Kids' Kaleidoscope

Difficulty: Average

Parental supervision is recommended

What a wonderful world to see when you make your own Kids Kaleidoscope with recycled film canisters--a fun summer or scouting craft.

What you'll need:

  • 2 film canisters, one clear and one black
  • 3 small rectangular pieces of thin Plexiglas, about 1" by 3"
  • Black electrical tape
  • Scissors
  • Small piece of plastic wrap
  • Pieces of thin colored plastic (see tips)
  • Ice pick or something similar with sharp point

How to make it:

  1. Use the electrical tape to tape the 3 (long sides) pieces of Plexiglas together to form a triangle.
  2. Put a piece of plastic wrap over one end of the taped pieces of Plexiglas and stretch it tight.
  3. Cut the pieces of thin colored plastic into tiny triangle or square shapes (about 1/4"-1/2" in size).
  4. Place the pieces of colored plastic in the clear film canister.
  5. Push the Plexiglas shape with the plastic wrap first into the clear film canister. Do not push the Plexiglas shape all the way down into the clear container as you will want the pieces to be able to move freely.
  6. Use the ice pick or something sharp to poke a hole in the bottom of the black film canister.
  7. Place the black canister over the other end of the Plexiglas shape.
  8. Use the electrical tape to tape the two film canisters together.
  9. To use: Point up at the light, look through, and turn the canister to see the shapes move.

Tips:

The colored triangles are out of a light weight plastic such as a plastic file folder. You could probably use markers and color clear plastic.

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