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In this outdoor, nighttime activity, learners gather around a brightly lit, white surface and study the behavior of nocturnal animals attracted to the light, particularly night fliers.

This is written as a display, but can easily be adapted to a hands-on activity. Learners observe and shake containers of shiny liquids.

In this activity, learners will create an optical illusion top. Learners will explore color mixing, physics and design through this activity.

In this trick, hold your hand over a burning candle without getting burned, by reflecting and transmitting the light of two candles. This activity is best suited as a demonstration.

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 activity about vision and optical illusions, learners conduct a simple test to demonstrate how our eyes create "afterimages." Learners stare at a black cardboard bat for at least 30 seconds an

This is an activity exploring color and color mixing.

In this activity, learners set up an experiment to investigate the effects of hot air on the path of a laser beam.

In this hands-on activity, learners build their own kaleidoscopes and explore how light can reflect of off surfaces such as mirrors, to produce beautiful patterns.

In this activity related to microbes, learners use water drops and hand lenses to begin the exploration of magnification. This activity also introduces learners to the microscope.

Learners follow directions to construct a solar oven that really cooks! The solar oven uses aluminum foil to reflect sunlight into a cooking chamber, which is painted black.

If you had a long tube with a 5 millimeter wide slit, would you see the entire Golden Gate Bridge?

In "Exploring the Universe: Exoplanet Transits," participants simulate one of the methods scientists use to discover planets orbiting distant stars.

In this four-part activity, learners will discover the exciting world of light--the most important form of energy in our world--and be able to identify and describe different types of light.

With a laser pointer and some household items, learners can create their own laser light show. They can explore diffuse reflection, refraction and diffraction.

Learners test their "light-smarts" by playing a game called "Light Quest!" The game board represents an atom and each player represents an electron that has been bumped into the atom's outer unstable

By making models of light waves with paper, learners can understand why different colors appear in bubbles.

In this pencil and paper activity, learners work in pairs and simulate how astronomical spacecraft and computers create images of objects in space.

This fun activity uses simple materials such as milk cartons and mirrors to introduce the ideas of optics and visual perception.