Our Whimsical Days
Let's Connect
  • Home
  • About
    • Guest Posting
  • Menu
    • Sensory Play
    • Seasons
    • Arts & Crafts
    • Science & Math
    • Fine Motor Skills
    • Pretend Play
    • Literacy
    • Parenting
    • Just for Fun
  • Our books!
    • Fine Motor Ideas
    • Green Crafty & Creative

Easy DIY Light Box

9/23/2013

10 Comments

 
P is for Preschooler: Easy DIY Light Box
   Inspired by Teach Preschool's DIY light table, I decided to make one for Kay. While she spent a couple of nights at her grandparents' house, I played around with different boxes. Eventually I settled on a clear bin, with the sides covered in tin foil. For a light I used a simple push light, because that's all I could find when inspiration struck. And if I didn't make it at that moment, I knew I would be putting it off forever.
P is for Preschooler: Easy DIY Light Box
  I tested it several times, adding some glass gems to see how they would look, and I thought it was pretty, but no way was it going to hold Kay's attention. Sometimes it seems like I don't even know the child. 
  I started setting it up in the afternoon, not telling her anything. She just watched as I covered the floor in towels and brought out the colored salt (made by mixing it with sidewalk chalk - came out very pretty, even though it doesn't look it in the pictures). I turned the overhead light off, and pushed the light box one on. I let her pour the salt into a clear plastic tray. I had brushes on hand and showed her how she could make letters with them in the salt, but she went right in with her hands.
P is for Preschooler: Easy DIY Light Box
   After a moment she said, "This is just like Nina and Star!" (If you have a young child and have cable, you'll know she was talking about the Sprout station, where Nina tells stories to Star each night, drawing pictures in sand.) So that's the direction she took, moving the salt around, making up stories. She got curious about how I had colored the salt, so we went outside and I showed her how to do it. 
P is for Preschooler: Easy DIY Light Box
When we came back in she mixed all the colors together and told some more stories. I also added a funnel made from a green soda bottle that looked very nice on the light box too.
P is for Preschooler: Easy DIY Light Box
After quite awhile I insisted we put it away, just because I didn't want her to get bored with it. As we turned the overhead light back on and started to put things away, she said, "That was so cool." Yes, indeed. I agree.
P is for Preschooler: Easy DIY Light Box
10 Comments
Amber link
9/22/2013 09:32:57 pm

I love this frugal idea! I want one now! :) Did you just put the lid back on the container and use that as the "top of the light box?"

Love this!

Reply
Emma link
9/23/2013 04:02:19 pm

I didn't even do that much - I just used the floor as the bottom! Then I just store everything inside when we're not using it. I'm sure there are better ways but this way worked for us!

Reply
Juliana RW link
9/23/2013 04:01:27 am

So creative. Thanks for sharing with us

Reply
Brittnei link
9/24/2013 07:16:14 am

This looks so fun! I just started doing craft/DIY activities with my toddler. This sounds like something he might enjoy when he gets a little older. Thanks for sharing with us onMommy Monday! xoxo

Reply
Suzy link
9/27/2013 02:35:37 pm

We have a light box that our children use several times a week, made it back in December. We don't post often about it though because, like you, we find it difficult to get decent pictures. Still the kids loving playing with it!

I love that you used colored salt on yours. I'll have to give that a try sometime, it looked like your kiddo really enjoyed it.

Reply
Eva @ The Multitasking Mummy link
9/29/2013 03:12:35 pm

This post has got me excited! I've only just recently seen different posts on 'light boxes' and thought I'd have to go and buy one, but the way you have made it is great and I just so have a clear box and a push light. I think my son will LOVE this! Thanks for linking up :).

Reply
Ashley link
10/18/2013 10:31:05 pm

We actually made a light box this week, but we made ours a little differently. I like the foil on the sides; I may have to add some to ours!

Reply
Jeanine link
11/23/2013 04:49:45 am

WOW!!!! I truly cannot thank you enough!! I have been feeling like the worst mother ever lately in the teaching on week nights and weekends departments for my preschooler!!! It's been horrible! I just don't have a car or the money to go out and simply 'buy what we need' for the bazillions craft ideas I find on the internet and have myself! It seems like every activity requires an ingredient I am SURE to be missing! I have giving up ALL HOPE FORever on sourcing a DIY for a Light Table especially before it's too late and "boring" for my LO! YOU HAVE truly saved me! My hopes are back!! I can create one of these TOMORROW after church! THANK YOU SOOOOOO Much! Now I look forward to performing all the light table exercises experiments and fun I have been unable to create before this! THANK YOU!!!!!!
Jeanine
Canada

Reply
Leslie link
12/22/2013 09:31:25 am

thanks for this nifty idea. i'm going to look around our apartment now for the necessary materials... :)

Reply
Jeanine link
12/22/2013 10:07:52 am

I totally re created this too: perfect timing, used a second hand left over set of Christmas Lights, some Dark green fabric my teen had hangin around house, & a clear white bin. (Lucky i had that!) Didnt have Partchment Paper but, teen again had a pa of Tracing Paper lined top on bin inside lid with that with clear tape and DONE!! Just thought id respond in case u needed further improv ideas LOL

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Picture

    Latest Posts

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Categories









    RSS Feed


    Picture
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Designed by CT Web Designs