DIY BrightPad® Light Table

Light tables can be pretty pricey, so before I committed to purchasing one, I had a thought — my Cricut BrightPad®, which I already owned, would be perfect for this particular activity!

The Cricut BrightPad® is about $80-100 CAD; it's generally used alongside a Cricut machine. You can find it many places online and also directly from Cricut (where I purchased mine). This BrightPad model needs to be plugged in to power on (the chord isn't overly long, so you may need an extension chord), and it has several brightness settings.

(If you'd prefer a cordless option, they now have one available called the Cricut BrightPad Go™. It is a little more expensive; about $40 more.)

The BrightPad is quite durable! I certainly don't worry about it breaking when the littles are using it.

For this activity I added plastic gems (so as not to scratch the screen; and the light shines through them nicely!), penguins & sharks, and empty applesauce containers.

See how things look with the room light turned on, BrightPad off.

Now, turn off the lights, turn on the BrightPad, and watch everything glow!

Materials:

• wide, flat basket (to contain all the pieces)

• empty applesauce containers

• plastic gems, blue & white

• penguin figurines (Safari Ltd)

• Cricut BrightPad

In This Activity

• Spark Conversation — chat about the animal types & their habitats, predator vs. prey, etc.

• Fine Motor Work & Concentration — manipulating these small pieces are great for those little hands & muscles! Encourage stacking, counting, and even sorting.

Happy playing!