STEM
ShadowTots
Turn any lamp or sunny window into a shadow theatre (ages 3–5): make a shadow bigger, find what light can and can't pass through, and watch a shadow swing when you move the light — real light-and-shadow science with four shadow friends. No camera, no data.
#4a4fa0 Distributed-narrative cast
Meet the cast
ShadowTots' four shadow friends (ages 3–5): each IS one shadow PROPERTY the child discovers on the wall (R-DN-PARITY).
Stretch
distance changes size — closer to the light makes a bigger shadow
Read chapter →
Block
solid things stop the light, so they make a dark shadow
Read chapter →
Glimmer
see-through things let some light through, so their shadow is faint
Read chapter →
Flip
move the light, not the toy, and the shadow moves the other way
Read chapter →
Browse all chapters → · What's distributed-narrative methodology? →
What's inside
Learning goal
Turn any lamp or sunny window into a shadow theatre (ages 3–5): make a shadow bigger, find what light can and can't pass through, and watch a shadow swing when you move the light — real light-and-shadow science with four shadow friends. No camera, no data.
Question kits
16 curriculum-aligned kits × 25 questions = 400 questions per app, mapped to recognized standards.
On-device AI mentor
FoundationModels-powered hints, feedback, and adaptive difficulty — all running locally.
Mentored by Stretch — on-device AI, no data leaves the device.
How ShadowTots handles your kid's data
- ✅ All progress, settings, and AI-generated content stays on the device
- ✅ No analytics, no tracking, no third-party SDKs
- ✅ No ads, no in-app purchases — you pay once
- ✅ COPPA compliant under the 2026 FTC amendments
- ✅ Parental controls + session limits + content filters built in
ShadowTots runs on ForgeKit — the open-source Swift Package Manager framework that powers every Spark & Anvil app. ForgeKit ensures consistent accessibility, COPPA compliance, and design language across the portfolio, so your kid's progress and preferences feel coherent across every app they touch.
Coming to the App Store
ShadowTots is in active development. Email us to hear when it ships — no marketing, no spam, just a one-shot launch announcement.
Email me at launch