🔬 Park Sun, Shadows & Motion
Sol, sombras y movimiento en el parque
🔬 Science
Weekend Adventure
K-PS3-1K-ESS3-3SL.K.1
Objective: Child investigates light, shadows, and how things move (push, pull, roll, swing) while playing at the park or beach.
🧺 Materials
- a ball
- this challenge list
- sun hat
- water
📋 Instructions (parent)
- At the park, find a sunny spot and have your child make a shadow with their body.
- Play with the shadow: make it big, small, or wave at it; name 'sombra' in Spanish.
- Try the swings and slide; talk about pushing, pulling, and going fast or slow.
- Roll a ball and watch it move; ask what made it stop.
- Notice if shady spots feel cooler than sunny spots and talk about why.
➕ Extension ideas
- Follow-up: ¿Qué pasó con tu sombra cuando te moviste? / What happened to your shadow when you moved?
- Follow-up: ¿Por qué crees que necesitamos sombra en un día caluroso? / Why do you think we need shade on a hot day?
🗣️ Parent script — say it in Spanish
Español
¡Vamos al parque a jugar con el sol y nuestras sombras! Cuando te paras al sol, tu sombra te sigue. Vamos a correr, columpiarnos y sentir cómo nos movemos.
💬 Conversation prompts
- ¿Dónde está tu sombra ahora?
- ¿El sol está caliente o fresco?
- ¿Cómo hacemos que el columpio vaya más alto?
- ¿La pelota rueda rápido o despacio?
- ¿Por qué se siente más fresco bajo el árbol?
🔑 Vocabulary
- parque — park
- sol — sun
- sombra — shadow
- columpio — swing
- pelota — ball
- rápido — fast
- empujar — to push
Other ways to do it
⚡ 5-minute version
Step outside and trace or stomp on each other's shadows for a minute, naming 'sombra'.
🚗 Car version
Watch the sun and shadows out the window; say if it's sunny or shady in Spanish.
😴 No-energy version
Sit on a bench and watch other kids swing; describe fast and slow in Spanish.
📝 Observation Challenge (scavenger hunt)
- tu propia sombra / your own shadow
- un lugar con sol / a sunny spot
- un lugar con sombra / a shady spot
- algo que se columpia / something that swings
- algo que rueda / something that rolls
- algo que sube y baja / something that goes up and down
- algo rápido / something fast
- algo despacio / something slow
🎯 California standards covered
| K-PS3-1 | Sunlight & Warmth “I can watch how the sun warms up things outside.” |
| K-ESS3-3 | Caring for Our Earth “I can share ways to take care of the Earth and keep it clean.” |
| SL.K.1 | Taking Part in Conversations “I can take turns talking and listening when I have a conversation.” |