DIY Project
About

Science

Construction paper sun prints

Lay objects on dark paper in the sun and come back hours later to find their shadows printed on the page.

Construction paper sun prints
LevelBeginner
AgesAges 3 to 5
Time20 minutes plus 3 to 4 hours in the sun
Cost$0 to $3
SummerOutdoorsLow mess

What you'll need

Materials

Tick them off as you find them.

  • Find it →

How to make it

Safety

Use sunscreen and a hat for checking on prints during midday sun.

  1. Step 1: Collect shapes
    1

    Collect shapes

    Have your child pick flat toys and leaves from around the house and yard.

  2. Step 2: Set up in the sun
    2

    Set up in the sun

    Lay the paper on a flat sunny spot outside.

  3. Step 3: Arrange the objects
    3

    Arrange the objects

    Let them place the objects on the paper anywhere they like.

  4. Step 4: Weigh it down
    4

    Weigh it down

    Put small rocks on the paper corners so it can't blow away.

  5. Step 5: Wait for the sun
    5

    Wait for the sun

    Leave it for 3 to 4 hours. Go have lunch.

  6. Step 6: Lift and look
    6

    Lift and look

    Pick up the objects. The covered spots stay dark and the rest fades.

Edie's tip

Cheap construction paper fades fastest. That's the one time the bargain paper wins.

Written by the DIY Project team. How we check · Report a mistake

More preschoolers projects

Make this next

See all 97

Sink or float tub
Science

Sink or float tub

A tub of water and a basket of household objects for guessing, testing and sorting what sinks and what floats.

Beginner30 minutes$0, uses what you have
Shadow tracing
Science

Shadow tracing

Line up toy animals in the sun and trace their shadows with chalk, then come back later to see how the shadows moved.

Beginner30 minutes, plus a check later in the day$0 to $3
Nature walk bracelet
Nature

Nature walk bracelet

A loop of tape sticky side out becomes a bracelet your child fills with petals, leaves and seeds on a walk.

Beginner30 minutes, as long as the walk$0 to $2