Christmas Tree Play Dough Circuit Kit

by Nese Ozturk

Bring festive magic and hands-on learning together with our Christmas Tree Play Dough Circuit Kit! It’s a one-of-a-kind holiday activity that blends creativity with a fun introduction to electrical circuits.

Kids will learn by doing as they combine conductive play dough with insulating foam to explore how simple circuits work, then light up their own Christmas tree with mini LEDs. It’s playful, memorable and beautifully educational.

Terminology

CONDUCTOR: A material or object that allows electrical current to flow through it. Some examples are Copper, Brass, Steel, Gold, and Play Dough. The play dough contains salt, which helps electricity flow through the dough.

INSULATOR: A material or object that does not allow electrical current to easily flow through it. Some examples are wood, plastics, rubber, glass, ceramics, paper or air.

CLOSED CIRCUIT: The path in which electrical currents flow. A completed circuit takes the form of a circle.

SHORT CIRCUIT: An electrical circuit in which a path of very low resistance has been created.

OPEN CIRCUIT: The path in which electrical currents flow is broken so that there is no way for electricity to flow in a complete loop.

LED: A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor device that emits visible light when an electric current passes through it.

TERMINAL: A conductive surface that provides an electrical connection point.

Create a Christmas Tree!

  1. Attach a new 9V alkaline battery to the snap connector provided.
  2. Begin by forming the tree using the green dough. Halve the green dough and roll out so you have two balls that are roughly the same size.
  3. Next, shape the balls into cones.
  4. Place the insulating foam sheet between the two play dough cones. You can also use paper, wood, rubber, or simply leave a small gap, any of these will work as an insulator.
  5. Keep the insulating material in the middle and the two green dough parts NOT touching each other.
  6. Add the LEDs to your tree. Insert the short leg of the LED into one half of green dough and the long leg into the other half.
  7. Light up your creation by putting one battery terminal into each green dough. 
  8. Important: Electricity can only flow through LEDs in one direction. The LED has one leg (lead) that is longer than the other; this is the positive leg, and it should be inserted into the lump of green dough with the red battery holder wire. The LED’s shorter leg should be inserted into the lump of green dough with the black battery holder wire.
  9. If it does not light up, do not worry; you probably just plugged your LED in backwards. Flip your LED around and try again.
  10. Congratulations! You have made your first play dough circuit!
  11. Now it is time to get creative! The shape of the green dough does not matter when connecting the LEDs, as long as there is a closed circuit for electricity to flow. Can you come up with other fun designs for your own circuits?



 

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