Colourful and inexpensive DIY Light Box Play Ideas using every-day, household items.
Now that I’ve shown you an easy and inexpensive way to make a lightbox for your preschoolers, you’re probably looking around your house for things your kids can play with on their lightbox.
I thought I’d share some of the things that we’ve been using on our light box. You may have some of these at your house, or these may make you think of other things that you have that would work well.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.Â
Of course, you can buy all kinds of educational light box toys like  Magformers, Transparent Textured Paddles
 and Rainbow Crystal Cubes
.  Or you can get creative and make some of these awesome homemade light blocks.
But I’ll bet if you take a look around, you’ll discover lots of colourful, transparent items around your home that you can use.
Every day items to use for Light Box play:
- coloured CD cases
- game pieces
- Flexible Disposable Drinking Straws 400 Count Neon Colored
- clear glass gems
- plastic ice crystals
- colourful plastic cups
- glass jars and bowls
- glow sticks, bands and bracelets
- Â unfrozen/thawed freeze-pops
- Â clear, coloured rulers and stencils
- Northwest Enterprises Hard Plastic 2-Ounce Shot Glasses, Assorted Neon, 60 Count
(dollar store) - Â translucent drinking glasses from ikea
- clear bottles filled with water and food colouring
- waterbeads
- colourful magnetic letters
- shapes cut out of colourful plastic page dividers
Basically, if it’s translucent and colourful, it will work!
I hope our list will inspire some colour and light play for your light table or light box.
Homemade Toys to Make for Kids
How to Make An Inexpensive Light Box
How to Make a Homemade Water WallÂ
How To Make A Portable Mud Kitchen
Jackie is a mom, wife, home daycare provider, and the creative spirit behind Happy Hooligans. She specializes in kids’ crafts and activities, easy recipes, and parenting. She began blogging in 2011, and today, Happy Hooligans inspires more than 2 million parents, caregivers and Early Years Professionals all over the globe.
Â
Mary Malinowski Neidich
Brilliant idea! I know it was a different post, but I was wondering what section of Walmart you found that LED light in? I went looking for one last week, and couldn’t find anything even closely similar (although, this was a few days after Irene had left most of us without power for days and days!)
happyhooligans
Hi Mary, we’ve had ours for so long, I don’t really remember. I would start with the camping section, and then maybe hardware? I know you can get them at Hardware stores as well, and Canadian Tire always carries them (that only helps if you’re in Canada though).
Angela
Check out the dollar store. They have pretty decent ones there as well
Terri
Wow! Love this! What a great way to make a light table even more fun!
Kristen Stehli
awesome!
Sarah
They sell LED lights at IKEA too
happyhooligans
Good to know! Thanks, Sarah!
happyhooligans
Merci! Je suis si heureux que vous appréciez nos activités!