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Lights Alive

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Lights Alive was like a light box but with a black cover full of small holes which each had a tiny LED bulb shaped bit of plastic in it. Lights Alive from Tomy came with a bunch of different tools which all served the purpose of being able to poke down the holes and push the plastic bits so they were transparent and the light could shine through. This would allow you to create all sorts of pictures and patterns.

The light box itself had different colour mirrored pieces around it so that the colours that in your picture were like a rainbow. You could change these colours by spinning a wheel at the side of the box.

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Do You Remember Lights Alive?

Do You Remember Lights Alive?

  • Anonymous user
    on
    Lights Alive was my favourite toy. I used to poke in the holes one by one until the entire screen was all lit up! Gave me hours of entertainment. Would love to be able to buy it for my sons I know they would enjoy it just as much as I did as a kid.
  • Anonymous user
    on
    It didn't have LEDs in it! Each "pixel" was a little bubble of very thin plastic. Pushing into the pixel with the tools, pushed the plastic down to allow light through. The bubbles were faintly tinted, and for some reason in their unpushed state, didn't allow light through. To reset, you'd push the whole screen upwards, and an internal roller covered in little blunt spikes popped all the bubbles back out into their opaque state again. The tool had a single pixel pricker on one side, and a wheel on the other for drawing lines. I vaguely remember shapes you could press down too. For a replacement lightbulb, take it to a shop that still sells torch bulbs. Did it take 3 batteries? 3 x 1.5v = 4.5v so you're after a bulb for just under or over that voltage, the same fit as the old one. Torch bulbs are getting pretty much extinct, maybe in the future somebody'll solder in a white LED. Problem solved!
  • Anonymous user
    on
    We still have ours but the bulb dosen't work & have been trying to find a replacment bulb! Any ideas as to where i could buy one. Lindy lou 18/09/10
  • Anonymous user
    on
    i still have mine. mum and dad moved house and cleared out the loft and there it was and it still works.
  • Anonymous user
    on
    WOW i have been looking for this for years, i was it when i was 5 and went into hospital to have my tonsils out it kept me happy, i must buy one i loved this toy and i am gald someone found this thanksxxxxxxx
  • Anonymous user
    on
    wow, cant believe this toy inspires such nostalga, i had one n loved it dearly
  • Anonymous user
    on
    I was trying to think of the name of this toy today when me and my sister inlaw to be were reminising about our childhood toys. Would be a great one to bring back!
  • Anonymous user
    on
    I actually worked on the revamped box for lights alive in 1983... for an agency called MD&A in covent garden... by the way... hate to spoil your illutions but all pics on the toy on the box were done by me... aged 17... what a great job it was though.
  • Anonymous user
    on
    i loved this toy as a kid used to have hrs of fun with this specially when i was supposed to be asleep and was playing with this toy in the dark lol i say deffo bring it back as my little one would love this toy too!
  • nugirl
    on
    This was an absolutely FANTASTIC toy! On the rare occasions when I'd break away from playing with my dolls and playsets, I'd either curl up with a book, or fight with my sister over who got to play with our Lights Alive right there and then! I remember being fascinated by the lights and the "bubble board" we drew on using the special tools.

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