Hi Everyone!
Welcome back to the second week of our Light and Reflections series! Last week, we explored light and art with our Melted Pony Beads and Tissue Paper Sun-catchers. This week, we worked with melted pony beads again, but, unlike last week, we used clear beads and put our sun-catchers on the light table as “puppets.” What you’ll need:
- Clear Pony beads
- Cookie cutters
- Oven or toaster oven
- Light table or light source (aff. link to our light panel that we love!)
We had little cookies cutters – flowers, a butterfly, and a heart – in addition to our gingerbread man (or, woman :-)). We filled them with beads and put them in the oven for about 25 minutes at 400 degrees. This time, I put aluminum foil underneath the cookie cutters and beads. It did cause the melted beads to slip underneath the cookie cutter slightly, but it made for very easy clean up! My husband has been out of town for a few days and we have had many visitors over at our house, so my daughter was excited to have a little Mommy time with these puppets on the light table. She started playing with them by hopping the gingerbread man all along the light table. When my son needed a nap, L’s Grandma came in and played with her. L said, “Do you want to play with my little pony beads?” She melts my heart with her sweet sayings! 🙂 Through the door, I could hear her making up elaborate stories about a flower coming down and landing on the gingerbread man’s shoulder. When she and I went to play again before bed time, we used some dry erase markers to add to our play. It’s a little hard to see here, but she drew a stem for the flowers and she began drawing lines off of the stem as leaves. She also drew “grass” around the entire light table. Since our light table is made from a glass photo frame, the dry erase markers washed away quickly with cleaner (or, with a finger if you need to erase it quickly ;-)). I loved using sun-catchers in a new way! My daughter was able to explore our light table while incorporating her love of dramatic play and telling stories. I can’t wait to see how she uses these in the future!
Check out the other posts in this series this week:
Exploring DIY Shadow Puppets from Where Imagination Grows
Frog Pond Small World on the Light Table from And Next Comes L
Your Turn!
Do you have a light table in your house? How do you use it?
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Dyan says
I love the idea of using markers to extend the play. Great idea, Katie!
happilyevermom says
Thanks, Dyan!
Lisette Martin says
What fun! I need to find my pony bead stash!!! I love the addition of the markers so she can create a world of play for her gingerbread man 🙂
happilyevermom says
Thanks, Lisette! I hope you find your pony beads. I’m in love with ours – there are so many possibilities! 🙂
enchantedhomeschoolingmom says
What a cute way to use cookie cutters and a light table! This is great for visual learners. Thank you for sharing and for linking up this week to the Thoughtful Spot Weekly Blog Hop.
Thaleia Maher (@Something2Offer) says
Love this so much! You were one of my picks from the Thoughtful Spot Weekly Blog Hop. Stop by and get a featured button!