Using a magnifier encourages tamariki to be curious
Why do it?
- It strengthens observation skills and the ability to notice details
- It’s easy to make with your tamaiti using everyday materials
How to do it
You’ll need: a round pottle – an empty margarine container works well, some cling wrap, a rubber band and a small amount of water
- Cut an opening low on one side of the container big enough for your tamaiti to slide things in to look at. Check for and tape along any sharp edges
- Loosely drape cling wrap over the open top of the container, press it over the sides and secure it with a rubber band
- Get your tamaiti to put a large spoonful of water onto the cling wrap to make a ‘lens’
- Slide something into the magnifier through the small hole you cut in the side
- Look down at it through the watery lens. Talk about what you can both see
- Ask an open question like ‘What do you think will happen if you put in more water?’ Try it out.
- When you’re out and about, look for interesting things to look at under your magnifier
- Encourage exploration by asking questions like - What happens if we make the cling wrap looser? or tighter?
- What about if you make the magnifier with a bigger, or smaller container?
Using more reo Māori
|Te reo Māori||English|
|Whakakaitā(tia) whakakaitā(tia) To enlarge, expand, magnify Maori | Verb||To enlarge/magnify|
|Whakanui whakanui To enlarge, magnify, expand Maori | Verb||Magnifier|
|Arotahi arotahi Lens Maori | Noun||Lens|
|Kei raro i te mea whakakaitā||Under the magnifier|
|Mā roto i te āputa i te taha||Through the gap in the side|
|Me titiro||Have a look|
|Tētahi mea rerekē||Something different|
|He nui rawa te āhua||Looks bigger|