DLTK's Crafts for Kids
Spyglass Telescope

Make this spyglass telescope and you will be the first to discover the new world from your make believe perch in the crowsnest of the Santa Maria or spot pirates roaming the seven seas.

This spyglass is a little more difficult than the easy spyglass version and would be appropriate for ages 6+ but will require adult assistance/ supervision.

Materials:

• Two paper tubes, one which will fit inside the other. -- we painted one of ours (the thinner one) purple before we started
• Construction paper
• Wooden sticks (stir sticks or popsicle sticks)
• scotch tape
• x-acto knife
• Optional:  plastic wrap

Instructions:

• You should have two paper tubes that will slide together.  We used two toilet paper tubes but you could use paper towel or gift wrap tubes for a longer spyglass.
• Optional:  Take a small square of plastic wrap and cover one end of the outer tube.  Secure the plastic wrap with tape.  This is the glass lens for your spyglass  Don't worry if it is not neat because you will be covering the edges of the plastic wrap in the next step.
• Cover the outside of your paper tubes with construction paper.  (You choose the colors)  On the outer tube, add a narrow strip of yellow around the end that has the glass (plastic wrap).
• Put one tube completely inside the other and use a little bit of tape over one end to keep them together.
• Note that the tubes we used are not covered to make it easier to see what we have done in the next steps.
• Make four marks at equal distances around the outside f the tube.
• Using the a book as a straight edge and the marks you just made, draw four lines down the length of the tube starting and ending about a half inch from the ends.
• ADULT:  Stand the tube up (with the plastic wrap end down) and very carefully cut four slits along the lines you just drew.  Make sure that your knife goes through both paper tubes.
• Push a wooden stick into one of the slits and pull it out of either one of the slits next to it.  Do the same for the other side.
• Trim the wooden sticks so that there is only a little more than a quarter inch exposed on each end.
• Slide the inner tube out as far as you can.  Make sure the the sticks are positioned at the end of the outer tube that is opposite from the glass (plastic wrap).
• Put a piece of tape beside each stick on the outer tube to close the slit.  This will prevent the sticks from moving when you are extending your telescope.
• Initially, the tubes will not slide very easily.  As you use your spyglass it may loosen up and allow the sticks to fall out.  To prevent this, you may want to put a small ball of play dough or play clay on the ends of each stick to prevent them from falling out.