Trace My Toy Shadow — draw and write

Trace My Toy Shadow: illustrated shadow activity worksheet with space for children’s ideas

Look, then try.

Every good detective records evidence. Stand a toy on one end of a sheet of paper in steady light, so its shadow falls across the paper. Keep the toy and the paper perfectly still and draw around the edge of the shadow with a pencil: go slowly and hug the line. Trace two or three different toys, then mix up the papers: can someone match each shadow back to its toy? For an extra challenge, trace the same toy's shadow in the morning and again in the afternoon and compare your two tracings. Your drawings are evidence, just like a detective's notebook.

Start drawing and writing below

Open the worksheet to print or save

Move lamps and torches with dry hands and keep them away from curtains and paper. Never look straight into a torch or the sun, and never stare at bright light. A grown-up dims the room and stays nearby, and an adult comes outside with you. Rest your eyes often, and nothing goes near your mouth.

Pen colourPen size

Use a finger, stylus or mouse in each drawing box. Type below it, or ask a grown-up to write your words. Your work stays in this tab. Save before refreshing or leaving.

ACTIVITY 1

Trace my first shadow

Stand a toy in steady light and trace its shadow. Go slowly around the edge.

The toy I traced was…Tracing was easy or tricky because…

ACTIVITY 2

The matching game

Trace two or three toys, then hand the shadows to someone else. Can they match them?

I traced these toys…The matching game was…

ACTIVITY 3

Morning and afternoon

Trace the same toy's shadow twice in one day. Draw or explain how the two tracings differ.

In the morning the shadow was…In the afternoon it was…

Your ideas belong here. There is no score.

What are we learning?

Tracing from a real shadow trains careful eyes and steady hands. Matching shadows to objects builds shape recognition, and keeping records is how detectives and scientists both work.