Daily walks: drawing around shadows

What you need

Some chalk or crayons and paper.

Benefits

• Building and developing knowledge about shapes and colours
• Development of hand-eye coordination skills and mark-making control
• Exploring the concept of an enclosed space

The experience

Take a walk outside with your child and talk about the shapes of objects you can see. Encourage your child to look at and talk about the shadows they can see either from themself, you or other objects such as trees and parks cars. Talk to your child about the shapes and sizes you can see.

Take a piece of chalk or a crayon and draw along the outline of a shadow, commenting on how you are holding the chalk - if you are making straight or curved lines and what shapes you are drawing.

Encourage your child to do the same and continue to comment on what they are doing whilst also asking them if they can talk about what they think the shadows look like.