DIY Light Table

I have been wanting a light table for B but the cost was more than I was willing to spend at this time.  When I was teaching in a toddler classroom the light table was always a wonderful source of exploration and kept the children engaged for long periods of time.

Earlier this week when I was cruising Facebook a DIY for making your own (light table) came across my newsfeed and at that point I knew I had a weekend project and I hoped a very happy toddler.  I cannot take any credit for the creativity behind this project but I will take full credit for the craftsmanship.

Materials:

Plastic storage container with a clear lid
Tissue paper
Two strands of Christmas lights (these were 100 light strands)

 There were tons of options for bins but I went for a shallow, long one because I figured it would be perfect for the floor.  This bin is made by Steralite and was $5 at Big Lots

 You can use white tissue paper or tracing paper.  I had plenty of tissue paper so I used that.  The reason for the paper is to dull the lights so the child is not looking directly at the bulbs and also to illuminate the lights on  the inside.

 Line the lid too

 Place the strands inside

 The lid will still close with the cord sticking out so no need to cut any holes in the bin.

 Bman playing with the prism blocks and dinosaurs 

 This provided hours of fun for B this afternoon.  He rarely plays with any one thing for more than 10 minutes so the fact that he continued to engage and come back to this all afternoon let me know he gave it a stamp of approval.

You will want to choose some materials to go on the table that will enhance the awesomeness of it.  We had a few things but I did order a few this week from Amazon.

Here are some ideas for things to pair with your light table:

 Prism Blocks by Alex Toys (shown in the pictures)
Miniature animals
Water blocks
Plastic bingo chips
Magna-tiles
Transparent paddles
Colored transparent cups and bowls
Window decals
Cocktail stirrers
Plastic reusable ice cubes (not frozen)

The options are endless.  I am going to swing by the Dollar Store tomorrow and pick up some transparent cups and bowls to place the toys in.  B is at the stage where he likes to gather and dump so having the cups on the table will be perfect for him.