Comets that are fun for children to make and play with!
Space fans will love making these Comets. Your children can create their own comets, by using different types of
ribbon, gluing stars to the tinfoil, or anything else your would be
astronomers can thing up to design their own space traveling comet.
2" Styrofoam Ball
6 lengths of curling ribbon,
( about 3 feet long )
straight pin with pearl like top
glue
aluminum foil
Instructions
Cut curling ribbon in lengths, tie together at one end and cut off excess (short end).
Poke a hole in the Styrofoam ball with a pencil.
Put a little glue in the hole.
Poke the tie end of the ribbon into the hole and secure with the pin.
Cut a piece of foil, about 7" x 7" and cover the ball
allowing the comet's tail (ribbon) to come out threw the foil.
The kids can toss the comets around, but if you have cats watch out. They love them too.
Thank you to Debbie W. from Ontario for sending in this project idea.
Robin S. suggested using a tennis ball or pink rubber ball to get more heft
when you toss your comet.
Science Fun with Janice
Refractive telescopes used to study the stars and other celestial bodies have one large end and one small end. The large end, directed toward the sky, has an objective lens that collects large quantities of light. The small end of the telescope has an eyepiece. This second lens magnifies the star images received by the objective lens. The larger the objective lens, the more light it collects and the brighter and clearer is the image of the objective being observed.
BIGGER IS BRIGHTER describes a simple way to model how the size of an objective lens collects more light. All you need is paper, dry rice, a couple of bowls and a measuring cup.
For more information about telescopes and astronomy, see Janice VanCleave’s A+ Astronomy Projects.
Send us a note if you have any questions. Let us know your ideas for using Comets or making other space objects, and we'll share them
with other visitors.
Note for Parents:
Every parent must use their own judgment in choosing which activities are
safe for their own children. While Creative Kids at Home makes every
effort to provide activity ideas that are safe and fun for children it is
your responsibility to choose the activities that are safe in your own
home.
Children love making gifts for their parents and other adults who
are important to them. But what can they make that will delight the
person they are giving the gift to?
Here's how you can quickly and easily get lots of simple, high quality
gift ideas that you children can make. Guaranteed to be fun the
children making the gift, and a delight for the person receiving it.
