If you could get at eye level with a dragonfly or a shooting star, would you?

Thankfully, there have always been curious people asking interesting questions, and inventing tools to look at life from a different perspective. Make an appointment with your favorite kid (or kids), and use the tools below to have a world-class adventure right at home.

Telescope

Assignment: Learn the names of the planets in our solar system; the names and shapes of the major constellations; and/or some basic facts about our moon, like its size, what it’s made of, and its affect on the Earth.

Telescopes may be much less common than televisions, but they aren’t any less fun. Use one to take a good look at the night sky. You probably don’t notice it or think about it very often, but it’s filled with millions and millions of interesting things to look at. If you don’t have access to a telescope, use binoculars instead.

Microscope

Assignment: Find 10 items around the house made from a variety of materials. For example, a thread from a rug, a leaf from a plant, a dog or cat hair, a piece of soil, a piece of paper, a paperclip, a drop of blood. Be as creative as you want.

The beauty of a microscope is that it lets you see detail that you may never have thought about before. Use one to look at as many different materials as possible. If you don’t have access to a microscope, use a magnifying glass instead.

Stethoscope

Assignment: Research how the heart is constructed, what its different parts are, and how it gets its job done. This will make listening to it much more interesting, as you think about how the sound corresponds to what it is actually doing.

You probably never gave much thought to your heartbeat, but it’s like your own, personal drum playing in the background of your life. Use a stethoscope to listen to it at different times of the day and night, and after different types of activities. Did you wake up at midnight? Did you just play scrimmage with your friends? Are you nervous? Check in on your heartbeat to see how it changes depending on what you are doing. If you don’t have access to a stethoscope, use a long tube and listen to someone else’s heart instead. (P.S. Thank you, Dr. D., for the stethoscope.)

Copyright 2023 Kesel Wilson (entirely, 100% human-created)

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