The slide-out rear drawing surface must be inserted in the back slot and snapped in place for the lights to operate. In addition, the room lighting should be dimmed for the Glow Board lights to show up. The Glow Board will turn off automatically after 30 minutes if unused. More information about the Glow Board can be found on our web site at
http://www.crayola.com/browse-products/color-explosion-glow-board.aspx.