We used a piece of MDF from the entertainment center. Make sure it is level with what would be the top of the frame so that the acrylic will be level when it is set on top. Using another piece of 2x4 or a thin piece of MDF, add a brace in the middle of the frame. So our acrylic was 28" x 30", which means the outside dimensions of the frame were also 28" x 30".Ģ. The outside of the frame should be the exact same width and length as your piece of acrylic. Make a frame for the acrylic to sit on using 2x4s. You are now done! Hahaha.that is really all we did, but here's the more detailed step by step.ġ. Various power tools - We used a compound miter saw, a jigsaw, and a drill.įor those of you who like simple instruction: build a box.
Wood, MDF or plywood - I'm not a carpenter, but the final dimensions of our wood pieces are below in the tutorial.The lights were definitely the most expensive part of this project! 4 fluorescent lights - I paid $17.98 each from Home Depot.Wall mounted power bar or surge protector to plug all the light fixtures into.We chose white, but you can use any color you'd like. Interior paint - We had to buy paint to paint the trim in our house anyway so we maybe spent a total of $5 on paint for this project.Parchment paper - It's used to diffuse the light.You can see a similar product here, although this one is larger and thicker than what we used. We chose our sheet of acrylic first and built our table around it so that we would avoid having to order a custom size or cut the acrylic to size by ourselves. 1 piece of clear high impact acrylic (ours was 28" x 30" x.Want to collaborate? Send an email to on fine motor skills, visual perception, visual motor skills, sensory tolerance, handwriting, or scissor skills? Our Fine Motor Kits cover all of these areas and more. Read her story about going from an OT making $3/hour (after paying for kids’ childcare) to a full-time OT resource creator for millions of readers. Colleen created The OT Toolbox to inspire therapists, teachers, and parents with easy and fun tools to help children thrive. I put all of the (already bundled-up) strands of Christmas lights …seriously, this does not get much easier…into an under-the-bed storage bin, connected the strands, and plugged in!Ĭolleen Beck, OTR/L has been an occupational therapist since 2000, working in school-based, hand therapy, outpatient peds, EI, and SNF. Your use of this idea is your acceptance of this disclaimer. Always use caution and consider the environment and individualized situation, including with this activity. The OT Toolbox is not responsible for any harm, injury, or situation caused by this activity. This is not a project that should be set up and forgotten about. The lights can get warm inside the bin and they should be unplugged periodically. IMPORTANT: This homemade light box project should always be done under the supervision of an adult. These are a great idea because many of them have a color-changing capability and can be operated from an app on your phone. Or, there are many battery operated LED lights available now too. To make this homemade light box safer and not use plug in lights, you can use battery operated button lights inside the storage bin. Either cut a hole in the base of the bin for the lights to go through or cut a small notch into the lid so the strand of lights can go under the lid.The flat, smooth lid is important for sensory play as well as tracing with paper on the DIY light table. Many storage bins have textured surface or a white surface. Important: The under the bed storage bin needs to be made of clear plastic or have just a slight opaque color to the plastic. Clear, plastic under-the-bed storage bin.You need just two items to make a DIY light table: So, after we brought the Christmas lights in from the outside bushes, this was easy to put together for a cold evening’s play! This DIY Light Box was something I’ve seen around Pinterest and have wanted to try for a while…Once we had our Christmas lights outside, I thought we would definitely be doing this project after we pulled all of the lights back in.
Build a light table for preschool how to#
How to Make a DIY Light Table for Tracing
But did you know there are many benefits to using a light box for tracing (and other exploring play)?
A light box is a fun activity, and one you see in preschool classrooms, as it’s intended for hands-on play and exploring the senses.
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