Paper Circuit Light-Up Card
A hand-drawn card wired with copper tape, a coin-cell battery and an LED so part of the drawing lights up.
Creative
7–12 years
25–45 min
Calm
Low mess
At home
What you need
- Copper conductive tape
- 3V coin-cell battery
- LED light
- Card or thick paper
- Tape
Setup
- Draw a picture on the card and decide where the light should go (a window, a star)
- Lay two strips of copper tape from the LED's legs to where the battery will sit, without the strips touching
- Fold the LED legs flat onto the tape and tape the battery in place, positive side up
Play prompts
- What happens if the two tape strips touch each other?
- Can you find a way to make the light turn on and off with a paper switch?
- What else could you make light up?
Ways to change it up
- Add a second LED for a two-light card
- Make a paper switch by folding a small tab of tape that only touches when pressed
Safety notes
- Coin-cell batteries are dangerous if swallowed, keep away from toddlers and supervise closely
- LED legs can be sharp, watch little fingers
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