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Light and Shadows: A Light Lab Adventure with Lumi

Light and Shadows: A Light Lab Adventure with Lumi

Learn about light and shadows: why we need light to see, how it reflects, and why shadows change size, by steering mirrors and measuring shadows.

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What you'll learn

  • We need light to see; dark is the absence of light
  • How to tell a light source from something that only reflects light
  • That light reflects off surfaces, and shiny, smooth surfaces reflect the most
  • How a shadow forms when an opaque object blocks light
  • The difference between transparent, translucent and opaque materials
  • How to measure shadows and find the pattern in their size

Chapter by chapter

  1. Light helps us see: dark is the absence of light Free to try

    Year 3 science · 1

  2. Light reflects off surfaces: mirrors, shiny and dull

    Year 3 science · 2

  3. Shadows form when an opaque object blocks light

    Year 3 science · 3

  4. Shadow sizes: finding the pattern

    Year 3 science · 4

  5. Light Detective challenge (10 questions)

What the chapters cover in the national curriculum in England:

  1. Year 3 science: Recognise that they need light in order to see things and that dark is the absence of light
  2. Year 3 science: Notice that light is reflected from surfaces
  3. Year 3 science: Recognise that shadows are formed when the light from a light source is blocked by an opaque object
  4. Year 3 science: Find patterns in the way that the size of shadows change

About this adventure

Light and Shadows is an interactive science game that teaches children aged 7–9 how we see with light, how light reflects off surfaces, and how shadows form and change size, matching Year 3 science in England.

Guided by Lumi the firefly, players switch off a lamp to discover that dark means no light at all, hunt for toys with a torch and peep into a closed box. They turn mirrors to bounce a beam onto a gem, test which surfaces reflect the most light, and watch cat's eyes on a road shine only when the car's headlights are on.

To explore shadows, they place objects in a torch beam and sort materials as transparent (lets light through), translucent (lets some through) or opaque (blocks it). Then they measure a dragon puppet's shadow on a squared screen, record results in a table and spot the pattern: the closer the light, the bigger the shadow.

Questions and answers

How are shadows formed, in simple words?

A shadow forms when an opaque object blocks light from a light source, so no light reaches the surface behind it. That is why a shadow is a dark shape with the object's outline but no colours or details, and it falls on the side away from the light.

Why do shadows change size?

A shadow gets bigger when the light source moves closer to the object, and smaller when the light moves further away. Outside, shadows are long in the morning and evening when the Sun is low, and short around midday when it is high in the sky.

Is the Moon a light source?

No, the Moon is not a light source because it does not make its own light. We see it because it reflects light from the Sun, in the same way that a mirror or a bike reflector only shines when light falls on it.

What age is this light and shadows game for?

The game is designed for children aged 7 to 9 and follows the Year 3 light topic in the national curriculum for England. Older children can also use it to refresh the basics before they study light again in Year 6.

What does the light and shadows game include, and how long does it take?

It has four chapters, each with an animated introduction and recap, plus a 10-question Light Detective challenge at the end. Playing everything takes about 40 minutes, and children can start any chapter from the map and carry on where they left off.

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