Tag: flashlight

Shiny Things in the Dark

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Glow in the Dark Bowling (5)

If it’s starting to feel a little dreary that the sun sets so early this time of year, make the dark exciting by deliberately setting things all aglow!

We did this in two ways tonight. First up was a round of Glow in the Dark Bowling. This is so easy to do: simply activate glow sticks and insert one per empty water bottle. The kids loved helping to crack the sticks…

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…and put them in the bottles!

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We set up a formation of the bottles and took aim. A glow-in-the-dark ball would have been ideal, but the bright neon of a tennis ball was the next best thing.

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Or sometimes Veronika just wanted to knock the bottles over by hand. Either way, everyone was delighted by the glow.

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Next, we went on a hunt for Shiny Things in the Dark. As Veronika and I headed up for bedtime, I handed her a flashlight and we found all sorts of things that were shiny and beautiful as the light hit them. Metal is obviously a big winner here, so look for items like foil pans…

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…or coffee pots and tea kettles. Appliances like the fridge and oven were neat, too.

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Upstairs in her room, she wandered all over with such careful footsteps and found items like toy cars and her music box.

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One thing is for sure: we made the night shine!

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Flashlight Fun

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Flashlight Fun (9)

You don’t need to wait until after dark for flashlight games. If clouds or rain have you stuck indoors, kiddos in want of entertainment will love pulling out flashlights even by day!

To wit, we had dark, cloudy skies today (though no rain), and Veronika seemed a bit aimless. So I pulled out a flashlight and shined it into the toy purse she was fiddling with. The game was instantly more fun! What else could she shine it on?

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She loved body parts. “Mommy’s hand! Mommy’s arm! Mommy’s knee!”

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And then she searched for corresponding bits on herself with her beacon of light.

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Reflective or shiny surfaces were fun, like the wood of our coffee table…

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…or the glossy pages of a photo book. Be sure to name everything the flashlight lands on; Veronika proudly narrated as she spotted a chair, her ears, and more.

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Then she went hunting for favorite toys with it. She loved the way the light looked in her stuffed puppy’s eyes.

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Last stop: don’t forget to shine up at the ceiling! I’d say we brightened up a gray day.

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Light Chaser

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Light Chaser (2)

Here’s a final cute game I’ve found to play with Veronika using a flashlight, just before bed.

After her bath tonight, I simple shined a flashlight on the floor. Veronika was instantly intrigued with the spot of light on the floor.

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Now drag the flashlight in a line or zig zag around the room. This game will be great for encouraging early crawlers, plus amusing for any already-fast crawlers! I shined the light in a path along the floor, and Veronika had to go chase it.

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Almost there…

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Caught ya! Babies will marvel that they are touchign the light but not feeling anything in their hands. The game is also a great way to engage older siblings in baby’s bedtime. Travis loved running the light around the room for her, admittedly sometimes too fast.

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I Spot

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I Spot (3)

Recently I played a fun game with Veronika just before bed flashing colors through scarves. Tonight, we put the flashlight to a different use!

Simply walk around and shine the light on various objects in your child’s room (or elsewhere in the house). For each item, say in a soft voice, “I spot a…”

I spot the light switch.

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I spot a treasure box.

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And so on. Sometimes, Veronika wanted to hold the flashlight and help. I spot a clock.

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Sometimes she wanted to reach out and touch, and sometimes just look. I spot an apple.

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This can easily become a cherished routine; if you repeat items nightly, it will reinforce the names of familiar and treasured items, and can also help lull your baby. Veronika loves it!

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Flashing Colors

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Flashing Colors (6).JPG

Most often I carve out time to play learning games with Veronika during the day, but there are also unique opportunities for games at night. Namely, flashlight games!  This one is fun for getting your little one interested in colors, and works better the darker it gets.

Set out a variety of play scarves in different colors, and take turns shining a flashlight on them. As you do so, name the color.

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Veronika loved watching the light move from scarf to scarf,

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…and wanted a chance to hold the flashlight too, of course!

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Once it’s very dark, hold the flashlight right up to a scarf and shine against the wall; you’ll see the colors reflected back, a beautiful effect.

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Big brother loved helping out as flashlight holder, which makes this a great way to involve older siblings in a little one’s bedtime routine.

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What games do you play with your baby after dark? Please share in the comments!

Shadow Show

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I haven’t used a flashlight during play with Veronika since she was quite little, and today I wanted to put on a little show for her. To be honest, she was more into my hands than their shadowed counterpart on the wall, but either way, she was entertained!

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Set your child someplace dim, and shine a flashlight on one wall. First, I gave a simple wave to introduce her to the idea of shadows.

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Next, try making animal shapes! A butterfly was fun.

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And this was something like a barking dog.

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For each shape, you can act out a story, if your little one is captivated.

We then thought it would be fun to show her the shadow of certain toys. Big brother Travis loved helping with this part!

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So although she wasn’t as into the shadows as the whole process, Veronika sure enjoyed our show.

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Starry Night Constellations

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Our star-themed fun continues, here in the dark days of winter. January is a great time of year to talk with little ones about stars, because the sky gets dark so early; in the summer, it’s still light when Travis goes to bed, and he hardly ever gets a chance to star gaze!

Tonight, we had flashlight fun with some of our now-familiar constellation forms. Ahead of time, I used permanent marker to make a dot for each star on construction paper, making the shapes of favorites like Orion, Canis Major, the Big Dipper, and the Southern Cross.

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Now it was up to Travis to punch out the holes, using a pen (or a sharp pencil would work).

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I was quite impressed with how exact he managed to be, puncturing the paper only where I’d made dots. He loved the challenge!

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Now stand in a dark room, and shine a flashlight through the holes onto the wall. Voila, you’ll see the starry sky suspended before you! Travis loved being the one to hold the flashlight, and line up the beam so a particular constellation appeared.

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Indeed, he loved it so much he had to punch holes all over a second sheet of paper. Now it looked like the Milky Way was flooding our wall with stars!

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Flashlight Show

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Your two-month-old is still developing his or her eyesight, and still loves sharp contrast. A great way to play up this factor is to shine a flashlight after dark! This is a cozy game to play at bedtime, or as you wind down for the evening.

I sat with Veronika in her room, turned out the light, and started by shining a flashlight on different parts of her body. Those adorable feet…

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…and hands.

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Next I shined the light on various toys or objects around the room, naming them as I did so. This makes the game great not just for strengthening eyesight, but also for language development.

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Because big brother Travis loves to take the occasional bath-by-flashlight, we extended the game to bathtime. Lots of great vocab in here, including the shower curtain…

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…and the little whale who protects our spout.

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You can also play this game while your baby lies in the crib, and shine the flashlight through a toy or other object held up against the wall. You’ll get great shadows – what a show!