This activity promotes development and learning by encouraging children to observe, explore, and describe their environment to gain understanding of people, places, and things, as well as use hands and fingers to explore and interact with the environment.
Materials Needed:
- Blocks
- Battery powered candles/tea lights
- Flashlights
- String lights and camera (optional)
Participants: This activity is intended for adult/child interaction. School-age children can do this activity independently.
Directions:
- Show children the flameless candles and allow them to experiment with turning them off and on. What makes them light up?
- Encourage the children to design and build block structures and use the flameless candles to light them. Talk about trying different placement for better lighting of the spaces in their buildings. Add string lights if desired, and discuss electrical safety.
- Dim the lights and take photos!
Adaptations: Provide soft or foam blocks for younger children and carefully supervise their use of flameless candles or flashlights.
Extension: Take photos and print them. Allow children to write captions about each of their creations!
