This week we got a new stove, so we have a pretty large box sitting around. Baby J didn't seem too interested in it and that's when I remembered an activity that I saw on Play at Home Mom called "Cave of Stars". I figured it would be perfect for him (and a cheap activity, as well!).
All you need for this activity is:
large cardboard box
string of Christmas lights (or two, depending on how much light you want!)
power strip (if you decide you want your little one to be able to turn it on and off himself)
some sort of sharp object to poke holes (i used a pointy knive)
Pop holes through the top of the box and put the lights through. Really simple!
We did make a few changes to the original activity to make it more suitable for Baby J and also our safety preferences. First, we taped a power strip to the the back of the box so that just the "on/off" switch was peeking through a small hole (that was already there when we received the box!). That way Baby J can turn the lights on and off but won't stick his finger in the socket. He is really interested in light switches, so this was a real hit!
Second, we made the box taller by cutting off the bottom and taping it to the sides. To make it sturdy, we hot glued two by fours where the seams are. The reason we made it so tall is because we don't want him touching the lights. There have been recent studies on Christmas lights that show they contain high levels of lead. Most sources only address the lead in the PVC wire insulation, however I have also seen warnings about touching the bulbs themselves. We did start out with it lower, but he couldn't keep his hands off the bulbs, so we just raised it.
We hope you have fun with this activity and a thank you to Play at Home Mom for the great idea!
Have you done any fun activities with cardbord boxes? I would love to hear!
