Kids will feel like real electricians with this easy project! All you need is a cheap flashlight, the kind you’ve probably picked up at a drugstore or dollar store check-out in the past and have lying around.

I disassembled the flashlight into all of its components and arranged them on a tray so it felt very official, then called Travis over.

He was so excited when I challenged him to put it together again! At first he was twisting together just the body and the screw cap, without a thought for coils or batteries or other pieces that might need to go inside.

Hmm… it wouldn’t turn on. What was missing? Now he worked hard to figure out where the coils should go.

Being allowed to handle the batteries all by himself was super thrilling!

It took a few tries before he had everything arranged in the right direction.

He was so proud once a push of the button turned it on!

This is a great introduction to battery power that even young children can grasp.