With this fun telescope kids can pretend to be exploring the open seas and foreign lands like adventurers like Christopher Columbus.

Fall is full of fun for the kids and we've got Columbus Day activities to enjoy as well. Try out more of our fall crafts, as well as some of our great fall recipes and printable activities.

What you'll need:

How to make it:

1. Cut 2" off the end of the cardboard tube, set aside. (See photo.)
2. Cut the longer remaining piece of the cardboard tube open lengthwise. (See photo.)
3. Use tape to close the tube back up, overlapping the edges just enough so that its circumference is about ¼" or so smaller than it was originally. It should now be slightly smaller than the width of the plastic ring.
4. Cover the long roll with brown construction paper, securing with tape.
5. Cover the 2" roll with black paper and secure with tape. (See photo.)
6. Insert the long, brown tube inside the small black tube. Push the black tube to the center of the brown tube.
7. Pipe white glue around one end of the brown tube. Slide a plastic ring onto the end of the tube, securing it with the glue. (See photo.)
8. At the other end of the tube, use a pen to poke a hole, about an inch from the end. Thread twine or yarn through the hole. (See photo.)
9. Pipe glue around that end of the tube and slide the second plastic ring onto the glue.
10. Tie the ends of the yarn into a knot.
11. Hang the telescope around your child's neck. The black tube at the end can be turned to "focus" the pretend telescope.

Tips:

1. The plastic rings that we used came from plastic milk jugs. They are the rings that detach from the lid the first time you open the jug. We used them to keep the black focus tube from falling off the end of the telescope.
2. If you like, decorate your telescope using glitter glue, rick rack, stickers, or markers.
3. Make a ship from a large cardboard box and kids can pretend they are Columbus sailing across the ocean!