Product Review: Investigation Station, Light Box Review

Play and exploration can both be accommodated with this intriguing light station - whether children want to observe colour, the effect of light, or symmetry and reflection this resource is sure to illuminate their thinking. This versatile light box incorporates storage and can be used as a room divider. Featuring a mirrored back panel with display surface on the reverse. The unit is supplied with 3 clear tubs but wicker baskets are available separately.

Our setting Little Explorers recently started to adapt to incorporate some of the features used in the Reggio Emila approach found around the world.  We did this by:

• Making the indoors and outside a more free flowing environment with large open spaces.  
• We looked at adding child safe mirrors around the room to allow more light and allow the children to watch their own investigations take place.
• We also adapted our teaching technique standing back and allowing the children to learn more through their own exploration and even mistakes.

Investing in the Investigation Station was quite a big and exciting choice for us at Little Explorers. The piece of furniture is a key feature to the main room and would be used daily with invitations set up to meet the children’s interests. The boxes would house resources which the children could try to use on the light, both natural material and transparent resources.

The light table has been in use now for several months and the children use it on a daily basis in one way or another. Our day time children are currently aged between 15 mths to 2 year 8 months and they love to watch themselves work in the mirror.  We have not been setting the table up every day though as the children are used to using it now and help themselves to the resources and simply ask us to switch it on.

Here are some images of the activities we have done while using the light table.

We have now started to make our own resources for the light table using cellophane to fit in with our topics and these will soon be available on the blog.

The light table has become a much loved resource in my home setting. The table is made out of wonderful quality wood and the light is at just the right level for the children to use without it glaring into their eye’s. The mirror is made for safety glass but can be scratched quite easily however that’s safety mirrors for you. I plan to cover this with another safety mirror in a year or so. The storage underneath is great for easy access to the toys and instead of having baskets in the upper section I line up my bottles there.

Light tables  are available from Designs For Education from £450.00 (http://www.designsforeducation.co.uk/room-divider-storage/investigation-station-lightbox.aspx?lt=1)