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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 activity, learners conduct a simple test to find their blind spot.

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

In this optics activity, demonstrate diffraction using a candle or a small bright flashlight bulb and a slide made with two pencils.

In this activity related to light and perception, learners use a pinhole in an index card as a magnifying glass to help their eye focus on a nearby object.

In this activity, learners investigate parallax, a method used to measure distances to stars and planets in the solar system.

In this activity (posted on March 20, 2011), learners follow the steps to construct a stroboscope, a device that exploits the persistence of vision to make moving objects appear slow or stationary.

In this activity (posted on March 14, 2011), learners follow the steps to construct a camera projector to explore lenses and refraction.

In this activity, learners explore ray optics. Learners discover that they can use a magnifying glass to create an upside-down image.

In this activity, learners construct a projector out of cardboard to view their favorite images (such as storybook illustrations) on the wall.

In this activity, learners construct a device that projects images onto a surface, so they can trace landscapes and other sights.

This is a series of three quick science activities to do with a spoon, knife, and fork. In the first two activities, learners use the flatware to explore optics, mirrors, reflection, and distortion.

In this quick activity, Dracula has a hole in his house and learners help solve the problem by using a mirror and protractor to reflect incoming light out of his house.

Have you ever heard of a camera without a lens? In this activity, learners create a pinhole camera out of simple materials. They'll see the world in a whole new way: upside down and backwards!

In this activity, learners construct a device that allows them to look over ledges or around corners.

In this activity (13th on the page), learners complete a simple illusion trick to see through their own hand.

In this activity, learners create an optical illusion by spinning two attached cups. A round ball seems to magically appear when the cups spin.

In this optics activity, learners build an animation tool to make mini movies. When you spin a phenakistascope, the pictures move so quickly that your eyes and brain can't separate the images.

In this activity, learners make a Benham Top to explore visual illusions and optics.

In this optics activity, learners build a spy tool to secretly view things over walls or around corners.