Flashlight Fun!
By Lindsay Van Geem, NIU STEAM Instructor
During this festive time of year, we all see the holiday lights that are hung with the utmost of care, but one light often gets overlooked – the flashlight! Whether it’s guiding our way in the dark, telling spooky stories or helping during emergency situations, these little lights can be useful and fun.
On December 21, it’s time to click on our flashlights and show some appreciation! December 21 is National Flashlight Day, which falls conveniently on the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year here in the northern hemisphere. Some parts of our planet will experience less than 9 hours of daylight, with others, such as the Artic Circle, receiving no sunlight at all. This makes it the best time to light up the night and appreciate the flashlight.
A Little Flashlight History
Using an incandescent bulb and a dry cell battery, David Misell, an American-British inventor, went to work illuminating the world with the very first flashlight in 1899. Today, our flashlights have had quite a few upgrades. From light emitting diodes, or LEDS, to rechargeable batteries, solar powered flashlights and even some specialty flashlights that are flame resistant, David Misell would be proud to see what adaptations have been made to his original design.
And Flashlight Fun
In honor of the flashlight and the winter solstice, let’s take some time to turn out the lights and have some fun! So many games and activities can be done using a single flashlight. Here are a few of our favorites.
- Grab a globe and see if you can re-create the position of the sunlight that you will be experiencing on the winter solstice. Take a look at this page from the National Weather Service to get more details about the changing seasons and the exact angle of the earth’s tilt.
- Act out a story and make it more luminescent by making shadow puppets on a wall.
- Spot your friends in the dark with a game of flashlight tag!
- While you’re having fun, take some time out to check your emergency preparedness kit to ensure you have a working flashlight and charged batteries so that you are ready to shed some light during times of emergency.
Have a safe and bright holiday season, from all of us at NIU STEAM.
