The KaLEGOscope: A LEGO Kaleidoscope

In 1816, Sir David Brewster exhibited his new creation to the public. These small sculptures holding a prism of mirrors and beads of glass produced beautiful moving images. One year later, Brewster named his newly patented invention the kaleidoscope, derived from Greek, meaning "observation of beautiful forms." The kaleidoscope quickly became a worldwide sensation, inspiring imagination and wonder in children and adults for over two hundred years, just as LEGO has done for the last sixty years.

Design:

I designed my LEGO kaleidoscope to be simple, sturdy and architectural. The prism is meant to resemble a Gothic tower as Gothic revival was the popular architectural movement when Sir David Brewster invented the kaleidoscope. The prism is clean and elegant to contrast the wild, infinitely varied and unpredictable kinetic images seen inside.

Construction:

The mirrors used in this model were taken from the LEGO Detective's Office. The Detective's Office set has a barber shop on the ground floor with a mirror part hanging on the wall. The prism contains six of these mirrors held in place with very common bricks. Hinge plates hold the walls together, the hinges prevent the mirrors from falling out. There is no tape, stickers or adhesive required to hold these mirrors in place. The prism is very sturdy and never broke apart when my cats knocked it off the fireplace mantle. The large clear dishes make the cell and are easily opened to fill with anything you like. 

The model is built with 137 parts, and the cell is filled with an additional 40 to 60 parts (depending on the size and shape of what you put inside). The cell works best when filled only up to the axle in the middle. Too many parts and they won't mix around when rolled.

Features:

Put anything inside the cell:

-add parts from your own collection to make a theme kaleidoscope. Space, pirates, animals, friends, super heroes etc...explore your creativity.

-fill the cell with non-LEGO things. Coins, flowers, ladybugs or fireflies, beads, charms, jewelry... try anything that fits inside.

For everything that doesn't fit in the cell, remove it to make a teleidoscope:

-look at anything around you like looking through a telescope, but it makes kaleidoscopic images. Plants and flowers, books and magazines, art, ANYTHING! The possibilities are endless.

-watch videos and movies through your teleidoscope on a smartphone. The LEGO Movie is particularly awesome.

Goal:

I would like this set to introduce children to the amazing beauty and wonder of kaleidoscopes. LEGO and kaleidoscopes inspire imagination, creativity and ingenuity and can challenge how children see the world and develop their talents and potential. I believe this set can also reintroduce adults to kaleidoscopes and playing with LEGO. Nobody is too old to play and learn.

Please support my project to share the beauty, imagination and infinite possibility of a LEGO kaleidoscope with the world. 

Thank you so much for looking and please share this with your friends!