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In this activity, young learners will explore light and darkness through flashlight play.

In this activity, learners create a simple “top” from a CD, marble and bottle cap, and use it as a spinning platform for a variety of illusion-generating patterns.

In this experiment, learners work in teams to investigate how the color of a surface influences its ability to reflect light and therefore heat.

In this activity, learners create a cylindrical mirror to see themselves as others see them.

This is a quick activity (on page 2 of the PDF under Butterfly Wings Activity) that illustrates how nanoscale structures, so small they're practically invisible, can produce visible/colorful effects.

In this activity, learners use simple materials to create giant bubbles.

In this activity about light and refraction, learners make a lens and magnifying glass by filling a bowl with water.

In this two-part activity, learners explore the properties of liquid crystals, which are responsible for why mood rings change color.

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 activity, learners explore light and shadows by creating a lantern they can keep on their nightstand.

In this activity, learners explore liquid crystals, light and temperature. Using a postcard made of temperature-sensitive liquid crystal material, learners monitor temperature changes.

In this activity, learners investigate the reflective properties of light and mirrors as they make a kaleidoscope.

How can you make one shade of gray look like two? By putting it against two different color backgrounds! This activity allows learners to perform this sleight of hand very easily.

In this activity about light and perception, learners create and observe moire patterns.

In this activity, learners use a compact disc to make a spectrometer, an instrument used to measure properties of light.

In this activity, learners explore how polarizing sunglasses can help diminish road glare.

In this activity, learners build a simple pinhole viewer. They use this apparatus to project images from a variety of light sources, including a candle, the Sun, and the Moon.

In this activity, learners discover what happens when they crush wintergreen-flavored candies in a very dark room.

In this activity, learners use simple materials to simulate the effect of X-rays in a safe way. Learners place a piece of window screen over a box and a cardboard pattern on top of the screen.

In this activity, learners make optical fibers out of strips of gelatin.