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.
▶ Play it nowBuilt for sittings of about 10 minutes on the screen. That is our design budget, not a measurement.
Meet your mentor
Every Spark & Anvil app has a friendly mentor character that demonstrates, asks, and patiently scaffolds learning.
Mentored by Stretch
#4a4fa0 Characters who teach
Meet the cast
ShadowTots' four shadow friends (ages 3–5): each IS one shadow PROPERTY the child discovers on the wall.
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.
Mentored by Stretch — 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
- ✅ Free — no ads, no in-app purchases
- ✅ No personal information collected from children — in line with COPPA (updated by the 2026 FTC amendments)
- ✅ No chat with strangers — play-together rooms use a short code and preset emotes, never typed messages