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You are here: Home / Halloween STEAM / The Glow Lab: Exploring Light in the Dark

The Glow Lab: Exploring Light in the Dark

As October nights grow longer, glowing things feel extra magical. 

Children are naturally drawn to light, from glowing pumpkins on porches to the sparkle of fireflies in summer. There’s just something about the contrast of dark and light that sparks wonder.

This is the perfect season to explore the science of glow in your classroom. With just a few simple materials, you can turn your space into a mini “Glow Lab” where preschoolers create glowing art and discover how light can change what we see.

Glow Lab


📚 Picture Book Connection

Start by reading (affiliate link) “Glow: Animals with Their Own Night-Lights” by W. H. Beck. This nonfiction book introduces children to creatures that glow in nature — fireflies, jellyfish, even mushrooms! It’s a wonderful way to spark curiosity and connect their glow art to the real world.


Glow Art Lab

Invite children to explore what happens when bright colors shine under a blacklight.

You’ll Need:

  • White paper
  • Highlighters (yellow, green, pink, orange work best)
  • A blacklight flashlight or lamp

How to Play:

  1. Let children draw lines, shapes, or doodles with highlighters.
  2. Turn off the classroom lights and shine the blacklight on their creations.
  3. Ask:

    • “What changed when the lights went off?”
    • “Which colors glow the brightest?”
    • “What happens if we layer different colors?”

This simple setup turns ordinary drawings into glowing works of art and gives children a hands-on way to explore how light works.


STEAM Connections

  • Science: Notice how some colors glow while others don’t.
  • Technology: Use a blacklight to reveal something invisible under normal light.
  • Engineering: Adjust the setup — closer, farther, darker — to see what works best.
  • Art: Create glowing doodles, patterns, or even collaborative murals.
  • Math: Compare — which color glows brighter, dimmer, or lasts longer?


👩‍🏫 Teacher Tip

Don’t have a blacklight? You can still capture the magic of glow! Try glow sticks in water bottles, glow-in-the-dark stickers, or even white chalk drawings on black paper. The key is giving children a chance to notice how light changes what we see.


Reflection

Close with a playful question:

  • “If you could glow like an animal, which part of you would glow?”
  • “What would it be like if pumpkins glowed without a candle?”

Encouraging imaginative answers keeps the learning open-ended and fun.

The Glow Lab is a perfect October invitation: simple to set up, exciting for kids, and filled with science, creativity, and discovery. It’s a reminder that STEAM doesn’t have to be complicated — sometimes the smallest shift, like turning off the lights, can spark the biggest sense of wonder.

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Filed Under: Halloween STEAM Tagged With: halloween, halloween steam, prek, PreKSTEAM, PreschoolSTEAM, steam, steam activities for preschool, stem activities for preschool

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