dave_schneider Posted September 6, 2003 Share Posted September 6, 2003 My daughter is turning seven in a couple weeks and wants a science themed birthday party. We've got the basics figured out like making slime, sucking the hardboiled egg into the milk bottle, vinegar and soda rockets, etc. I am wondering if there are any interesting photo or optical things we could do. I don't expect that with a group of 10- 12 7 year olds that I would want to do anything in the darkroom and the activity has to be fairly brief with quick results. Maybe some polaroids or something? Any assistance would be appreciated. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter_witkop Posted September 6, 2003 Share Posted September 6, 2003 One thing that might be interesting, not sure if it's still made though. There was a blue paper, which I believe is similar to (at least works on the same principal, if not exactly chemically the same) as blueprints or cyanotype photographic prints. Came in about 4"x4" squares and worked well with objects like leaves and ferns placed on it, and put in the sun (or under a UV light source). If you can't find the paper I'm talking about you might try something simple like making a cyanotype, mostly done in roomlight, and exposed in daylight, and not much for chemistry. I think www.unblinkingeye.com has an article about them. A neat trick with poloriods too might be to stop action of something like water coming out of a faucet, fairly quick, it's neat since the image you get is something you can't see with your eyes, and all you need is poloriod back, some poloriod (you could of course work with film, but for this instant is probably nessicary), and a flash with a pc cord that has a manually adjustable power ratio. Just put the power ratio as low as possible and the duration is ussually short enough to do the trick. Hope that's of some help. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julian_thomas Posted September 6, 2003 Share Posted September 6, 2003 How about a camera obscura? If you have a room you can cover the windows with except for a small hole to project onto a wall? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnanian Posted September 6, 2003 Share Posted September 6, 2003 hi dave how about some centenial POP paper - you could make sun prints of plants, leaves &c (photograms) and they could watch it happen :) ... you could do the toner thing afterwards, and by the time they have to leave they could take home a photo .. <g> -john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom_perkins Posted September 6, 2003 Share Posted September 6, 2003 Tough to have that many kids in the darkroom, but when my kids were that age we made some photograms. Put some RC paper in the easel and then place objects on it, then make the exposure with the enlarger and develop the paper. Things like sticks and feathers and Barbie clothes, little toys. They will like watching the images come up in the developer and have something they can take home. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warren_weckesser Posted September 6, 2003 Share Posted September 6, 2003 You can get the pre-made cyanotype papers from Freestyle. Go to www.freestylephoto.biz/e_main.php and search for "sunprint". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlabrosse Posted September 6, 2003 Share Posted September 6, 2003 If you can find two or three SX70 polaroid cameras, (you may be able to rent them beleive it or not) you can do Polaroid manipulations with the kids. Put the kids into groups � maybe two-four to a camera and give them a pack of film each. Rubbing the polaroid as it's developing with different objects like spoons or chopsticks at different times in the developmet will yield some fun and often painterly effects. And as long as they don't cut the top film on the print, no darkroom and no chemical exposure is required. There are some examples at the links below: http://www.langara.bc.ca/cs/photography/gallery/student/gallery%202/imagepages/ gallery230.htm http://www.langara.bc.ca/cs/photography/gallery/student/image%20pages/ Image25.htm http://www.langara.bc.ca/cs/photography/gallery/student/image%20pages/ Image28.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lacey_smith4 Posted September 6, 2003 Share Posted September 6, 2003 the cyan sun prints sounds fun -- from what I read. No personal experience (to my discredit). if they can just look through the ground glass at each other, they will have fun. Let them have some goofy props -- balloons or such, and they can preentd/real pose as much as they want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard_rankin2 Posted September 6, 2003 Share Posted September 6, 2003 The cyanotype papers mentioned above were developed for school use so should be suitable. Some parents might freak if they clue into the 'cyano' part of the name though. Cyanotype is a pretty safe alternative process but most people associate any variant of cyanide with deadly poisons in muder movies. I don't think the POP is as suitable as it needs to be washed, but also fixed. The fixing is too much trouble, because this then means that the prints must be also washed. You can also make prints by making your own paper coating with flowers as your 'chemical'. This is mentioned in Chris James' book but probably is too slow for a party. I hope you post what you come up with so other people can try a similar theme! Good luck, Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark_blackman1 Posted September 7, 2003 Share Posted September 7, 2003 how about a homemade Endoscope? All you need is some optical fibre, rubber hose and lots of lubricant..... Seriously, though I've tried to get kids involved like this, but with varying results. One thing that does work is one-shot cameras. Locate your nearest one hour lab, hand out the cameras and at a suitable point collect them up and get them processed. With a bit of planning they can all go home with a set of their own prints. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dick roadnight cotswolds Posted September 7, 2003 Share Posted September 7, 2003 Yes Julian: A camera obscura would be ideal. Fill the window with a lump of board, insert a lens into it, use your background system hang sheets of white background paper against the wall draw or paint the picture like the pre-chemical photographers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dick roadnight cotswolds Posted September 7, 2003 Share Posted September 7, 2003 On reading the Cappachino post above, I recall that you can acquire photosenthesising chemical, so you could make the paper light sensitive... and devolope it with coffee. An inexpencive 10 X 8 (feet) camera! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
struan_gray Posted September 7, 2003 Share Posted September 7, 2003 A friend of mine made 'bullet time' quicktime clips of kids jumping in the air using disposable cameras and a local quickie lab. The kids took it in turns to jump, with the others stood in a circle and all pushing their button on their camera on cue. A spare parent got the films developed, scanned the prints and used a crude quicktime authoring tool to make the clips. The shots were never perfectly synchronised of course, but the suspended jerky look just added to the charm, and seeing each other suspended in mid air in glorious 3D was 'way cool. 12 cameras, a bunch of kids, a lot of fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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