Battery-operated tealights add glow to playtime

Sarah's creative suggestion for "candlelight playtime:" 

My son's preschool keeps battery-operated tealights in the wooden block area.  The kids love to use the tealights inside their structures.  The glow looks super cool - especially if you turn off all the room lights and watch the shadows made from the different blocks. 

We bought some and are finding tons of fun ways to use them:

• a fire that the firefighters have to come put out
• a campfire for little toy people
• safe candlelight for a fancy tea party

We even play tealight hide-and-seek where I hide them all, turn off the lights, and the kids go around finding them. 

The only problem now is that when I want to use them for decoration I have to ask the kids if I can borrow THEIR tealights.  :)

Electric candles. My kids would LOVE them as nightlights, or for making dinnertime special, especially as it's getting dark earlier in the evening. What a great idea.

Related: Make a paper jack o'lantern (thinking battery-operated candles would work well for this)

 

Comments

[Pamela]

My 4 year old took one from a wedding (with permission) and loved using it as a nightlight. Great additional use ideas!

[Stephanie]

I feel like my last two posts have been "negative" but they're simply safety information. As a consignment store manager I see CPSC recall and safety emails daily and I know that there are many recalls of such products. Also there is a clear message on keeping battery-operated items (that are not produced for children and therefore not safety-tested for children) away from children. We won't resell button battery books because the batteries can be dislodged and swallowed which is harmful or could lead to death. Don't mean to be a downer but sometimes we think everything can work for everyone and it's just not true. I sure hope you can find a child-proof method of similar lights because the idea sounds fun!!

[Asha Dornfest]

Stephanie: Not at all...very glad you commented. I (we all) rely on the comments for a reality check, and safety concerns are always welcome.

[stephen9781]

http://www.britishfooddepot.com/

[Katie]

My husband is a pediatric gastroenterologist and has removed many of the same kind of batteries that operate these tea lights. They come out easily and are easily swallowed. My husband has found these batteries inside the stomachs of small children leaking and eating through the stomach wall after parents have brought children to the emergency room with various symptoms, pain, spitting up blood etc. The parents have no idea a battery has even been swallowed. Keep away from children!!!!