Is it possible to bend the rules of science to make light travel in zigzag patterns? Or capture the colours of the rainbow in the comfort of your living room? Is time–travel a distant possibility?
These were some of the whacky questions that had budding innovators reflecting on the marvels of light on a rainy Saturday morning.
As a flurry of activity unfolded at the fun-filled Winter Workshop organised by the Hippocampus Children’s Library and Curiokidz from December 26 to 31, it became obvious that the session was all about revelling in scientific concepts beyond text book definitions.
From quirky sun dials, fashionable periscopes and pinhole cameras to the crowd-favourite kaleidoscope, the enthusiastic participants created their own masterpieces using cardboard boxes, an array of mirrors and other everyday objects. And with every new creation the starry-eyed youngsters unravelled the unique properties of light, one after the other.
As part of the group activity session, the children got the opportunity to learn easy ways to decipher core properties of light, including reflection and refraction, and demystify the idea of time travelling. Further, the kids also learnt to appreciate science through a series of experiments that highlighted how light could be manipulated to play magic tricks.
N Nagalakshmi, co-founder, Curiokidz, explained the underlying theme of the workshop — experiential learning. “We wanted to feed the imagination of the children and teach them scientific concepts backed by interesting experiments. They need to know that it is possible to innovate using day-to-day objects.”