Hobbies And Interests
Paper Burning
This activity is best done with adult supervision or completely by an adult, with the children simply watching. Go outside with the sun is high and hot in the sky, such as between the hours of 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Show the children how can use magnifying glasses to direct and concentrate the sun's light. Hold the magnifying glass over a piece of paper so that the sun is shining on it. Hold it very still, and the piece of paper will begin to smolder and then burn.
Fingerprints
When you want to explain to a child that everyone's fingerprints are different, a magnifying glass can be a helpful tool. Have different children press their index fingers into an ink pad and then onto a note card, side by side. Then, let the children take turns looking at each other's fingerprints with the magnifying glass so that they can see that the patterns and ridges all take on different shapes.
Living Things
Explain to the children that living things are everywhere, even when we can't see them. Take them outside and have them look at plants with their normal eyesight and note all of the living things they can see. Then, have them inspect the plants and the area around them with magnifying glasses. They will likely see tiny bugs and other insects they could not see before.
Snowflakes
A snow day often means a day off of school and lots of sledding and snowman-building. However, you can use a magnifying glass to turn the snow day into an educational experience. Put a piece of dark-colored construction paper inside the freezer so that it gets very cold. Then, take it outside and hold the paper flat so that it catches a few falling snowflakes. Let the children inspect the snowflakes on the piece of paper with the magnifying glass so that they can see how different they are.