Silly Spectacles

Design a pair of egg-carton eyeglasses that are sure to get laughs!

Skill Level: Moderate

Time Needed: 45 minutes

Age(s): 8 to 12

Appropriate For: Father's Day

Supplies Needed:

Project Rating:

Cut out a two-cup section from a cardboard egg carton. Poke out the bottoms of the cups for eye holes.
Cut a small hole at the top of each cup on the outer edge. This is where the pipe-cleaner "frames" will go.
Paint the egg-carton glasses any color or combination of colors that you choose. Let the paint dry completely.
Use Elmer's 3D Washable Paint Pens™ to decorate the glasses. Glue fake eyelashes to the glasses or make your own eyelashes out of black construction paper. Let the glue dry completely.
Insert a chenille pipe cleaner into each hole to make the stems of the eyeglass frames.
Bend the chenille pipe cleaners so that they fit snuggle around your ears. Enjoy wearing your new silly spectacles!

Teaching Tips:

Discuss how people have been wearing eyeglasses for over 800 years! Talk about the first eyeglasses, which had quartz lens; frames made of bone, metal or leather; and balanced on the bridge of a person's nose. Ask students to describe how today's eyeglasses are different from the earlier version.
Research and discuss Benjamin Franklin's role in developing the bifocal lens.
Have students brainstorm a list of famous people who wear eyeglasses. Some examples might include Harry Potter or actor Johnny Depp.
Talk about individual differences. Take a survey of how many students in your classroom wear eyeglasses and how many do not. Ask students to help you use this information to create a classroom bar graph. Use other student characteristics, such as eye color or hair color, to create additional classroom graphs.