Light show

Yesterday we completed our routine tasks (yes, we have a few of those), and were at a bit of a loss. It was only 10:30. We needed something to do.

Peter assumed a bored expression, and browsed through "How Science Works" from DK.

"Perhaps we could try one of the activities?" I offered timidly, knowing that the DK books are marvelous to look at, but the projects tend to fall a little short in the execution.
"Nah, I'll just read," he yawned.

That seemed good enough for the moment. I turned away to shine my sink (more on that later), when suddenly my son announced:
"I might be interested in doing this one."

To an unschooling parent this is as good a hint as any. I sprung into action. Naturally, my son selected the most complicated activity  in the chapter on light: the light ray box. It involved drafting, cutting and gluing a little cardboard house, meticulously cutting out precise little slits, connecting batteries to lightbulbs with little alligator clips, and other annoying steps that unnecessarily complicate the project and do not add to its ultimate enjoyment.

I stood in thought in the middle of the kitchen for several minutes, and then raced up to the attic, returning with a cardboard gift box, packing tape, a craft knife, and one of those electrical cord things you can screw a lightbulb into to make a Chinese lantern. We were set.

The kids went about the house looking for glass containers, mirrors and magnifying lenses to use in the project, and I tried to think of an alternative to cutting out narrow slits in a cardboard box. In the end, I got Nadia, who was dying to use the razor knife (affectionately referred to as the "laser knife"), cutting out small openings in the cardboard, while Peter taped together toothpicks, picket-fence style, which we then placed inside those openings to create a slit pattern.

Then, we went down to the laundry room, the only space in the house that could be completely darkened, and played with light.

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