Making Educational Toys - The Pinhole Projector

This pin hole projector demonstrates the principles ofthe tube to make it look neat and tidy and block out
early photography and also the nature of light. Toany light through any gaps.
make these great educational toys all you need is anNow point your new science toy [ with the pinhole
empty Pringles tin, some silver foil or wrapping paper,towards a nice bright image like a tree on a sunny
tape, a pair of scissors and a hammer and nail.day and if you look through the open end you should
First you will need to cut about 5cm off the bottomsee an upside down image projected onto the plastic
of the Pringles tin and using the hammer and smalllid.
nail, pierce a hole in the middle of the metal base atWhy do you think the image is projected upside
the bottom of the 5cm piece you cut off. This holedown? If light travels in straight lines, light from the
will allow the light travelling in straight lines frombottom of an object would travel through the pinhole
whatever is being viewed into the pinhole projector.and end up toward the top of the screen whereas
Next, you need to place the plastic lid onto the topthe light travelling from the top of an object would
of the Pringles tube and tape the two pieces backpass through the hole and end up at the bottom of
together but this time with the plastic lid toward thethe screen.
opening of the 5 cm cut off piece of tube. ThePlaying with educational toys helps children
plastic lid, now set within the tube 5cm away fromunderstand scientific principles however making
the pin hole in the base, acts like a screen for theeducational toys allows even more insight into the
light projecting through the small hole in the metalworkings of the educational toy as well as being a lot
base to produce an upside down image upon.of fun.
Next wrap some silver foil or wrapping paper around