stART: The Dark at the Top of the Stairs

We have been studying batteries this week in science,
so I thought reading...

The Dark at the Top of the Stairs
by Sam McBratney
would be a fun addition to our unit...

(You'll see the connection in a moment,
I promise...)

This story is about three little mice
begging their father to take them
to see what lives in the dark at
the top of the stairs.

The kiddos and I discussed that this adventure
might not have been so scary
if they had their
flashlights with them,
which are powered by...
BATTERIES!

(In case you didn't know,
this was my connection between
the book at our battery unit-
weak, I know,
but it's still there...)

Also, we surmised that
Obi-Wan Kenobi
never had to be afraid of the dark
because he always had his
lightsaber with him...

Now, we are BIG fans of
Star Wars, The Clone Wars
in this house,
so when I saw THIS craft
on Filthy Wizardry,
well...
let's just say
I foresaw it in the kiddos' future activities...

To make Lightsaber Flashlights
you will need:

Small flashlights
(with BATTERIES, of course!)
Long balloons
(ya know, the kind that are nearly impossible to blow up)
Toilet paper rolls
Duct tape

1. Cut the toilet paper rolls in half

2. Blow up the balloon,
and seek relief from an oxygen tank,
if necessary...

3. After you stop giggling at this picture...

(FOR SHAME, y'all have such dirty minds...
Oh, Who am I kidding?
I thought the same thing too!)

...tape the balloon to the toilet paper tube section
with the duct tape. I taped ours on the inside and
the outside of the tube.

4. Slip the toilet paper tube with balloon
section over the top of the flashlight
and tape it on.

You are now ready to fight the forces
of evil...

May the FORCE
be with you...

(And, in this case, the FORCE
is supplied by BATTERIES)


For more adventurous ideas and crafts
that go along with books,
jet on over to stART
in your star cruiser...