Magnificent micros

Every child should have a magnifying glass. A magnifying glass opens up a tiny world that, unless you are looking closely, would go completely unnoticed.

Start your magnifying glass experiments with salt and sugar. With the naked eye, both salt and sugar appear to be similar, but under the awesome power of a magnifying glass they could not be more different. Have your kids look at the salt and sugar on black paper for maximum contrast, and they will be amazed at the differences in shape and texture. If your kids are not old enough for this kind of experimentation, help them look at stamps, money, or even photographs under a magnifying glass's incredible power, and see what you have been missing. Then once they understand how a magnifying glass works, turn them loose to find their own small world.

Enjoy the small today!