This month the children have been incredibly interested in lights and the different ways we can explore what light can do. This originally started from a table activity in which the children discovered that our coloured translucent blocks allow the light to pass through and shine this light on the table. The children enjoyed stacking the blocks to make towers and observe the reflection on their towers. While taking a photo of this exploration, Fiona discovered a light on the ceiling that kept moving. The educator started to move this light around the classroom while the children ran to follow this moving light. Other children watched how Jeet moved the iPad around watching how it moved the light as well. 

The following day we decided to continue this exploration of light play by providing mirrors to the children to try and reflect the light themselves. This gives the children a better understanding of how moving the mirror at different angles can either make the light reflect forward, backward, left and right, or disappear completely. This took some time for the children to learn how to turn the mirror to reflect the light without blocking the source of the light. We used a projector as the source of the light, assisting the children in understanding how use the single source of light to reflect rather than using the window as it can cause some confusion of how to use it. Along with using the mirrors with the projector, the children also used our mirror ‘X’ shaped blocks. The children then got to move and stack the blocks to discover how it reflects onto the floor and walls. Afterward we brought out the light table to continue stacking and making towers, however this time we used translucent coloured cups. With these cups they were able to make towers or stack the cups. While stacking the cups, the children were able to observe the colour change when different colours get mixed. The educators overheard the children explain how the yellow and blue blocks created green, and the red and blue blocks created purple. 

On day three of our light exploration, flashlights were provided so the children had control over the source of light. While using the flashlights the children used coloured filters to set over the light source and observe the change. The children began to yell out the filter colours that shone on the ceiling as orange, pink, blue, and green. After watching the individual filters shine on the ceiling, they began to use two filters at a time. With the filters mixing colours, the children then began to yell out colours like purple, and green. This was a great experience to both understand light filters and colour mixing theory. Along with the filters, the children were also provided mirrors and DVDs. They used these by shining the light on them to observe the reflection on the ceiling and walls. While they had used mirrors for a few days and have started to better understand how to reflect this light, the DVDs were a new medium for exploration. With the DVDs, they discovered they can reflect like the mirrors but also can create a rainbow on the DVD surface which can move when the light source is also moved. 

We again continued to explore light on day four by focusing more on our shadows. The children seemed amused when standing in front of the moving light source which created the illusion of shadows dances. The children went back and forth between the children dancing and watching the shadows move and standing still and watching the difference when the light source moves. The children would point to their shadow making silly moves and laughed when their shadow s would be close to hitting the ceiling. Along with this, they also used their hands to make puppets such as a butterfly. The children appeared very amused when their shadow create the shape of different objects. They also got to watch a puppet show when a light was shining behind a box, creating the shadows of different animal toys. Along with this, the children also watched a science experiment of a turmeric lava lamp. This was using turmeric in water with a light shining through the bottom. The children were very interested in watching the turmeric disperse through the water creating the illusion of a lava lamp.