Want to create a super-simple craft with your kids that will teach them a thing or two about science? Then try out blacklight art!
What you need:
- Laundry detergent
- Blacklight
- Paint brush
- Cup
- Thick paper
- Acrylic or craft paint (optional)
What you do:
Fill your cup up with laundry detergent. You can add acrylic paint to the detergent if you want some color. Load your paint brush up with the detergent, and paint away on your paper. (Thick paper works best since the detergent can bleed through or warp thin paper.)
When you’re done, turn your blacklight on and any other lights off. You’ll notice that the laundry detergent glows under UV light. This is because phosphors are added to the detergent (so that clothes appear brighter).
According to physics.org, a phosphor is “any substance that absorbs energy and re-emits it as visible light. Under a black light, phosphors convert the UV radiation they receive into visible light.”
Want to teach your kids even more cool facts about how light works? Check out these library materials.
To create even more STEAM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) crafts, join us for “All Hands On Tech: Minecraft Pixel Art” on Friday, September 15 from 4-5 p.m. We’ll create pixelated Minecraft art using plastic fusible Perler beads! Ages 7-11 with an adult.
