These DIY nature slides for the light table are so easy to make! It’s a hands-on way for kids to learn about plants and flowers in your own neighborhood! PS- If you don’t have a light table, no problem! Just use a window or white table to explore your nature slides!
Being outside and exploring nature is something that we do a lot of. Lately, we’ve acquired a large collection of leaves, seeds, and flowers that the kids find on the ground and bring home. I’ve been trying to find ways to corporate them into our daily activities.
This DIY nature slides activity was a perfect way to use up or nature collection.
Easy DIY Nature Slides for The Light Table
These “nature slides” are so easy to make but provider hours of fun learning and play. My toddlers and preschoolers both loved these and have revisited this activity many times over the last few weeks. We put our nature slides in with our light table loose parts play basket and the kids pull them out often.
To make these fun light table slides you just need the following things:
- Contact paper
- Items from nature
- Light table (optional- use a window if you don’t have a light table!)
Place the natural items (like seeds, leaves, or flowers) in between two pieces of contact paper and smooth out. That’s it! With some of our bulkier flowers and leaves, I did I pulled them apart a bit so that they would lay flat and so the light would shine through them better.
We ended up with a bunch of really cool natural items to examine.
I had planned to create an edging on each of our slides by using painters tape around the edge of the contact paper but the kids were eager to start playing with them. I just let them play rather than putting and an edging around them. You could add this if you wanted to but my kids didn’t seem to care if they had it or not.
There is so much that you can do with these! We explored parts of a flower, parts of a leaf, plant life cycles, colors an much more! Best of all my kids LOVED this nature play activity! We are going to do it again and add more to our nature slides!
We don’t always have the light table on when it’s bright and sunny out. Sometimes we used the window for these, which is still a great way to explore them if you don’t have a light table. Using the sunlight to was just as fun for the kids. We tape them to the windows with painters tape.
The kids took it a step further by finding objects of different colors to put behind them. It was a fun way to find colors that matched and learn about making new colors!
I love how colorful these are! And how well you can see the veins in the leaves! Such a fun nature play activity for kids! Give it a try today!
Looking for more? Try these nature wands by clicking on the image below:
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I love this idea! It looks so pretty on the light table. Thank you for sharing at our Pinning for Play link party!
This is such a beautiful activity!
This is stunning! I really need to do this on our light table 🙂 Thank you for the inspiration! I'm pinning 🙂
These nature slides look like fun. If only I had a light table to use. Now to have my hubby create one for the kiddos and I 🙂 Thank you for sharing and for linking up this week to the Thoughtful Spot Weekly Blog Hop.
The kids loved using them in the sunlight from the window too, but it's a really good excuse to get the hubby to make a light table 😉
We don't have a light table, but we do have windows! Even my older kids will enjoy this activity. pinning!
I just wanted to pop back in and let you know that I've featured you at this week's Pinning for Play link party!
Thanks so much!! 🙂
What a great idea! i'm sure your children have had a lot of fun with this! I'll be featuring you on Mom's Library this week at Crystal's Tiny Treasures.
Thank you! 🙂
This is such a pretty activity! I think my son would love it.
These are gorgeous! I just made a little light table, and now I want to try it! Featured you on Mom's Library this week!
Looks beautiful! Beauty of Fall! Stopping by from mom's library
-Reshama @ Stackingbooks.com
What a fun idea to use your light table with the pretty fall leaves! I pinned to my preschool play & Learn board!
Thanks for linking up to TGIF! I hope to see you linked up again later today.
Have a GREAT weekend,
Beth =)
What a fabulous idea! They look gorgeous and seem so fun to explore! Thank you so much for linking up to Discover & Explore!
Hi! Love this!!! What did you put behind each contact paper to create the different colors? PAper? tissue paper?
Thanks
Hi Chelsea! Behind the contact paper we used pieces of regular construction paper that we taped to the window 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
They’re beautiful… How long did they last, looking fresh like this?