100 Ways for Kids to Play & Learn with Light

My kids have always enjoyed light table activities and mirror play. And I'm pretty sure every kid on the planet enjoys playing with a flashlight!

There's just something appealing about light play for kids.

So to get you inspired to explore light and reflections with your own children (or class if you're a teacher!), I have put together this impressive list of 100 light table activities, natural light activities, and mirror play ideas for kids.

Back in late 2013, I joined forces with some other bloggers to create the Light & Reflections series. A collection of ways for kids to play and learn with light and reflections, this series continued until the end of 2015. A couple of new bloggers were added along the way to bring you even more amazing light play ideas for kids. In fact, we brought you exactly 100 amazing ways for kids to play and learn with light over the course of the series.

To make it easier to browse, I have arranged these 100 light play ideas for kids into common themes and seasons, including holidays like Christmas, topics like science, and units like all about me.

Literacy Light Play Ideas for Kids: Alphabet, Nursery Rhymes, & Fairy Tales

Whether you want to work on identifying letters, spelling your name, or exploring themes like nursery rhymes or fairy tales, these literacy based light play ideas are loads of fun!

1. Humpty Dumpty Light Table Play (pictured)
2. 10 in a Bed Silhouettes Nursery Rhymes from Frog in a Pocket
3. Itsy Bitsy Spider Window Activity (pictured) from Where Imagination Grows
4. Nursery Rhyme Retelling Slides on the Light Table from Still Playing School
5. Fairy Tale Sentence Building with Free Printable
6. Jack & the Beanstalk Window Retelling from Still Playing School
7. Fairy Tales Crown Math Game from Where Imagination Grows
8. Fairy Castles on the Light Table (pictured) from Frog in a Pocket
9. Alphabet Sorting on the Light Table
10. Helping Kids Learn Their Name with Personalized Suncatchers from Happily Ever Mom
11. Mirror Literacy: Exploring Symmetry in Letters from Still Playing School
12. Light Table Letter Search from Where Imagination Grows
13. Tracing Letters on Mirrors
14. Flashlight Alphabet Game (pictured) from Happily Ever Mom
15. Geoboard Letters on the Light Table from Where Imagination Grows

Art Light Play Ideas for Kids

Get ready to create some beautiful arts and crafts that take advantage of natural light, such as our suncatcher ideas, or try creating some process art on the light table.

1. Play Dough Window Art (pictured)
2. DIY Glowing Scratch Art Paper (pictured) from Still Playing School
3. Painting with Light (pictured) from Frog in a Pocket
4. Chalk Art on the Light Table (pictured) from Where Imagination Grows
5. Abstract Window Art (pictured)
6. No Mess Painting on the Light Table from Happily Ever Mom
7. Sand Art on the Light Table (pictured) from Still Playing School
8. Glue Art on the Light Table from Where Imagination Grows
9. Washi Tape Art on the Light Table
10. Melted Pony Bead & Tissue Paper Suncatcher (pictured) from Happily Ever Mom
11. Ladybug Suncatcher from Happily Ever Mom
12. Light Table Nature Mosaics with Loose Parts from Where Imagination Grows

Math Light Play Ideas for Kids

From counting to fractions, kids of all ages will love learning about math with these epic light play ideas.

1. Learning to Tell Time on the Light Table
2. Hundred Chart Patterns on the Light Table from Still Playing School
3. Train Your Brain Number Trails from Frog in a Pocket
4. DIY Jumbo Math Dice for Light Table Play
5. Shape Puzzles: Early Learning on the Light Table from Happily Ever Mom
6. Introducing Fractions on the Light Table from Still Playing School
7. Snowball Counters: Counting Circles on the Light Table from Where Imagination Grows
8. Giant Window Calculator from Still Playing School

Science & STEM Light Play Ideas for Kids

You can use light and mirrors to explore all sorts of scientific concepts. From simple engineering activities to science experiements, these STEM light play ideas are brilliant and fun!

1. Scoop & Pour Serving Practice on the Light Table (pictured) from Still Playing School
2. Sink or Float Science on the Light Table from Where Imagination Grows
3. Experimenting with Ice, Colored Water, & Salt on the Light Table from Happily Ever Mom
4. Bubbling Color Mixing on the Light Table from Where Imagination Grows
5. Oil & Water Experiment on the Light Table from Still Playing School
6. Animal Science with X-Rays on the Light Table from Where Imagination Grows
7. Experimenting with Light from Frog in a Pocket
8. Building 3D Shapes on Windows
9. Building with Straws on the Light Table from Happily Ever Mom
10. Fairy Land: Building with Recycled Materials on the Light Table from Still Playing School
11. Exploring Symmetry: Building with Rainbow Blocks on a Mirror from Where Imagination Grows

All About Me Themed Light Play Ideas for Kids

If you're looking to add some ideas to your all about me theme in preschool or kindergarten, then you'll certainly want to try these unique light play ideas!

1. Body Tracing Self-Portrait Mirror Drawings
2. All About Me Baby Play Station from Happily Ever Mom
3. All About My Feelings: Identifying Emotions with Self-Portraits from Still Playing School
4. Photo Puzzles on the Light Table from Where Imagination Grows
5. Reggio Mirror Self-Portraits from Racheous

Under the Sea Themed Light Play Ideas for Kids

Maybe you're planning an under the sea theme for preschool or kindergarten? Well, if you are, then you'll certainly want to check out these ideas. Or hello, shark week! That shark suncatcher will be a perfect collaborative project for that occasion!

1. Giant Shark Suncatcher Craft
2. Fish Color Matching on the Light Table from Still Playing School
3. Under the Sea Small World on the Light Table from Where Imagination Grows

Transportation Themed Light Play Ideas for Kids

Keep these ideas in mind if you are planning a transportation theme for preschool or kindergarten.

1. Traffic Light Suncatcher Craft & Light Table Play
2. Airplane Color Sorting on the Light Table from Still Playing School
3. Busy City on the Light Table from Frog in a Pocket
4. Window Race Track from Happily Ever Mom

Fine Motor Skills & Practical Life Themed Light Play Ideas for Kids

Need to target fine motor skills? Here are some fun ways to target them on the light table.

1. Teaching Kids How to Set the Table on the Light Table
2. DIY Photo Lace Cards for Building Fine Motor Skills from Happily Ever Mom
3. Weaving with Straws on the Light Table from Where Imagination Grows

Music Themed Light Play Ideas for Kids

Want to get a bit musical with your light play? These ideas will certainly get the kids moving and exploring!

1. Homemade Glowing Floor Piano
2. Glow-in-the-Dark Egg Shakers from Happily Ever Mom
3. Musical Water Experiments on the Light Table from Still Playing School

Gross Motor Light Play Ideas for Kids

Need the kids to burn some energy? Try these fun light play ideas that will get the kids moving.

1. Ball in a Box Gross Motor Boredom Buster
2. Mimicking Movement with Mirrors from Where Imagination Grows

Pretend Play Light Play Ideas for Kids

Inspire hours of imaginative play with these wonderful light play ideas for kids.

1. Frog Pond Small World on the Light Table
2. Pony Bead Puppets on the Light Table from Happily Ever Mom
3. DIY Shadow Puppets from Where Imagination Grows
4. Vet Office Pretend Play from Still Playing School

Sensory Themed Light Play Ideas for Kids

Want some tactile sensory input? These ideas combine tactile with light for some really unique and fun sensory experiences!

1. Animal Prints Sensory Mirror Process Art
2. Black Light Play: Shaving Cream That Glows from Where Imagination Grows

Spring & Easter Themed Light Play Ideas for Kids

If you're looking for seasonal light play ideas for spring and Easter, you'll certainly want to give these ideas a try!

1. Flower Mandalas on the Light Table with Free Printable (pictured)
2. Sticky Window Flower Garden (pictured) from Still Playing School
3. Mosaic Flower Art Window Collage from Where Imagination Grows
4. Sticky Flowers on the Light Table (pictured) from Happily Ever Mom
5. Spring Mirror Drawings
6. Touch & Feel Spring Suncatchers from Happily Ever Mom
7. Easter Eggs on the Light Table from Still Playing School
8. Spring Light Table Sensory Bin from Where Imagination Grows

Fall & Halloween Themed Light Play Ideas for Kids

From pumpkins to Halloween, these fall and autumn inspired light play ideas are sure to please the kiddos!

1. Pumpkin Addition on the Light Table
2. Pumpkin Patch Small World on the Light Table from Where Imagination Grows
3. Fall Tic Tac Toe on the Light Table
4. Counting & Adding Acorns on the Light Table from Where Imagination Grows
5. Autumn Lanterns from Frog in a Pocket
6. Halloween Sensory Play on the Light Table
7. Five Little Pumpkins on the Light Table from Still Playing School
8. Halloween ABC Learning on the Light Table from Where Imagination Grows

Winter & Christmas Themed Light Play Ideas for Kids

From snowflakes and Christmas trees, here are some wonderul ways to celebrate the winter season through light play.

1. Winter Math Tray on the Light Table
2. Winter Mirror Box Play from Still Playing School
3. Igloo Craft & Arctic Small World on the Light Table from Where Imagination Grows
4. Christmas Science on the Light Table
5. Retelling "The Mitten" on the Light Table from Still Playing School
6. Arctic Animal Small World on the Light Table from Where Imagination Grows
7. Christmas Tree Activity from Happily Ever Mom
8. Tracing Christmas Shapes on the Light Table
9. Stackable Egg Carton Snowmen on the Light Table from Happily Ever Mom
10. Christmas Tree & Snowmen Light Table Play from Where Imagination Grows
11. Exploring Symmetry with Snowflakes in a DIY Mirror Box
12. Christmas Counting Puzzles on the Light Table from Where Imagination Grows

Pumpkin Addition Activity for the Light Table

Looking for fall light table ideas? Try this pumpkin addition activity for the light table!

---

This little light table idea is a great one for fall. It's a great way for kids to build math skills by practicing counting and addition.

Now, while we did this pumpkin addition activity on the light table, it's certainly optional to do so. It's just that the light table is the preferred surface around here at the moment. Yet, this activity works great both off and on the light table.

Let's take a closer look at what you'll need for this fall math activity.

What You'll Need for this Pumpkin Addition Activity for the Light Table

Here's what we used for this simple fall inspired math activity:

• Acrylic pumpkins - You can find these at the dollar store or Michael's.

• Clear cups - We used individual sized applesauce containers for this activity.

• Permanent marker - To label the bottom of the clear cups with numbers.

• Clear container or plate (optional) - You could just use another clear cup in its place.

• Plus and equal symbols - These are from a set of number magnets (similar to these, but smaller). You could certainly draw them directly on the light table using a dry erase marker.

• Light table, light box, or similar

Label the bottoms of the clear cups with numbers using the permanent marker. We already had cups labeled from 1 to 20 (we originally made them for this activity here).

To set up the activity, arrange two numbered cups (pick any two you want to start), a clear plate or container, the pumpkins, and the math symbols on the light table. You'll want to create a simple math sentence such as 2+3=? (or whatever you choose). Then it's ready for learning and playing!

Pumpkin Addition Activity on the Light Table

Here's how the activity works. First, you count the corresponding number of pumpkins into the cups.

Then you dump both cups onto the plate at the end of the math problem. Then finally you count up all the pumpkins on the plate to find out the answer.

For example, cup one below had seven pumpkins and the second cup had five. Once they were dumped onto the plate, there were 12 pumpkins total. So 7+5=12.

There are obviously different ways that you could adapt this activity. For instance, you could work on subtraction or multiplication instead. Or smaller kids might just enjoy adding the pumpkins to the cups and dumping them. Or you could simply place all of the numbered cups out and practice counting out the correct number of pumpkins for each cup.

This pumpkin addition activity for the light table is part of the Light & Reflections series. Be sure to check out the other ideas from this month's theme from my co-hosts:

Pumpkin Patch Small World on the Light Table from Where Imagination Grows

Fall Tic Tac Toe Light Table Activity

A simple fall tic tac toe light table activity for kids.

---

My son could happily spend hours playing, exploring, and building on the light table. And, one day, I had the idea to turn some of the materials that he was playing with into a little seasonal variation of a classic game.

The result? This fall tic tac toe light table activity for kids using colorful fall leaves instead of Xs and Os.

We ended up playing this over and over for quite some time. So, needless to say, my son enjoyed it.

What You'll Need for this Fall Tic Tac Toe Light Table Activity

You'll only need two materials (besides the light table, of course) to try this tic tac toe activity at home with your kids. As an added bonus, you can easily find both items at the dollar store. Here's what we used:

• Acrylic fall leaves - You can find these at Michael's or the dollar store. You will need two different colors for this particular activity, one for each player.

• Colorful clear plastic cocktail stirrers or swizzle sticks - As an alternative, you could use a dry erase marker to draw lines on your light table instead. The cocktail stirrers are a bit more fun and colorful though.

• Light table, light box, or similar - Although you can certainly do this activity off the light table as well. It's just less fun that way.

How to Play Fall Tic Tac Toe on the Light Table

Simply use the cocktail stirrers to build a 3 x 3 grid or draw the game board directly on the light table using a dry erase marker.

Pick two colors of leaves to replace the traditional Xs and Os. Each player gets one color. So, in our game, we used green leaves for one player and red leaves for the other player.

Then simply play as if you were playing any other game of tic tac toe, taking turns placing one of your game pieces (i.e., leaves) in a spot in the 3 x 3 grid, until someone gets three in a row or it ends in a draw.

It's a bright and colorful version of the game, that's for sure! But my son J loved playing it against me over and over.

This fall tic tac toe light table activity was part of the Light & Reflections series. This month's theme was fall or back to school. Be sure to check out the other posts in this month's series.

Counting & Adding Acorns on the Light Table from Where Imagination Grows

Autumn Lanterns from Frog in a Pocket

Humpty Dumpty Light Table Play

This month's theme for the Light & Reflections Series is nursery rhymes and I have to admit that, at first, I was stumped on what to do. I ended up settling on Humpty Dumpty as the inspiration for this light table activity for kids. It ended up being much more amazing than what I had originally planned in my mind, but it encouraged lots of storytelling and color mixing exploration. And, more importantly, my kids loved it!

Light Table Activity for Kids Inspired by Humpty Dumpty

For this light table activity, I used:

• Colored transparencies

• Permanent marker

• Scissors

Cut oval shaped eggs out of various colored transparencies. Then draw little Humpty Dumpty faces on them. They don't have to be perfect, just egg-like.

I originally intended to make egg puzzles for the kids to assemble on the light table. You know, so the kids could put Humpty Dumpty back together. So after I cut and drew the colorful eggs pictured above, I quickly took some photographs of them before I cut them into puzzles. Well, suddenly the kids swiped the eggs from underneath me and started playing. So I left the eggs as is and just watched them play with them however they wanted.

First, they layered the eggs and made different colored Humpty Dumptys.

The two boys even worked together while color mixing (notice the three hands below).

Five year old J even arranged them into a traffic light.

But then the really fun part started. J started making up his own version of Humpty Dumpty shortly after I stopped photographing. I had even put away my DSLR.

Now, J doesn't really do pretend play or storytelling (likely due to his hyperlexia and autism diagnoses), but he has been showing some growth in these areas. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised to see him act out an entire story of his own creation. To my surprise, that did not happen. Luckily, I had my phone nearby so I was able to capture some of his storytelling, which you can see below.

Other Nursery Rhyme & Literacy Ideas You'll Love

Fairy Tale Sentence Building on the Light Table

10 in a Bed Silhouettes Nursery Rhymes from Frog in a Pocket

Itsy Bitsy Spider Window Activity for Kids from Where Imagination Grows

Nursery Rhyme Retelling Slides on the Light Table from Still Playing School

Giant Shark Suncatcher Craft

Looking for a preschool shark craft? Then you've got to try this huge shark suncatcher craft! It's a perfect Shark Week craft idea!

---

We love using contact paper to make suncatchers. They let just the right amount of light through and are extremely versatile.

You can use contact paper to make suncatchers of all kinds, like these handprint suncatchers, traffic light suncatchers, and tulip suncatchers.

Our most recent contact paper suncatcher is this adorable and giant shark suncatcher craft. We made it as part of an under the sea theme.

Projects like these are a perfect way to work on fine motor skills and, because of its scale, it was meant to be a collaborative project for my boys. However, three year old K had other plans and wasn't interested in making a shark. That's okay, though, because J enjoyed making it himself.

Want to know how to make this shark suncatcher yourself? Then keep reading!

Shark Suncatcher Craft: What You'll Need

This giant shark suncatcher is a fun spin on the classic contact paper suncatcher idea. Here's what you'll need:

• Clear contact paper - I usually pick this up at Dollarama (it goes by another name like book cover protector or something).

• Black permanent marker - You'll use this to draw the outline of the shark onto the contact paper.

• Tape - You'll need tape in order to hang up the suncatcher in a window.

• Tissue paper, various colors cut into little squares - We like to reuse our tissue paper from birthday gifts, so I had no gray on hand. Instead, we used a combination of light blue, white, and purple, which I think looks lovely!

How to Make a Giant Shark Suncatcher for Shark Week!

On the non-sticky side of the contact paper, I drew the outline of a large shark. He's cute with his big eyeball and pointy teeth. Feel free to draw whatever type of shark you want. It could be a hammerhead, a great white, a whale shark...whatever you'd like.

Once the outline was done, I taped the contact paper to a window. My boys love working on a vertical surface and I know it's good for a child's development to encourage kids to work on a vertical surface. 

Here's the shark hanging up swimming in our window before I peeled off the backing to reveal the sticky side of the contact paper. Great shark, isn't it?

Now, you can either encourage your kids to rip the tissue paper into pieces or use scissors to cut the tissue paper into little squares. I went with option B as I was trying to avoid the mess that is usually associated with option A. Another option is to get your kids to cut the tissue paper into little squares. Feel free to do whatever works best for your family.

Once your tissue paper squares are ready, it's time to decorate the shark. You simply place the tissue paper onto the contact paper and it will stick. It's super easy!

Repeat the process until the body of the entire shark is covered in tissue paper.

Once the shark is completely covered, you could seal the final craft with another piece of contact paper. I didn't, but I also didn't have another piece of contact paper that large kicking around....so that's my excuse.

The Finished Shark Suncatcher!

Regardless, I love how this shark suncatcher turned out! Here's what it looks like from inside the house:

And here's how it looks from outside looking in. He's totally cute, right? And fun fact: his names is Rhymes since, upon completion, five year old J declared, "I will call you Rhymes. Rhymes the shark." So that's that.

This preschool shark craft was part of the Light & Reflections Series. Be sure to check out these other fun ideas from this series' under the sea theme:

Fish Color Matching on the Light Table from Still Playing School

Under the Sea Small World on the Light Table from Where Imagination Grows

What do you think? Will you be making a giant shark suncatcher craft of your own? It definitely makes for a perfect shark week craft and pairs nicely with this sharks I spy game.

Traffic Light Suncatcher & Light Table Play

The theme for this month's Light & Reflections series is transportation. We've played with cars on the light table before, which was a lot of fun, but I wanted to think outside of the box a little. So, inspired by traffic lights, I set up this color matching light table activity. As a bonus, the finished product turned into a lovely suncatcher craft for kids.

This post contains affiliate links.

Traffic Light Inspired Light Table Activity & Suncatcher Craft for Kids

For this light table activity and craft, we used:

• Translucent counters in red, yellow, and green
• Contact paper - I use clear vinyl book protector from the dollar store. It works great! 
• Sharpies permanent markers in red, yellow, and green
• Tape
• Round bowl or container (optional)

On the non-sticky side of the contact paper, I drew three circles (one in red, one in yellow, and one in green) using the permanent markers. Since I am terrible at free-handing circles, I used a large yogurt container to trace the circles. Then I taped the contact paper, sticky side up, onto the light table and set out the translucent counters.

The idea is simple: just place the translucent counters into the corresponding circles by matching the colors. The counters will stick to the sticky side of the contact paper.

Once the boys felt that they had placed enough counters onto the contact paper, I removed it from the light table and hanged it on our window. And just like that, we ended up with a pretty traffic light suncatcher craft.

Other Ideas You'll Love

Traffic Light Sensory Soup

Airplane Color Sorting on the Light Table from Still Playing School

Busy City on the Light Table from Frog in a Pocket

Window Race Track from Happily Ever Mom

Flower Mandalas Light Table Activity for Kids

Create flower mandalas with this beautiful light table activity for kids. It's a great activity for toddlers and preschoolers. There's also a free flower mandala printable included.

---

We haven't been playing with our light table as often as we used to, especially as the weather warms up. But, one rainy day, we were able to sneak in some simple flower themed light table play and it was tons of fun! 

For this activity, the boys created some colorful flower mandalas on the light table. That's probably pretty obvious by now though, right? Anyway, I think they look really cool on the light table and, more importantly, the kids enjoyed the activity.

If you're wanting to try this light table activity too, then you're in luck. I've included some free printable flower templates below. Just print and play.

Flower Mandalas Light Table Activity: What You'll Need

For this flower mandalas activity, we used:

• Glass stones in a variety of colors - a versatile staple for light table play

• A light table, light box, or even an overhead projector would be fun

• Free printable template of simple flower mandalas (you can download it below)

I printed the flower templates on normal printer paper. However, vellum or printable transparencies (if you have them on hand!) would be amazing as well since they would let even more light through. But plain paper works great too as you can see. Anyway, I set out the materials for this light table activity like so:

Your Kids Will Love Creating Flower Mandalas on the Light Table!

Five year old J went straight for the yellow stones and declared that he was going to make a sunflower. He started decorating the flower pedals with the yellow stones. Unfortunately, he eventually ran out of yellow stones and ended up with the most colorful sunflower ever instead!

K ended up making a very Christmas colored flower, decorating his flower petals in green and red. To be honest, I was surprised by how much he loved this simple light table activity.

What kind of flowers do you think your kids will create with this simple little light table flower project? 

Download the Free Flower Mandala Printable

This printable includes two different flower templates to decorate. You can print them on regular printer paper or try printing them on something translucent or transparent, if you'd prefer. You could also laminate for durability.

To get your copy of the free printable flower mandalas, click the link below:

>> Click here to download the free printable

 

This flower mandalas activity was part of the Light & Reflections Series. The theme was flowers. Here are the other posts in this series from my friends. I think you're going to love these ideas too!

Sticky Window Flower Activity from Still Playing School

Mosaic Flower Art Window Collage from Where Imagination Grows

Sticky Flowers on the Light Table from Happily Ever Mom