Toddler-made Starry Night Lights

I am always looking for great, new shows for M to watch and this new one I’m about to introduce to you is a gem: it takes care of two problems at once. I am delighted to be partnering with Creative Galaxy to bring you this starry night light toddler craft!

Between the end of day camp and the beginning of preschool, we had three whole weeks to find what to do. M is quite restless and therefore difficult to entertain. He doesn’t stay with one activity for very long.

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Of course, we give a limited amount of screen time, and during pressing times like this we do so daily. I try to keep it educational, but there is just so much time M can spend learning colors, shapes and the alphabet. Creative Galaxy takes educational shows to a new league: it introduces the forgotten arts…

Arts & Crafts are an integral part of a child’s learning process. They introduce important skills such as fine motor skills, pencil grasp, coordination, strengthening activities, and more. They teach a child how to solve problems, how to be innovative, and how to follow instructions at the same time.

Creative Galaxy is a unique show in that it combines a story line with fun craft ideas for kids. Arty and Epiphany encounter problems that any child might – and they’re pros at solving it with art! M is amused by this show – but the best part is: when we’re done, he says “I want to make that!”

When Arty solves a problem with art, he also shows you how to make it. And afterward, real children show the step-by-step tutorial in detail.

Season one is available on Amazon – you can watch the first episode free, buy the season, or watch it via Amazon Prime. Season 2 is about to Premiere on Amazon Prime as well – look out for it September 16th!

Making a starry nightlight with my son:

After watching Season 1, Episode 5, M asked me “I want to make a night light!”. We sat down and gave it a try!

This starry night light is a perfect craft for a huge variety of age groups. M was able to (and did) poke the holes. He was involved in the entire craft, and is extremely proud of his creation.

I also enjoyed doing it alongside him, poking holes in the shape of a tree.

We used silver foil as it’s easier for young children to poke. After we did it, though, I realized that the holes were too small. So I did go and enlarge the holes that he made. You’ll get a cleaner, sharper effect using black construction paper for this. Use the material best for your age group.

The same goes for the paint on the lid: if you’re making it with young children, you’ll want to use washable paints. If you’re doing it with older children, you can use acrylics that are more opaque.

I used electronic tea lights as my light source. You can use LED push lights for a stronger night light.

Now, M is super proud of it. Every time he sees it, he exclaims proudly, “I poke it!”. That’s another amazing benefit of crafting something functional: it gives your child a boost of self-confidence to see a completed project that he or she was involved in.

The finished lamp should project stars onto the wall. If it doesn’t, you do need to enlarge the holes or use a stronger light.

What you need to make a starry night light:

Silver foil or black construction paper.
A sharpened pencil or something similar appropriate for poking.
A piece of corrugated cardboard to place underneath your poking surface.
A clean, empty jar
Your light source: a battery-operated tea light or an LED push light (make sure to get a size that fits easily into your jar.)
Paint and brushes

How to make a starry night light with your toddler or child:

1. Fold your foil or cut your construction paper to fit the inside of your jar and set it up for your child on a piece of cardboard.

2. Encourage your child to poke holes. This is a real exercise for young children, and M really enjoyed the challenge. Don’t worry if the holes are too small – you can always enlarge them later.