The difference is that the Lite-Brite is a familiar child's toy that is known to be harmless. A device using LEDs custom wired into a circuit board is an unfamiliar thing that is obviously constructed for a purpose.
By calling it a Lite-Brite, you are saying that it is a familiar child's toy. It is not. It is something else.
The favorite Booby Trap used by the VC were Yogi Bear Dolls. It was a familiar child's toy, so the last thing you did before you died was smile.