Looking for some spooky science? 🎃 Check out this LED jack-o-lantern project! This is the perfect Halloween activity to introduce basic concepts of geometry and circuitry.

This project is adapted from moonshotkidz.

Materials

• LED Diode

• Conductive copper tape

• Coin cell battery 3v

• Orange construction paper

• Markers

• Thread/twine

• Pencil

• Scissors and a craft knife

Procedure

(Watch their full video here)

1. Draw the cube pattern on the construction paper. The cube pattern is formed by four equal-sized squares (2 or 2.5 in is a good size) down the length of the paper, and another two on either sides of the second square. You will get a pattern that looks like a cross.

2. Draw another box, roughly half the size of the square, to the left of the bottom square.

3. Carefully out this template.

4. Punch two holes at the outer corners of the bottom square and the top square. Punch one hole each at the top outer corner of the crosswise squares.

5. Turn the cut-out pattern 180 degrees so that the top square is now closest to you. Draw your jack-o-lantern’s face on that square with the two holes and carefully cut it out with a craft knife. Draw lines on all the squares with a brown marker or something similar to create the pumpkin pattern.

6. Flip the sheet over. Fold the pattern along all the lines.

7. On the square farthest of the jack-o-lantern’s face, start building the circuit. Follow the video for a detailed guide. Make sure to test the circuit to ensure it works!

8. Run your thread through all the holes, starting with bottom square that has the circuit.

9. Gently pull the two ends of the thread together to make the jack-o-lantern cube, and press on the fold to light it up!