Illustration for Light and Shadow

Light and Shadow

What Is Light?

Light is what lets us see. It comes from the sun, lamps, and flashlights. Light travels in straight lines. When light hits something, we can notice its colour and shape.

What Is a Shadow?

A shadow is a dark shape that appears when something blocks light. The blocked area gets no light, so it looks darker. Shadows copy the shape of the object that stops the light.

How Do Shadows Change?

If the light moves, the shadow moves too. A big, bright sun makes a short, sharp shadow. A low, dim light makes a long, soft shadow. Shadows can get bigger or smaller during the day.

Fun Experiment

  1. Take a small toy and a flashlight.
  2. Shine the flashlight on a wall.
  3. Move the toy closer to the light – the shadow gets bigger.
  4. Move the toy farther away – the shadow gets smaller.

Play with different objects and watch the shadows dance!

Continue the adventure

Download Surprise Button for iPad

A simple, safe way for kids to explore the internet. With one tap, they discover something new — a fun fact, a science experiment, a story, or a place in the world they never would've searched for.

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Your child explores safely on Surprise Button App

🌋

How Volcanoes Form

From Magma to Mountain

Volcanoes grow where tectonic plates collide or drift apart. Heat melts rock into light, buoyant magma that rises, cools, and hardens near the surface, building the cone layer by layer.

Know exactly what to talk about tonight

Maya's Daily Discoveries - March 15 Inbox

🚀 Today's Learning Journey

🌋
How Volcanoes Form
18 min • Longest session today
🎨
Ancient Egyptian Art
15 min • Visited twice today

💬 Tonight's Conversation Starters

"Can you explain how volcanoes form?"