or use Craft Finder

Kaleidoscope

Construct a colorful cascade of symmetrical shapes -- and learn just how and why a kaleidoscope works in the process.

Materials

Instructions

Use the marker to trace around the bottom of each yogurt cup onto a clear plastic lid. Then cut out the plastic circles with scissors.
With the craft knife, cut out the bottoms of the three yogurt cups (a parent's job) and discard them. Replace each discarded bottom with a clear plastic circle, trimming around its circumference, if needed, so that the circle fits snugly inside the yogurt container. Apply glue along the circle's edge to hold it in place.
Now it's time to fashion the triangular tube of mirrors that will fit inside the kaleidoscope. Begin by cutting three 2- by 6 1/4-inch rectangles from the cardboard. Using the silver Mylar and transparent tape, individually wrap the rectangles as tightly as possible. It is important to remember that the surface of the Mylar must be wrinkle-free for the kaleidoscope to work properly.
Tape together the three Mylar mirrors so that they form a triangular tube. Make sure the seamless surfaces are on the interior.
Fit one end of the Mylar mirror tube into a yogurt cup. Cover the protruding end with a second yogurt cup and join the rims of the two cups with masking tape. Place the colored beads in the third cup (use just enough to cover the bottom yet still move around when you gently shake the cup). Then set one end of the joined cups into the cup that contains the beads.

Tips:: To use the kaleidoscope, grasp the cup with the beads in one hand and the top of the joined cups (the viewer) in the other. Hold the kaleidoscope up to your eye and look toward a light. Slowly twist the cup of beads to see a stunning array of moving shapes.

You might also like:

Find more about: