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You are here: Home / Learn / Science / Science for Kids: How to Make a Kaleidoscope

June 23, 2020 By Chelsey 22 Comments

Science for Kids: How to Make a Kaleidoscope

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Learn how to make a kaleidoscope in this fun STEM/science activity and craft for kids. It’s such a fun way to explore light, reflections, and symmetry!

Follow our Science for Kids Pinterest board!

 

STEM/STEAM and Science for Kids: How to Make a Kaleidoscope using a cardboard tube- explore light, reflections, and symmetry! (Meets NGSS- Next Generation Science Standards) ~ BuggyandBuddy.com

*This post was originally published 2/2/16 and has since been updated.

Last week I made these super fun kaleidoscopes with my after school science class (which is composed of 1st and 2nd graders). They loved exploring how their own designs reflected in the kaleidoscopes- such a fun STEAM activity for elementary students! (This post contains affiliate links.)

Meets Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS): 

  • Grade 1: Light and Sound PS 4 -2 and PS 4-3
  • Grade 4: PS 4-2

 

STEM/STEAM and Science for Kids: How to Make a Kaleidoscope using a cardboard tube- explore light, reflections, and symmetry! (Meets NGSS- Next Generation Science Standards) ~ BuggyandBuddy.com

 

SEE IT IN ACTION HERE


 

STEAM for Kids: How to Make a Kaleidoscope

Materials for Homemade Kaleidoscope

  • Empty toilet paper roll
  • Mylar sheets (thicker sheets, not rolls of thin paper) or mirrored sheets
  • Scissors and/or paper cutter (This is the paper cutter I keep at home. It’s come in super handy!)
  • Tape
  • White cardstock
  • Bendy straw
  • Markers, stickers, or other materials for decorating your spinning circle
  • Optional: Paint for decorating your cardboard tube

 

Directions for Homemade Kaleidoscope

1. If you are planning on painting your cardboard tube, do that first. We used our favorite tempera paint. Set it aside to dry.

 

2. Next, you’ll need to cut your mylar sheets  or mirrored sheets into three equal strips. You’ll want the size to be just right so the finished kaleidoscope insert fits snuggly in your cardboard tube and won’t fall out.

 

We used cardboard tubes from an empty Cottonelle toilet paper roll. I’m not sure if different brands of toilet paper use different sizes of cardboard tubes, but these are the exact sizes that worked with our Cottonelle tubes. You might need to adjust yours depending on the size of your tube. (Since you won’t want to waste any mylar, practice sizing yours using cardstock first.)

We cut our mylar into strips that measured 9.7cm x 3.5 cm.

 

3. Line up your mylar strips, leave a tiny space between each one. (Place the shiniest/least scratched sides face down.) Tape them together over the spaces.

 

tape your mylar strips together

 

4. Fold the taped mylar into a triangular prism and tape along the top to hold in place.

 

form a triangular prism

 

5. This should fit snuggly inside your cardboard tube.

 

place the taped mylar sheets into your cardboard tube

 

6. Cut off the bendy end of a flexible straw.

 

cut your flexible straw

 

7. Tape it along the top of your tube with the flexible part of the straw hanging over the edge.

 

8. Cut out 3 circles from cardstock. Ours measured 3.75 inches in diameter. (You can print out our free circle template or just make your own.)

 

free circle template

 

9. Poke a hole in the center of your circle. (I used a sharp pencil.)

 

poke a hole in your paper circle

 

10. Decorate the circle using markers, stickers, crayons etc. Try out different designs, shapes, and letters!

 

decorate your homemade kaleidoscope

 

11. Place the circle onto your straw with the design facing the kaleidoscope. You want the hole to fit over the flexible portion of the straw so it will turn easily.

 

STEAM / Science for Kids: How to Make a Kaleidoscope- explore reflections , light, and symmetry! (Meets NGSS- Next Generation Science Standards) ~ BuggyandBuddy.com

 

12. Look into your kaleidoscope and explore all the reflections created by your design!

 

STEAM / Science for Kids: How to Make a Kaleidoscope- explore reflections , light, and symmetry! (Meets NGSS- Next Generation Science Standards) ~ BuggyandBuddy.com

 

Tips

  • If you have trouble getting your triangular prism to fit snuggly into your cardboard tube, it will work on its own. Simply tape the straw directly on top of the prism rather than using a tube.
  • Make as many cardstock circles as you want and try them all out!

STEAM / Science for Kids: How to Make a Kaleidoscope- explore reflections , light, and symmetry! (Meets NGSS- Next Generation Science Standards) ~ BuggyandBuddy.com

 


 

Be sure to check out STEAM Kids book and ebook for even more creative STEM and STEAM ideas!

STEAM Kids: 50+ Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math activities for kids

 

STEAM / Science for Kids: How to Make a Kaleidoscope- explore reflections , light, and symmetry! (Meets NGSS- Next Generation Science Standards) ~ BuggyandBuddy.com

Filed Under: Elementary, Science Tagged With: light, mirrors, NGSS, reflections, science

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Comments

  1. Susan says

    February 15, 2016 at 5:47 pm

    Where do you find our mylar?
    What is the thickness?

    Reply
    • Chelsey says

      February 15, 2016 at 11:51 pm

      Hi Susan- The link to where I bought our mylar sheets is here. I’m not sure where to buy them at a local store. They were a bit thicker than cardstock.

      Reply
  2. mscale says

    February 21, 2016 at 8:43 am

    Can aluminum foiled replace Mylar sheets?

    Reply
    • mscale says

      February 21, 2016 at 8:44 am

      I meant foil, not foiled.

      Reply
      • tata says

        December 20, 2016 at 11:16 am

        It may work if you wrap cardstock in aluminum foil. It needs to be thick to keep it’s shape.

        Reply
        • Sofia says

          December 21, 2016 at 3:11 pm

          Aluminum foil is not reflective enough to work.

          Reply
      • L Hultman says

        August 9, 2020 at 7:45 pm

        We tried aluminum foil, but it didn’t give a good enough reflection. The mirror sheets work much better. Amazon no longer carries the mylar.

        Reply
  3. Bianca Bowman says

    March 14, 2016 at 4:37 pm

    Thank you so much. I shared this on our Facebook page today, so that teachers and parents can use this to help teach the Creation in Sunday School. It works great for teaching day 1, when God separated the light from the darkness.

    Reply
    • Chelsey says

      March 15, 2016 at 7:48 am

      What a great idea! Thanks so much for sharing!

      Reply
  4. Alex says

    March 19, 2016 at 3:44 pm

    Do the Mylar Sheets need to be silver or will any color work?

    Reply
  5. Sara says

    June 3, 2016 at 12:19 pm

    Can you suggest a cheaper alternative to the mylar sheets? I want to do this for about 200 kids at Vacation Bible School, but we cannot afford to purchase that many mylar sheets. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Lynda says

      June 7, 2016 at 12:22 pm

      You can use Transparency Sheets instead of Mylar. It is much cheaper.

      Reply
    • pam burnfield says

      June 9, 2016 at 2:29 pm

      I’m using these for our VBS too. I couldn’t find the Mylar so I tried the Transparency Sheets and they do work. I also tried the heavier scrap book paper in a shiny silver and that worked too. Can’t wait to see what the children create.

      Reply
      • Rhonda Lock says

        March 1, 2017 at 1:33 pm

        Mirror board works well too and you don’t have to cut three separate pieces. Make a template with the three pieces attached and instead of cutting them apart score the back, fold and just tape the two ends together with the mirror on the inside of the triangle. This is a lot easier!!

        Reply
        • Jen says

          March 27, 2017 at 1:56 pm

          What ages has everyone done this with? I need something for a very broad range (5-12, though most are 5-10). I’m afraid this will seem to babyish if there are 11-12 year olds…

          Reply
  6. Margaret says

    May 21, 2018 at 9:35 am

    Thanks – this was a great project!It came out really well. I was honestly a little worried but everything worked out.

    Reply
  7. Alexis says

    May 25, 2020 at 10:50 pm

    Hello! Do you know about how many mylar or mirrored sheets would be needed for a class of 25 students or how many kaleidoscopes a single sheet can make? Thank you! Looks like a fun lesson

    Reply
    • Chelsey says

      June 29, 2020 at 8:28 pm

      Using the second option, the “mirrored sheets”, you could get two per sheet x 4 sheets in the package= 8 kaleidoscopes. I might grab one extra set OR just be sure to measure your particular rolls/tubes you are using to be sure they fit. Maybe practice cutting something like card stock first into the strips (as if it was the mirrored sheet), taping the strips cardstock strips together and inserting them in the tube. Once you have the correct measurements for your particular tube, then cut the mirrored sheets. 🙂

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Light Science for Kids: Ways to Explore Refraction and Reflection - Buggy and Buddy says:
    February 10, 2016 at 3:00 pm

    […] How to Make a Kaleidoscope from Buggy and Buddy […]

    Reply
  2. The Ultimate List of 100 Summer Activities for Kids says:
    May 28, 2016 at 7:09 am

    […] Be awed at the beautiful patterns created in this basic kaleidoscope craft and marvel at the play of light and colors! Full tutorial at Buggy and […]

    Reply
  3. Homemade Kaleidoscope - Misshumblebee's Blog says:
    June 27, 2016 at 11:02 am

    […] Making this fun homemade kaleidoscope is fast and easy to do. For full instructions visit Buggy and Buddy. […]

    Reply
  4. 12 Cool and Cute Science Crafts that Kids will Love! – Go Science Girls says:
    September 27, 2017 at 7:19 pm

    […] just adore this homemade kaleidoscope! And such a creative way to explore reflections, symmetry and optical […]

    Reply

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Welcome to Buggy and Buddy! I'm Chelsey, a former teacher and parent living on the central coast of California. I love sharing crafts, science, STEM and STEAM activities, free printables and more! Read More…

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