Shadow puppet experiment

This fun STEM resource focuses on making shadow puppets while nurturing an understanding of the relationship between light and shadow.

With shadow puppets, kids learn while they play, exploring stories, characters, and even science in an engaging and interactive way.

Shadow puppetry holds a special kind of magic for children. The simple act of casting shadows transforms into an exciting world of storytelling and imagination, as well as offering educational benefits by helping stimulate creativity and serving as a playful introduction to the concepts of light and shadow.

We've created this shadow puppet experiment to support the teaching of key topics within design and technology (D&T) and science as part of the primary national curriculum at key stage 2 (KS2). This resource focuses on making shadow puppets and developing supporting knowledge about the relationship between light and shadow.

This could be used as a one-off activity in D&T or science or linked with the IET primary activity ‘How does the light from a torch change with distance?’, which involves measuring how the distribution of light varies with distance from the light source. It could also be used in conjunction with learning in literacy – for example, creating puppets to perform a story being studied.

Activity: Making shadow puppets

Learners will make a shadow puppet using card, craft sticks and sticky tape. This not only makes learning about shadow puppets fun but also fosters creativity and storytelling skills among learners at the KS2 level.

Tools/supplies needed:

Resources required:

• Card (photocopies of handouts, if used)
• Masking tape
• Craft sticks
• Tracing paper (for screen)
• Large boxes (for extension activity)
• Scissors
• Torches

Follow our step-by-step guide on how to make shadow puppets

Learners will make a shadow puppet and be shown how to use them:

1. Learners choose the shape for their puppet.
2. Using scissors, the puppet is cut out.
3. The craft stick is attached to one side using sticky tape.
4. Learners will set up a torch, so it shines onto a screen, then position the shadow puppet into the beam of light, so it appears on the screen.
5. The completed puppets can then be presented to the class or used as part of a shadow puppet play.

The Engineering Context

Engineers often have to consider how light behaves when designing products for practical applications. For instance, the positioning of windows and artificial lighting in buildings, or the power and placement of lights and mirrors in vehicles, are all influenced by an understanding of light and shadow. This activity will give learners an insight into these considerations.

Suggested learning outcomes

Light is a type of electromagnetic radiation. Visible light is the range of the electromagnetic spectrum that can be seen with a human eye. Light's brightness, or intensity, is typically measured as the power per unit area. Any object that blocks the path of light causes a shadow.

This activity therefore offers a blend of scientific learning, practical skills, and creative expression, making it a comprehensive educational experience. Specifically, children will learn that blocking the path of light causes a shadow, and they’ll be able to use scissors to make a graphic product.

Download our activity sheet and other teaching resources

All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.

The activity sheet includes teachers’ notes, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

You can download our step-by-step instructions below as either a classroom lesson plan or PowerPoint presentation.

Please do share your highlights with us @IETeducation.