Darkness facts for kids

Everything around us looks black in the dark

Darkness is simply when there is no light. Or, it's when there's very little light, making it hard to see. Imagine a room with no windows and the lights turned off – that's darkness! Even outside, there's almost always a tiny bit of light, even on the darkest night.

What is Darkness?

Darkness is the opposite of light. When light is not present, we experience darkness. Our eyes need light to see things. So, when it's dark, our eyes can't gather enough light to show us what's around.

How Do We Get Darkness?

Darkness happens when something blocks light. For example, when you stand in front of a light source, you create a shadow. A shadow is an area of darkness formed because your body blocks the light.

At night, the Earth itself blocks the sun's light. As our planet spins, one side faces the sun (daytime) and the other side faces away (nighttime). The side facing away is in the Earth's giant shadow, which is why it's dark.

Darkness and Feelings

For a long time, people have connected darkness with different ideas. In old stories and myths, darkness was sometimes linked to mystery or even evil.

Many people feel a bit uncomfortable or even scared when it's dark. This is especially true for children. It's natural to feel this way because our eyes can't see what's around us, which can make us feel less safe. But remember, darkness itself isn't dangerous.

Images for kids

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  The Creation of Light, by Gustave Doré

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  Caravaggio's The Calling of St Matthew uses darkness for its chiaroscuro effects.

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  Separation of light and darkness on the first day of creation, from the Sistine Chapel ceiling by Michelangelo

See also

In Spanish: Oscuridad para niños