Optical Illusions For Kids

"We don't see things as they are; we see them as we are!" The basic idea of an illusion is that the visual output seen by the eye is completely different from reality. The brain and eye cannot coordinate with optical illusions and thus, you perceive it in a totally different way. Some of them may seem ‘real’, when they’re actually made to differ in physical proportions and some as mentioned before are due to excessive stimulation and only appear altered. For kids, optical illusion is more than just a technical description, it is a mind game that is fun and keeps them enthralled. Due to the number of colors, brightness, movement and sights that the child sees, he is almost willing to believe that there is some sort of “magic” in the content. There are ways in which simple illusions can be created for kids. Magical or optical illusions are the most favourite topic. Engage your child in this activity, as it is not only fun, but also a part of learning. Here are a few examples to give you a fair idea.

 

Do your kids spend their vacations watching TV or lazing around in bed all day long? Make them do something creative, that will improve their concentration and focus this time.  Optical illusions can either be viewed online or it can be drawn by the kid that will keep him more observant and focused. Your child can be inspired by the following simple diagrams and make some of his own:

 

In this illusion, a black dot is surrounded by a gray hazy background. One must stare at the black dot in the centre and an illusion of the gray haze shrinking can be experienced. The child will not be able to recreate the exact version, but he can be inspired to make something of his own.

 

A rectangular grid is drawn with gray lines on a black background. The intersection points are marked with white dots. When you look closely, the white dots appear as black dots and the black dots appear to blink. The total number of black dots cannot be counted, thus creating an illusion in the mind. This is a physiological illusion where due to movement and tilt, the mind cannot comprehend what the eye sees.

 

This is easy to recreate and a child would be thrilled working with colors and paints and yet, he’s learning a physical optical illusion. Cut out a cardboard and divide into three colors: red, blue and yellow. These are the primary colours and form a part of the spectrum. When this is spun, it is seen that after some time, it appears white. Why? Because all these colors together represent ‘white’. It is often mistaken that white has the absence of color. Conversely, white has the presence of colors and black is devoid of any colors.