Ages 4-7 · child and adult

Shadow clock: where did it move?

Trace the shadow of an upright pencil and return later. Observe changes in the sky through marks on paper.

Set your own pace. Preparation depends on your materials.

What to gather

Blunt pencil and a large lump of modelling clay
Large sheet on a firm board
Tape and a clock

Keeping it safe Never look directly at the sun. An adult secures the blunt pencil away from walkways. Observe briefly, then move into shade.

Choose a challenge level

Ages 4-5

The child marks the shadow tip with a coloured dot; the adult writes the time.

Ages 6-7

Make three observations. Return at the same time the next day and compare the marks.

Step-by-step instructions

Secure the paper in a safe sunny spot. An adult stands the pencil vertically in clay and marks the board position so it stays fixed.
Trace the shadow and add the time. Predict whether the next shadow will be longer, shorter or elsewhere.
Return about an hour later. Without moving the pencil, mark the new shadow and time. Compare direction and length and repeat another day.

TATAAA

Now turn it into a game

Time keepers: draw what you were doing beside each mark. Tell the story of your day using the shadow map.

When it gets tricky

Shadow gone? Wait for sunlight. If the board or pencil moved, begin a fresh record.

When an experiment goes wrong

When you are done

You have two time-labelled marks and can describe how the shadow changed.

If your child does not want to continue, it is fine to stop. You can safely swap roles or adapt the rules.

What to notice

Earth rotates, so the sun appears in different directions through the day. Shadow direction and length change too. These marks are not a precise universal clock.