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Any time is a fun time for luminaries (objects lit by candles) but Fall is an especially fun time. When working with preschoolers be sure to use the new battery operated votive candles to light up your objects.
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SMALL PUMPKINS
- Have your children clean out small pumpkins.
- Cut out simple shapes on the sides of the pumpkins.
- Fill with small battery candles.
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PAPER BAG LUMINARIES
- Have your children cut out shapes along the folds of small paper bags.
- Brighten with marker designs.
- Fill with a small battery candle.
- A collection of these look great on a walkway at night.
Variation: Fold the sacks lengthwise in the middle and cut out half of a simple heart or pumpkin. When the bag is opened and the battery candle is put in, the shape will light up.
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PAPER BAG STARS
- Open a small paper sack and using a sharp pencil, poke several holes on the sides of the sack.
- Now using a star stamp, have your child make star impressions over each hole with ink.
- When a candle is placed inside the up turned sack, the holes will blink like stars.
CANDLE HOLDERS
These candles look great on mantels or tables.
- Give your children white drinking cups to cover with marker designs.
- Be sure they turn the cups up-side-down before drawing.
- When finished drawing, have the children place baking cups on top of the over-turned cup.
- Then place small votive (battery type) candles in the baking cups.
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PLASTIC CUP CANDLE HOLDERS
You will need a medium sized clear plastic cup for this activity.
- Give each child a plastic cup.
- Set out some glue and cotton swabs.
- Have your children make glue designs on the outside of their cups.
- Have children place their glued cups in a box lid of glitter.
- Have them roll their cup around in the glitter.
- Shake off excess glitter, then place a small votive (battery type) candle inside each cup.
Variation: Decorate cups with small holiday stickers.
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TIN CAN LUMINARIES
You will need a small clean opened tin can for each child for this activity. It is better to have children do these one at a time, so you can supervise.
- Fill each can with water and freeze.
- Give each child a can of frozen water, a large flat topped nail and a small hammer.
- Show them how to hold a nail on the side of the can and hammer in the nail, making a whole in the can.
- Next, have them pull out the nail and repeat the process.
- Encourage your children to arrange their can holes into a simple design.
- When the child is done hammering, set the can outside to melt.
- When empty, place a small (battery type) candle inside the can.
- Place in a dark room to see the light shine out though the holes in the can.
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