfies some of the NGSS first grade standards.

Shadow activities are fun because they can show kids more than just weather science, but also cause and effect, how things change over time, and how things look different in different light levels.

Keep reading to find ideas for how to teach kids about shadows!

For more fun science activities and STEM projects try our list of kindergarten STEM activities , preschool science experiments, preschool STEM activities , and no-prep STEM activities.

The Ultimate List of STEM Shadow Activities for Kids

Kids will love learning about the science of shadows with these fun shadow activities! These activities teach kids a lot about shadows, the sun, how light moves, and how the earth moves.

Try these super-fun shadow experiments with your kids and learn all about the science of shadows! Each section of this list offers shadow science experiments that kids will love in preschool, kindergarten, and first grade.

Shadow Activities for Preschoolers

Preschoolers will love these shadow science experiments.

Make your own Spooky Shadow Puppets or make your own puppet shapes!

If your kids love sensory activities, then they will love this Shadow Sensory Play activity!

Did you know that shadows can be colored? Here is How to Make Colored Shadows .

See what shapes shadows make with Shadow Art .

Shadow Activities for Kindergarten

Try these shadow STEM activities with kindergarten kids!

If your kids love LEGO, make your own LEGO Shadow Towers !

Try the classic groundhog winter experiment as a LEGO Groundhog Science Experiment !

Kids will have a blast making Chalk Shadow Drawings .

Shadow Activities for First Grade

First graders will love these shadow activities! You can use these to complete NGSS experiments and other science standards.

How Shadows Change Over Time is a fun experiment to try with the kiddos!

Watch how shadows change over time with a Shadow Time Lapse Painting .

First grade kids will have a blast trying the Shadow Heart STEAM Experiment .

Learn about how the sun changes shadows when you make a Human Sundial .

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12 Fun Shadow Activity Ideas for Preschoolers

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Introduction:

Introducing shadows to preschoolers is a fantastic way to combine learning and play. We have compiled a list of 12 fun and engaging shadow activity ideas that are perfect for preschool children. These activities will not only keep them entertained but will also teach them important skills such as problem-solving, creativity, and observation.

1. Shadow Puppets

Help children create their own shadow puppets using cardboard shapes, craft sticks, and flashlights. Once the puppets are ready, let them put on a show with shadows on a wall or a white sheet.

2. Shadow Drawing

Place an object between the sun and a sheet of paper. Let children observe the shadow of the object and encourage them to trace it using crayons or markers.

3. Shadow Matching Game

Create cutouts of various shapes or objects. Place their shadows on the ground using sunlight or flashlights. Allow the children to match each object with its corresponding shadow.

4. Shadow Tag

Pick an open space outdoors during the day for this fun game. Kids have to tag each other’s shadows instead of their bodies.

5. Indoor Shadow Hide-and-Seek

Turn off the lights and give each child a flashlight to play this exciting game indoors. Kids must use only their flashlights to find and identify their friends hiding in different corners.

6. Shadow Storytime

Read stories related to shadows or nighttime adventures while casting images onto a white screen using flashlights.

7. Shape Shadows

Arrange different shaped objects like squares, rectangles, and circles on a table and allow the sunlight to cast their shadows onto the floor or wall. Have children guess which shape belongs to which shadow.

8. Nature Shadows

Take children outdoors on a sunny day and let them explore natural shadows created by trees, leaves, flowers, and rocks.

9. Shadow Dance Party

Play upbeat music while children dance around or move to create thrilling and dynamic shadows on the walls or floors using flashlights.

10. Shadow Experiments

Encourage children to experiment with different light sources and distances to observe how shadows change in size and darkness.

11. Shadow Freeze Game

Have the children dance when the music is playing, but when it stops, they must freeze in their current shadow position.

12. Chalk Shadow Art

Outside on a sunny day, have children lay down on the sidewalk and trace their shadow using sidewalk chalk. Encourage them to draw accessories and facial expressions to personalize their chalk shadow art.

Conclusion:

These 12 fun shadow activity ideas for preschoolers are sure to bring excitement while helping young children learn valuable life skills. Encourage kids to explore shadows, engage their creativity, and appreciate the world of light and darkness through these entertaining activities!

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Growing healthy bodies and minds through play!

Light and Shadow Activities for Preschoolers & Young Kids

January 11, 2024 By Claire Heffron

Looking for fun Groundhog Day activities or creative light and shadow activities for preschoolers and other young kids? We’ve got you covered today with some of our favorite light and shadow play activities that will work with toddlers all the way through school age!

*This post contains affiliate links.   Read more .

I was walking through the living room the other day when I happened to catch my 18-month-old son making the most amazing discovery. He had found his shadow.  And he was thrilled. I watched him run back and forth in front of the patch of sunlight – squealing with delight as he watched his shadow run right along with him.  You’ll have to watch the end of the video to see for yourself – but it was pretty clear that he had found a new friend.

Watching my little guy’s fascination with his own shadow inspired me to round up a bunch of fun ways to play with light and shadows – all are great for promoting motor and sensory development too! We love to use these ideas as Groundhog Day activities, but they can be used at any time of the year for some fun and creative exploration! Looking for more Groundhog Day fun? Check out this Groundhog Day printable book !

10 Light and Shadow Activities for Preschoolers, Toddlers & School Age Kids

See a video demonstration of some of these light and shadow activities!

Fine Motor Practice With Shadow Play

Using a projector light or other light source to create shadows of kids’ hands on the wall is a great way to practice fine motor skills.  Working on finger isolation , thumb opposition , and other hand positions using shadows is a great way to keep their attention and focus.

Astronaut Starry Sky Projector

This awesome astronaut starry sky projector is an all-time favorite light and shadow toy for kids. Plug it in and it creates a beautiful starry night sky right on your ceiling! Use it at bedtime to create a calming atmosphere, in the classroom during quiet time, or in your sensory room to provide calming stimulation to the visual system.

Shadow Simon Says or Follow the Leader

Using whatever light source you have available, create shadows of kids’ entire bodies on the wall.  Choose a leader and encourage the rest of the group to watch the leader’s shadow and follow along as he moves into and out of different positions.

Shadow Puppets light and shadow activities for preschoolers

Get crafty and create your own set of shadow puppets  (these are from Where Imagination Grows) or – for more of a challenge – just use your hands  and then let kids act out their own play or story!

Tracing Shadows Activity

Visual Shadow Games for Kids

Work on visual perception  by creating shadows of various familiar objects and having kids guess what the objects are just by looking at their shadows.

Colorful Reflections

Light Table Play

There are so many fun ways to explore light and shadows with a light table that can promote fine motor skills and other developmental skills too! These light table activities  for kids from The Artful Parent are a great place to start.  Don’t have one?   Create your own light table  with materials you already have lying around the house (The Imagination Tree).

Kids love this fun twist on the classic game of tag.  Instead of touching or tagging your opponents, in this game – if your shadow gets stepped on, you’re it!

The Coolest Invisible Ink/Flashlight Pens

If you’ve never tried invisible ink pens , trust us. You don’t want to miss out on these! One of our favorite light and shadow activities for preschool (and all ages!). Learn more about these and another one of the best writing tools for kids !

Shadow Mosaic

Draw an outline of a picture on a clear transparency (e.g. a flower or a tree).  Project light through the transparency to create a shadow of the outline on a piece of paper taped to the wall. Have the child fill in the outline to create a mosaic using: colorful stickers, small pieces of colorful tape, or small pieces of tissue paper.

Flashlight Tag

There is more than one way to play – one to promote visual motor skills and one to promote gross motor skills! Head outside at night with a group of kids.  Decide who will be “it” and give that person a flashlight.  To tag opponents, he has to shine the flashlight on them! Or, turn out the lights and play inside!  This time, give each kid their own flashlight and have them try to “tag” each other by catching each other’s light with their flashlight on the ceiling!

Shadow Printable Activity

Use the free shadow printable (fill out the form below) to play some fun shadow games with toys and objects you have around your house or in your therapy room or classroom! The activity includes an animal outlines printable and a printable with shadows of other household items and toys. Kids will have a blast crawling under the table with a flashlight to grab one of the printable shadow cards. Then, their challenge will be to match the shadow card to the actual object! Fill out the form below for the printable – instructions included!

Shadows & Music!

Don’t miss out on the perfect companion to light and shadow play – music! Nancy Kopman’s educational children’s music album, “Shadow” , provides the perfect musical backdrop for the activities above. It has songs about the moon, brushing your teeth, birds, spelling, breathing and more! Be sure to check out the Music With Nancy YouTube channel for more music you can use as a tool to teach your little ones (ages 0 to 10)!

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You are here, the science of light and shadows, science goals for light and shadows:.

After explorations, students will be able to understand:

Most objects don’t make their own light.

The Sun, lamps, flashlights, and fires are all sources of light.

Shadows need a light source and an object.

Shadows show the shape of an object.

What is Light?

• žLight is a form of energy and travels as a particle and a wave.
• Humans see light in seven different colors: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet (ROY G BIV).
• All objects reflect or absorb the seven different colors of light. Objects appear to be different colors based on what colors they reflect.  

What is a Shadow?

• žShadows need a light source and an object.
• A shadow is light blocked by an object.
• The object can block all or part of the light.
• Shadows change size based on how close they are to the light source.

The Science of Light and Objects

• Opaque objects block all the light.
• žSome objects don’t block any light – like windows. These are called transparent objects.
• žWhen an object blocks part of the light, but lets part of the light through, it is called translucent . Some translucent objects act as filters, and only let certain colors of light through. These objects create colored shadows.

See the blog “The Science of the Seasons” for more information about shadows in nature.

How do I explain sunrise and sunset?

Discussing the movement of the planets around the Sun can be too abstract for most learners (big and little!) This is why space science is not explored by children until the later elementary years. But as you are studying shadows, young children may begin to have questions about the Sun and the Moon. Even if it is not age-appropriate to teach space science in depth, we don’t want to teach misconceptions to our littlest learners. For curious students, here are just some ways that you can discuss the movement of the Earth, Moon, and Sun:

• Use a globe and a light source to illustrate how the Earth moves around the Sun. Explain that when it is day time in the United States of America, it is night time on the other side of the world. 
• Use language that is accurate but not complicated, such as "The Sun appears to move across the sky," not to be confused with "The Sun moves across the sky."  Same with the Moon. 
• Let students know that the stars are always in the sky, even when we can not see them during the day time! This is because the Sun is SO bright! When the Sun goes away, it becomes dark and we can start to see the stars again. 
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What shadows can do.

• Skills: Imagination , Active Lifestyle , Gross Motor , Focus & Self Control

Get to know your shadows.  

Start the game..

• dance 
• march 
• wiggle 
• somersault 
• cartwheel  
• stand on one foot 
• get really big or small 
• get wide or skinny 
• spell words 
• do the arm wave 
• join other shadow(s) to make a shape (circle, heart, square, triangle, etc) or cool designs 
• give a high five or handshake to someone else’s shadow without the two people touching 
• hide inside someone else’s shadow 
• do some mindful movement (e.g. lion pose , cobra pose , star pose , mountain pose ) 
• turn into a creature from nature (lions, tigers, spiders, deer, birds...you name it!) 
• turn into a character from imagination (from princesses to warriors to medusa, the possibilities are endless) 
• use sidewalk chalk or nature treasures (e.g. sticks, stones, leaves) to trace shadows striking a pose 

Why is this activity great for kids?

Explore highlights activities, want craft ideas, recipes, printables & more, focus & self control.

What is Focus and Self Control?

Why does it matter.

Our world is full of distractions, more today than ever. Kids who are in any learning situation need the ability to control their impulses, block out noise and attend to the person, objects, events, or discussions that are central to learning. As classroom teachers, we saw that kids who did this ruled the classroom. As outdoor educators and parents, we know the same holds true outside of school.

But don’t take our word for it; the research is impressive. It turns out that these executive function skills are closely tied to success in the classroom, higher level education and life beyond school. Experts like  Adele Diamond of the University of British Columbia  have shown that, “If you look at what predicts how well children will do later in school, more and more evidence is showing that executive functions—working memory and inhibition—actually predict success better than IQ tests.” Although these skills are difficult for young children and don’t crystallize until adulthood, the more kids practice them, the better at them kids become.

Imagination

What is Imagination?

Imagination is defined in many ways, but one we like is, "the act or power of forming a mental image of something not present to the senses or never before wholly perceived in reality." This is no small task to little kids, and yet young childhood is a time in which imagination is developed more than any other. How does imagination develop in childhood? Through an increasingly sophisticated life of make believe.

We all likely have a sense of what we mean by make believe or good old "pretend play." How do experts define it, though? To some, there are different types of make believe that vary in sophistication and make pretend play different than other types of play. For example, kids may use objects to represent something else (e.g. a block becomes a cell phone). Or, they may start to give an object certain properties (e.g. a doll is asleep or a tree is on fire!). Still yet, they may themselves take on the properties of someone or something else.

From there, pretend play evolves into acting out scenarios or stories, those getting increasingly intricate as imagination develops. As kids' pretend play grows more sophisticated, these stories come to involve not only the creative use of objects, but multiple perspectives (e.g. good and bad guys in the same story), and/or the playful manipulation of ideas and emotions (e.g. I am sad, but then become happy after I save the village from certain doom).

Active Lifestyle

What is an Active Lifestyle?

At the end of the day, there is nothing more important than our kids’ health. From our perspective, children cannot enjoy good health without an active lifestyle that incorporates regular, physical activity as well as time spent in nature. And, we can only influence how they use their time for a short part of their lives. If we really want to ensure their wellness for the long haul, we need to get our kids hooked on being active outdoors.

Two bits of good news: little kids naturally want to be physically active, and they love to be outdoors. So, the challenge we face is how to make active time outdoors a priority in our lives and how to teach our kids to do the same. Understandably, this is increasingly challenging in a culture that imposes so many schedules and structures around kids time. And it is all the more important when kids spend the majority of their waking hours indoors, staring at a screen, or living in communities in which the green spaces are fewer and more restricted than ever before.

Research in the past 25 years has confirmed a link between physical activity that takes place outdoors and positive health outcomes. Also, it has drawn an association between an indoor, sedentary lifestyle and negative health consequences. For young children, time to play, ramble and explore outdoors leads to the most extensive and lasting benefits—more than adult-led, structured outdoor activities like organized sports.

Perhaps the two most common issues in children’s health to which a lack of outdoor, physical activity contribute are childhood obesity and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder [ADHD]). Beyond the millions of overweight children, obesity rates have doubled for children (ages 6-11) and tripled for adolescents (ages 12-19) in just two decades. The number of children diagnosed with and medicated for ADHD continues to rise, and ADHD results in significant impairment to children socially and academically.

Studies have shown that lifestyles learned as children are much more likely to stay with a person into adulthood. For example, 70% of teens who are obese grow up to be obese adults. On the flip side, if physical activities and time spent outdoors are a family priority, they will provide children and parents with a strong foundation for a lifetime of health.

Gross Motor

What are Gross Motor skills?

Typical gross motor development by age:.

Fun and easy play-based STEAM activity for toddlers, preschool & kindergarten

Spooky shadows - fun science & engineering experiment about light, shadow & shapes.

Activity summary

This is not JUST another science activity – it’s a play-based, hands-on STEAM activity. It will keep your children extra engaged & motivated, which helps them learn!

In this activity, your children will be little investigators helping Hoseli the robot to solve tricky problems and find creative answers to the question: How can I make spooky shadow creatures? By doing that, they get to practice concepts like light, shadow, shapes, and more.

Adapt for your age group

Register for free to get free weekly lessons, tips from experts on how to engage different age groups:

Beginner: Ages 3-4 Standard: Ages 4-6 Advanced: Ages 6-8

Supply list

For this activity, you need only these simple supplies:

Construction blocks

You can also use:

Transparent or translucent toys

Modelling clay

What will your children learn?

Your children will learn to:

Observe and communicate different shadow shapes

Interpret how a shadow is formed

Creatively engineer their own spooky shadow creatures

Predict what shadows might be formed

while practicing these concepts:

Instructions

Step 1: introduce the problem with a story letter.

In this play-based activity, your children will lead the investigation as an investigator. When children role play as investigators, they learn so much better! Try starting with a little ‘spin’ to get into character! Then, they can help Hoseli the robot solve some tricky problems in their new role.

Before the activity, prepare your supplies and print the letter.

When children play as scientists, they think like scientists. Try using “scientist jackets” to help them really get into character!

When you start the activity, introduce the research problem in the form of a letter that arrived from Supraland where Hoseli the robot lives.

You might be wondering: “Why should I use a story?”

Well, when you introduce a research problem through play and imaginary characters rather than just stating cold facts, children will be extra motivated to solve the problem for their new imaginary friends. Academic research shows this results in increased engagement, better focus, and improved learning outcomes.

You can find the story for this activity below ( register for free to print this & many more free activities!).

Spooky greetings!

Hoseli the robot here.

I have been working on a new invention in my workshop. 

It was almost night time, and as it grew darker I put on my torch. 

I looked up and all of a sudden I saw something crazy! It looked like a spooky creature! 

Where did it come from? The only things on the table are my tools and the torch! 

Could you become investigators and find out how this spooky creature was made?

Register for free to print the Story

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Step 2: Have the kids conduct the experiment

After the child understands the problem, it’s time for some hands-on experimenting!

When children are doing the experiment, remind them why they want to solve the problem – to help Hoseli the robot. This helps them stay engaged. If they get stuck, you can ask supporting questions like: “What do you think might help Hoseli the robot to solve this problem?” If needed, you can get more ideas for guiding questions and adaptation tips for different age groups ( register here to get free weekly activities ).

Here are the basic steps for his activity:

Phase 1: what are shadows.

Introduce the small toys and the torch: observe them for a short while. What shape are the toys? What does the torch do?

Allow the children to explore the problem using the torch and the toys. “Can we make a spooky creature like Hoseli saw?”

Encourage investigators to observe. You could ask: -What happens when the torch is shone at the toys? - What do you see appearing behind the toy? - How does the shadow change when you move the torch?

Discuss the shadows and how they are formed. Interpret that the spooky creature might have been a shadow after all.

Phase 2: Open Exploration. Creating our own spooky shadows.

Introduce the construction supplies and start planning your own spooky creatures: - Imagine together what you might create. - Observe the blocks: What shapes are there? What shapes can you make by combining the blocks?

Allow investigators time to build their spooky creatures; either with a partner or independently

As they work, encourage them to predict:  What will happen when a torch is shone at their creature? What shape will the shadow be? What could you add to make it taller, scarier, wider, for example?

Regularly pause to turn off the light, shine the torch and observe the shadows created:  - What shape is the shadow?  - Does it match your prediction?  - Do you wish to change it somehow?  Tip : shadows look especially spooky if they are cast onto the ceiling. Use connecting blocks or clay, if you wish to move the ‘creatures’ and shine the torch-light from underneath.

Investigators share their spooky shadow creatures with one another.

Phase 3 (optional): Drawing the shadows

Place a piece of paper next to the spooky creatures.

Work with a partner to point the torch at the spooky creature; so that the shadow falls onto the paper. Use a marker to trace around the shadow’s outline. 

Switch roles. 

Pro tip: give children the freedom to get creative and explore their own solutions!

• Remember: It’s an imaginary world. It’s more than ok if children don’t give the “correct” answers right away – give them time to practice their skills.
• Academic research shows children learn best through child-led play and inquiry rather than following strict instructions or memorizing facts because play allows them to build meanings and connections in an age-appropriate way.
• This perhaps unintuitive approach is also proven to keep children more engaged and improve their learning outcomes.

Register for free for more lessons like this. Make science more fun and memorable with 100s of play-based lesson plans like this one.

Step 3: Conclude the story

To encourage children to analyze and share their learnings, you can gather in a circle to report to Hoseli the robot.

Again, lead with the problem the character was experiencing in the letter. Encourage sharing wild and creative solutions without correcting children if they don’t fully understand the concept.

Remember: in playful learning, we’re not leading with scientific explantions – we’re putting the problem at hand into a context that makes sense to them. We can start building meanings from there.

Scientific explanation (for adults!)

Shadows are formed when an object sits between a light source and a surface (for example: our bodies sitting between the sun and the ground.) Different substances allow different amounts of light to pass through. 

Opaque objects such as wooden blocks, let zero light through. And so, a shadow is cast to fill where the light cannot reach. Alternatively, transparent objects, for example clear glass, allow light to shine through. Only some light can pass through translucent objects, such as colored plastic, creating colors or patterns of light.

A shadow’s size is affected by both the angle and the distance between the light source and the object. This is why our shadows change throughout the day. As the sun rises higher and moves directly above us, our shadows grow shorter and smaller. As the sun moves away, our shadows cast longer. 

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Super easy to plan, and the items are usually things that we already have. Planning is made very easy & the children are very motivated!

Was just observed doing one of these lessons. Principal was shocked and so was I - one of the kids with pretty severe attention issues was engaged the entire time!

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In Moscow's Shadows

Russia, behind the headlines as well as in the shadows. This podcast is the audio counterpart to Mark Galeotti's blog of the same name, a place where "one of the most informed and provocative voices on modern Russia", can talk about Russia historical and (more often) contemporary, discuss new books and research, and sometimes talk to other Russia-watchers. If you'd like to keep the podcast coming and generally support my work, or want to ask questions or suggest topics for me to cover, do please contribute to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/InMoscowsShadows The podcast's corporate partner and sponsor is Conducttr , which provides software for innovative and immersive crisis exercises in hybrid warfare, counter-terrorism, civil affairs and similar situations.

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In moscow's shadows 167: shoigu redux.

In Moscow's Shadows 166: Raider Nation, a quick news round-up

In moscow's shadows 165: prince bogdoi, information logjams and public-private empire, in moscow's shadows 164: from ballots to babies, a quick news round-up, in moscow's shadows 163: the importance of optimism (even when it comes to russia).

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A Shadow in Moscow

Written by Katherine Reay Review by Thomas j. Howley

In late 1944 in Nazi-occupied Vienna, Ingrid loses her Austrian father and English mother to the occupiers when they determine the couple isn’t loyal to the cause. With forged papers, she is recruited into British intelligence and stays in Vienna. As the war comes to a close, she forges a relationship with a soft-spoken Soviet embassy worker and later moves with him to Moscow, where she continues her espionage work, now against the communists.

In 1980 in Washington, DC, young Anya, originally from Moscow, is finishing her degree as part of the Soviet Foreign Studies Initiative at Georgetown University. It is an honor to be awarded such an appointment, though she is constantly watched by the KGB. Despite this, she comes to love the liberating freedom she sees in America and is quite willing to be recruited into the CIA.

This book is a consummately rendered and captivating espionage account of the Cold War, told from the perspective of two sympathetic and admirable women. It is also a resonating love story of freedom, family, and friendship. The author chillingly captures the horrors of the aftermath of the Soviet Socialist revolution where young students are “ideologically trained,” not simply educated. Historical western spy-traitors Kim Philby and Aldrich Ames make brief appearances as characters, and President Reagan and Pope John Paul II are portrayed as nightmares for the Soviets.

The constant danger and stress for the two heroic women, who are unaware of each other’s activities in Moscow, comes off as real and palpable. Working for freedom in a one-party dominated surveillance state with thoroughly co-opted institutions and media presents a constant nerve-wracking challenge for Ingrid and Anya. Filled with surprise twists and turns, and ultimately uplifting and inspiring, I found this superlative novel an enduring gem. Five stars!

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