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In this activity, learners discover that nanoparticles of gold can appear red, orange or even blue. They learn that a material can act differently when it’s nanometer-sized.

In this activity, learners explore how nanosized structures can create brilliant color.

In this activity, learners create a colorful bookmark using a super thin layer of nail polish on water. Learners discover that a thin film creates iridescent, rainbow colors.

Make a big canvas of iridescent color with pvc pipe! In this Exploratorium Science Snack, you'll need to cut and assemble some PVC pipe, but the pay-off, the soap-bubble canvas, is big.

In this activity (posted on March 27, 2011), learners follow the steps to construct a mini zoetrope, a device that produces an illusion of action from a rapid succession of static pictures.

In this activity, learners make a photographic image—without a camera!

In this activity, learners will create their own simple shadow puppets, and experiment with light and shadow while playing with them.

Learners mix a solution of luminol with hydrogen peroxide to produce a reaction that gives off blue light.

Do you have a hard time matching paint swatches with your furniture? When you consider human perception, color is context dependent.

If you have lights, cardboard, scissors, and some brass fasteners, you can make shadow puppets! Create a story-telling and design challenge for your learners with this simple and creative activity.

In this outdoor activity, learners discover how the environment around a building affects the growth of plants.

Look at pictures through different color filters and you'll see them in a new way. People have used color filters in beautiful photography or sending secret messages.

This science activity demonstrates the dominant eye phenomena. What does your brain do when it sees two images that conflict?

This fun and simple hands-on astronomy activity illustrates the path of light as it reflects off of mirrors and how this is used in telescopes.

An ordinary camera has a lens that makes an image on film. In a pinhole camera, a small hole replaces the lens.

In this activity, learners will explore light with reflective surfaces. Learners will make predictions and share their observations as they experiment with directing a beam of light.

In this activity, learners use clear nail polish to create a beautiful iridescent pattern on black paper. Learners discover that a thin film creates iridescent, rainbow colors.

In this fun optics activity, learners explore principles of light, reflection (mirrors), and perception. Learners work in pairs and sit on opposite sides of a "two-way" mirror.

This is an online exhibit about color perception. Learners set a random background color and then try to mix red, blue, and green light to match.

In this optics activity, learners discover that not all shadows are black. Learners explore human color perception by using colored lights to make additive color mixtures.