Ask Ollie
Mummy Cup Lanterns
Here's one to try together!
Wrap a clear cup in bandages, give it googly eyes, and watch your mummy glow in the dark!
Reviewed by our team.
Safety first
- no candles or real flames; use only flashlight or phone light
- small paper eye pieces and tape could be a choking risk for very young children
- scissors may be needed to cut paper, so supervise
- dark room can be a trip hazard during the parade
What you need
- Clear cups, 1 per person, plus spares
- Painter's tape, 1 roll, or white paper strips
- Glue stick, 1
- Paper, a few sheets
- Crayons or markers, a handful
- Kid scissors, 1 pair per person (optional)
- Flashlight, 1
- Phone, 1 with its light on (optional)
How to do it
Grown-up prep: Gather everything on a table. Tear or cut tape and paper into strips ahead of time if little ones will be helping.
- Pick your cup and turn it upside down. This is your mummy!
- Wrap your mummy with bandage strips, crisscrossing them round and round.
- Leave little gaps between the strips so some cup shows through. Ask: Where do you think the light will sneak out?
- Draw two eyes on paper, big and round.
- Cut out your eyes. Little hands can ask for help. Ask for help if you need it
- Glue the eyes into the gaps between your wrappings.
- Turn the lights off, pop your mummy over the flashlight and watch it glow. Ask: Where is the light bright and where is it dim?
- Line up all the mummies for a glowing parade!
- Now show your friends, or make more! How many mummies will join your parade? Ask: What would a mummy family look like?
Play it again
- Gap test: wrap one cup tightly and one loosely, then guess which glows brighter.
- Shadow show: shine the mummy lantern on a wall and look for the spooky patterns.
- Mummy family: make a big, medium and tiny mummy for a glowing family.
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