Shadow in Front, Shadow Behind

On a sunny playground, children turn and move so their shadow is in front of them, behind them or to the side, as the teacher calls it out. It warms up the body and practices the ideas of in front, behind and beside.

How to play

1. Find your shadow and slowly turn until it’s in front of you, like a puppy leading the way (1 min).
2. Walk chasing your shadow out in front… and you can never catch it! Try going faster (1 min).
3. Turn around: now the shadow is behind you, following you; walk toward the sun looking down at the ground (1 min).
4. Turn until the shadow is beside you and walk sideways like crabs (1 min).
5. The teacher calls “In front!”, “Behind!” or “Beside!” and everyone turns and jogs that way, staying inside the cones (1 min).
6. Finish standing still with your shadow in front, then crouch down to make it tiny (1 min).

Rules

• Look at the ground, never at the sun.
• Run inside the cones.
• If someone is in front of you, slow down.

Variations

Adaptations

• Visual impairment: instead of seeing the shadow, they feel the sun: “sun on your face” or “sun on your back” and orient by the warmth.
• Limited mobility: turn the chair to place the shadow and keep the travel distance short.
• More skilled children: jog backward with the shadow in front, always in a clear space.

Learning goals

• Warm up with varied ways of moving.
• Use in front, behind and beside with the shadow as a reference.
• Discover that the shadow falls on the side opposite the sun.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Cones: 4

Teacher tip

Pick a time when the sun is low (early morning or afternoon) and a spot without tree shade. Mark the area with cones, because kids get distracted walking backward or toward the sun.

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