Redistributing Light

I love the holiday season, but, it seems like, no matter how early I start, it's always over too soon for me. This year, for whatever reason, I was especially not ready to see it go. I love decorating my house, lighting lots of candles and the warm glow of the Christmas lights.

The kids picked out a particularly gorgeous tree this year and I could seriously have just sat and stared at my beautiful Christmas tree for hours. But alas, shortly after Christmas my very dead, increasingly less pretty Christmas tree started to become a real fire hazard and it was time to say goodbye. However, instead of losing everything at once, I decided to redistribute my Christmas lights.

The patio was adorned.

A Christmas garland was replaced with a paper chain.

Then, since I had the lights out, I decided to finally get around to making a light table like I'd been meaning to. 

I saw this idea a few years ago for making an inexpensive light table (a real one costs hundreds of dollars) using Christmas lights and a plastic storage box. I added parchment paper to the top to diffuse the light and we were ready to go. 

   

I searched the internet for play ideas and bought a few things at the craft store. We've been playing with it periodically throughout the week.

I cut shapes out of tissue paper and we made designs and experimented with laying them over each other. I could sound impressive and say we were experimenting with shapes, patterns and colors but really Xury was making sandwiches and that's just as good.

She used these glass beads to make people. She designated each bead as a different body part and carefully laid them down in little jumbled up piles.

Everybody loved these water beads.

Xury loved to bounce them.

Aravis liked their powers of magnification. 

Some friends joined in the fun

Finding buried treasure

We have plans for other ideas we want to try too, including using the black light. I found a lot of great ones here 

http://www.teachpreschool.org/2012/02/everyday-light-table-play/

Needless to say, we will be enjoying our Christmas lights for a little while longer.