Bored? Build Your Own Virtual Kaleidoscope

It's mid-July and already you are hearing that bored-kid mantra: "But there's nothing to dooooooooooo."

Or perhaps you just want to kill some time in your cubicle with some harmless eye candy.

Either way, this week's Web Site of the Week is a sure-fire winner.

Part art, part social commentary, part science project, part creative outlet, ZeFrank.com offers a host of interesting projects.

My favorite is the build-your-own online kaleidoscope (click on "build yer own" in the navigation bar). A pop-up screen gets you started on creating your own changing images by offering a host of geometric shapes in all kinds of colors (a lot like the old Colorforms from childhood).

To get started on your cosmic kaleidoscope voyage, all you have to do is drag some of those Colorforms shapes into a circle that looks like a radar screen. Keep placing and moving the shapes around until you get something you like to look at. Then, drag them all back in place and start all over again!

But the tool is more than just making pretty pictures. The pop-up window also explains how the kaleidoscope works. You can get a math and science lesson without even realizing it.

A couple of other kaleidoscope options are offered on the site as well. Kids can drag and drop entire pictures and drawings into the kaleidoscope circle to see what they look like.

Another great art toy on ZeFrank.com is the Meine Kleine Draw Toy. Use a number of different static and animated brushes to choose colors and create your own picture. All you need is a virtual refrigerator to post them.

One caveat: Parts of ZeFrank.com might not be kid-appropriate, but with a little adult supervision, kids of all ages should be able to enjoy this online creative corner.