Early Science Matters

 

“Amara, come play with me!” five-year-old Leila calls out, beckoning a younger classmate over to the light table.

Shy but intrigued, Amara joins her older friend. Just like that, another round of STEM-based exploration begins! I watch as Leila scoots over to make space for her quiet friend and the two girls begin to collaborate—sharing ideas, solving problems, and deepening their investigation. Together, the two preschoolers dive into the fascinating world of light, color mixing, and the magic of transparency.

“Look what happens when I combine all the reds!” Leila exclaims, holding up the translucent red pieces. “But wait—the color isn’t red anymore. It’s pink!”

Amara leans in to get a closer look. “It is pink!” she exclaims. Eager to try it herself, she says: “Can I have one of the red ones?”

Leila hands her a transparent red half-sphere—and the color investigations continue.

The light table has become their playground for scientific discovery. I watch as they test different color combinations, exchange theories, and share findings. The beauty of this space lies in its endless creative possibilities, making it the perfect environment for calm, focused play and deep, collaborative learning.

Light tables often inspire long periods of immersive play. In these moments of exploration and discovery, Leila and Amara are building essential STEM skills, including critical thinking, observation, and prediction.

 

Light play offers preschoolers a unique opportunity to explore fundamental scientific concepts. Through these hands-on activities, children begin to understand cause and effect, observation, hypothesis testing, and problem-solving—all essential building blocks for scientific investigations that will help them develop a deeper understanding of their world.

Light play also encourages young children to ask questions such as:

• “What happens when I mix these colors?”
• “Why does the light look different through this material?”

Questions like these encourage young children to think critically, form hypotheses, and test out their ideas.

 

When children experiment with different materials and light sources, they begin to understand how one action leads to another, which helps them understand cause and effect in a visual way.

Light play provides ample opportunities for children to predict what will happen and then test their hypotheses. It also involves problem-solving, whether the children are figuring out how to create a specific color combination or observing how objects interact in the light.

This trial-and-error process teaches children that science is about exploring and testing ideas, which builds resilience and adaptability.

 

Anything translucent can spark new discoveries. We add colorful acrylic tiles, cut cellophane sheets, or even translucent paddles to create vibrant mosaics and unexpected color mixes.

The children intuitively layer the translucent objects, which leads to an investigation of the interactions between colors, shapes, and materials. Magna-Tiles and translucent building blocks inspire more 3D creations, a variation that enables children to explore how light and color interact in space.

I keep a basket of loose parts near the light table for self-guided, unstructured play. Sometimes I introduce unconventional items from the dollar store, such as cocktail stirrers, colorful plastic shot glasses, and reusable ice cubes. These may look like happy-hour supplies to an adult, but to the children, these items can spark the imagination and lead to hours of creative play.

Other great light table items include sea glass, bingo chips, clear gemstones, and plastic pebbles, which add variety and encourage the children to count, sort, and categorize items by color, shape, and size.

 

On occasion, we add a colorful play silk to the table, which leads to new learning adventures. The silk introduces texture and movement, adds another layer of color play, and enriches the children’s investigations of light.

What do I love most about light table play? It can be adapted to meet every child’s developmental level and needs. Whether our STEM adventurers are testing hypotheses, collaborating with peers, or simply playing independently, the light table provides an environment where children can build on what they already know, share their insights, and explore new ideas.

By fostering a space where children can make their own observations and discoveries, the light table not only supports scientific thinking but also ignites a natural curiosity. These moments of independent exploration lay the foundation for inquiry-based learning and encourage young children to question, investigate, and problem-solve.

As young children become more familiar with the investigative process, they also feel empowered to engage in more exploration and discovery long after the school day is over.

So, the next time you flip the switch on your light table, take a moment to step back and watch the magic unfold.

With each layer of translucent color and each moment of discovery, the light table will brighten more than your classroom—it will brighten the minds of young learners and spark a lifetime of curiosity and wonder!