Our Preschool children are fascinated by the light table. They experiment with various types of “blocks” such as lace or other textured material as they place the fabric on the surface. The children watch wide-eyed as different shapes emerge through the darkness and into the light.
For those of us who experimented with pre-digital photography, watching images form out of darkness into light is reminiscent of the “dark room” methods we used to develop black and white film. Originally, a man named Louis Daguerre invented the “daguerreotype” process, which employed an iodine-sensitized silvered plate and mercury vapor. In the 18th century, this process eventually led to developing photographs in the “darkroom” using film and paper processing. The actual term “darkroom” was not established though until around 1841, when new light-sensitive development processes were introduced.
As the children at Apple Hill Academy daycare center develop an interest in science through light- table experiments, we encourage them to let their light shine through as well.
