The mammalian secondary palate develops through complex processes including palatal shelf growth, elevation, and fusion. Palatal shelf elevation is a process accompanied by large-scale morphological changes over a short period. The elevation pattern changes along the anterior-posterior axis; the anterior region elevates by the "flip-up" model, and the middle and posterior regions reorient through the "flow" model; however, the mechanisms of both models are unclear because of the rapid progression of the elevation in utero. To observe palatal elevation in real-time in detail, we aimed to establish a live imaging method using explants of the anterior region of the palatal shelf in mouse embryos before the beginning of elevation. Changes in the degree of shelf orientation were measured, which showed that the palatal shelf continuously changed shape toward the lingual side. The changes in the angle between the lingual and buccal bases of the palatal shelf were different; the morphological change in the lingual side was more acute, and the buccal side was more obtuse. The timing of morphological changes of the lingual and buccal sides was nearly simultaneous, suggesting that the anterior region of the palatal shelf in vitro elevated according to the "flip-up" model. This live imaging method enables the continuous observation of palatal shelf elevation and provides new insights into palatogenesis. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.