Light Table Swap! Sound Interesting?

Well, as some of you know, we dabble a little with adding Reggio Emilia inspired elements into our homeschool.

One item that has made its way into Reggio Emilia inspired programs is a light box or light table. Children love to examine items from nature and from their surroundings to see how light and shadow work with these items.

What are light box swap items, you ask?

They are items that play with light or shadow, such as: pressed flowers, thin leaves, etc. as well as man-made items like translucent toys, glass items, shadow puppets, marbles, translucent ice cube blocks, silhouettes, x-rays, tissue paper stars, stained glass items, etc.

I will post some photos soon, but first, wanted to ask folks for permission to post their cool photos on my blog:)

Things we could make would be out of tissue paper, vellum, beach glass, glass or translucent beads and resin, mylar, translucent plastic file folders, marbles, overhead math manipulatives, permanent markers on laminator film, pressed flowers, mirrors, pressed thin leaves, laminate, as well as some x-rays from vets, dentists, radiologists, etc...
You could also do small photo frames filled with collage items...
You could even glue clear hard candies or beads in between a very well sealed shadow box, etc...
Could also do things such as silhouettes, shadow puppets, etc. plus solids that could serve to be extensions to the geometric cabinet, constructive triangles, etc. (so you can have a bit of a Montessori tie in if you wish.)

Anyone who joins the swap will be able to select their own theme, as long as someone who has already joined hasn't already taken that theme...

All swap mates will be invited to be a part of a Yahoo Group to post step-by-step directions, photos, and messages to each other.
Honey from Mondorfment did this same sort of thing with the most recent swap I participated in and let me tell you, it makes a huge difference, as you will get to know everyone in the group and will get to share some ideas, etc.

Everyone will all make their own materials and then, will mail them to me and then, I will re-package the kits and will mail them back out to you like some of us have done in other swap groups...

Also, just as Honey did for our continents swap, I will have you all pay to have your individual boxes to be sent back to you. But this is so much better, as then, you only have to pay to send one box and to receive one completely filled box back...way cheaper than each person mailing them out to everyone's addresses...plus, then, for insurance, tracking, etc. it is super simple.

The sky's the limit with your creative talents!

Should be a fun group and am also sure that the materials we will all make for each other will be awesome.

There will be a limit on the group size...I had tried to send out invites to those who I thought would be most interested, but must not have done something correctly, as no one has said that they got an invite and I know that there are some of you who for sure want to be in on this already...

Here is a link to the group to ask for membership:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/light_table_swap/

I am having everyone ask for membership as to avoid spam problems, etc.
Only those who actually want to make things for this cool swap will be invited, not any potential spammers...