We love looking in the mirror, even when we think we don’t. Banks figured out that if they covered the wall with mirrors, people waiting in line thought they’d been waiting a lot less time than they really had. Mirrors keep us occupied! Of course, the ones that make us look thinner are even better.
Today in Crazy 8s the kids learned the ins and outs of how mirrors reflect images, and created tricks of the eyes with letters and words. Then they whipped out flashlights and watched how light bounces off the mirror at the same angle at which it hit. The kids lined up mirrors and adjusted the angles to shine on a target spot.
Best of all, the kids got to take home these new tools. Next time the power goes out, you have a flashlight ready to go!
You can keep lighting the way at home and build your child’s spatial and rotational skills with these fun challenges:
- Write a word backwards on a piece of paper – both spelled backwards and with each letter written backwards. Hold it over your child’s shoulder as they look in the mirror and see if they can read your message.
- Find 1-2 more portable mirrors and line them up in a row slightly angled to make half a hexagon. Place a toy or other object inside the curve to see it from multiple sides at once.
- If you have a laser pointer at home, take 2-3 mirrors, shut off the lights, and see if you can make a zigzag of light using the mirrors. This is how motion sensors work, just like the ones diamond thieves have to navigate.
