Underwater Scope

Most of the really cool stuff that lives underwater is too small, too slimy and too delicate to capture alive—or to capture at all. This easy-to-make underwater scope makes catching the little critters irrelevant. Poke it in the water and look through for a clear, enlarged view of life beneath the surface. In creeks and streams, that might mean the creepy nymphs and insects that attach themselves to rocks (neat!); in the pool, that might mean your dad's hairy toes (yuck!).

DIRECTIONS: You'll need a food storage tub with a snap-on lid (like the kind yogurt comes in) and some plastic wrap. Cut off the tub's bottom and cut the center out of the tub's lid so that only the rim remains. Stretch the plastic wrap over the tub's top and snap the rim over it to secure it in place. Insert the plastic wrapped end into the water and look through the top.

WHY IT WORKS: When you stick the scope into the water, the water pressure pushes the plastic wrap into a concave magnifying lens.