How to Make a Magnifying Glass for Outdoor Exploration

I just love stumbling upon really simple ideas that stimulate hands-on exploration, learning and play!

Today’s post is one of those projects that takes literally 1 minute to make, and can lead to hours of entertainment. Read on to find out how to make a magnifying glass with only a jar and water – and to see all the learning and fun it led to!

Supplies

• A small, clean cylindrical glass jar with the label removed (We used a small honey jar.)
• Water!

How to Make the Magnifying Glass

Fill the jar with water to the very top. Screw on the lid and voila – it’s ready! (Told you it was simple!)

Play and Exploration with the Magnifying Glass

The first thing we did with the glass was to see how it worked by looking at coins and other small objects through it.

Me: “What is the jar doing Onetime?”  Onetime: “It makes things bigger Mom!” Me: “Yes, we’ve made a magnifying glass!”

Before I knew it, Onetime wanted to take it outside into the backyard to see what we could look at there.

We discovered that our magnifying glass works really well on “flattish” objects like leaves, bark, and the ground, and not so good with more three-dimensional things.

I thought it was so cool that examining leaves up close led to some really cool observations and questions from Onetime, like “Why are those lines there Mom?” (to which I replied, “Why do YOU think they’re there?“)

We then spent about a half hour comparing different leaves from plants and trees in our backyard to see if they all had these mysterious lines and what that might mean!

We later took our DIY magnifying glass on an afternoon hike where our impromptu leaf study continued.

We also found the magnifying glass was handy for examining some fossils that we found in limestone chunks at the side of a new trail.

Unfortunately, it didn’t do a great job of helping us to see the giant anthill that we found.

But I think that by just HAVING the magnifying glass with us on the hike helped my son focus on some of the smaller of nature’s wonders that day. We had a LOT of fun watching the busy activity around this hill for a few minutes.

What will you use this magnifying glass to look at with your kids?

If you’re looking for the science behind why this works – read this post.

Follow One Time Through’s board Nature-Lovers on Pinterest.

Today’s post was a part of a new 5 Senses Science Blog Hop that we’ll be participating in throughout June on Fridays with a bunch of other fun blogs!

This week’s theme was science activities that have to do with SIGHT. Check out the other fun posts below!

How to Make a Magnetic Field Sensory Bottle | Left Brain Craft Brain

Number Chart Art | Pink Stripey Socks

How To Make a Simple Kaleidoscope for Kids | Little Bins for Little Hands

Print and Color Tessellation Puzzles | FrugalFun4Boys

Old School Fun: Make a Thaumatrope | What Do We Do All Day?

Remember to follow us on Facebook, and Twitter!

Leave a comment below!