Activities: Flashlight Light Show

Get trippy with your own make-shift laser show.

Submitted by
Kayla Chong

Haven't been to a concert in three years? Create your own rockin' time at home with your kid and this activity. Put on your favorite Pink Floyd album, grab some flashlights and colored paper and reenact their famous laser light spectacular in your living room! You'll not only break up the monotony of sleep, diaper, feed and burp, but your kid will develop her visual skills and begin to understand cause and effect (which may mean she'll toss her cup from the highchair less often).

Several flashlights
Batteries:
Just in case.
Rubber bands:
One per flashlight.
Translucent colored paper:
You can use vellum from your local stationary store, but you'll have the best results with color gels used for stage lighting and photography. A set of four will run you about $5 (about what you spend on a venti latte).
Your favorite CD:
It doesn't have to be The Wall if that's not your cup of tea (or if you think it will scare your little one).

Cover the tops of the flashlights with the color gels or paper.
Use a rubber band to secure each one.
Place your baby in a bouncy seat, or for older tots, try to get them to sit still for a second.
Turn on the tunes and turn out the lights. Sound like the beginning of a romantic evening, doesn't it? Sorry!
Then turn on the flashlights and make the light "dance" across the ceiling. If your partner is around or you have an older child, have 'em chip in and splash more light around the room.
If your kid's a crawler, walker or runner, have her chase the light across the room!