Light Sensitive Pens

This idea depends on being able to black out the room – or at least make it fairly dark.  You need:

• light sensitive pens
• springy sticks – withies [willow for basket making] are ideal
• tape – masking tape for taping pens to sticks
• large sheet of newsprint paper or similar
• a directional light source – stage light great but domestic angle poise or powerful torch will do

You tape each pen onto a withy.  Then you tape the newsprint to the floor and sit the group round the edge of it with wheelchairs or chairs on the paper. 

Each student holds the stick and draws patterns on the paper.  The springy nature of the stick accentuates the marks they make.  The resulting patterns are then cut out to become butterflies or rockets or anything that “flies”. 

Stick the butterflies to another withy, darken the room and put on the directional light.  The butterflies etc can then be flown round in the beam of light by the students, if they are dexterous enough, or by accompanying adults to create a bright scene from their own art work.  The light sensitive pens create a much brighter effect than ordinary felt tips.