Well, the rainy season is approaching, and you know what that means…we probably won’t be going outside as much. It’s a perfect time for another STEAM activity for kids! More time inside means, we need to come up with more ways to occupy children indoors. A storm was passing through one day: it got dark in the classroom as the storm passed over, you see the flash of light and then you hear the CRACK of the thunder.
That day, we turned off the lights and watch the storm from inside the classroom. We got out some flashlights and played hide-n-seek in the dark…if you haven’t tried it you really should. As the light passes by, as the lightning lit up the room, the shadows of different objects would appear. That’s when my next STEAM activity for kids came to mind! A shadow puppet show!
STEAM Integration: STEAM Activity for Kids
SCIENCE
Light is a wonderfully complicated subject. Let’s quickly look at a rainbow. Rain droplets separate white light into different colors we see. These colors are actually different energy levels of the electromagnetic spectrum, more specifically the visible light portion of the spectrum. Each color is a different wavelength. When separated by rain droplets, each color bends and reflects at a different angle, causing a rainbow to appear.
With that in mind, a color filter will absorb different wavelengths, or colors, and transmit the color that you see. For example, when you wear sunglasses, maybe you have a rose-tinted pair, everything will look slightly pinker than what it looks like without the glasses on. Or those old 3D glasses with the red and blue lenses? When you look through one, everything looks red, but when you look through the other, everything looks blue? This is the same concept.
So, what does this have to do with anything? Well in this activity, we use color filters to create a more dynamic shadow puppet show! Your child will be amazed by the change in the color when use your different color filters. This is a great opportunity to introduce new vocabulary words such as transmit, opaque, translucent, wavelengths, and so many others.
Discovering the difference between translucent and opaque objects is the basis behind this activity. You will be able to demonstrate how clear objects will transmit light, therefore clear, see-through objects are called translucent. When you demonstrate that objects which you cannot see through, will leave a shadow on the wall, you can introduce the terminology opaque. Opaque objects are the objects that create shadows and light does not pass through these objects.
TECHNOLOGY
To do this activity, you will need a light source! I used the flashlight on my phone. It was quick, simple and I had it on hand. However, I encourage you to use a flashlight! My reasoning for this is because you can introduce a simple technology aspect into this activity. Take the batteries out, demonstrate how the flashlight won’t work without batteries. All them to try to take out the batteries and put them back in. Allow them to explore the directionality of the batteries. Allowing your child to experience the directionally will lay the foundation for understand electric circuits.
With that being said, if your child is still in the ‘I’m gonna put this in my mouth’ phase like mine is…skip the battery part. Turning the flashlight off and on will still show them how the flashlight operates and will still be entertaining…at least, I didn’t get the flashlight back for a while. Pro Tip! If you know that your toddler will acquire your flashlight, have a second on hand with the color filter already in place.
ENGINEERING
As your child gets older, this aspect becomes more relevant for this light STEAM activity for kids. Think about how light spreads, without a funnel of sorts, it will spread in any direction. For example, my lantern will illuminate a whole room, while the flashlight is more focused to one specific area. When using a flashlight, the closer you get to a wall, the more defined the light circle is. When you start stepping away from the wall, the less defined, wider the light becomes. Allow your child to create light setting for their desired outcome. Do they want a wide, faintly colored light? Do they want a smaller more defined light? What could they do the get their desired lighting for their puppet show?
Some things I have used to create different lighting effects are:
- Toilet paper tubes – small focused light with a small shadow puppet
- Duct tape rolls – allowed for a larger area of light with a larger puppet
- Lanterns – illuminated the whole room. I wrapped it in pink for a pink tint!
ART
With light filters, you are allowing your child to explore the wonders of mixing colors without all the mess! Ask your child what happens when you put two different color filters together. Explore different color combinations. See what happens when you mix blue and yellow. Introduce your child to the color wheel!
Show them how you have three primary colors. These colors cannot be created by mixing other colors, however, when you mix blue and red, you get purple. Purple, orange, and green are secondary colors.
In addition to mixing colors, this puppet show adds a dramatic play element to your activity! Your child can become a storyteller and pretend they are directing a play…my leprechaun was searching for his pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!
Help them create their own puppets to tell their own tales! You can print and cut out puppets to their favorite story! This could be a new twist on a bedtime story that they know so well. Story Recall is something that we test for in our preschool classroom. I am looking to see how much of a story they remember and if they can tell the story in order. Engage your child’s creative mind and allow to express themselves with this activity!
Things You May NEED for your light STEAM activity:
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information.
For this light STEAM activity there are a couple of things you will need:
- Construction paper
- Craft Sticks
- Light source (lantern, flashlight, etc.)
- Cellophane
The construction paper and the craft sticks were used to create puppets that could move across the light. I used black construction paper, and I bought a bulk 1000 pack of craft sticks from Amazon. They weren’t ridiculously expensive, and I have used them more than I thought I would. However, you can use anything that your child can hold. Pencils are a great option!
The cellophane I also got from Amazon. You do not need them to do your puppet show. However, they are a must if you want to introduce different layers of colors to your puppet show. I don’t typically buy things if I can only use them in one application. So far, I have used the cellophane as a sensory item for Evie, in a disappearing lines STEAM activity for kids, and as decorative elements to my mailbox craft. Personally, I believe they are a great addition to any crafting cabinet!
A light source is the single most important part of this activity. Without light, there cannot be any shadows, therefore, not shadow puppet show! I have a couple different battery-operated light sources on hand…we have a lantern, a couple of flashlights, and some puck lights. The puck lights act like good spotlights. The lantern lit up the whole room a pink hue. Our flashlights were the main source of light for this activity.
Start Exploring!
This activity is so much FUN! I love creating puppet shows with my class and they LOVE creating shadows…almost as much as they love playing with a flashlight!
I love using multiple puppets to tell a story. It really brings out the creative side in a child and you can learn so much! Introducing colors adds layers of fun and bring an exciting new twist to the STEAM activity for kids!
I encourage you to engage your child with this activity by asking them questions. Why is the light pink? How come there is a shadow? Allow your child to think and processes these ideas in their head all while having FUN!
Did I say ‘have fun’ yet? No…well HAVE FUN! Whether you are looking for a power outage activity that will take their mind off of things, if you are looking to spice up your nighttime story routine, if you are just looking for something easy to do and low prep, this is the activity for you!
Looking for some more information? Check out some of my favorite books for children!
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information.
I hope you have an amazing time with this activity! I know I did! What story did your child bring to life? Did they do anything unexpected? What was their favorite part? Let me know in the comments! I love hearing and sharing everyone’s experiences! Thank you all for reading!
[…] are some many uses for these! Check out another STEAM Activity that also use this same […]