Sturdy for Common Things

DIY Black Light Booth Provocation

Looking for a fun way for kids to explore a variety of senses playing with light and color? I made this Black Light Booth on a dime and it has been a favorite indoor activity in our home ever since. It’s portable and durable, so it is also a great feature in a classroom or library. I’ve had a lot of interest in how I made ours since posting about via Twitter, so here we go!

Black Light Booth Materials:

• Black or dark colored plastic storage bin. I used an old 18 gallon bin.
• Battery-operated 12 inch black light
• 11” x 14” mirror
• Heavy duty tape e.g. duct tape
• Large piece of dark fabric or bed sheet.

Making the booth takes probably 10 minutes max to assemble.

Attach the black light to the top of the container. Attach the mirror to the back (bottom) of the container with duct tape. Boom. Done.

I set our Black Light Booth on a chair, but a short, secure bookshelf or table will also do. Then, I draped a piece of black fabric over the both to block out light, turned on the black light, and that’s it. After that bit of construction is done, the possibilities to explore and excite the senses are endless! Here are a few kid-approved provocations we’ve explored…

Pom-poms

White gloves

 Pipe cleaner construction

 Reading a glow-in-the-dark book. Here we are reading The Game in the Dark, by Herve Tullet.

 Drawing and writing with highlighters.

Sensory crafting with glow-in-the-dark foam modeling dough.

Experimenting with neon paper cutting, glue, and highlighters.

 For Halloween, I bought glow-in-the-dark stickers and poster for some spooky holiday fun in the Black Light Booth.

Last but not least! Painting with neon paints.

Really, any materials that are neon, white, or glow-in-the-dark are fair game. Many of the materials I found I already owned or purchased at my local dollar store. Using the Black Light Booth has been a great way to dive into the science of florescence, light, and color. It’s an excellent prompt to spark creativity and inquiry and most of all, it’s a great way to light up playtime.