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Using a Light Table for Focused, Quiet Small World Play

Light table play

I was super excited to get my kids a light table this Christmas! Massachusetts winters can be long and dark, and sometimes that starts to feel pretty gloomy. I blog for ALEX Toys, and when I saw their Prism Light Center I thought it would be a great way to brighten up these long, cold months!

I’ve been a little bit obsessed with light tables ever since my kids and I discovered them through a local museum. I hoped the kids would share my enthusiasm, and I was not disappointed. They were immediately entranced, and the light table has led to hours of quiet, focused small world play, as well as fun explorations with light:

Light table magic for kids
I love the way the light table focuses their attention, while also engaging their imagination and curiosity. The light brightens up dark afternoons, and it seems to inspire calm, creative play.

Here you can see them using our prism bricks on the light table:

This table comes with legs that can be added or left off. I chose to leave them off, because this way five-month-old Anna can join in on the fun, and we can stand the table up on its side for storage (using its built-in carry handle!) – perfect for smaller space living!

We’ve been doing a lot of exploring with our light table. Do you have an activity for us to try?

I received the Prism light center and bricks featured in this post as part of my relationship with ALEX Toys. All opinions are my own.

MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.

17 thoughts on “Using a Light Table for Focused, Quiet Small World Play”

  1. OH, that looks like so much fun!!!!!! I am a huge fan of Alex Toys, would love to blog for them – so cool! Maybe Reagan would like this for her birthday in March. I just bought her an Alex Toys bag that she can color herself. Great pictures!!!

  2. I’ve actually never seen a light table in person but I’ve read so many posts about them. They look like so much fun and so cool that Anna can join in.

  3. I too have wanted to get a light table! I am glad that it was a hit…maybe I will have to give it a try…after I finish our spending fast! :)

  4. Elisa | blissfulE

    Ooooh, I hadn’t thought about the light table brightening up dark winter afternoons and evenings. Brilliant! :) If I were playing with a light table, I would want to construct a boundary and roll small balls around to see their rolling patterns in a new way. Have fun!!

  5. Looks like your site is back up and pictures are here!

    I have a light table for crafting, maybe at some point I’ll let the kids play with it……

    1. Yes, I think everything is finally working! Although I realized the video didn’t embed in this post for some reason, so I had to fix that. What a relief!

      I have some crafting I want to try doing with my kids’ light table!

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