Thaumatrope

The thaumatrope was a popular toy in the 1800s. It is a disk with a picture on each side, attached to two pieces of string. If you hold and twist the strings between your fingers and then pull them to let go, the disk will spin and the two pictures will appear as one moving image!

To make a thaumatrpe you will need:

String

Scissors

Piece of card

Hole punch

A circular item to draw around e.g. a cup

Coloured pencils or felt tip

 First draw around a circular object and then cut out the circle.

 Punch two holes on either side of the circle.

Next draw a cage on one side and then flip the circle over and draw a bird on the other side. When you flip the circle over make sure that the cage is upside down on the back. Colour your bird in. You could also try it with a bowl on one side and a fish on the other or come up with your own idea to try.

 After tie a piece of string through each hole.

Finally twist the strings and then pull them so that the circle spins. What do you see?