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Learn a simple way to understand drawing in perspective by writing your name in 3D! What's going on? You've just used a common artistic technique, called "one point perspective," to create the illusion of three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional piece of paper. By drawing lines from your original letters back to the perspective point, you're setting up boundaries that show how much smaller your block letters would look if you slid them into the distance. Connecting the lines between your original and distant block letters makes it look like the letters are taking up 3D space. This technique can be used to draw even more complicated 3D objects and scenes - experiment with it and see what happens! You can also use a second perspective point, or shadows, to add even more depth to your drawings.Want to explore more hands-on crafts without the hassle of gathering materials? Learn about chemistry and design out-of-this-world bath bombs with <a href="https://www.kiwico.com/us/store/dp/planet-bath-bombs/3702" target="_self">Planet Bath Bombs</a> from the <a href="https://www.kiwico.com/store" target="_self">KiwiCo Store</a>!

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Draw your name in block letters in pencil. Then, trace each of the letters in marker. 

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Make a small mark in pencil anywhere on your paper. This mark will be the vanishing point of your perspective drawing. 
 
What is a vanishing point?
A vanishing point is the point where all parallel lines in a perspective drawing intersect. 

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Draw a line in pencil connecting every point of every letter to the vanishing point. Make sure these lines are light as you will erase them when you have finished your drawing. 

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Trace these lines with marker any distance. Keep in mind that these lines will dictate how long your letters are. 

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When you have finished, connect each of these lines with a horizontal or vertical line. Notice that these lines run parallel to the original letter you drew.&nbsp;

Some letters, like B and Y, have lines where it doesn't make sense to draw horizontal lines. In these instances, draw a line that is parallel to the line in the original letter you drew.

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Erase the pencil lines and then color in your name! If you want more of a challenge, try making your name into a cityscape. 

pencil

Ruler

markers (colored)

eraser

3D Name Drawing

anatomy

easy experiment

Have you ever wondered how your brain understands how far away an object is? Find out how your eyes work together to process information with this easy experiment that tests your ability to perceive distance!

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Make a small circle slightly larger than the width of a pencil with a pipe cleaner. Then, twist the ends of the pipe cleaner together.

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Make a small ball out of clay and use it as a stand for the pipe cleaner. 

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Repeat steps 1-3, making each circle slightly larger than the last until you have three pipe cleaners on stands. 

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You are ready to test your depth perception! Place the largest pipe cleaner stand onto a desk in front of you so that you cannot see the hole in the pipe cleaner. Then, close one eye and try to thread the pencil through the pipe cleaner. Now, try it with both eyes open. Try this with each size! If this is too easy, try threading a needle with one eye closed!

Humans have great depth perception thanks to the position of our eyes. Both of our eyes face the same direction, so the two eyes "see" overlapping images that are just slightly offset from one another. The brain is able to use this offset, or "retinal disparity," to calculate how far away an object is. (Animals whose eyes are positioned on the sides of the head, instead of the front, like horses, have poor depth perception).See for yourself: close one eye and focus on a nearby object. Then, switch which eye is open, again focusing on the nearby object. The nearby object's position should appear to shift — that's a large retinal disparity. Now, look at a distant object with one eye at a time (say, something over 30 feet away). Distant objects create very similar images on each eye, resulting in a small retinal disparity. The muscles that help simultaneously focus your two eyes can also provide cues to your brain about the distance of nearby objects - they have to work extra hard to focus both eyes on objects that are very close to your face, so you can literally "feel" the sensation of focusing on very up-close objects. With just one eye, your brain can't rely on retinal disparity, or feedback from the two sets of eye muscles, to help with depth perception. Instead, things like shadows, or the size of recognized objects (like a cat versus a car), are used to judge distance. These cues aren't quite as reliable for producing good depth perception as retinal disparity or muscle feedback from two eyes, but they'll work in a pinch, and improve with practice.

pipe cleaners

clay

Seeing Depth Perception

STEM

April Fool’s Day

indoor project

magnets

magic tricks

motion

experiment

quick experiment

April Fool's Day is a great excuse play a few harmless jokes, have a few laughs, and play a prank on another jokester.. It can also, however, be a great excuse to try out some awesome new science! Try combining your laughs with some learning this year with this fun and easy magnet trick.

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Tape one neodymium magnet to the center of your dollar bill.

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Tape one end of your string to the other neodymium magnet.

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Place your dollar bill on the table so the magnet is hidden underneath it. Place the other magnet with the string underneath the table, so it attracts the magnet and bill above the table. Sit at either the opposite end of the table, or underneath it. When someone comes to grab the dollar bill, give your string a gentle pull and the dollar bill jump out of their reach! 

1 dollar bill

Neodymium Magnets

Tape

string

table

The Moving Dollar Trick

Discover everyday magic! Big, showy magic tricks are pretty amazing, but you don't really need anything special to make magic happen. In fact, all you need are a few things you probably have around the house to do a fun trick! 

2. Clip the ends of the "S" together with your paper clips as shown. 

3. Slowly pull the ends of the bill apart. The paper clips will link together! (Pull the ends quickly to make the paper clips jump in the air as they join together). 

dollar bill

paper clips

The Jumping Paper Clip Trick

easy craft

quick craft

physics

Mesmerize yourself and others with this amazing illusion. As the slinky twists and spins, it looks like the sphere climbs the spiral. But it doesn't actually climb - try it out to see how your eyes are tricking you!

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Gather your materials. Then, bend half of the first ring of the slinky up so that it forms the shape of a hook and tie one end of a piece of string to it.   

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Tie the other end of the string to a tree branch. 

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Push the ball into the twelfth ring of the slinky.

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Twist the string in one direction. Then, let go and observe what happens as the slinky spins in the opposite direction! 

What’s going on here is an optical illusion. Optical illusions happen when your eyes and brain get confused by something you’re seeing, so the thing appears differently to you than it really is. And actually, there are two optical illusions at work here, so you’re doubly confused! The first illusion is called a Barber Pole Illusion. That’s what makes the slinky look like it’s moving up and down when it spins. Your eyes have trouble tracking the spinning motion, so instead, your brain is tricked into seeing the coils moving vertically. The same thing happens with a barbershop pole.
 The second illusion is called Induced Movement, and it’s why it looks like the sphere is moving. Because the slinky looks like it’s moving, your eye starts to follow that motion. Anything that doesn’t also move with that motion (like the sphere) appears to move in the other direction! Focus on the sphere, though, and the illusion will stop.

slinky

ball

Scissors

Climbing Sphere Illusion

science project

printable

homemade craft

household craft

toy design

recycled craft materials

A kaleidoscope is a toy that uses light and mirrors to make pretty patterns with symmetrical designs. Symmetry is when two or more parts of a thing are identical. Think of butterfly wings, matching socks, and spiderwebs —they all have parts that match. In this experiment, with a little help from Ziploc® brand bags, you’ll learn how kaleidoscopes use reflections in a mirror to create symmetry. When you spin the wheel, the pattern you see changes. Why do you think that is? Download the printable template <a href="http://icdn.kiwicrate.com/printables/2019_Ziploc_Kaleidoscope_Printable_Template.pdf">here</a>.

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In the kaleidoscope printable, cut along the solid lines to cut out the <a href="http://icdn.kiwicrate.com/printables/2019_Ziploc_Kaleidoscope_Printable_Template.pdf">template</a>. (This will help you form the reflective triangular tube that goes insides the kaleidoscope.)

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Glue the template onto the back (non-reflective) side of the reflective paper. 

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Cut out the reflective paper along the edges of the template.

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Fold your reflective paper along the dotted lines of the template. Make sure that the reflective side is facing inside the triangular tube and the plain template is facing the outside.

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Tape the edges together to make the triangular tube.

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Insert the triangle into your toilet paper roll. It should fit snugly inside. Push the triangular tube all the way to the end of the roll, so the ends are aligned.

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Decorate the tube with the colorful tape.

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Fill your Ziploc® brand bags with different small items, like sequins or glitter or beads (avoid using any sharp items). Try using some objects that you can see through and some that you can’t. See which type works best. Use a rubber band to securethe bag over the end where the triangular tube and cardboard roll are aligned. 

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Look through the opposite end and point the kaleidoscope up to the light. Twist the bag around the roll and see the beautiful shapes move around!

The mirrors inside our kaleidoscope face each other. So when light enters the colorful side, it bounces off of the mirrors and creates a pattern. If we move the mirrors, we change the angle, and the reflected pattern changes. And if you change the thing that is reflected in the mirror, you get a new pattern. Try placing objects of different materials over the tube. What happens then?

ziploc® brand sandwich bag

Toilet Paper Roll

reflective paper

printable kaleidoscope template

non-toxic glue stick

colorful tape (duct, packaging, washi, etc.)

glitter, sequins, sprinkles, or small plastic jewels

rubber band

Kaleidoscope Symmetry

math games

Download the printable <a href="http://images.kiwicrate.com/diy_ad/KiwiCo-The-Amazing-Endless-Loop.pdf">here</a> to take a bicyclist on a never-ending journey across a möbius loop! A möbius loop is a special kind of shape that, when folded together from a flat strip, only has one side instead of top side or bottom side or inside or outside. That means if you start moving along it, you can loop all over it forever and ever!

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Cut the printable along the dotted lines. 

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Glue the roads to each other so that each road has a front and a back.

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Tape the roads together to create one long road.

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Bend the road into a loop. Before you tape the ends together, twist one end 180 degrees. Then, tape them together.

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Tape the bicyclist around the loop and push him to the start line. 

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Start the bicyclist at the start line and guide him around the loop. Where does he finish? 

The amazing thing about a möbius loop is that it’s one-sided. The strip of paper, before you folded it, had a clear top and bottom side. But with the möbius loop, those sides are combined into one. If you put a pencil anywhere on it and draw a line following the middle , you’d be able to write on the top and bottom of the strip, without ever picking up your pencil or going over an edge. And finally you’d end up back where you started, to keep looping endlessly.
 The study of shapes like this is called topology. You can study the topology of your loop by trying out a few other things: - Take a marker and draw along one of the edges of the loop. Where do you end up? (Spoiler: Yes, you end up back where you started. Not only is there just one side to a möbius loop, there’s also only one edge!) - Cut the loop in half down the center of the road (you can always print and make a new one after!). How does cutting it in half change the loop? - Twist the strip twice to make your loop. How does that change the bike’s journey, or your other explorations? - What else can you discover about your möbius loop?

You can sometimes see the möbius loop in magic shows under the alias of “Afghan Bands!” 

Glue

The Amazing Endless Loop

spinner

Have you ever looked through an electric fan and seen a shimmering pattern of light and dark areas around the center? This is a type of optical illusion called a moiré (pronounced mwar-ay). It happens when two see-through patterns of lines overlap, like the wires on the front and back of the fan.
 Try this easy experiment to make your own moiré patterns!

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Cut the canvas into two 6" (15.2 cm)&nbsp;squares. 

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Paint both sides of each canvas black. Let them dry for at least 30 minutes.

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Place one of the canvases in the middle of the lazy susan. 

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Hold the second canvas centered over the first canvas and slowly spin the lazy susan. What do you observe? What happens when you spin faster? What about slower?

If you have trouble seeing the patterns, ask a friend to take a video of you spinning the lazy susan from directly above. In a video, you can see the patterns moiré clearly! 

When you spin the canvases, the interaction you see between them is a kind of optical illusion. You see moiré patterns because it’s tough for your brain to process lots of criss-crossing lines. Instead, it simplifies things into a pattern of dark areas (where the lines are close) and light areas (where they aren’t).
 As the bottom canvas rotates on the lazy susan, it creates a new pattern with the one you’re holding steady above it. That’s moiré!

plastic canvas (used in needlepoint)

lazy susan

black paint

sponge

smartphone (optional)

Moiré Patterns

game

density

Make your own Pythagoras cup and trick your friends with this disappearing water act! 

Panda Crate

Sprout: Koala Crate

Labs: Kiwi Crate

World: Atlas Crate

Studio: Doodle Crate

Labs: Tinker Crate

Studio: Maker Crate

Labs: Eureka Crate

14 awesome optical illusions projects for kids

Screen-free fun!