Slides and negatives make good loose parts for dramatic play, craft projects, light table play and more. They have become a bit harder to find over the last 10 years, but they still pop up in thrift stores, yard sales, and estate sales–and you probably know someone who has a tattered cardboard box of them stored away.

If you’re lucky enough to have matching negatives and prints, you can play matching games. And scoring an old school slide projector like the one pictured below may add some fun. Also, magnifying glasses play well with slides and negatives.

Slides And Negatives

FYI for the young people: Back in the olden days, before everyone was walking around with a magical device that–among other things–captured pictures instantly, photos were taken using film. That meant seeing a photo we snapped of a delicious meal, cute kitten, or our toes in the sand at the beach required waiting days or weeks while the film was processed. Sharing took more than a click–we had to be in the same room with the person we wanted to share with or snail mail the photo to them. It was truly a bleak and uncivilized time. 🙂

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Tasha Johnson

Explorations Early Learning | Website

After nearly 30 years working in early learning programs, Tasha now devotes her time to making Explorations Early Learning and Playvolution HQ work, quilting, and taking care of her pet duck, Tape.