Children's Science Activities to Make Telescopes

Simple Refractor Telescope

• Create a simple telescope from two converging lenses, a manila folder, scissors and glue. Get the converging lenses from a plastic toy magnifying glass (you'll have to crack the handle). Children will make two tubes from the manila folder to fit the lenses---one slightly longer than the other. They can then glue the lenses to one end of each tube. With one lens acting as the eyepiece, assist children in fitting one tube inside the other. As the two tubes slide together, the vocal lengths of the long and short tube come together to make a clear image.

Stationary Telescope

• Assemble some cheap reading glasses, a magnifying glass, flashlight and tape to make a working telescope. To create the telescope's objective lens, children should tape the glasses to a door or chair back (one eyepiece must be protruding), then shine the flashlight (like a star's light) through that lens. Have one child hold a paper in front of the glasses lens to find the focal point---the point where an image is reflected. Another child can hold the magnifying glass between the glasses and the paper so the image of the flashlight is magnified even more.

Hubble Telescope Model

• To complement a science or astronomy course that examines the Hubble telescope, allow children to make a model of the famous space-traveling telescope using material like bits of PVC pipe, dowels, posterboard, silver paint and small round mirrors. Provide the children with an accurate picture of the Hubble and let them cut, glue and paint a replica. A teacher or parent may need to prepare some of the materials beforehand (such as cutting sections of PVC pipe). While the models can't be used as actual telescopes, children will have a greater understanding about how the parts of the Hubble work together to produce results.