Can you put a child who is not yet old enough to understand (lo higyah lichinuch) Shabbos in front of a light switch in order that he or she turn the light off or on? Is there a difference between the two: turning the light off versus turning it on? (This question is about lights in particular.)
Answer
The following is based wholly on Children in Halacha by Rabbi Simcha Bunim Cohen (Artscroll, 1st ed.), chapters 1 and 4:
The age of chinuch for forbidden activities is from when a kid will not do something later if you tell him now that it's the kind of thing he can't do. This is about age four. From that age, you cannot allow your kid to do any m'lacha on Shabas. Until that age, it's okay if your kid does (and even if you encourage your kid to do) m'lacha d'rabanan, not d'oraysa, provided he's (to his mind) doing it for his own benefit.
Turning off an incandescent bulb is a d'rabanan; turning one on is a d'oraysa.
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