Dollar Tree Light Box Manipulatives

Yesterday my sister and her family were kind enough to watch Panda for the day so we could run errands. One of our errands was to go too the Dollar Tree to get some items for the light box (I told you we would be revisiting that). The rules were simple. The items had to be reusable for school later, and they also had to be clear for light to shine through. It was a lot of fun.  Here is what we found...

First up is this simple basket. Don't let it's appearance fool you. It is a mighty useful tool. They come it all different colors but Bear only wanted one for now (boo). It holds whatever items Panda is using on the light box for the day, but also can be a light box tool on it's own. We flipped it upside down on the light box and used it as a second layer! How neat is that? Sneaky little basket.

 

There were three different packs of these glow in the dark plastic cut outs. The plastic is thick and pretty durable. These should last for several years and will be useful for sensory bins , counting activities, and many other projects.

 

These shapes are also hard plastic and will last for a long time. They were sold as jewelry for little girls. There are 37 pieces  in one package.

 

I cut these stars from the clear colored folder dividers we bought. Hearts, circles, triangles, clovers., numbers, letter, make a face.... The options these dividers create are endless. 

My favorite for last. These cubes are filled with water and intended to be non-melting ice cubes. Bear and I both made a bee line when we saw these. The colors are so vibrant and the water inside adds an extra special touch. Panda has been having a blast with these. They will be great for learning colors, stacking, balancing, and counting when he is older. 

 That's it for now. A bit heavy on the plastic side I know, we will have other non plastic ideas for a light box later. Till then,

Shine on!