Flat-pack Light Play Box

The Tinkering Studio at The Exploratorium in San Francisco has a wonderful light box tinkering activity. You choose objects that cast interesting shadows, arrange them behind a translucent screen, and shine a small bright light on them. Place some of your objects on a slowly turning motor (blend door motors scavenged from junkyards are the best!) and the results are mesmerizing.

Here is how I built an inexpensive light play box that packs flat when not in use.

Materials:

• a large, sturdy cardboard box with a display window. I got my box from Costco. Its about 23" x 12" x 15"
  
• a 21" x 30" sheet of mylar from the art supply store. I had to buy a 42" x 30" sheet and cut it in half. It was 0.004 mm thick and double matte. I think white butcher paper might work as well.
  
• 12 brass brads (they are used to fasten papers- look in the office supply section)

Punch holes through each of the 8 corners of the box where the cardboard flaps overlap. I used an ice pick.

Pry all of the cardboard flaps apart. You will put them back together with brads. The flaps are hot-glued together. Use a sturdy tool!

Make a cut in each of the back flaps so that a “door” can be left open but the top corners can be re-fastened.

Your light display will be more beautiful, but the box won't be sturdy enough to stack one on top of another.

Use a hole-puncher to punch holes in each corner of a 21"x 30" sheet of mylar or some other translucent material, even white butcher paper . You may need to cut the sheet smaller to fit inside your box.

Place the mylar inside the box in a U-shape. Mark inside the box where the 4 mylar holes touch the cardboard, then punch holes into the cardboard. To attach the mylar to the box, put brads through the holes in the mylar and cardboard.

Find some things that cast interesting shadows and put them in the box. Shine a small bright light (I use an extra bright LED) on them and view from the front. Try adding another light, or colored lights. Put some objects on a slowly turning motor-spectacular! Try stacking two rows of boxes (as long as they are not too heavy)